Simply Saratoga Spring 2020

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Simply

SARATOGA

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THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

Spring 2020 Complimentary

Brought to you by

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SARATOGA

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THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE Owner/Publisher

CHAD BEATTY General Manager

ROBIN MITCHELL Creative Director/ Managing Editor

CHRIS VALLONE BUSHEE Magazine Designer

MARISA SCIROCCO Advertising Designer

CHRISTIAN APICELLA Advertising Sales

JIM DALEY CINDY DURFEY Contributing Writers

Samantha Bosshart Peter Bowden Colleen Coleman Jodi Fitz Carol Godette John R. Greenwood Charlie Kuenzel Meghan Lemery Fritz Megin Potter John Reardon Theresa St. John Jordana Turcotte Maureen Werther Stewart White Photographers

Aldridge Photography Tracey Buyce Susan Blackburn Mark Blech Peter Bowden Katie Dobies Photography David Forbert Wendy Haugh Randall Perry Megin Potter Marisa Scirocco SuperSourceMedia.com Theresa St. John

Published by

Saratoga TODAY Newspaper Five Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 tel: (518) 581-2480 | fax: (518) 581-2487

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

Copyright © 2020, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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From The Editor

Chris Vallone Bushee, Creative Director/ Managing Editor • cBushee@SaratogaPublishing.com 518) 581-2480 ext.201• saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Happy Spring Saratoga!

If you’re a regular reader of Simply Saratoga, I’m sure you know by now that I love introducing you to people you may not know yet – or even those you see every day - that have a great story worth telling.

Well, the SPRING issue is where I get to bring you those people that I feel have created their dream life.

Obviously, Saratoga is filled with so many talented sorts, and this is just a sampling, but I know you will love every profile here! Starting on page 27 with David Forbert who you may not know, but was a travel photographer for Readers Digest, to everybody’s favorite Candy Lady, Dawn Oesch; who is now also the Artistic Director at Home Made Theater! …these people impress me!

Luckily, I too have my dream job, or I’d be jealous!

Speaking of that dream job…

I was invited to experience a spa weekend awhile back and just look at how happy and relaxed I was!

I must share this with you…

Every part of our “Girls Getaway” was fun!

The anticipation, the planning, the packing, the road trip itself… and then the fun that we had while there – I think everybody should schedule these (my recommendation is quarterly!) See page 41 to see where we stayed!

I can’t believe this is Stewart White’s last installment. His recollection about working at the Reading Room as a young man has been fascinating to read and Stewart himself was a joy to work with – we’ll miss you Stew!

I must close with a big Thank You to our advertisers, without them, Saratoga TODAY couldn’t continue to offer these beautiful publications free of charge to the thousands that read them. Please mention us by name when visiting these businesses… Simply Saratoga, the Saratoga TODAY magazine!

Stay in touch Saratoga, I love hearing from you… contact me at (518) 581-2480 x 201 or at cBushee@SaratogaPublishing.com.

Love, Chris Cover photo by Randall Perry Photography.

Wait 'till you see this house - story on page 51! saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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CONTRIBU TOR S M E GH M

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Theresa is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Saratoga Springs. Even though history was not on her radar while in high school, she has a deep interest in all things historical now. She has been on assignment for several magazines and is published in both print and online venues. Last year she traveled to Ireland on assignment, which, she states " was a trip of a lifetime." She is the proud mom to two young men and Nonnie to six rescued dogs, two chinchillas, and a bird. Life is good, she says.

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Maureen Werther is the owner of WriteForYou, a professional freelance writing N WE specializing in business writing, web and blog content, and creative R service non-fiction. Her articles, essays and white papers appear on the pages of

businesses on the web and around the globe. She is also a regular contributor to numerous newspapers, magazines and journals throughout the Capital Region. She is the author of a soon to be published book, “Them That Has, Gets,” the story of historical 1790’s estate in Schroon Lake and the colorful history of its owners. Currently, she is working on a memoir detailing her roller-coaster adventures as owner of Pie ala Moe, a gourmet pie and tart company she started in 2008, in the midst of the recession.

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Stewart White, an avid weightlifter and a sports enthusiast is a Saratoga native and a graduate of the class of 1972. He’s worked with 13-18 year old troubled boys & girls for the last 24 years.

Stewart is an all-around great guy with a knack for storytelling and he’s thrilled to have this opportunity with Simply Saratoga Magazine to tell his story and make his mom & brother smile from the heavens above.

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Ralph Vincent is a lifestyle writer enamored with the Spa City. As an enthusiastic contributor to Simply Saratoga Magazine, he enjoys writing about a variety of topics including home entertaining, cooking, and cocktail crafting. His body of work also includes articles on subjects of special significance to him such as his experiences as a pet parent, gardening, and Yaddo. He resides locally with his partner Steven and their adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

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Jordana Turcotte is a lifelong New Yorker and a Saratoga County resident since graduating from RPI. After staying at home for a bit with her children (now 10 and 8), she decided on the “rest of her life job” as Professional Organizer. Starting Simply You in 2008 fulfills a passion for organizing. When she isn’t organizing, you’ll find her volunteering at her kids’ school, being Mommy chauffeur or hanging out with her two rescue dogs.

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John Reardon purchased Compliments to the Chef in July of 2004 and has enjoyed selling over 6,000 high quality cookware and cutlery items to his Foodie Friends ever since. His wife Paula - as well as being a college professor - helps out along with their son John and daughter Aubrey … and they fit right in to his Foodie Team! If you ask John or Aubrey to cook up a special dish, you’ll see a gleam in their eyes! John reminds us... “Life Happens in the Kitchen” and yes… “Anyone can cook!”

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Megin is an expressive writer and artist with work published in books, newspapers, corporate communications and online. A resident of the region for over 20 years, she continues to discover anew the interesting people, places and products it has to offer. As a mother to her active young son, she is inspired to explore even more.

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A native of Burnt Hills, freelancer Wendy Hobday Haugh’s short stories, articles, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications, including Woman’s World Weekly, Highlights for Children, and WritersWeekly.com. Fourteen of her stories have appeared in 12 different Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. To learn more, visit www.wendyhobdayhaugh.com.

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Charlie Kuenzel is a native Saratogian who spent 36 years as a Science educator in the Saratoga School District before retiring 6 years ago.

Charlie, along with Dave Patterson are the co-owners of Saratoga Tours LLC who for the past 16 years have educated and entertained thousands of visitors to the city with stories to tell the exciting history of our great city.

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John Greenwood is a leftover Saratoga Springs milkman who loves capturing stories about the people and places that surround him. John and his wife Patricia have been holding hands since high school. The couple recently retired and are looking forward to having more time to enjoy the nooks and crannies of the surrounding area. You can explore more of John’s writing at rainingiguanas.com, where you will find the glass half full and the weather mostly sunny.

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Born and raised in Saratoga Springs, Carol Godette’s fascination with neighborhood stores began at age 11 when she frequented Rowland’s.

A passionate educator, Godette taught elementary school in the Saratoga School District for 31 years. Carol is a co-owner of the local Ben & Jerry’s franchise. Godette and her husband live in her childhood home where they raised their two children. She welcomes your comments and stories/photos on neighborhood stores via email: saratoganeighborhoodstores@gmail.com

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Jodie Fitz is a wife, working mother of three and the creator of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club. She is the author of two cookbooks (The Chaotic Kitchen and Cooking Up Fun) as well as a children’s book (Fidget Grows a Pizza Garden). You will find her on WNYT with her Real Food Fast Segments and at www.jodiefitz. com sharing her delicious recipes and brand programs.

Meghan is a native of the Glens Falls Saratoga region. Her passion is to provide her clients and readers with the tools necessary to live a life grounded in peace and emotional well-being. She is an author and writer for various publications in Upstate NY and State College, PA. She is also the co-host for a monthly radio segment focused on how to improve relationships. She currently resides in State College, PA where she enjoys spending time with her husband and son.

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Colleen Coleman is the owner of CMC Design Studio LLC and is well noted by her clients for bringing high energy, attention to detail, organization and more to each project. Her collaborative efforts with clients, as well as others in the industry, translates to a comprehensive design to completion for her clients. Her unique approach to defining each space matured into what she has coined as “Creating Environments for Life” reach her at colleen@cmcdesignstudio.net.

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

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Samantha Bosshart joined the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation in 2008. As Executive Director, she advocates for the preservation of the unique architecture and rich heritage of Saratoga Springs. Samantha previously worked at Historic Albany Foundation and Galveston Historical Foundation. Samantha completed her coursework for a Master of Arts in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University and received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Indiana University.

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A GOOD READ

contents Spring 2020

10 12 14 16

Long Live the Tartan!

Meet Our Fire Fighters Rock Voices Our Featured Restaurant…

Cantina on Broadway 20 Preserving Saratoga 24 Meet the Artist: Tom Wetzel 44 Meghan Lemery 114 Calling all X-Philes

TRAVEL

40 SMART Travel with Anne Gordon 41 Girls Getaway!

FASHION

45 Spring Fashion from Lucia, Pink Paddock, Spoken and Violet’s!

H&G

51 67 70 72

Architecturally Speaking Colleen’s Picks Dinner on the Farm Featured Advertiser…

Capitol KITCHENS & BATHS 73 Jodie Fitz 74 In the Kitchen with John 76 Entertaining with Ralph Vincent 78 Peter Bowden 80 Jordana Turcotte

SAVE THE DATE 2 – 88 Spring is in the air and it’s getting busy!

8

89 Golf Directory and Featured Course

92 B. Spa’s 3rd Annual BIRDHOUSE COMPETITION

OUR HISTORY

95 101 104 108 112

Charlie Kuenzel Carol Godette Hollis Palmer Stewart White John Greenwood

Peter Bowden, story on page 78 8 | Photo SIMPLYbySARATOGA | SPRING 2020

It’s an honor to bring you the following people who have all created something special…

27 32 36 38

David Forbert Catherine Hover The Braidwoods Dawn Oesch

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Local Businesses

TOGA HERITAGE and Frittelli & Lockwood Textile Studio are making and keeping traditions!

WRITTEN BY RALPH VINCENT PHOTOS BY KATIE DOBIES PHOTOGRAPHY

“Having grown up in this area, I have fond family memories on Beekman Street. Partnering with Frittelli and Lockwood to produce my tartan locally was a full circle moment for me," says DePasquale.

Community. Collaborate. Celebrate.

Those three words are at the core of TOGA HERITAGE’S brand and mission. As a lifestyle company that embodies the legacy of Saratoga Springs, each product designed by TOGA HERITAGE owner Deborah DePasquale is crafted to share a piece of the city’s, and her story with customers.

“The common thread is storytelling and playing a role in telling one’s story,” said DePasquale. Saratoga Springs is woven into the tapestry of who she is, and she translates that into her product lines of home goods, apparel and pet supplies. The concepts of time, place and tradition resonate in both TOGA HERITAGE’S ready-made products and in custom pieces. While life took her away from Saratoga and the surrounding area and brought her to points like Boston and Dallas, it was here that she reconnected with family, met her husband and found the inspiration to launch TOGA HERITAGE. 10 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020

The resulting brand and retail shop (on Broadway) are the culmination of Deborah’s career in marketing, event and product design and merchandising, and her knack towards pragmatism and long-term planning. She launched TOGA HERITAGE in 2017 with a focus on Saratoga-themed party and hosting products that she could use in her own event planning and design business and quickly grew the company to include a line of bespoke candles, home goods and apparel in her own shop, tucked behind a Dutch door emblematic of the region’s rich history and roots in the horse racing industry. The uniting theme of “love where you live” is a reflection of DePasquale’s own adoration of her hometown of Saratoga Springs, but also serves as a reminder to “locals or locals at heart,” she says, of the memories and traditions created for those who visit the city.

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In 2018, DePasquale launched the TOGA HERITAGE tartan, a custom-designed tartan pattern created and officially patented with Scottish woolen mills and government authorities. The tartan is in harmony with the TOGA HERITAGE brand standard; weaving together shades of black, white, gray, red and gold for an elegant plaid pattern that is understated yet striking. The lengthy process of designing and registering the tartan spoke to DePasquale on a personal level, as her family has Scottish roots, and reflected the sophisticated nature of Saratoga Springs that drew her back home after years away. Products using TOGA HERITAGE tartan are made locally at Frittelli and Lockwood Textile Studio in Saratoga Springs, where the tartan is woven using fine New England wool. “Having grown up in this area, I have fond family memories on Beekman Street. Partnering with Frittelli and Lockwood to produce my tartan locally was a full circle moment for me”, says DePasquale.

Located in the Beekman Street Arts District, Frittelli and Lockwood co-owner Cecilia Frittelli was enthusiastic about the project and said producing the TOGA HERITAGE tartan was, “a gratifying collaboration between two local businesses.”

National Tartan Day is April 6th and is observed most notably in New York City with parades, traditional bagpipe music and galas, but DePasquale worked with city officials for Saratoga Springs to bring the celebration north. As a result of DePasquale’s advocacy, both Saratoga Springs and New York

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State have issued proclamations honoring the day and giving it official recognition. In 2019, flags displaying the TOGA HERITAGE logo and tartan were displayed on Broadway for the first time, and that new tradition continues with an expansion of flags throughout the city for two weeks leading up to National Tartan Day. A party will be held at the TOGA HERITAGE Shop on April 4th, 2020 from 12:00pm - 4:00pm and is open to all.

Giving back to the Saratoga community is essential to DePasquale’s values, and she will be auctioning TOGA HERITAGE gift baskets during the National Tartan Day party again this year, in addition to a portion of all proceeds benefiting the Wesley Community in memory of DePasquale’s Aunt Jeanne.

DePasquale credits the collaborative spirit of other local business owners as essential to TOGA HERITAGE’S success.

“Relationship building is how we have grown TOGA HERITAGE,” she said, and later this year she will be releasing new products made in partnership with Frittelli and Lockwood and other local purveyors that include additional Decor, Entertaining and Fashion pieces, DePasquale is very excited about the addition to her Dapper Dutch pet collection, named for her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

“Dutch is our shop dog and is part of all product testing. He is my little love and has quite the social following”.

TOGA HERITAGE products can be found and experienced first-hand in DePasquale’s shop, located in the lower level of 398 Broadway.

Information about the company and its products and events can also be found on Facebook and Instagram @TOGAHERITAGE and at www.TOGAHERITAGE.com. SS

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MEET OUR

FIRE

FIGHTERS

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

They are there when you are in need asking, “How can I help you?”

These are the extraordinary men and women of the fire department.

They are bravely going into the most dangerous situations every day to protect you and your property.

Even when they’re not on the job, firefighters can often be found serving the community in many different ways; supporting charitable causes, volunteering, and coaching sports.

They are simply remarkable people and getting to know a bit more about them means that, even in an emergency, you will recognize the friendly face that comes to help.

Chris Stewart FIREFIGHTER, SARATOGA SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT I have been a firefighter with the department since August 2014.

I’ve also been an assistant varsity baseball coach at Saratoga Central Catholic High School since January 2016.

My dad and grandfather were both professional firefighters for the Green Island Fire Department and my grandfather and uncle on my mom’s side are former officers/members with the Village of the Stillwater Fire Department.

Prior to becoming employed with Saratoga Springs, I volunteered for the Arvin Hart Fire Company in Stillwater and have experience with the Waterford Police Department, Stillwater EMS, Malta EMS and North Queensbury EMS. Because of the professional firefighters in my family, I always wanted to be a professional firefighter, too. I stopped playing college football and baseball at Mount Ida early to make sure I had time to complete the paramedic course at Hudson Valley Community College in time for the civil service test and to be hired on at the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.

My favorite part of the job is the station life, having an additional family in the good times and the bad times. No matter what the calls are, once we get back to the station there is a family element.

My personal goal is to be an officer one day. I want to advance myself as a firefighter and be one that my dad and my grandfather would have wanted to work with.

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Aaron Dyer

BATTALION CHIEF, SARATOGA SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT

I have been proudly serving the City of Saratoga Springs for 21+ years. I currently manage the Fire Prevention Office, Code Enforcement Office and share in the day-today operations of the department.

I also have a passion for snowmobiling and working to maintain the trails in Saratoga County. I enjoy camping and spending time with family and friends.

My father was my inspiration to become a firefighter. He was a member of a volunteer fire department and encouraged me to join.

I love being able to work with my co-workers and the public every day - whether it is during an emergency, in fire prevention or at a special event. In the position I am in, I am able to listen to the needs of my co-workers and the public, and help steer the fire department into the future.

I am always working towards advancement within my profession, continually updating my education. I also strive to spoil my niece, nephews and god children.

John Marra

FIREFIGHTER, SARATOGA SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT

I have been a firefighter and paramedic for five years.

Matt Derway

LIEUTENANT, SARATOGA SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT

I have been a firefighter for 26 years, beginning as a volunteer. I also served six years in the New York Air National Guard as a firefighter.

I became a full-time firefighter for Saratoga Springs in 2006.

I play hockey with the Saratoga Springs Fire Department hockey team, along with helping to coach my son, Lucas, and his hockey team.

I also enjoy golf, music, and play drums.

My father was an EMT. Watching him help people showed me that it’s the right thing to do.

We respond to all sorts of calls – not just fires.

My experience has taught me to contain a situation as quickly as possible, so everyone gets out safely.

I’ve always had a passion for helping people. My dad was a volunteer and so it has always intrigued me.

My favorite part of the job is that everyday you walk in the door; you never know what you will be doing – every day is different.

In my family, there are my parents, my sister, and I have three nephews. When I have free time, I enjoy jet skiing, snowmobiling, and riding my motorcycle.

I also just completed my Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management at SUNY Empire State.

I hope to move up through the ranks at the department and continue my education with the fire service.

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Find Your Voice WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

“Here’s a secret: Everyone can sing.

They just think they can’t because they’ve never been encouraged,”

said Tony Lechner, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Rock Voices.

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hat if you knew that singing was like anything else – not an innate talent, but a skill that can be developed?

It’s never too late.

Find the joy and freedom that music can bring into your life with Rock Voices – a choral group unlike any other.

UNLEARN WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW The hallmark of Rock Voices is there are no auditions and you don’t have be able to read music.

“Pursuing music can get sidetracked because usually, you have to prove your ability to participate. You have to show your merit to be included. People can love music more than anything in the world, but that’s a huge obstacle for them,” said Rock Voices Director Nate Altimari.

Rock Voices is open to everyone. It’s a safe, fun, and relaxed place to sing the songs you already know – popular rock music from the 60s to today.

“People just love this music. Rock music is America’s classic music. It’s the soundtrack of our lives,” said Lechner.

FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT Rock Voices is a collection of 16 groups, mainly spread throughout New England, that has two local choirs; one of approximately 100 members based in Albany, and one with 87 members that meets in Saratoga.

“There’s strength in numbers. It helps people feel more confident because they are surrounded by people just like them. It takes the pressure off and you should hear the sound - the sound of 100 people singing together is, WOW!” said Lechner.

Altimari tells his groups that confidence begets confidence: if you can begin by pretending like you’re confident, you’ll start feeling more confident as a singer.

“Look to your peers. They’re in the same boat as you in one way or another. There is another person feeling exactly the same way you are, so lean on them, let your shortcomings role off you as if they’re not a big deal. Stop singing for a moment if you need to. There are always enough other people singing,” he said.

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BELIEVE YOUR CHEERLEADERS The bad stuff may be easier to believe, but if you listen to your cheerleaders, you’ll be a whole lot happier.

“A big part of why we’re so successful is because this is a positive environment organically. It squashes those feelings of ‘less than.’ People here are cheering for you. It’s a celebration that is palpable. The supportive nature here is apparent almost immediately when you come in,” said Altimari.

It was because he had the support of his parents, his wife, Sara, and others, that Lechner pursued music, and began Rock Voices eight years ago.

They had a two-year-old and a newborn to support when he quit his “safe” teaching jobs to manage this risky Rock Voices venture full-time.

“It was just so inspiring and moving what it did for people. It is proof that if you believe strongly enough in something, you can make it happen,” he said.

This music moves you. It’s a joy that radiates into the audience during the Rock Voices concerts, and gets them moving, too.

“There’s a life-changing element to what it brings.

It has a healing nature for every single person,” said Altimari.

The Rock Voices Spring Concert will be held April 19th at 6 p.m. in the Saratoga Abundant Life Church, 2 Hutchins Road, Saratoga Springs.

Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com The 12-week Summer Season of Rock Voices SS begins in May. For more information, go to RockVoices.com SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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ON BROADWAY

T N A R STAU E R CAN CITY I X E M H SPA C F T O O N T TOP-HE HEAR IN T

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY THERESA ST. JOHN

I think everyone and their brother has heard of Cantina on Broadway here in Saratoga.

After all, they’ve been in business for almost 13 years; most of those spent in a pub-like space that was once Professor Moriarty’s, just a few doors down from where they currently reign as one of the Spa City’s favorites.

Known for their tacos, fresh salsa, guacamole and chips, their burritos, enchiladas, and myriad flavors of fresh-lime margaritas – it is no wonder patrons come in as strangers and leave as friends after sampling their West Coast Mexican-inspired food menu and expansive 165-variety tequila list.

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“We brought things that worked for us in the old restaurant, then added new items and drinks to the menu,” says Heather Southwell, General Manager of Cantina. She’s worked here for six years – starting her career as part of the waitstaff for Jeff and Heath Ames, owners of the successful restaurant.

We visit on a Tuesday afternoon before the crowd gathers. Our table is in a corner by a wall of sparkling-clean glass doors that open onto their sidewalk patio once warmer weather arrives. From April 1 to October 31, people visiting Saratoga can sit outside, drinking in the fresh air and sunshine, enjoying food and beverage while people-watching to their heart’s content.

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Cantina’s bar is long, with endless shelves filled with ornate bottles of tequila. My favorites involve skulls and any container with a tattoo label. Our eyes light up when we hear about their 2-for-1 margaritas and sangrias during happy hour. My friend and I wink at each other, making a mental note to grab a few gals sometime soon so we can try it out.

There are cozy nooks where people can grab some privacy while booths, high-tops, and lower tables are placed neatly throughout the brick-walled and wood-floor interior.

We start the meal with a few appetizers and drinks. One of my favorite things to do in any restaurant I visit is to take a few saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

minutes and ask for the waiters’ recommendation. I hope they’ll steer me towards menu items they enjoy and away from ones they might not. Doing this means I usually try something new – a dish I might not choose myself.

Our classic and Prickly Pear Margaritas are a perfect complement to everything we try that day. One comes salted-on-the-rocks, while the other is like a frozen slushie. Both are crazy-good with tons of flavor. We also try The Amore, a fruity-vodka-based drink with mint leaves for garnish. It ends up becoming another new favorite of mine. SS

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Guacamole Traditional Who doesn’t start with chips, guacamole, and salsa at a place like this? But, Cantina has the best; Their chips are thick and don’t break apart when you use them to scoop up some salsa and guacamole made with Hass avocado, serrano chile, tomato, onion, lime, cilantro, and creamy cotija cheese.

Coco Camarones I have never thought of trying a dish like this at a Mexican-themed restaurant, but it proves a great choice. The coconut shrimp is fresh and crispy, set atop guacamole, savory ancho chili, mango-habanero puree, and hand-cut mango-habanero salsa. The sweet mango flavor adds the perfect touch.

Stuffed Jalapenos When Heather suggests these, I kinda-sorta-cringe. I like warm – not hot or overly spicy food choices. She puts my fears to rest when explaining that these Jalapenos are ribbed and seeded to try and remove most, if not all, of the heat. “There could be some sleepers,” she admits, “though we try our best to get them all before we start the 2-phase process.” First, the Jalapenos are fire-roasted, then halved, stuffed, and baked. Oh-my-gosh-goodness.

The filling consists of Monterey jack cheese, queso blanco, ranchero, crema, and cilantro. The result? I am a fan – and could have scoffed down another plate of them all by myself.

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If you like a salad when you go out for dinner, the Taco Salad is to die for. Seriously – a dish that should be shared – this is one of the freshest I have ever tasted. It consists of a crisp, just-made flour tortilla bowl filled with chopped Romaine lettuce, corn, black bean, fresh-sliced avocado, pico de gallo, scoops of cold sour cream, queso blanco, chipotle ranch and thick slices of grilled chicken.

We could have – we probably should have – stopped there, but my friend and I are on a roll. Three perfectly-sized Baja Fish Tacos follow. The menu offers several choices, but these were a winner, as they gave us a bit of seafood to complement our other dishes.

Melt-in-your-mouth beer-battered white fish rests atop a trio of soft tacos covered with pineapple salsa, shredded cabbage, and cilantro, each topped with thick chipotle mayo as a finishing touch.

And who doesn’t love a great enchilada? Again, the menu offers several, but we select the Chicken Verde. There are two of them presented on a pure white dish, a thing of beauty. The flour tortillas hold a mix of chicken tinga, queso blanco, salsa verde, queso fundido, cotija cheese, and, yes, cilantro. Can you say, “yum?”

We try our best at dessert, but can only manage a few bites; we’re that full. The Classic Churros come fresh-fried and soooo warm – drenched in sweet cinnamon sugar, with a side of salted chocolate caramel sauce and mixed berry compote for dipping. It proves to be a perfect way to end the meal – we even add a few to our take-home doggie-bags.

When I ask if Heather has some favorite guests, she smiles. “Oh, man, that’s a tough one. We get to visit with great customers every day.” After a little prodding, she relents.

“There’s this husband and wife who always come in at 7:15. It’s like clockwork. We also have a great group of fellas that frequented the old Cantina – they were our first customers. I love it when they come into our new location, I take the time to sit awhile and say hello.”

The sun is beginning to sink low in the sky when we say our goodbyes. Cantina plans to open their roof-top dining sometime this summer – we promise to come back for another visit. Saratoga Springs is like that – memories of favorite places bring us back again and again. With Cantina, it will be sooner, rather than later. SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Creative Adaptive Reuse

preserving

SARATOGA SARATO GA

WRITTEN BY SAMANTHA BOSSHART, SARATOGA SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PHINNEY DESIGN GROUP, TAKEN BY ELIZABETH PEDINOTTI HAYNES, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

In 2016, Betsy and Peter found themselves able to return to the city where they met and married when they relocated to be closer to his job. “Growing up in rural Pennsylvania I always had a fantasy of living in a barn. I envisioned living in a wide-open space with bright light,” shared Betsy. Her dream came true when they purchased the former carriage house on Greenfield Avenue that had been adaptively reused into a single-family residence by the previous owners Charlene Wood and Robert Courtney.

Circa 1982, photo provided by Bruce Clements

B

etsy Olmsted has always been fascinated by animals and nature and attracted to wide open spaces, themes that can be seen in her creative, whimsical hand-painted watercolor, gouache, and ink design textiles throughout her home and studio in Saratoga Springs.

etsy was raised by her design savvy mother in rural Pennsylvania, who taught her the appreciation of art, culture, antiques, and textiles. She first came to Saratoga Springs in 1998 to attend Skidmore College, where she also met her husband Peter.

Prior to graduating with a fine/studio arts degree, Betsy spent a semester abroad in India, where she was inspired by the crazy bright colors that people wore. After working as a designer for several years, she received a Master of Science in Textile Design from Philadelphia University. Betsy always had a desire to be her own boss. In 2011, she followed that dream by opening a self-titled design and textile business.

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“The moment I walked into the space I knew it was perfect! It was the best of both worlds, a barn in the city,” said Betsy. Not only was it the best of both worlds that way, but the transformed carriage house also had space for her studio. “With a busy life, the studio allows me the flexibility to make art whenever I am inspired or I’m able to find the time, while also giving me an opportunity to keep an eye on my boys,” Betsy continued. The studio, a former horse stable, has work spaces that are divided not only by function, but by the original iron lattice and wood stall partitions – the first stall, a dye kitchen that serves as a space to experiment with pigments and inks; a second stall, a space to paint her watercolor designs and digitally prepare them for print; and a third stall, a place for finished textiles and preparation and shipping. Visit www.BetsyOlmsted.com to see her textiles.

The circa 1885 Queen Anne style carriage house was creatively built and designed to serve the three Cluett brothers’ summer houses located at 2, 6, and 10 Clement Avenue. George B. Cluett, who built SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 21

2 Clement Avenue, formed a successful collar, cuff, and shirt manufacturing business in Troy that distributed goods to New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco – George B. Cluett, Brothers, and Company. His brothers Edmund and John William Albert built the adjacent houses on Clement Avenue. Each house had a driveway that lead to the carriage house, where each had its own carriage space, stable, and tack room.

The carriage house remained in the Cluett family until 1919 when Leland Sterry, who resided at 6 Clement Avenue, purchased it. That same year, Leland, who was well respected in the hotel business, purchased the majority stock in the United States Hotel. Upon his passing in 1923, his wife Marie and their son inherited the house and the carriage house and Marie took over managing the hotel.

In 1955, Dorr E. Newtown, an insurance agent and realtor who had bought 2 Clement Avenue in 1952, acquired the carriage house at 53 Greenfield Avenue and used it for storage.

After his death, Thomas and Jean Clements, who lived at 107 State Street, purchased the carriage house in 1972. During their ownership, the barn structure remained the same except for updated garage doors. “ It was also where many high school floats were built and we played basketball on the second floor,” fondly remembers Bruce Clements, a son of Thomas and Jean.”

“When I lived at 14 Clement Avenue I would look out my kitchen window and see what I affectionately called ‘the big red barn’ and see so many opportunities for the building that I hoped one day we would be able to purchase it,” shared Charlene Wood. In 2007, she and Robert Courtney bought the property from Robert Chauvin, a New York State Supreme Court Judge who had purchased it from the Clements in 2004.

“Prior to us purchasing the building, there were parties who were interested in buying the property and demolishing the building, which would have been a tragedy,” said Charlene. While they hated to do it, they removed a portion of the building because it was too large. Working with Phinney Design Group, they took on the creative challenge of making the large carriage house into a home. It was a labor of love, taking great care to retain many of the original features – carriage doors, stall doors, horse stalls, and beadboard.

In 2013, their efforts were recognized with an Adaptive Reuse Award by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.

When Betsy and Peter purchased the carriage house, they made their own mark on the building, painting the exterior a dark color, adding solar panels, changing the interior railings, and painting much of the interior white. “I’m so happy that a young family is living there, and that Betsy has her studio there and is taking the space to the next level,” shared Charlene.

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This carriage house was creatively designed for the use of three brothers, creatively adaptively-reused by owners, and creatively used today, serving as a reminder of how our historic buildings represent creativity in many ways.

This home was featured on the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s Historic Homes Tour in 2017. While this home will not be featured again, please join us on Saturday, May 9th when the 2020 Historic Homes Tour will showcase a variety of houses and carriage houses.

For more information about the Historic Homes Tour and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, please visit SaratogaPreservation.org or call (518) 587-5030. SS

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meet the artist: WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER, PHOTOS PROVIDED

WOOD IS SOLID AND STRONG, but it can appear light and airy in the clever hands of furniture maker Tom Wetzel.

A carpenter by trade, Wetzel was immediately attracted to the expert engineering that gives Windsor-style pieces their lasting appeal.

“It just totally grabbed me. I like how the chairs are constructed and the bones of it. It is very utilitarian and very simple,” he said.

Windsor chairs are also very comfortable.

TIMELESS STYLE Since the 1700s, craftsmen have been making Windsor chairs.

Wetzel uses traditional hand tools, self-tightening hide glue, and a sturdy joinery technique that adds to his chairs’ longevity while preserving their vintage feel.

Windsor chairs’ continuous arms and curving lines support and cradle the body.

They are typically made with three species of wood. Often, they have a solid, single-piece pine seat, turned maple legs, and hickory spindles (although other woods like ash, walnut and cherry are also commonly used).

Recently, curly maple has been among Wetzel’s favorite materials. Loved for its unique patterning, this durable hardwood is only found in one percent of cut lumber.

THE WORK OF A WOOD SCIENTIST Wetzel taught himself woodworking in the early 1990s. (This was before the internet, when the few books available on furniture-making, were treasured.)

“You had to experiment like a scientist, but when you were done, you had something that was really your own,” said Wetzel.

His exquisite quality has been recognized by publications including Fine Woodworking magazine and in 1996, he was named one of the Top 200 Traditional Craftsmen by Early American Life magazine.

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OVERCOMING THE HARDEST PART These accolades came shortly after a particularly challenging time for Wetzel.

In 1993, almost two years into his career as a self-employed woodworker, with financial obligations and a young family, sales dwindled.

“A dream can be a nightmare and getting through it can be one of the hardest things in life, but if it’s who you are, you have to do it. It’s about not giving up and always taking the next step forward,” he said.

That’s when Wetzel started waxing his pieces.

“It enhanced my work and they started to sell again.

Something as simple as that needed doing - that creative choice is what I needed to find,” said Wetzel.

SHARING THE LOVE Today, Tom Wetzel has created more than 1,200 pieces and teaches others woodworking, as well.

“If someone has enthusiasm, I can connect with that enthusiasm and it just takes off,” he said.

Education is a fundamental component of the Northeastern Woodworkers Association (NWA), of which he is a longtime member. This year, Wetzel, whose business staple has been Windsor chairs, will also be offering a first showing of a heart-shaped table.

This piece demonstrates his fine artistic woodworking skills and expert use of curved lines while also carrying an important message for anyone with a dream.

“The message this table will be sending out is a reminder for us all to move from our busy minds and go inward, to our heart space, the place of peace.” SS To see more of Tom Wetzel’s work, visit ThomasWetzelWindsorChairs.com.

The annual NWA Showcase will be held March 28th & 29th at the Saratoga Springs City Center.

For more information, go to WoodWorker.org.

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Worldwide Local WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY DAVID FORBERT

A

t a time when color photography was still rare, David Forbert traveled the world, capturing what he saw through his lens, and sharing it with millions.

At age 12, Forbert won his first photography competition with a picture of a flower from his mother’s garden. He was 17 in World War II, volunteered with the Navy, was sent to a Pensacola, Florida photo school, and went on to the South Pacific. After being discharged, he continued his education before getting a job in 1947 that would change his life - working as a staff photographer with the best-selling consumer magazine, Reader’s Digest.

THE LIFE OF A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER For the next 15 years, Forbert circled the globe, shooting more than 1,000 covers for Reader’s Digest’s 30 foreign editions.

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“I had to get so many pictures that I had to work fast. I was always looking for a picture everywhere I’d go. I went around the world, I don’t know how many times,” he said.

Photography in the 1950’s was very different than it is today.

Forbert lugged around so much stuff that customs often stopped him to investigate.

Using a Linhof 4x5” camera and Ektachrome film, he’d travel with thousands of flashbulbs and spend his days viewing tiny images upside-down under a focusing cloth.

“The film speed was the worst thing. (ASA 10, compared to today 1000’s roll.) You cannot move or shoot candidly. You had to have people be absolutely still because it was such a long exposure,” he said.

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THROUGH AN INTERNATIONAL LENS The format and subject matter depicted on Reader’s Digest covers required that Forbert’s photos be visually appealing from the front (which included a table of contents panel), from the back, and once opened.

The images must also show everyday life and places familiar to the residents of each country, not a glamorized version from an American’s point of view.

“People in that country did not necessarily want to see the same things in a picture that tourists did,” said Forbert’s wife, Amy. Working at the magazine’s art department, she and their two children would excitedly anticipate Dave’s arrival back home from his travels.

“I loved it. It was so nice seeing places in his photographs that I’d never been,” she said.

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This lady modeling on the 1949 cover of Readers Digest…

David eventually married.

THE BEST ADVICE HE DIDN’T TAKE In 1961, Reader’s Digest switched to using artwork on their covers. Forbert worked freelance until he and a partner opened the Image International stock photography agency in New York City.

They would come to represent more than 300 photographers, selling images to top clients.

During this period, Dave continued his freelancing working for such clients including Pfizer, Goodyear, Texaco, American Express, and others.

In addition to their commercial use, Forbert’s photographs were exhibited by major museums around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2004, the Forberts moved to Saratoga, where David’s photography has continued to evolve.

Early in his career Edward Steichen, Photo Dept. Director at the NY Museum of Modern Art, advised Forbert to take the pictures he wanted to take and not worry about if they would sell.

“He said, ‘You’ve got talent – shoot what you want.’ I ignored that, fortunately, or I wouldn’t have had a career.

Now that I’m retired, I do that,” said Forbert.

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A PRICELESS MOMENT IN TIME Today, at 94 years old, Forbert uses a digital Nikon camera to shoot florals, is continuing to learn Photoshop, and teaches the occasional photography workshop.

“I like the digital, you can see the images immediately – it’s great! I don’t miss the darkroom at all,” he said.

Recent Photos of David Forbert and wife, Amy by SuperSourceMedia.com

While it seems like everyone is a photographer today, and getting paid for it is harder than ever, the Forberts agree that you should spend your life doing what makes you happy.

“It really pays to keep going and doing what you love. It’s really important,” said Amy. SS

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From Paint and Sip to

Photo by Meghan Aldridge of Aldridge Photography

SS

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EMPOWERING Women An Interview with Catherine Hover WRITTEN BY MAUREEN WERTHER, VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS

CATHERINE HOVER will tell you that, before moving to Saratoga, she had never experienced what it was like to live in “small town USA.” A native of New Orleans, she and her husband, Mark, came to Saratoga after living and working in New York City.

After being here for nearly 10 years, you can still hear faint wisps of that languid “Big Easy” drawl creeping into her conversation. We are sitting in the comfortable members only Palette Upstairs co-working space, part of her newest venture, Palette Café, which opened last summer.

My goal was to learn more about this spritely young woman with seemingly boundless energy and her latest venture at 493 Broadway. By the way, don’t let her youthful looks, bubbly manner and business title, “Purveyor of Fun,” blind you to the fact that she is a business powerhouse. In the relatively short time she has been here, Catherine has introduced the region to the “paint and sip” phenomenon, and Palette Café is the next step in her journey of what she calls empowering women.

Photo by Alexandria Eigo Photography

Catherine recalls first moving into town in 2011 with Mark, whose career as a hydrographer had brought them here to work on the Hudson River dredging project.

“We had an apartment on the top floor of the Algonquin building and I remember watching the 4th of July parade on the street below. It was a totally new world to me!”

The couple originally planned to live and work in Saratoga for five years and then return home. Not one to ride on her husband’s coattails, as she puts it, Catherine began searching for an entrepreneurial adventure. Growing up in New Orleans, she and her mother would often frequent paint and sip cafes in and around the city, and she soon realized that there was nothing of the sort to be found in the Capital Region. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Photo by Alexandria Eigo Photography

“Now, I don’t know one woman who doesn’t drink coffee or wine,” she says in that slow and easy cadence. A year after moving here, Catherine opened Saratoga Paint and Sip Studio on Henry Street, with two more locations in Burlington and Latham opening in the next few years.

“It totally changed the trajectory of our lives.”

Today, Mark is her business partner and co-caregiver of their three young daughters.

So, we all know how successful her Paint and Sip Studios have been. But I wanted to know what makes Palette different from other coffee venues and why the focus is on women.

“It’s about bringing women together in a safe environment,” she begins. Catherine’s sense is that, for many women, once we get to a certain point in our lives, we forget to try new things and often we become our own worst enemies.

The genesis of Palette Café came about after Catherine heard of Sky Oro, a co-working community and event space in Bozeman, Montana, dedicated to advancing the personal and professional lives of women. Catherine realized that, like the paint and sip studios, there really wasn’t anything like Sky Oro available to women in Saratoga.

Photo by Meghan Aldridge of Aldridge Photography

However, Catherine is quick to point out that Palette Café is open to everyone and kids, guys and puppies are always welcome! Even so, the focus of the space is on helping women in a variety of ways, and the vibe is one of inclusiveness and opportunities that may be lacking in other environments.

“What Palette offers that no one else does is a community where patrons are encouraged to make new friends, team up for new ventures or learn something new,” says their website.

Catherine’s vision for Palette Café and Palette Upstairs, which opened in November, is to offer workspace to the mobile workforce, as well as programming and classes that will be offered by women (and an occasional dude) from the local community. Workshops are geared to women at all stages of their lives, from early career women, to stay at home moms, or those looking to “reinvent” themselves in a new career trajectory or personal lifestyle.

There are also book clubs, moms meetups, courses in financial literacy, all geared to bringing women together for dialogue, interaction and empowerment.

“Women don’t ask for help,” says Catherine.

By creating a space where support systems for women can flourish, Catherine feels she is bringing something unique and necessary to the area.

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Photo by Meghan Aldridge of Aldridge Photography

Photos by Susan Blackburn Photography

Although Palette Upstairs has only recently opened, Catherine held a live event at the Café in July, where people could tour the space and learn more about Catherine’s and her team’s vision for it. Forty-five women showed up for the event, with ten joining that first night. Now, there are 60 founding members, including several corporate founding members who contribute services to the café and its patrons.

Photos by Susan Blackburn Photography

Each new member has an hour and a half onboarding session to learn about the features of Palette Café and Palette Upstairs and the opportunities for enrichment, networking and collaboration amongst members. Palette also offers a concierge service for its members. If you’re starting your own business and need someone to run for office supplies, or you forgot to buy a birthday gift for your child’s teacher, Kiki, the virtual concierge is there to get the job done.

Catherine hopes that Palette Café and Palette Upstairs will grow along with the rest of the community and provide the experiential resources necessary for that growth, which she believes is lacking in the lives of so many women.

“There’s nothing in life that we shouldn’t feel comfortable controlling or taking charge of.” SS 35

FROM PHARMA

to Following the Crush

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY

The jump from clinical pharmaceutical research careers to selling olive oil seems like a big one.

Both are part of the science of being healthier and happier – and one local family’s proof that with life, like with food, when you need to make a choice, it’s best to just trust your gut.

A ROBUST TASTE FOR ADVENTURE Barbara, and her husband Clint Braidwood (as well as his brother, Chad) were all working in medicine when they decided it was time for a change.

Their research brought them face-to-face with patients across the country who were in the later stages of devastating illnesses.

It was depressing and they wanted to switch their focus, instead taking on a more proactive role, focusing more on prevention than treatment.

That’s when they stepped into a shop in Maine that exclusively sold olive oils and vinegars.

“We’d always loved traveling and would follow the crush overseas, but you couldn’t get good olive oil in the states. Once we saw that though, we knew we could do it here, too,” said Barbara.

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GO WITH YOUR GUT Research has shown that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil can be beneficial. It can reduce the incidences of health disease and cancer, and its anti-inflammatory properties can help with conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma.

Extra-virgin olive oil is like wine; what’s good one year may not be the next. They’re both fruit juices, but unlike wine, with olive oil, freshness is critical. The older olive oil is, the more nutrients are lost.

The majority of extra-virgin olive oil imported into the U.S. is old by the time it gets to you and is of such a low-grade that you’re not getting these health benefits.

The Braidwoods decided in October 2010 to change all that and open a small olive oil business in Saratoga. That year, they told their family over Thanksgiving dinner.

“To me, it seemed like a no-brainer but we had a baby on the way and we were leaving our six-figure jobs to do this. The jaws just dropped around the room,” said Barbara.

“They said, ‘Don’t quit your day-job’ but later they told us, ‘we all thought you were crazy,” added Clint. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

HARVESTING VALUABLE INGREDIENTS Before they opened in April 2011, in his head, Clint was counting the number of bottles they’d have to sell to make rent.

“It seemed like we didn’t see the light of day for two years. It was just us. We were the sole people running this business. We opened, closed, and had the baby with us all the time,” said Barbara.

The community embraced Saratoga Olive Oil, Co. and by 2012, the Olive Oil Times named them among the Top 5 shops in the world for selection.

“Right from the moment we opened the doors, it was a success and we knew we had something really special here,” said Clint.

Saratoga Olive Oil Co. purchases product every month so it is very fresh. Their varietal (unflavored) olive oil changes with the new crush every 6 months.

Their many different flavors of balsamic vinegars are imported from Italy and have no added sweeteners, fillers, or artificial ingredients. They encourage you to taste-before-you-buy.

Communication is a main ingredient in their recipe for success.

“We rely on each other and my brother. We bounce ideas off each other and respect each other’s ideas. Our employees have great ideas, too, and we push those ideas forward. We’ve put people in place to get our goals, visions and dreams created,” said Clint.

GOING FOR IT For the Braidwoods, taking chances has paid off.

Today, Saratoga Olive Oil, Co. has maintained their Broadway location while adding stores in Lake Placid and Burlington, VT. Their products are sold online and shipped from a distribution center that opened in January in Moreau.

The Saratoga Olive Oil brand is now recognized across the country. People will beep as they drive by on the highway. Once, when they were wearing t-shirts with the Saratoga Olive Oil name, while waiting to get on the Splash Mountain ride at the Walt Disney World resort, a couple from the Midwest pulled them aside to tell them how much they love their products.

“Being recognized and feeling like a celebrity, we never expected that,” said Clint.

“Recognition like that is heartwarming and unexpected.

It’s also wonderful to see people who have healthier diets, who have lost weight, are handling diabetes, who are changing their lives,” added Barbara.

Now, they also have the flexibility to spend more time with their kids, Sophia, 9, and Griffin, 7, and have created a legacy for them to inherit.

Clint wraps it up perfectly, “I’m grateful for that. Money isn’t everything. Quality of life is more important. Yes, it was scary, but it’s brought us so much happiness. If you’re thinking of doing something like this, I say, go for it. Take that chance.” SS

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Sweet

how

it is...

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

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W

hen Dawn Oesch was a young adult wondering what to do, her father asked her what her favorite job had been so far. She’d worked in retail, at restaurants and at her parents’ bakery, but her favorite job was at a candy store.

That’s when she knew - she didn’t want to just work at a candy shop, she wanted to own one.

In 1998, when she was just 25 years old, Oesch opened what is now called Saratoga Candy Co. in downtown Saratoga Springs.

“There’s no sweeter job,” she said.

EMBRACING THE BITTER SWEETNESS If you were Willie Wonka, what would your favorite confection be?

After working with every flavor of candy you can imagine, for more than 20 years, Oesch’s choice of treats shows a preference for a bit of tartness to balance out the sweetness; her favorites include licorice, raspberry swirl fudge, and chocolate maple creams.

Perhaps liking what many others don’t is part of the fun.

Maybe it’s because she likes to face challenges head-on. Like the year it snowed 2-feet on Valentine’s Day – the store’s busiest day of year. It typically brings in 12 percent of their annual revenue, but the snow was keeping people home that day. Financially, it took four years for the store to recover.

But Oesch is an optimist who refuses to be scared off by the things in life that others turn away from – including confrontation.

“I don’t settle well; I know myself and what I want. I know my worth,” she said.

What she didn’t know when she was younger was how many long hours she’d be putting in to ensure the shop’s success.

“My younger self thought I’d be rolling in it.

Now I know, I’ll never make millions, but I’m happy. I genuinely miss the store when I’m on vacation. Who else can say that?”

CREATING CORDIAL GREETINGS Oesch is open and outgoing, with a vitality that is perfectly suited for Saratoga Springs, a city known for its vibrant downtown.

An active member in the Downtown Business Association for nine years, Oesch served in a variety of positions, including as the DBA president.

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“I met great friends there and got involved when I realized I couldn’t do this alone. Then, I went from relying on community support to initiating it,” she said.

As president, she promoted the DBA’s ‘Hi, Neighbor’ campaign, which included signage that would let people know that the DBA is a group of your friends, colleagues and neighbors working together to keep the community strong.

JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT While she was still in college, Oesch, who loves the theater, decided she wanted to be involved with it purely because it was fun.

“When it’s not fun, I don’t do it. When I was younger, I’d always say, ‘yes’ to everything.

Now, I’m figuring out how to say, ‘no’. If I just didn’t always enjoy myself, I wouldn’t do it,” she said.

Involved with the community-run Home Made Theater since 2004, she’s filled a variety of roles – both onstage and off.

Oesch was the Director of six Home Made Theater musicals - five of which were the company’s best-selling shows ever.

“I love teaching and directing. I love seeing eyes open wide when I direct them and seeing it just click for them. I can’t think of a more rewarding feeling,” she said.

THE CHOCOLATE OF LIFE This year, for their 35th season, Oesch is serving as Home Made Theater’s Artistic Coordinator, and after reading 95 scripts, she helped to select ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.’ Performances will be held in the Spa Little Theater at Spa State Park at the end of April and the beginning of May. “It’s the smells, the ghosts, the history there, it just drags you in and you can’t leave. It’s the chocolate of life,” said Oesch.

When someone is doing something that they truly enjoy, it makes a difference.

For Oesch, it’s a difference you can experience when you see a show or that you can taste when you stop into her shop.

At Saratoga Candy Co., her joy is mixed into each candy she creates. For Easter, that means baskets brimming with sweet delights, including homemade chocolate bunnies.

“I put joy into everything I make because I love it. It’s fun and I get to do something different all the time. I’m very blessed and very lucky to be able to do what I do.” SS

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Be a SMART Traveler

WRITTEN BY ANNE GORDON, OWNER, LEISURE TRAVEL ADVISOR,

LIVE LIFE TRAVEL • WWW.LIVELIFETRAVEL.WORLD

Here are some essentials to becoming a SMART Traveler: If you have a QR reader, these codes will bring your smart phone right to these sites STEP (SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM): Register all International Travel with STEP. This ensures that the local US Embassy can contact and locate you in case of an emergency while traveling: https://step.state.gov/step/ IMPORTANT TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION:

PLAN AHEAD:

PASSPORT SAFETY:

Learn about your destination before you get there and arrive well-informed – We recommend the State Department as a trusted resource: https://travel.state.gov/content/ passports/en/country.html

Get your passport renewed at least one year before it expires (reminder that kids passports only last for 5 years; adults for 10): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/ en/passports/have-passport/renew.html

STAY HEALTHY: Use one trusted source for all travel-related health information, including vaccines you may need: https://www.nc.cdc.gov/travel

REAL ID: Deadline is 10/1/20 https://www.tsa.gov/real-id GLOBAL ENTRY: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry CLEAR: https://www.clearme.com/ VISA: Some countries require a visa to enter them, you should apply as early as possible as some are harder to obtain than others https://cibtvisas.com/visa-quick-check

Other tips: Wash your hands often, travel with hand sanitizer and wipes, pack more than enough of your prescription medication (you may want to carry an extra scrip on you as well), get your annual flu vaccine, drink bottled water/stay hydrated

Leave your passports locked in your hotel safe; carry a copy on your person while in destination (we travel with both paper copies and have them backed up in the cloud on our mobile devices) Make sure your travel advisor has copies of your updated passports pre-travel (do not email or text any ID or credit card info) Use RFID blocking and never store your passport in a carry on or check it with other luggage

Avoid lines by having the proper documentation FINANCIAL SMARTS: Avoid international fees by using a travel credit card that waives them Get a duplicate of your ATM card to travel with Take out foreign currency once in destination using a Bank ATM, and avoid airport currency exchanges and never take out a cash advance on your credit card Carry emergency fund cash on you at all times Leave all of your valuables at home (including the engagement rings) Common Sense: The best advice that we could give any traveler today is to use plain old common sense. Be smart, be aware of your surroundings at all times and be prepared. Lock all doors and don’t go out alone at night (even on the beach) A FEW FINAL TIPS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY DURING AIR TRAVEL: A certain celebrity always travels with Neosporin and uses a Q-Tip to apply it gently in their nostrils before every flight (we are seriously going to try this!)

I personally take and travel with Airborne (chewable tablets) and swear by them (pre, during and post air travel) Beware of the water on planes, we recommend washing your hands with soap and water and then always using your hand sanitizer upon return to your seat With all of this said, please don’t be afraid to travel, just be smart when you do. These same “essential tips” can also be applied to your everyday life. SS

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Girls Getaway!

The Perfect Girlfriend Getaway… awaits you at

Turning Stone Resort Casino!

WRITTEN BY THERESA ST. JOHN PHOTOS PROVIDED

The last time I had the chance to visit Turning Stone Casino was, maybe, ten years ago. To say I was impressed with the venue and all it had to offer then is an understatement, but staying overnight a few weeks ago, with an invitation to enjoy the amenities Turning Stone Resort Casino offers now, truly blew me away.

We all know life is stressful and it’s not often enough that we get to grab a girlfriend or two for a weekend get-away. But if you’re looking for the glitz and glamour of Vegas - without the flight - we have the answer for you!

Turning Stone Resort Casino, in Verona, is less than two hours from Saratoga. The drive along Route 67 to I-90 was such a fun enjoyable (picturesque!) jaunt, we’re already looking for other reasons to head west!

This beautifully appointed destination-property boasts four hotels on its 3400 acres, offering something for everyone. We were booked in the luxurious Adirondack Lodge, providing us with a spacious beautifully decorated top notch suite, with a soothing color scheme just perfect for our relaxing girls getaway. It’s also where Ska:na: Spa – the Oneida word for peace, is located. (There are suites available just steps from the spa – ask for them!) saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Soothing treatments and modern amenities that honor American Indian cultural themes, apparently create the most luxurious experiences!

Even walking to the spa was a joy… between the art, the sculpture and the furniture, we were in awe!

We immersed ourselves in an afternoon of stress-reducing, girlfriend-bonding bliss, enjoying the Oneida Custom Massage to start – the hot tub, sauna, and relaxation rooms afterward. Yes, you will want to come back for a couples weekend with the man in your life and they do offer co-ed spaces and the much loved couples massage.

Let me tell you, at the end of it all, curled up on comfy lounge chairs with blankets tucked around us made it hard to stay awake – a restful nap next to the fireplace was just seconds away!

As far as dining goes – there are over 20 restaurants in the resort to choose from (from sports bars to speakeasies) and The Upstate Tavern seemed an excellent place for lunch.

We tried out some local craft beers and a great salad that featured pickled grapes. Having never had them before - the dish sounded too intriguing to pass up!

For dinner, we took a private elevator to the 21st floor, where opulence greeted us at TS Steakhouse. Thick drapes hung from the walls, tied back in a warm welcome. The charming hostess and waitstaff were willing to suggest their favorites – the rib-eye steak and sea bass, and our waiter, John, was attentive to every detail.

He reminded us of the dapper Humprey Bogart and played along, answering to our endearing term, ‘Bogie,’ with a warm easy smile every time.

The panoramic views from the top of the tower were stellar. The cold winter sky and city scape twinkled outside, along side our table.

The casino itself is enormous – with numerous gaming rooms to take a chance on winning. I found a machine that looked interesting, gave up a twenty, and within minutes had a ticket worth nearly $200 in hand. I’d often read that Turning Stone paid out more often than not, this seemed to prove right. I left with a smile on my face.

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Turning Stone Resort Casino has several options for nightlife entertainment – from showroom events and sexy nightclubs to a venue for rock and roll and local or regional bands, or my favorite – The Tin Rooster – where the country atmosphere is at its best – there’s something for every music lover under this roof.

Breakfast was at the resort’s Wildflowers restaurant. Our waitress even brought us tiny cups of fresh-made smoothies and blueberry muffins to start, compliments of the chef.

Turning Stone Resort Casino has earned the prestigious Forbes Four-Star Award for the lodge, Wildflowers Restaurant, and Ska:na: Spa, all of which we thoroughly enjoyed. TS Steakhouse has also earned Forbes Four-Star Award recommended ratings, and, for more than a decade, the AAA Four-Diamond Award for The Lodge, the Tower Hotel and Wildflowers restaurant.

If you need a take away from reading this: go ahead and plan that trip with your girlfriends ASAP, you won’t regret it!

WHEN YOU GO: You and your besties can get dressed to the nines or hang out in yoga pants and flip flops all weekend – there really are that many options – all under one roof!

But, don’t forget to pack these items…

FLIP-FLOPS – They provide you with the softest slippers when you first arrive at the spa, but when heading back to your suite – extend that feeling by slipping on a pair of flip flops vs putting your shoes back on. (You’ll thank us for this one!)

BATHING SUIT – No need to pack multiples - loved all the suit dryers throughout the spa!

SMALL BAG – For your book (or favorite magazine!), journal (you will want to remember this!) and headphones. There will be plenty of “down” time after your spa treatments and you’ll want to enjoy every available minute relaxing in the Whisper Room.

DAY BAG – Bring a change of clothes, toiletries, makeup with you for after your spa treatment (the “dressing room” here is like sitting in a salon!) – everything you need to get rid of the “been at the pool” look. …no need to bring your own cover up, you’ll be wearing the most luxurious white terry robe!

ENJOY!

SS

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HOW TO QUICKLY CALM YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT! MEGHAN LEMERY FRITZ LCSW-R

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College, PA. For more information email meghanlfritz@gmail.com

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tress is a huge factor in having health problems and chronic sleep issues.

It’s easy to get stuck in the quicksand of every-day life and become unconsciously in the habit of constant worry. This type of thought pattern releases adrenaline into your body and causes you to live in a state of chronic anxiety.

The key to developing healthier thought patterns is to engage in what I call easy energy shifters all day long. These exercises will begin to train your mind to be in a place of rest and ease, allowing you more joy in every- day life.

An energy shifter exercise is a short out-loud set of affirmations you can do anytime and anywhere. They are meant to help you enhance your self-esteem, peace of mind and overall well-being.

: STAIR AFFIRMATIONS: Whenever you go up the stairs in your home, an office building or anywhere, say a positive adjective on each step. For instance, “I am strong, I am healthy, I am full of joy, I am full of peace, I am blessed.” This exercise makes you stop and think of positive words which immediately reduces stress in the body.

DISHWASHER BLESSINGS: Unloading the dishwasher used to be a chore I really did not like. I would find ways to avoid doing it and would pray if I waited long enough my husband would beat me to the punch. One day I realized I was creating lots of emotional drama around a very simple task. The amount of time I spent resisting the task was a waste of time and a build-up of negative emotion.

I now use this time to say (out-loud!) things I am thankful for. This helps keep my perspective balanced and reminds me of how blessed I am in every-day life. Dare I say I now look forward to emptying the dishwasher? That may be a stretch, but I’m no longer participating in energy draining drama over this task.

FOLDING LAUNDRY: Again, this chore can make us feel overwhelmed and immediately drain our energy when we spend time thinking about all the laundry we fold. Don’t let this task be a burden, use this time to do your affirmations and gratitude blessings! This will immediately give you a skip in your step and help shift your attitude.

STOP SIGN/RED LIGHT PRESENT TO BE PRESENT: Every time you come to a stop sign or a red light, take a deep breath and focus on that breath. This will turn the volume down on the noisy thoughts that shout at you all day. Just taking short breaks each day to be present can help lower your blood pressure and increase feelings of peace overall. Use these every-day symbols as a reminder to slow down and take a breath.

DEODORANT AFFIRMATIONS: A friend of mine swears the best time to do daily positive affirmations and intentions is when you put your deodorant on. This is a task you do daily (hopefully!) so why not use it to enhance the good mojo within you?

Affirmations and gratitude blessings don’t have to be daunting tasks. Use these simple energy shifters daily and watch how your energy increases and your stress level starts to diminish!

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

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2020 SPRING FASHION

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Get ready to freshen up your wardrobe this Spring at Lucia!

Bri is wearing a floral midi dress by MINKPINK, jewelry by FIVE & TWO and heels by MATISSE. Photo by The Content Saratoga

454 Broadway Suite 8, Saratoga Springs LuciaBoutique.com • 518.587.7890 46 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020

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Lilly Pulitzer Daise Maxi Dress $278 & Greydon Kane Tote $198 Lilly Pulitzer Christiana Dress $228 Costa Brava Clutch $158 & Katelyn Sandal $198 Photo by SuperSourceMedia.com

358 Broadway Saratoga Springs thepinkpaddock• 518.587.4344 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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BOUTIQUE

This skirt is legit!!!

525 America knows sweater knits, and boy do they have us with all the "feels" with their accordian pleated skirt in pastel colors!!

Their fine gauge knit tank is a customer favorite transcending from dressy to casual!!

Come see and feel spring, at Spoken Boutique Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

27 Church Street, Saratoga Springs • Facebook.com/SpokenBoutique 48 518.587.2772 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020

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FREE PEOPLE Maxi Dress, $128 FREE PEOPLE Denim Jacket, $98 SAM EDELMAN Mule, $130 NATIVE GEM Hoop Earrings, $180 location: POSIE PEDDLER Photo by SuperSourceMedia.com

494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs VioletsofSaratoga.com • 518.584.4838

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H&G Randall Perry Photography

Flip the page for the rest of the house...

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Archite Randall Perry Photography 52 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020

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cturally SPEAKING FOLLOW US AS WE EXPLORE SOME OF THE AREA'S UNIQUE SPACES

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A House Built for Generations to Come FOLLOW US AS WE EXPLORE SOME OF THE AREA'S UNIQUE SPACES...

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WRITTEN BY MAUREEN WERTHER PHOTOS BY RANDALL PERRY

T

he house sits perched atop a rise in the land along Route 9P overlooking the still expanse of Saratoga Lake. In early-spring, the view is placid, serene and tranquil, belying the bustle of cars, boats and cyclists that travel the length of the lake during warmer months.

The 6,500 square-foot, three story home took five years to plan, design and build, but the finished product was worth the wait and is now, according to the homeowners, a place for family to gather and enjoy the comforts of being together. Ryan Wiedl and Tony Bonacio, of Bonacio Construction worked with architect Jim Zalewski and interior designer Erika Gallagher of Plum & Crimson, along with local masons and woodworkers to incorporate the original structure that stood on the property into the expansive and open floor plan of the new house.

“The homeowners had a great impact on the design of this house and were involved in every aspect,” said Ryan Wiedl.

The owners and their family, who divide their time between Latham and Saratoga Lake, spent their summers growing up on the lake, with the first family cabin built in 1955. Remnants of that original cabin greet you as you first enter the home. The entry hallway opens to a large coat and boot room, with cubbies and hooks and an L-shaped bench.

The wall of the cubbies is made from re-claimed wood from the original cabin built by the homeowner’s grandfather.

From the coat room is a large, spacious den area styled for recreation, relaxation and fun. On one end is a large fireplace framed in granite from Adirondack Stone, with tall fireplace doors, courtesy of Saratoga Fireplace and Chimney. Plush leather couches and chairs from Plum & Crimson frame the area around the fireplace. Directly behind the seating area are a pool table, a card table and a large wet bar.

The oversized windows run the length of the room, as they do on every floor of the house. With no window treatments to block the view, the open feel of the large glass -framed in soft white molding- allows the surrounding natural beauty of the lake to dominate nearly every part of the home.

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The thematic design of the house has drawn upon the family’s love of horses, the lake and – most importantly – family.

Over the years, they collected and carefully preserved remnants from an earlier time on the lake, when casinos like Riley’s were still doing a brisk, if not above board, business.

On the sofa table sits an authentic card shuffler; while, on the wall facing the pool table is a framed montage of cards, chips, and other memorabilia from Riley’s and other establishments.

The staircase leading to the main living area is framed by iron spindles and an antique jewel post, which the Erika discovered on eBay. While installing it into the staircase, the construction team found papers stuffed inside. Upon inspection, they turned out to be the school schedule from an MIT student dating back to 1889.

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Reaching the top of the stairs, it is hard not to be taken aback by the expansive open construction of the great room. Red oak floors and cream nickel gap paneled walls are accentuated by walls of windows and transoms narrowing into a peak at the top of the 24-foot high ceilings.

The trestles that frame the room were constructed by Legacy Timber Frame on Saratoga Lake and the long beam that spans the width of the room is wrapped in wood from a 36-foot long Douglas fir that was transported here from Oregon and milled in Lake George.

The massive fireplace boasts burled walnut doors and a raised granite hearth that weighs over 10,000 pounds. The entire face of the fireplace is made of granite from Champlain Stone. Local mason Jeff Davidson constructed the fireplace, taking days to meticulously cut each of the massive stones into place.

“You can tell the quality of the mason by the space between the stones,” Tony Bonacio tells me, adding that the fit between the stones is so tight, there is only about 1/8 inch separating them. The estimated total weight of the fireplace is approximately 100,000 pounds.

To the right of the fireplace is a temperature-controlled wine room enclosed in glass, with a nearby tasting area. Each area flows artfully and seamlessly into another, with the large dining table as a focal point. “We wanted to build a home where we could comfortably fit 30 people all together at one table for Christmas dinner,” the homeowner tells me. The house was finished in December, just in time for that wish to come true.

The kitchen, designed by Dawn Zarrillo of Kitchens by Zarrillo in Duanesburg, has Thermadoor appliances, with a marble and onyx backsplash and a Quartzite countertop on the island by Capitol Stone.

Erika explains that one of the goals was furnishing and accessorizing different parts of the great room in a way that creates a smooth transition and design flow from one area to the next.

Another winning strategy are the saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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smaller areas of the house that are separated from the main living spaces. The cigar room is one of those brilliant designs. It is in here that visitors get a true feel for the family, their history and their passions.

The walls and cabinetry are made entirely from walnut, with slate flooring inlaid with oak and cozy leather and fabric furnishings collected from the owners’ travels around the world, interspersed with complementary chairs and accents from Plum & Crimson.

True to its name, the cigar room has a built-in climate-controlled humidor accented by a collection of cigar boxes from across the globe and from local Saratoga haunts. The vintage ash trays, accented with brass horses, are relics from the Saratoga Reading Room on Union Avenue.

Resting in one of the walnut shelves is a mandolin the owner’s grandfather brought with him from Russia, which has remained in the family and is estimated to be more than 200 years old.

A little further away is the butler's pantry, another cozy space that is full is family imagery. The walnut Dutch doors were a specific request of the homeowner, and the antiqued marble countertop is set off with a backsplash of ceramic tiles that are inlaid with sepia-toned images from photos of the family dogs, horses, their beloved barn cat and even their pig, Porkchop.

Local woodworkers Jim and Greg Von Lienen played a huge role in the creation of the cigar room, the butler’s pantry, and many other one of a kind features of the home.

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The third floor of the home is the family’s private quarters, with a large loft area separating guest rooms from the master suite and offices. The beauty of the outdoors continued to dominate the third floor as it does the first and second. “one of the design goals here was to use colors and textures that embody the colors of nature,” says Erika. The master suite is a soft sea-glass shade on the walls, with pale accents and the ubiquitous walnut double doors that make the room “pop.”

Randall Perry Photography Randall Perry Photography

While the owners say it was a long journey to create the home they envisioned, it was the combined work of the architects, construction and design teams, along with the artisanship of the craftsmen, that “made our house a home for generations to come.” SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Colleen's Picks

Susan Blackburn Photography

A carefully curated selection of HOME DÉCOR ITEMS WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY COLLEEN COLEMAN OF CMC DESIGN STUDIO LLC

Colleen Coleman is the Principal of CMC Design Studio LLC located in Saratoga Springs. With certifications in Kitchen & Bath Design, Aging in Place and True Color Expert, her curated design extends into all areas of her field including new construction, historical and major renovations. Her passion is in designing & customizing hand-crafted cabinets for all areas of the residential market.

I

don’t know about you, but I am ready for SPRING! I may have three feet of snow at the edge of my property, but I can envision my pool uncovered, flowers peeking out of the soil and my soul being revived by the warmth of the sunshine...like someone flipped a switch and suddenly my whole outlook is changed. I’m not much of a winter person, but you’d think by the time I reached my 50’s I would have found something to do in the cold winter months! Alas, I cling to the warmth, to getting my hands dirty in the garden and nights at the fire pit under starry New York skies! I’m sure I have plenty of readers who would agree with me...I see you nodding yes… So, what are we to do? I have the perfect idea...you with me? Let’s shake these winter blues off and start planning for warmer weather, outside BBQ’s and adding a touch of color to our living spaces!!!

Our local shops are filled with goodies to put a smile on your face. ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE, located in their Malta store, is featuring these tranquil Water Wick Candle Fountains.

Available in 5 pastel colors; pink, yellow, green, blue and purple, these charmers can be set to operate with a timer or remote control. Add a touch of summer fun to your outdoor dining or scatter them amid the sitting areas around your patio. As evening approaches, watch these spaces come to life with the touch of a button from your lounge chair! As the candle flickers, the gentle fountain bubbles like a moving liquid flame! They’re also great for a guest room welcome, table side at your favorite reading nook or infusing calmness amid your hectic work space. Pick up these colorful Spring stoppers while they’re available!

ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE Inside Allerdice Ace Hardware 2570 Route 9 Malta Allerdice.com 518.899.6222

Need a creative storage solution for your little ones? I found this adorable Rattan Giraffe Shelf abounding with a variety of open spaces for small books or knickknacks. Standing at 48” tall, this sweet woven creature adds texture and enjoyment to a playroom or bedroom for a “big kid who can do it themselves”. And be sure to add Accent’s Spring Open House, on Saturday March 21st at 10am-3pm, to your calendar where you’ll find even more treasures for preparing your home for the upcoming summer season!

Have you been looking for that one item to add a little joy & pop of fun? Head over to CURTAIN & CARPET CONCEPTS to catch this Colorful Oceanic Area Rug crafted at 6’-2” x 8’-6”.

Hand-knitted of 100% New Zealand Wool, the fish design can make any area of your home come to life! From a child’s play area to your sun-soaked sitting area off the back of the house, the medley of rainbow colors set on a background of taupe, gray and cream work in any decor! Better get over there quick...it’s one of a kind! saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

CURTAIN & CARPET CONCEPTS 146 Marion Avenue, Suite 7 Saratoga Springs CurtainToCarpet.com 518.886.1389

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Colleen's Picks

If you’re as excited as I am to gear up for the outdoor patio season, now is the time to review your needs for your outdoor spaces and get your orders in! The outdoor market starts to ramp up in mid-April so don’t wait until the sun is warming your deck to start shopping for a new patio set. If your ideal outdoor collection is not readily available on a showroom floor, your best bet is to place your order no later than early April.

AT SARATOGA SIGNATURE, you’ll find a broad selection of outdoor furniture including this Braxton Culler Blue Rock Collection of Table & Counter Stools. Sometimes, all we need is a little pick-meup to our existing pieces. These open weave dining seats are mounted atop natural teakwood bases and come in either table or counter height. Need more…How about adding a classic touch to your outdoor patio with the Palermo Collection! The ebb and flow of natural rattan is woven throughout each piece while the high back ensures hours of cozy outdoor entertaining. Their underlying construction for each woven piece is an aluminum frame to ensure longevity in your purchase. Finalize your outdoor space by choosing from a wide variety of outdoor and high-performance fabrics to make this upcoming summer bright and cheery!

SARATOGA SIGNATURE 82 Church Street Saratoga Springs SaratogaSignature.com 518.581.0023

TOGA HERITAGE 398 Broadway Saratoga Springs TOGAHERITAGE.com

Looking for something more year-round?

TOGA HERITAGE has recently partnered with Frittelli and Lockwood, a weaver in Saratoga Springs, to craft their new Local Woven Tartan Collection including a Lap Robe and Classic Scarf. These items are handwoven from 100% USA New England wool. Be sure to read Deborah’s story on page 10 to get the behind-the-scenes details of Toga Heritage owner, Deborah Pasquale’s, vision for her local weave and her enduring venture to source high quality suppliers for her unique gifts. To top it off, she’ll be celebrating National Tartan Day on April 4th with a gathering at her Broadway Shop located at Silverwood on Broadway, lower level. Mark it on your calendar!!!

If you wish to take your new woven treasure with you, pick up one of TOGA HERITAGE’S Hand- Woven Baskets, available in a custom modern finish, natural or white. I loved this small option with leather straps and brass fittings for my bike rides with the hubby!

There is plenty of room to take a few choice goodies along too! Built to last, you’ll have endless years of totable storage!

SILVERWOOD HOME AND GALLERY 398 Broadway, Saratoga Springs SilverwoodGalleries.com 518.583.3600

As you ascend the steps to SILVERWOOD HOME AND GALLERY, you will be drawn to the colors of Spring with their Luxe Green Velvet Pillows boasting gilded garden insects. Green embodies nature, tranquility and health…it renews and restores depleted energy. Oh my, I’d pick up a couple if I were you! Another way to inject Spring greens into your home without the care of live plants is through preserved Boxwood Topiaries. These variety of petite potted lovelies are small enough to rest on an open shelf, side table, or display a variety of heights along your fireplace mantle. Either way, injecting green into your living spaces or office will brighten your day with a guaranteed smile!

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Just down the street on Beekman is DEHN’S FLOWERS AND GIFTS OF SARATOGA…But did you know they had a Gift Shop located at 15 Trieble Ave in Ballston Spa? If not, it’s worth the short drive to see their collection of delightful gifts at the ready for those hard-to-buy-for peeps in your life. One of their newest lines is Naked Bees Lotions, Lip Balms and Bath Goods. Of course, I had to sample the hand lotion...Devine…

Smooth without being oily and the orange sweet smell made my senses crave the warmer days ahead. I loved it so much I purchased the Hospitality Travel Kit of hand & body lotion with Shampoo & Conditioner for our newly remodeled Guest Bath! I can hear my guests now, longing for more...no worries…

They sell larger sizes as well in either 6.7 or 2.25 oz. that I can give as a sweet parting gesture. While you’re there stocking up on these summery scented morsels, be sure to browse their shop for other gift giving ideas as well!

I think by now you have all read my column and had an opportunity to see some of the finely crafted Amish and upholstered selections at PATTERSONVILLE FURNITURE. Amid their offerings is also transitional pieces by Hallagan Furniture, notably, the Highland Park Collection. A small mid-century anthology with simple lines with one foot in the future and another nodding to the past! This is achieved by offering 6 arm styles, 3 different backs, 4 bases and 3 seating depths!I think there’s a chair or sofa to satisfy even the pickiest of furniture hunters. This particular Highland Park chair is suited with a detached, boxed straight back, rising round arms with a 24” deep seat and finished with a Metro Trim base.

The fabric alternatives are endless including performance choices. The possibilities are endless. What are you waiting for…now’s the time to toss that worn out set you received from your mother and dive into a style all your own!

DEHNS FLOWERS AND GIFTS 180 Beekman Street Saratoga Springs DehnsFlowersAndGifts.com 518.584.1880

PATTERSONVILLE FURNITURE 1664 Main Street Rt. 5S PattersonvilleFurniture.net 518.887.2741

And men, the same goes for you! Take that old grill you’ve been hanging onto that cooks the grit stuck between your flames more than the filet on your rack! Be sure to visit EARL B. FEIDEN’S and ask about the 42” Sedona by Lynx Freestanding Grill. The top selling feature…The ProSear Infrared Burner! It boasts an immediate response of intense heat to properly sear scallops, pineapple slices and even that 3” thick Filet Mignon! My mouth is watering…With variable settings, even delicate dishes can be cooked to perfection! In addition, the infrared burners offer even heat while the charcoal briquettes radiate a steady glow of heat beneath your food to eliminate hot spots. No more running back to your grill every five minutes to flip your chicken in fear of uneven cooking and so much more…Now THAT’s a grill!

Outdoor storage solutions have become a big ask lately as well. When your entertaining, the last thing you want to do is constantly run inside. With the Sedona by Lynx Storage Solutions, you can keep your grilling gear at the ready, house plates, wine glasses and serving trays…all with full extension drawers and easy closing latches. Drawers or doors, you choose…then get on with joining the fun at your own party!

EARL B. FEIDEN 1771 Route 9, Clifton Park EarlBFeiden.com 518.383.2215

Go colorful, have fun and allow your inner child to feel the warmth of Spring that lies just ahead. Now is the time to prepare…And if you need a little help putting it all together…you know where to find me! SS Until next time my friends,

Colleen Coleman of CMC Design Studio LLC AKBD, CAPS & True Color Expert colleen@cmcdesignstudio.net “Creating Environments for Life” TM

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SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 69

DINNER WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY ALDRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHY

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It's time to get out of the city!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY AND EXPERIENCE THAT IS LAKOTA’S FARM

While wandering the historical grounds of Lakota’s Farm, you are surrounded by picturesque rolling green hills dotted with quaint ponds and grazing horses.

More than a (splendid!) meal, these farm-to-table dinners are combined with a variety of exciting entertainment options.

In the Spring, you are valiantly greeted by the daffodils’ delicate faces and tulips swaying in the breeze, as the soft fragrance of the hyacinths’ perfume tickles your nose.

Every farm dinner has something special; from live music, to a comedy, a Burlesque show, or a farm dinner followed by a movie night on the farm.

Tension seems to loosen its grip on you in this soothing environment.

Then, just when you think the dream can’t get any better – you see the amazing food.

It’s a celebration!

A DREAMLAND BY DAY & NIGHT The timeless splendor of this breathtaking venue is spread across the agricultural oasis of a 34-acre horse farm. The centerpiece of Lakota’s Farm Weddings & Events is the 150-year-old renovated barn bursting with rustic charm.

“When you come to a farm dinner, you can remove yourself from the hustle and bustle and time slows down for you,” said Event Manager Casey Baldwin.

You’re comfortably dressed, can feel the earth under your feet, and all you need is a casual jacket or light blanket in case the air gets cool once the sun dips below the treetops.

You begin each seven-course, 3 ½ hour farm-dinner with locally-made drinks from businesses such as Argyle Brewing Company, Saratoga Apple Cider, The Real McCoy Beer Co. and more.

The only thing that can lure you away from the tasty hors d’oeuvres spread in front of you, is knowing that dinner is being served.

BEAUTIFUL TASTE IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE If you want to know what beautiful tastes like, dive into the seasonal menus featured at Lakota’s Farm.

Prepared by chef extraordinaire Ryan O’Shea, owner of Suburban Kitchen, as well as other local guest chefs, the unparalleled quality and rich color of this food is a pure pleasure from start to finish.

Using fresh, locally-sourced produce, cheeses and meats is the secret to crafting a great-tasting meal and sitting among this rural landscape, you realize this area is bursting with it.

“I’m a farmer’s daughter and I grew up learning to respect food and the farmland where it comes from,” said Lakota’s Farm owner Kimberly Ann Finney.

While enjoying the family-style dinner at the long farm table, you can easily meet and talk with others.

“Here, you’re a part of our family – it’s part of the whole experience,” said Baldwin. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

This venue is injecting new life into the region.

Family-friendly events this year will include movie nights on the lawn, a number of spring and fall artisan festivals, as well as a yoga festival.

Geared toward attracting locals and supporting local businesses, Lakota’s Farm events are drawing in people from all over New England. One couple from Cape Cod found the farm on Instagram and included a visit here on their anniversary getaway.

“Even though they live in a beautiful area already, they don’t have what we have – cows, trees and beautiful expanses. It’s that quintessential New England experience that allows you to slow down, breathe and take it all in,” said Finney.

CALENDAR WORTHY EVENTS The Lakota Farm dinners are being held May 24th & 30th, June 13th & 14th, July 10th & 11th, August 9th, 21st, 22nd and are TBA for September & October. Tickets are $75/person.

Guests are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations for local food pantries. Collections are also being taken for Code Blue and Cake, Candles, and Confetti, a grassroots charity that provides birthday parties for homeless children in the Capital District (search FB for more info).

The Spring Artisan Fest, featuring more than 70 vendors selling food, bath & beauty products, jewelry, furniture, fine arts & crafts, will be held, June 6th & 7th (the same weekend as Cambridge, NY’s 20th-Anniversary Balloon Festival.)

Admission is $1/person.

Lakota’s Farm has partnered with Kristen Zorda from Yoga Mandali and Michael Nelson, the creative genius behind Brainworks, for Lakota’s Farm first, Krishna Yoga Festival. Which is scheduled for Saturday, August 29th. There will be six classes in a range of styles.

All classes are for all levels. The festival will include local artists and vendors, vegan and vegetarian food options, and live music.

Full-Day and half day tickets will be available at KrishnaYogaFestival.com For more information on Lakota’s Farm Dinners and Festivals, go to Lakota’s Facebook page @lakotasfarm SS SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 71

FEATURED ADVERTISER

Experts in the kitchen and bath industry for over 75 years!

F

ounded in 1945, Capitol Kitchens and Baths is a family-owned and operated kitchen and bath supply company, dedicated to serving their loyal customers with a vast array of products and expertise.

Capitol Kitchens and Baths’ history (a division of Capitol District Supply) tells the tale of a family beginning a business and then extending beyond itself.

Capitol was founded in Albany in 1945 by Hy and Anne Zima supplying plumbing, heating, kitchens and baths to the Capitol District. In postwar Albany, times were tough in the beginning, but Hy and Anne persevered by driving to NYC daily to get product to provide for their upstate customers. Capitol expanded locations three times throughout the city through the early 60s, before expanding to Saratoga in 1986 and Schenectady in 1995. Capitol has always been a family focused business, with the second generation joining in the 70s and the third generation in 2005. Capitol’s staff is proud to

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boast many who have been with the company for over two decades, children of former employees, siblings, and their spouses.

Feeling that the measure of success isn’t in the awards and the portfolio, Capitol’s true measure of success is in the way their clients feel throughout a project. With their Client Focused Design Process, they focus on designing your dreams. Their team demonstrates the skills and experience to help with any kitchen or bathroom remodel.

Their Saratoga kitchen and bath showroom is filled to overflowing with design ideas and inspiration.

Packed with everything you need to design your new room… See, touch, and experience cabinets, countertops, appliances, and more!

Capitol invites you to visit and let their expert designers show you the possibilities.

Get started on your dream kitchen or bath by downloading a planning guide at www.capitolkitchensandbaths.com SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

ENTERTAINING

Made Easy with Jodi Fitz

JODIE FITZ’S BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN Ingredients • 4 - 5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• 16 oz canned tomatoes

• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 pint of red tomatoes • 1 large sweet onion • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning • I teaspoon sea salt • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to created thin filets. Lightly pound the chicken.

3. Stir the onion powder and sea salt together. Rub it onto the chicken filets, both sides.

4. Place the filets onto a nonstick baking sheet coated with the nonstick cooking spray.

5. Rinse the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl.

6. Peel, slice and finely dice the onion.

7. Stir the onion, tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil and Italian seasoning together.

8. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken.

9. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

10. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese before serving.

TIP

FROM JODIE

Pairing: Bruschetta Chicken goes perfect with

oven roasted asparagus and risotto. SS

You can always catch what’s going on in our lives at www.jodiefitz.com and www.facebook.com/jodiefitzcooks, or check out my new cook books - available on my website! saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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WITH

HELLO MY FOODIE FRIENDS! Spring is a wonderful time. Breathe in the flower-tinted smell of renewal.

You can’t help but feel refreshed, invigorated. Close your eyes and the sounds of birds dominate...chirping, tweeting, squawking, squealing...all signs of the new season!

It is also the time of year when people start to re-emerge from their homes with more outdoor activities such as biking, walking, playing baseball, hiking in the Adirondacks, and starting to do some camping outdoors. My father loved the outdoors and would take any chance my mother would give him to leave Connecticut (where I grew up) and go to Vermont to visit with his mother, aunts and uncles. He loved his family and the outdoor activities he could have on their land. You see, my father’s family owned lots of land which included two mountain ranges with lots of rivers, a pond, and wildlife to be exact. My father was an only child and loved to fish, hunt, and go camping. He was an expert in the outdoors and taught us kids many things about the woods.

He may have been a lousy cook at home, but in the woods - with a cast iron pan in his backpack he would become a Bobby Flay type culinary genius!

To us kids he was the master of the outdoors. He would teach us how to fish, clean, and cook trout or would identify what plants were edible in a survival situation. He would tell us to steer clear of certain plants as even experts can mess up and it could be your “last mistake” as he would put it. Among his teachings would be: “drinking water from a stream running over rocks was safer than standing water.” Back then, that may have been the case.

He taught us how to be quiet and walk “up wind” because in the woods, animals can hear and smell so much better than humans.

You could imagine a comedy movie of three little boys following their dad and making all kinds of noise! My father would stop and turn and glare at us, and then he would put his finger to his mouth

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JOHN REARDON

and whisper two words: “Shhh…. Bears!” We were very quiet after that. As I reminisce on this, I smile and realize that the bear scare was his secret weapon to keep us quiet while he enjoyed the outdoors. After a day of exploring and fishing, he would then pull out his favorite cast iron pan and fry over a campfire.

I am not alone in my story of cast iron. Many of our customers love to cook outdoors and request cookware that is sufficient for outdoor cooking as well as in the kitchen. Cast iron has experienced a resurgence in popularity. These pans are extremely versatile and can last a lifetime. Everything from frying eggs, cooking a stew and baking a pie can be done in a cast iron pan.

With a little care, these pans can become a hand-me-down family heirloom. Owning one can open up a whole new world of cooking, and the flavor that a cast iron pan adds to food is amazing!

In order to be successful when using cast iron, you have to know how to care for it, basically what to do and what not to do to your pans. If you treat them right, they will be so easy to cook with and will quickly become your go-to pan. First, season your pan.

Seasoning is basically oiling the pan to give it a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. Even though most pans are sold “pre-seasoned,” you’ll still want to season it before its first use. Give your new pan a good rinse with plain old water and then heat it on the stove over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add a small amount of oil, using a cloth, work the oil all around the inside bottom and sides of the pan. Give it a good coat, about a teaspoon for a 10-12-inch skillet, but not so much that there is standing oil in the pan. Then let it cool to room temp. You’ll want to repeat this process a few more times until the surface is glossy, but not sticky. and if needed, scrub lightly. A properly seasoned pan is naturally nonstick, however if there is stuff stuck to the pan, you can scrape it and scrub with a hard bristle brush. After washing, or scrubbing if necessary, make sure to fully towel dry your pan to prevent rusting.

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Our favorite and best-selling cast iron is Lodge. Lodge is seasoned cast iron cookware, so they begin the seasoning process for you. Lodge provides pre-seasoned cookware with no synthetic chemicals; just soy-based vegetable oil. The more you use your cast iron, the better the seasoning becomes. Lodge is MADE IN THE USA and has been making cast iron cookware in South Pittsburg, Tennessee since 1896. With over 120 years of experience, their cast iron is known for its high-quality design, lifetime durability, and cooking versatility and is FAMILY-OWNED. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs, for cool tools for cooks.

Remember my Foodie Friends that “Life Happens in the Kitchen” and remember to say the secret password: “Shhh…Bears” when you stop in.

(in a cast iron pan) INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 bunch of dill, chopped 2 lemons, sliced 2 whole trout, butterflied Salt & pepper DIRECTIONS • Set the Lodge skillet or griddle in a bed of coals, smooth side up. Preheat to medium-high heat. (you can also do this on your outside grill or indoors as well) • Combine lemon juice, olive oil and 2 teaspoons chopped dill. Whisk until well incorporated.

• Place remaining dill and lemon slices inside the butterflied trout, brush all over with lemon juice mixture.

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Place fish on preheated skillet or griddle and cook each side for 7-10 min. or until the flesh flakes easily. Brush with lemon juice mixture as needed.

• Remove trout from the skillet or griddle and serve immediately. SS

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And you will too!

A CASUAL SPRINGTIME SUNDAY BRUNCH Hosting a relaxed Sunday brunch can be a most enjoyable way to entertain friends and family without undue stress. My spring inspired brunch menu of quiche, salad, and a few store-bought extras is ideal for casual and worry free entertaining.

Entertaining should be a pleasure and never a burden - these simple to prepare time saving dishes will allow you to enjoy your gathering as much as your guests. Prep the ingredients for the Madrigal Cheese and Asparagus Quiche in advance, and let it bake while your guests enjoy Strawberry Prosecco Cocktails. You can make the Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette ahead of time and have your salad ingredients ready to combine just before serving.

Set your table beforehand and let a vase full of colorful tulips be your centerpiece.

Make your party preparations easier and eliminate stress by including locally prepared items to round out your menu. How about a fine artisan cheese and cracker pairing from the Putnam Market to accompany your pre-meal cocktails?

And do not forget dessert.

The Putnam Market’s Celestial Chocolate Torte or an assortment of their exquisite Macarons will bring your brunch to a delicious conclusion!

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You will love this pretty pink cocktail!

This recipe makes enough for one drink. To make a batch, measure out the vodka and bitters for the number of cocktails you need and chill in the refrigerator. To serve, divide the mixture among champagne flutes and add strawberries and prosecco to each glass.

Ingredients for each cocktail: 1 oz. strawberry vodka, I like to use “Pick Six Strawberry Jam Vodka” 3 drops of orange bitters Chilled Rose’ Prosecco Thinly sliced strawberries for garnish Place the strawberry vodka and orange bitters in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake until well chilled and strain into a champagne flute. Drop in a few strawberry slices and pour in enough prosecco to fill the glass.

That’s all there is to it… Enjoy!

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This salad combines springtime produce and almonds with tangy mustard vinaigrette. The choice of salad greens is yours - I like to keep things simple and use a prewashed bagged salad blend with Butter Lettuce or Spring Mix. Rubbing the salad bowl with a garlic clove is a retro technique that imparts subtle flavor.

Ingredients:

Madrigal cheese is a semi-hard cheese from France made in the style of classic Swiss cheese. This cheese has a nutty sweet flavor and is available in local supermarkets.

1 generous tablespoon of premium Dijon mustard, or more to taste 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

I stopped making pie crust years ago. Although good, my hand made pie crust was not significantly better than the ready to bake products at my local market.

Now I save time and effort by using a premade frozen pie shell.

Mix the white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil using a fork until the ingredients are emulsified. Alternatively, pour the ingredients into a clean jar, secure the lid and shake until the vinaigrette is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1 premade frozen pie shell 1 pound of fresh asparagus cleaned and woody tips cut or snapped off. I use thinner asparagus stalks for this recipe.

4 large eggs 1 cup heavy cream 1 and ½ cups shredded Madrigal cheese ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon salt Pinch of nutmeg

Ingredients: 7 to 8 cups of salad greens ½ cup of sliced almonds ½ cup thinly sliced radishes 4 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced 1 small garlic clove Wash the salad greens, radishes and spring onions in advance and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Just before serving, slice the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of your serving bowl with the cut side of each piece.

Place the salad greens, radishes, spring onions and almonds in the serving bowl. Add a grinding of black pepper and toss gently.

Serve with the Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using the tines of a dinner fork, prick the bottom of the frozen pie shell 10 to 12 times. When the oven is ready bake the pie shell for five minutes, then remove from the oven.

In the meantime, cut the asparagus into bite size pieces and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and seasonings until well blended.

Stir in the asparagus and 1 cup of the shredded Madrigal cheese.

Carefully pour the mixture into the pie shell and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Madrigal Cheese.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top in nicely browned and the filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing. SS SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 77

WITH

Gardening PETER BOWDEN

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY

PETER BOWDEN

A

ll the beautiful flowers I grow in summer can’t give me the same thrill as the first crocus emerging as the last of the winter’s snow retreats from the gardens.

After a long flowerless winter, these first blooms of the season seem so precious. Snowdrops, daffodils, tulips, allium, hyacinths and all the bulbs we planted in the fall arrive in sequence to brighten early spring days. Planting these bulbs in fall is like sending yourself a love letter that won’t arrive until spring. These small bulbs are a miracle in themselves.

How do we make sure our bulbs will return year after year? Think of them as rechargeable batteries. They don’t store electricity but “growth energy”. The trick to perpetual success with bulbs is in “recharging the battery” After they flower in spring, that “growth energy” is depleted during the all-out effort to reproduce (flower) in spring. After the flowers go by, remove the spent bloom and stem. This prevents the bulb from wasting “growth energy” producing seeds. That “growth energy” is instead directed to the bulb where it is stored until next spring’s flowering cycle. This is also the time to feed your bulbs. Scratching some bulb food into the soil around your bulbs will provide the nutrients they need to grow larger and more plentiful. Think of the bulbs’ leaves as solar collectors that change sunlight into “growth energy” that is sent to the bulb below for storage. Don’t cut off these solar collectors when you remove the spent blossoms.

Let them remain until they finish charging up your “bulb batteries”. The leaves will eventually turn yellow, letting you know that they have done their job and can be cut away.

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Hellebore flowers also provide another thrill as soon as the last of the snow disappears. Hellebores carry their flower buds over winter and burst open in mid to late March. The flowers are large, ornate and persist for a month or more. The foliage is evergreen as well. Hellebore are care free and adaptable to part sun to shady locations. Flower color runs the gamut from white to deep purple and every shade of pink to red in between. Look for them early at the garden center if you have a shady location that could use some very early color to start spring on a cheerful note.

Thanks for the read.

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SS

SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 79

THE TIME WRITTEN BY JORDANA TURCOTTE

OK, SO JUST CLARIFYING HERE…

there are 24 hours in a day.

No one is special and gets more.

We are all incredibly busy, but busy with what?

For some it is a few things that take big chunks of time, for others it is a bunch of little things that fill up the day.

Time management is a process rather than an event …

And it’s a lifelong process.

As a professional organizer I often hear the same two things: “I don’t have the time to get organized.”

“I can’t find what I need when I need it.”

It is ironic that if you took the time to get organized, you wouldn’t be looking for things later. Here are some facts I often share; “Americans waste nine million hours per day searching for misplaced items,”

(according to the American Demographics Society)

“The average U.S. executive wastes six weeks per year searching for missing information in messy desks and files.” (according to the Wall Street Journal) That translates to one hour per day.

I know most would be happy to regain that hour!

Getting organized may not be at the top of your list to make time for, but what do you want to find the time for?

More sleep? More self-care activities? Exercise? Start a side business? Hobbies? Or just all the things that at a minimum should be getting done… like laundry, cleaning, etc.

Spelling out what you want to get done and how much time you want to “find” helps planning to do just that, so much easier.

Your go-to tool for anything related to time is a planner.

Digital, paper, or both – it is your assistant.

Load everything, check frequently, edit constantly.

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The first tactic to finding time is saying “no.”

No one wants to say no to helping someone or doing something you know you can do. But, if we can’t say no to lower-priority things, we will never get to the important things. A culling of activities that suck your time and aren’t important to your values or current interests should be done. Think committees, events you just automatically go to, classes you take that your heart isn’t in – all of these have time commitments before and after; preparation, travel, etc. A one-hour meeting, held twice monthly can actually be a commitment of 8+ hours a month!

By simplifying the time commitments in your schedule, this allows you to say “yes” to the new items you want.

The second tactic is writing out your schedule in detail to get a picture of each day of the week.

Also, measuring how long it takes to do some things can be eye opening. You think it takes one hour to clean, but it really takes 2.5 every Saturday and that is why things are not getting done or you’re missing out on other things. When we know how long something takes, we can schedule the right amount of time on the ideal day to do it. Being open to moving things to different days or to group like-items or allow bigger blocks of time on other days, can lead to getting more done.

The third tactic is identifying the “lost” time.

Things we don’t schedule but just do. A huge time suck now is digital clutter and social media. The less you have of any of these, the more time you will have. What can you let go of? What can you unsubscribe to? What can you limit, i.e. email checked 3x/day or just 20 minutes of Facebook in the morning? TV viewing and mindless shopping also top the list.

In addition to these three major tactics to finding time, there are a lot more tips that can really help save time overall.

Can you use your commute time?

Audible and podcasts can give you that book or info you haven’t been able to get to, it will also make your commute more enjoyable and maybe even something you look forward to.

Set-up specific days for specific tasks. i.e. bills on Monday, cleaning on Friday, shopping on Saturday.

Think weekly and even monthly or quarterly to-do’s at set times.

Meal prepping once for the whole week will save time every day.

The plan will be there, the ingredients will be there and no more hunting around for 10-15 minutes in decision-mode trying to figure it out. Always shopping with a list saves time too!

Jobs within the home.

Each family member should get jobs to do, and when they are to be completed. If you can afford it, consider hiring out things that are huge time sucks for you or the family. Sometimes eliminating activities/events you don’t want to do frees up cash, and time, and then you gain in both areas!

Reducing the time it takes to do something, or removing it all together, means you can fill it with what you want to be doing and what is a priority to you and/or your family.

Time is a firm constraint but how you use it isn’t. Choose wisely and be ever mindful of what you are spending it on. Getting organized in general, really does save time, plus stress and money!

Declutter your time to accomplish your goals. SS

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THE

SAVE

Date

March - April 2020

PHOTOS BY MARISA SCIROCCO

DON'T MISS THESE!

MAPLE DAYS Editor’s Pick: RATHBUN’S MAPLE SUGAR HOUSE (Pancake Breakfast, Retail and Horse Drawn Wagon Rides!)

Weekends through Sunday, April 5th 1208 Hatch Hill R., Whitehall, NY 12887, (518) 642-1799 (…oh, if we only had SCRATCH & SNIFF!!)

MapleWeekend.NYSmaple.com

NORTHEASTERN WOODWORKERS ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL FINE WOODWORKING SHOW March 28 & 29, 2020 Saratoga Springs City Center, Saratoga Springs $15 per day, $25 for the weekend, Kids Under 12 are Free To purchase tickets: EventBrite.com/e/2020-woodworkers-showcase-tickets

MOTHER TERESA CANCER AWARENESS FUNDS: “NIGHT OF HOPE UNDER THE STARS” GALA Friday, March 27, 2020, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. at Longfellows Hotel and Restaurant, 500 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs “The night will be full of Fun and Surprises as your Special Host for the Evening, Dr. Benita Zahn (Co-Anchor of News Channel 13 Live at 4 and Live at 6 and health reporter) guides you through the festivities of music and dancing with award winning, Capital District Maddalone Entertainment’s DJ Nick. There will also be a Live Auction with Guest Auctioneer, LeGrande Serras who will employ his special gift for communication (and some shameless prodding!) to get you to raise your paddle in effort to win items up for bid. The evening will consist of Hearty Appetizer Stations, a Mystery Gift Room & Wine Pull, Silly Snaps Mirror Wall Photo Booth, We Do Fondue Chocolate Fountains, Scavenger Hunt, Silent Auction, Bourbon Tasting with Top Shelf Wine and Spirits plus an exciting demo and performance by S’Daga Sun Tribe” says Executive Director, Terra Maddalone-Ristau.

Ticket Information: General Admission $120 (Cash Bar) VIP $160 (Open Bar & Special Drawing) To Order Tickets: Eventbrite.com/e/a-night-of-hope-under-the-stars-galatickets-87553762661 or visit www.mtcaf.org (Events/Fundraisers)

THE

SAVE

March - April 2020

Date

FRIDAY MARCH 27 -SUNDAY MARCH 29 CAPITAL DISTRICT GARDEN AND FLOWER SHOW Hudson Valley Community College, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy Partial proceeds from the show benefit Wildwood Programs, which serves individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities, complex learning disabilities, and autism. For more information, visit GardenAndFlowerShow.com.

THE GREAT UPSTATE BOAT SHOW Adirondack Sports Complex, 326 Sherman Ave., Queensbury 175 of the season’s newest boat models and a wide selection of pre-owned boats, as well as seminars on boater maintenance, boater safety, and water sports training. Cost is $8 in advance or $10 at the door. For more information, TheGreatUpstateBoatShow.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 28 31ST ANNUAL GREENWICH FFA FARM TOY SHOW AND AUCTION Greenwich High School, 10 Gray Ave., Greenwich 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31 WOMEN IN TRADES EXPO Ballard Road Conference Center 267 Ballard Road, Wilton 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Panel Discussions, Trades Demonstrations, Industry Information, Course Registration, Sponsorship Representatives. For more details, visit Facebook WSWHE BOCES

TUESDAY, MARCH 31 – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 ADIRONDACK BUYER DAYS: ANCA’S WHOLESALE GIFT SHOW Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The best handmade gifts and specialty foods from around the region, New York State and beyond! Adirondack Buyer Days offers a great opportunity for retailers to buy directly from artisans, meet the producers and learn the stories of their unique wares.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 – SUNDAY APRIL 5 SARATOGA TATTOO EXPO Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Browse local and international tattoo artists and enjoy live music, entertainment and tattoo contests, awards and giveaways.

Find more information at SaratogaTattooExpo.com

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SHARING THE FIRE - STORYTELLING CONFERENCE AND PERFORMANCES Gideon Putman, 24 Gideon Putnam Rd., Saratoga Springs Experience the best tellers in the Northeast. Take in a storytelling concert or two or spend the whole weekend with us. For storytellers and those interested in learning how to tell stories, the weekend of workshops provides unmatched professional and personal development opportunities.

Visit NEstorytelling.org

THURSDAY, APRIL 9 SARATOGA JOB FAIR - THE CAREER BUILDING EXPO Saratoga springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Presented by Capital Job Development Group. Meeting with an employer in any situation is important, so it is advised that candidates present themselves well: dress cleanly and professionally and have an open and energetic attitude.

Get the skills and tips you need at Saratoga’s Job Fair!

For more information, visit CapitalJobDevelopmentGroup.org/saratoga-job-fair

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 NIGHT AT THE BREWSEUM Canfield Casino, 1E. Congress St., Saratoga Springs, 6 – 9:30 p.m.

The 9th annual craft beer, wine and food tasting event. This is not your standard brew fest. The event features craft beers and ciders from local and regional brewers, and a great selection of wines from local shops and wineries. We also offer outstanding food from local restaurants and it’s all included in the ticket price. Night at the Brewseum benefits local sight, hearing, diabetes, youth and veteran programs supported by the Saratoga Springs Lions Club. For tickets, visit BrownPaperTickets.com/ event/4431910

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 AND SATURDAY, APRIL 25 THE CAPITAL REGION GUITAR SHOW Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs $7 with $2 off if you bring a guitar or amp to show off, trade, or sell; Kids under 12 free with paid adult.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 25 SARATOGA MOM PROM Holiday Inn, 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 7 – 11 p.m.

Saratoga Mom Prom is a ladies’ night out for charity where women dance the night away wearing old prom gowns, bridesmaid dresses or their tackiest formal wear. The prom festivities include lite fare, a cash bar, premier raffles, raffle baskets, a tarot card reader, caricature artist and a tattoo artist along with a dance contest and tackiest dress contest. The Saratoga Mom Prom is pleased to announce they have chosen Saratoga County Children’s Committee as their beneficiary this year. To make a reservation, please visit our website at SaratogaMomProm.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 25 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 26 SARATOGA PADDLEFEST & OUTDOOR EXPO Mountainman’s Saratoga Springs Paddlesports Store, 251 Staffords Bridge Rd., Saratoga Springs - Free admission.

Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company presents our 7th Annual Saratoga Paddlefest at our Paddlesports store on Fish Creek and our Gear and Clothing Shop in downtown Saratoga Springs. We will have the largest selection of canoes, kayaks, SUPs, and whitewater boats on sale in the Capital Region, many of which are there to test paddle More than 1,000 boats from over a dozen leading manufacturers will be on sale. Paddling experts will be presenting free demonstrations and clinics to help with your paddling techniques. In addition to boats, there will be a full lineup of paddling gear and accessories on sale, including paddles, lifejackets, rack systems, trailers, and more.

SARATOGA INVITATIONAL AT FISH CREEK Saratoga State Boat Launch, Fish Creek Marina, Route 9, Saratoga Springs Join the Saratoga Rowing Association as they host the Annual Saratoga Invitational that draws dozens of teams and hundreds of boats. It’s a competitive and fast event that will even thrill first-time spectators. Spectating is free.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 THE 9TH ANNUAL AUTISM EXPO & ART EXHIBIT Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, Noon – 3 p.m.

Saratoga Bridges will host the 9th Annual Autism Expo & Art Exhibit presented by The Law Offices of Wilcenski & Pleat, PLLC. The event provides individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families with a wide variety of essential resources in one venue.

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The 90 exhibitors/vendors include recreational activities, camps, technological apps, academic programs: pre-kindergarten through post-secondary school options and therapeutic opportunities. Fun for the whole family, it features an exhibit showcasing artists with disabilities from the Capital District and beyond, a Children’s Activity’s Zone (Games, Arts & Crafts and a Bounce House). For more info, to exhibit or become a sponsor, please contact Julie Marks at @jmarks@saratogabridges.org or visit our website BIT.ly/3013S8F for more information.

Free admission.

FRIDAY, MAY 1 BIG NIGHT OUT - A GALA The 408, 408 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Please join Saratoga Independent School at the new 408 for its annual Big Night Out Gala. Big Night Out will feature lavish food stations, music by DJ Tru, a photo booth, and more. All proceeds will go to the school’s Annual Fund. SISkids.org/giving/events.cfm

SATURDAY, MAY 2 – SUNDAY, MAY 3 SARATOGA COMIC CON Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Comic Con welcomes cosplay, guest stars, gaming, anime, sci-fi, furries, geeks, comic books, artists, vendors, and fans. There will also be vendors/artists, gaming tournaments, tabletop gaming, VR gaming, cosplay contests, and more. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit: SaratogaComicCon.com/tickets.

WASHINGTON COUNTY ANTIQUE FAIR Washington County Fairgrounds, 392 Old Schuylerville Rd., Greenwich The Antique Fair and Flea Market will have over 225 dealers… Dealers bring their treasured antiques, collectibles, and crafts. Many items will appear for sale here for the first time at any show. Ticket prices cover both days – general admission $5, Seniors 65+ $4, Children under 14 free.

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THE

THE

SAVE

Date

mark your calendar - these will be here soon!

SUNDAY, MAY 9TH SARATOGA SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION 2020 Historic Homes Tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This highly anticipated event offers the rare opportunity to see the interiors of private historic homes in Saratoga Springs.

The Foundation kicks off the Historic Homes Tour with an exclusive Porch Party on Thursday, May 7, 2020 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. including live music from Rich Ortiz, wine, and light fare. Porch Party tickets are limited and cost $100 for SSPF members and $125 for non-members. On the morning of the tour the Foundation will offer a Breakfast & Buildings presentation

by Robert Jones at 9:30 a.m. At noon on Saturday, the Foundation will host a Lunch & Learn presentation by Charlie Kuenzel and Dave Patterson of Saratoga Tours, LLC. Tickets for the Breakfast & Buildings and Lunch & Learn events must be purchased in advance and cost $20 SSPF Members / $25 non-members.

For more information or to purchase tickets please visit SaratogaPreservation.org call (518) 587-5030 or email nbabie@saratogapreservation.org.

SUNDAY, JULY 12 26TH ANNUAL SECRET GARDENS TOUR Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Schuylerville 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy more than 10 amazing gardens – a mix of spectacular rural sites and city lots – at your own pace on this self-guided tour presented by Soroptimists of Saratoga County, the local branch of an international professional women’s service organization. This year’s tour includes gardens in Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs and Schuylerville.

Advance tickets at $25 are available online at SoroptimistSaratoga.org, where you’ll also find locations for buying advance tickets in person, as well as information about the club and how this fund-raiser benefits women and girls locally and globally.

Tickets on the day of the tour may be purchased while they last for $30 at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitors Center, 297 Broadway.

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saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com Five Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY (518) 581-2480

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AIRWAY MEADOWS GOLF CLUB

MCGREGOR LINKS COUNTRY CLUB

An 18-hole championship course with a par 72.

15 Minutes from Downtown Saratoga, Open to the Public.

Semi-private course, open to the public every day but Tuesday and Thursday.

262 Brownville Road Gansevoort (518) 792-4144 AirwayMeadowsGolf.com

359 Northern Pines Road Wilton, New York 12831 518-584-6270 McGregorLinks.com

BALLSTON SPA COUNTRY CLUB INC.

SARATOGA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

This Award-Winning course allows public tee times on a “first come – first served” basis and are available Monday thru Thursday. Members only on weekends and holidays.

18 holes of award-winning golf with all the amenities of an upscale club without the membership.

Route 67 P.O. Box 117 Ballston Spa (518) 885-1603 BallstonSpaCC.com

BROOKHAVEN GOLF CLUB 333 Alpine Meadows Road, Porter Corners, NY (518) 893-7458 BrookhavenGolfCourse.com See our ad on page 91

GALWAY GOLF COURSE (9 holes)

5817 Jockey St. Galway, NY 12074 (518) 882-6395

A nine-hole executive course catering to Seniors and the “less than accomplished.”

There are three par fours, six par threes and 1,838 of fairway. Located only thirteen miles from downtown Saratoga Springs.

458 Union Ave. Saratoga Springs, (518) 583-4653 GolfSaratoga.com

Turn the page to learn more about our Featured Golf Course:

SARATOGA LAKE GOLF CLUB

35 Grace Moore Rd. Saratoga Springs (518) 581-6616 SaratogaLakeGolf.com Par 72 public golf course in the heart of a lush forest, just 10 minutes from downtown Saratoga Springs.

SARATOGA SPA GOLF COURSE 60 Roosevelt Dr. Saratoga Springs (518) 584-2006 SaratogaSpaGolf.com

18-Hole Championship Course rated 4 STARS by Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play.

*Contact cBushee@SaratogaPublishing to be included in the next issue! saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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FEATURED COURSE

Saratoga Lake Golf Club “Playing golf at Saratoga Lake Golf Course is like taking a nature hike,” says avid female golfer Audrey Looye. Audrey’s former property bordered the course and its convenient location made her a frequent visitor to the undulating, tree-lined course. “I love that it’s in the middle of the woods with beautiful views of Saratoga Lake,” she adds.

Alex Ventre, former golf columnist for The Saratogian agrees. “Players get a view of all the course has to offer on the first tee box.

A mountainous backdrop is visible from the downhill 324-yard opener.”

Located at 35 Gracemoore Road in Saratoga Springs, the par-72 public course is one of our area’s best kept golf secrets.

Audrey feels the course is great for women as it is shorter. She enjoys walking the front nine, but often takes a cart for the hillier backside.

The course, which opened for play 2000, offers season passes and many specials throughout the week. Especially popular is the $1 a hole Mondays and Tuesdays.

For those nature lovers eager to try the course, here’s a few tips from Audrey and Alex: 1) Precision off the tees is important on this tight course, making irons and fairway woods the smarter play than drivers.

2) Be mindful on the green that the ball will break toward the lake- it is at the lowest elevation.

3) There are a lot of elevation changes, so distances aren’t always what they seem. Be sure to club up or down depending on the terrain.

As you can see, their golfers love the addition of the restaurant!

“Wonderful round of golf today... followed by a fantastic lunch in the beautiful new clubhouse!” - Marie McNamara via Facebook “They have completed a beautiful new clubhouse, with great food and beverage offerings at the turn” - William Mish via Facebook “We play here every week and love it!

Amazing improvements to the course this year and only going to get better. New clubhouse is awesome and the best staff in the area. Keep it up!” - Rob Knotek via Facebook It’s been a long winter. What better way to celebrate spring, than an afternoon enjoying Saratoga Lake Golf Club!

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BALLSTON SPA’S 3rd ANNUAL

BIRDHOUSE COMPETITION Takes Flight!

An original, made-from-scratch tiger cat.

“Johnny Talks A Lot,” the winning 2019 ‘Original’ by sculptor Tom Collins

“We’re partnering with many different organizations within the village to create a village-wide event that promotes the work of all the different groups..."

A woodland log cabin.

An avian community along the trail.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY WENDY HAUGH (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

Folks will be flocking to Ballston Spa on Saturday, June 13th for the village’s third annual Birdhouse Competition (rain date

a Bottle Museum event, live music, and a Lion’s Club barbecue.

Ballston Spa’s Farmers’ Market and the Village-Wide Garage Sale will also be in full swing.

June 20th). This unique event gives people of all ages and abilities the chance to build their own original birdhouses or decorate raw-built homes fabricated by woodworking students at Ballston Spa High School. To date, these industrious students, under the direction of teacher Jered Marcantonio, have built 278 birdhouses to be distributed to community groups, including 4-H, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Creative Endeavors, Saratoga Bridges, and Senior Citizens.

Birdhouses will also be available at the Ballston Spa Public Library.

Competition entries are judged in two separate categories: original made-from-scratch birdhouses; and premade, hand-decorated birdhouses. Judging takes place at Wiswall Park on Front Street. The Mayor always chooses and gives out the Mayor’s Awards. But visitors are encouraged to pick up scorecards that day and cast votes for their personal favorites. Fun categories include Most Patriotic, Silliest, Most Serious, and Scariest. Winners in the popular vote are later notified by email.

“This year the Ballston Spa Birdhouse Competition is expanding to become Ballston Spa Blooms,” says organizer Mark Blech, who created and implemented the first birdhouse festival in 2018.

“We’re partnering with many different organizations within the village to create a village-wide event that promotes the work of all the different groups. We want to cross-advertise and really create synergy within our community.”

Some of the special events planned include a book fair at the Ballston Spa Public Library, a craft fair at Brookside Museum,

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There are no age limits or entry fees for the competition, and birdhouses can be made by individuals or groups. However, kits and other mass-manufactured birdhouses will not be accepted.

Made-from-scratch birdhouses can be made of any materials that are safe and sturdy enough to withstand outdoor conditions and avian activity. After the event, these original entries will be mounted on trees along Jim Tedisco Fitness Trail, the half-mile walking Soft dressing at itsthe best! trail stretching from I fell in love with the blueThe Old Iron Spring on Front Street to Prospect Street, abovetop.

The Factory Eatery. of this 525 just America

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Event date: June 13 (rain date June 20)0).

“It’s about community spirit and connecting.

It’s about getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community by becoming actively involved..."

Entry forms available at the Ballston Spa Public Library, bspl.sals.edu/ Deadline for entries:

May 20th.

Birdhouses are available at the Ballston Spa Public Library while supplies last.

For further info, contact marklouisco@gmail.com The creative, patriotic flagpole in Wiswall Park, Photo by Mark Blech

An original ‘Thomas the Train’ engine

Impressive decorations: pebbles, gemstones, and a penny roof!

For event organizer Mark Blech—a sculptor who worked for 25 years in Atlanta’s film industry before relocating to Ballston Spa— the birdhouse event is all about bringing people together.

“It’s not about winning,” he says. “It’s about community spirit and connecting. It’s about getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community by becoming actively involved. Nowadays, it’s so important to make people feel empowered within the place that they live, and not disillusioned or separated from the world around them. We need to nurture that feeling in people, young and old, so they know that they’re an important part of a bigger family, a bigger future, a bigger community than just themselves and their own families.”

When it comes to Ballston Spa’s Birdhouse Competition, it truly takes a village. “So Quality basics are a must. many people come together to make I am CRAZY for this white this happen, ” Blech explains.

“Curtis Lysse blouse - thank you Lumber supplies all the lumber for

Pam for suggesting it!

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the raw-built houses, as well as many additional supplies. Each year they supply us with more lumber—and we always run out of birdhouses! We also have a great partnership with the high school woodworking class. This project gives the kids real life experience in fabrication and production.”

When Blech first broached the birdhouse idea to former Mayor John Romano, the village board not only vigorously endorsed the project but allotted funds to help with promotional posters and supplies.

“Our new mayor, Larry Woolbright, has actually created an Arts Council to help support the arts in Ballston Spa,” Blech says. “That has never happened before.

The dedicated workers of the Department of Public Works mount all the raw-built birdhouse entries along major village streets, then take them down in November.

They also hang all the originals along the fitness trail.

“The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association generously helps with advertising and distribution of information.

Shopkeepers hang posters, create buzz, and contribute their time, energy, and ideas in countless ways. And Andrea Simmons and her staff at the Ballston Spa Public Library are incredible. They distribute the birdhouses, collect the finished entries, and

catalogue each one so we have an accurate record of who built what.”

Original entries have made a stunning addition to the Jim Tedisco Fitness Trail, subtly blending art and Nature and inspiring travelers along the woodland path. Mark Blech envisions filling the entire trail with the community’s creative endeavors.

“In fact,” he reports, “this year we’ll be working with the different elementary schools and middle school to create a mural-like banner—a fence wrap, as I call it—that will stretch across much of the chain link fence that was recently put up along the trail for safety reasons. The fence is a necessary part of the nearby construction and development. But we can use it to our advantage to showcase our children’s artwork. It’s all about community involvement and getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community.

“With the globalism of the internet and the cell phone era, it’s great to feel that you’re connected with the world,” Blech adds. “But people need to feel connected with the people around them, too. It’s a new era, but we need to remember where we come from and that ‘one-on-one’ connection.”

Without a doubt, Ballston Spa’s Birdhouse Competition is becoming bigger and better every year, creating a tremendous source of village-wide pride while offering other communities an inspiring model of hometown ingenuity and spirit. SS SPRING 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 93

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HISTORY

Our

WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

Tree trimming in Congress Park This is a very unique image of Congress Park in 1930. It was described in the Bolster Collection as “men trimming trees.” If you look closely at the image you will see many men that have climbed these huge trees for the purpose of trimming branches. Worker safety was different in 1930.

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One Casino TWO MEN WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

Gaming Parlor

T

he magnificent building in Congress Park that we all know as the Canfield Casino, is a beautiful treasure of Saratoga Springs’ architecture but is also a great focus for the story of two men that built and operated the premier gaming spot during the 19th century. The two men that shaped the social culture of the city through gambling were John Morrissey and Richard Canfield.

John Morrissey built the casino in 1870 and operated it until his early death on May 1, 1878. Upon the passing of Morrissey two lesser partners Albert Spencer and Charles Reed operated the gambling house at a less than stellar level of performance. In 1894 Richard Canfield bought the casino and introduced a very high level of gaming at the location. The two most impactful owners during this period, Morrissey and Canfield were very different people. Morrissey was a tough brawler and Canfield passed as educated and refined.

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John Morrissey came to Saratoga Springs in 1861 and opened a gambling house on Matilda Street that today is known as Woodlawn Avenue. It was a simple house, that allowed interested men to play cards or other games of chance in a village that had outlawed many forms of gambling. Morrissey was not a trend setter in the area of gambling in Saratoga Springs. In 1819 the village had applied to the State of New York, and was granted self-governance. In that year the village allowed private card games, billiard tables in some hotels as well as more distribution of alcohol. This limited allowance of “sin” in the village led to further illegal development so that by the 1840s there were many card rooms and dice halls in the Woodlawn Avenue area.

By 1863 John Morrissey had realized that well run games of chance in the proper environment would attract the rich and famous, so he along with partners Leonard Jerome, William Travers and John saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Hunter founded the Saratoga Race Course. Seeing immediate success with Thoroughbred horse racing, he made plans to build a palatial gaming location in the village. By 1869 he found land in a perfect spot in the village and in 1870 built the “Club House” that today is known as the Canfield Casino in Congress Park.

In the summer of 1870 Morrissey’s Club House opened for business. Morrissey offered wealthy men membership in this elite club for $250 for the season. During the first summer 200 men took advantage of this offer. The use of the name “Club House” helped to disguise the true operations of the building that first summer and kept the illegal operation open for business for the entire season. Morrissey never allowed local men to be members since he never wanted any locals being upset with money lost at his tables. He further made sure that he was closed on Sundays to stay on the good side with the local churches. Gambling by women was never socially accepted and by barring them from gambling he received little pushback from the female population. In a genius move he further cemented his good standing in the community by taking a portion of his season’s profits and donating to every church and non-profit organization in the village. These strategies and actions allowed Morrissey to be a very “popular” person in town and assured his operation in the future would have little interference.

Morrissey’s plans for operation of the “Club House” made it very different than most casinos in the United States at the time. The many casinos in the newly settled West, as well as the established East, usually used skilled dealers who were able to swindle less experienced gamblers out of their money. Morrissey knew he wanted to attract the very wealthy and thus operated only fair games to build confidence with those players. This strategy worked and the venture was a success during the summer season at Saratoga. Morrissey was a tough individual who had made a reputation for himself as a boxer and a brawler who was part of a gang that acted as enforcer for Tammany Hall in NYC. Operating a casino of this level was a drastic change in his normal activity.

Morrissey saw a shift in the later part of the 1800s with summer guests wanting to be entertained, rather than focusing solely on the health aspects of our mineral springs, and he took advantage of that shift.

During the week of June 28, 1871, a year after a very profitable first summer in 1870, the Club House opened for business.

During the off season of 1870-71, Morrissey added the parlor on the east side of the original building to provide more space for gaming. In 1871 the number of memberships rose to over 500 men wishing to be part of this fashionable entertainment location. On June 28, 1871 a guest editorial in the Saratogian entitled “The Exact Truth” talked about the assets of the Club House and described the room on the front of the second floor as the “Whist Room” not the High Stakes Room that it would be called in later years. The editorial continued to describe the pictures of horses and famous races on the walls, beautiful furniture, large chandeliers and a basement that had a wine cellar, a state-of-the-art kitchen and coal and wood vaults to supply the fireplaces. Morrissey had created a very comfortable location for the wealthy to gamble. Unfortunately, John Morrissey died young at the age of 47 on May 1, 1878 on the second floor of the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga. The well-liked Club House operator drew about 15,000 people to his funeral in Troy New York. Morrissey and his vision were now gone and the Club House took a down turn as partners Spencer and Reed tried unsuccessfully to duplicate the success. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

John Morrissey

In 1893 Spencer and Reed added a new partner: Richard Canfield. In that year Canfield had just returned from a second trip to England and became interested in the Club House when he visited Saratoga Springs that summer. The following year, Canfield bought Spencer and Reed out for the sum of $250,000 and began to make changes to the operation immediately.

Canfield was a different personality when compared to Morrissey. Canfield had graduated from only grammar school and went to work as a very young man. In 1877 he became the night clerk at the Union Square Hotel in New York City and was an instant success with the wealthy patrons. Canfield became known as the person to get you “anything” while staying at the hotel. He remembered faces and names and had a refined manner that combined with a warm smile that went far with the members of high society. During the next few summers he worked at other hotels and in the winter spent his time running floating card games and gambling houses.

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Canfield Casino

In 1884 Canfield was arrested for gambling and sentenced to six months in jail. He made good use of his incarceration and read all the books he could find in the jail on the subjects of history, art and language. He quickly learned so many topics that he continued to pass himself off as a highly educated man. He took this education and provided a very safe environment for gamblers at the Club House and changed the name to the Casino. He further required men to dress in formal attire to enter the building and payed all money won by patrons immediately from a safe in his office that held one million dollars every day. Canfield ran honest games and was happy to take the percentage of profit from the natural risk of each game. Patrons that lost were given a split of Champagne and a gentle hand on their back as he consoled them for their loss while those that won were paid immediately. This honest and open process was a huge success and the Canfield Casino flourished.

upgrades was $800,000 in 1903 buying power. Today many people use a 10X multiplier to convert that sum into the buying power of 2020, or a sum of $8,000,000. Even though Canfield was adding many assets to his operation, the winds of change in Saratoga were starting to blow.

In 1903 Canfield added the rear dining room to the building as well as the Italian Gardens in the rear of the property that today has Spit and Spat statuary as the focal point. The cost of those

SPECIAL NOTE: The summer of 2020 will mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Canfield Casino, with many special events to be announced. SS

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A reform movement began to develop in Saratoga and helped to provide local push-back to the operation of the Casino, and at the end of the season in 1907 Canfield closed the building for the last time. The anti-gambling pressure was too much and in 1911 Canfield sold the building and a large portion of the northern part of the park to the City of Saratoga Springs. This closing and sale would mark a huge shift in the fabric of a Saratoga Springs summer. The visiting wealthy would begin to drift away and find new summer locations for their entertainment and Saratoga Springs would need to re-invent itself for future success a few more times in the 20th century.

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Rarely Seen Photos of

OLD SARATOGA Springs

WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

Saratoga Vichy Wagon This iconic picture of a horse drawn Vichy water delivery wagon is popular with many long-time locals. The Vichy brand was a popular drink and mixer that stopped bottling this product in the later part of the 1900s. The name Vichy was a long-used name to describe many mineral springs in Saratoga that were close to the taste of the long time and widely marketed bottled water from Vichy France.

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United States Hotel Burns The United States Hotel was one of the three big hotels that was in Saratoga Springs in the 1800s. The original hotel was built in 1824 and burned on June 18, 1865.

The hotel was re-built even larger and opened in the summer of 1874.

United States Hotel This is an image of the re-built United States Hotel as it appeared in the early 1900s. The hotel was located on the southwestern corner of Broadway and Division Street. When the new hotel was constructed, they needed more frontage on Broadway, so they moved the location of Division Street to the north by 66 feet, changing the straight line of the street.

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John and Mildred Sexton obtained the first FHA mortgage in Saratoga County to construct this Nelson Avenue bungalow in 1935. (Photo courtesy of the George S. Bolster Collection, Saratoga Springs History Museum)

The second in a new series, On This Spot will peel back the layers of time at various locations in Saratoga Springs to reveal the significant changes our city has undergone.

John Bevan’s map (circa 1850) locates 308 Nelson on part of Saratoga’s first cemetery. Originally named the Sadler Cemetery after the land’s donor Seth Sadler, it was also referred to as “First Cemetery”, “Peter’s Cemetery” and in the 1870’s as “Nelson Street Cemetery.” Former long time city Mayor Addison Mallery wrote to our city historian describing ‘Peter’s Cemetery’. He said, “When I was a youngster we played on what was known as Peter’s Cemetery. It halfway down the hill on Nelson Avenue. Occasionally we would find a bone.” The property bordered land owned by J. R. Peter’s thus some referred to the land as “Peter’s Cemetery.” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

On This SPOT. 308 Nelson Avenue WR IT T EN BY CA R OL GODETTE P H OT OS P ROVI DED

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I

n a city graced with colorfully painted Victorian houses boasting wide wrap around porches, my cedar shake bungalow appears to offer little historical significance. My family has owned the property since 1964 and until recently my thoughts were, “keep moving, nothing to see here.” I certainly didn’t expect any local or national historical significance for such a basic looking structure. I encourage those of you with similar feelings to look deeper into the history of the place you call home. The results may surprise you.

My parents purchased 308 Nelson Avenue in 1964 from then high school principal, John Sexton. Their deed outlined our parcel of land as “beginning at the southwest corner of the burying ground on Nelson Street (now Nelson Avenue…).” My parents never gave much thought to this description and filed the deed away.

Instead, we embraced the large backyard, tried to teach my mother how to navigate the steep hilly driveway while we kids overlooked the lack of a flat sidewalk to play hopscotch on. Our house is located at the crest of the hill on Nelson Avenue heading down to High Rock Spring. Little did we realize that these topographical features had played a key role in the history of our family homestead.

308 Nelson Avenue today

When my father, Richard Stone moved to his funeral home at 628 North Broadway in 1984, my husband and I took over the family home.

The June 15, 1935 groundbreaking ceremony for 308 Nelson was well-documented. Mildred and John Sexton along with son Jack and daughter Elizabeth are surrounded by area FHA dignitaries, local bankers and city officials.

Elizabeth Sexton Weiss recalls the ribboned silver spade adorning their fireplace for many years.

(Photo courtesy of George S. Bolster Collection, Saratoga Springs History Museum) BEGINNINGS OF THE HOUSE - FIRST FHA MORTGAGE The Federal Housing Administration was created in 1934 to facilitate construction and mortgages of houses after the Great Depression. Nationwide, 2,600 FHA mortgages were granted on June 15, 1935. The first home in Saratoga County to be started under the newly formed administration was our house. Mildred and John Sexton were proud recipients of an FHA loan to build a six-room bungalow at 308 Nelson Avenue. Their groundbreaking ceremony was attended by numerous city and county dignitaries breaking ground with red, white and blue beribboned silver spades. News articles and photographs documented the momentous occasion.

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were planted. Original resident Elizabeth Sexton Weiss described her intrigue as she watched a man her father hired walking around the yard with a divining stick.

Although city water was available, the Sextons then dug a well in the basement with the idea of pure water. “My job was to pump water for morning coffee. Was told it made the BEST coffee,” recalls Elizabeth. The 88-yearold who recently made a pilgrimage from Cambridge, Massachusetts to visit her childhood home.

Mr. Sexton was the principal at the High School conveniently located a few blocks away on Lake Avenue.

He and his wife raised their four children in the red with white trim home featuring a flagpole in the Northwest corner of the property. One year, high school students pranked Mr. Sexton by setting his beloved flagpole on fire.

It survived and still stands today. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

SADLER CEMETERY AKA NELSON STREET CEMETERY 1765-1878 articles from 1877 and 1878 The Sextons also disregarded the appeared, answering many of my burying grounds descriptor in questions. their deed.

Neighborhood lore was that our land had been a Native American burial ground. I incorrectly assumed this was true and believed this was the burying grounds referred to on our deed.

After all, we were in close proximity to the High Rock Spring where Native Americans gathered and even brought Sir William Johnson in 1771 to cure him with the waters.

The well-researched Chronicles of Saratoga by Evelyn Barrett Britten mentioned a cemetery in her chapter “Burying Ground Disappears; Seth Sadler gave land in Late 1700s.” Her short piece spurred more questions than answers. However, it lead me to Greenridge Cemetery.

Carol Waldron, Greenridge’s Administrative Assistant, presented me with a binder on our city’s first cemetery- the Sadler Cemetery located on Nelson Street (later renamed Avenue), the cemetery referenced in our deed.

I excitedly read the binder’s contents. The hill that plagued my hopscotch attempts proved to be unstable for a burial ground. An account of boys coming across a skull on the Nelson Avenue hill on their way to school captured my imagination. The school Superintendent confirmed it as a human skull. What other stories unfolded on this plot of land?

How and why would a cemetery be moved? Wouldn’t people be outraged? Basic facts about the cemetery were limited: the Sadler family donated the land in the late 1700s; 67 people were buried there-the first of whom was Fern Wadsworth, a visitor to the nearby High Rock Spring in 1785 ; the most famous was President Rutherford B. Hayes’ grandfather, Roger Birchard.

I searched the city historian’s records and the Saratoga Room for information on the Sadler Cemetery, but facts were limited.

By chance I typed “Nelson Street Cemetery” into the Fulton History website and miraculously 24 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Indeed, permission to move the graves had been granted. A special session of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors was called on July 6, 1877 to ask for “authorization to remove the bodies interred in the Nelson Street Cemetery to some proper cemetery grounds.” Notices were published advising relatives and representatives “you have 30 days in which to remove the bodies of which you are the representatives.” Ads appeared for “written proposals to buy the land and remove the remains from the Nelson Street Cemetery.”

The process was not without controversy. William E. Stone protested “Our graveyards ought to be venerated as holy ground.”

Another newspaper account of the relocation process described a “place that had been so neglected for years” and felt it was no wonder that those in the area would have “desired the removal of the remains from there.”

Before dismantling the cemetery, a complete account of the headstone inscriptions was done by historian enthusiast Cornelius Durkee. However, no one seemed to accurately record where the remains actually ended up. Britten stated there was no record of the whereabouts of President Hayes’ grandfather, Roger Birchard.

Thanks to ancestry.com, it is documented that he was moved to the family plot in Wilmington, Vermont.

"Little did we realize that these topographical features had played a key role in the history of our family homestead."

1872 Dearborn map from the Library of Congress Collection.

"The process was not without controversy."

The Saratogian ran daily notices in July 1877 advising next of kin of the cemetery’s closing.

I continue to be fascinated by the stories of those who have shared the land I live on. It will inspire me to continue researching what transpired on Nelson St. from 1785-1900.

More importantly I hope my story will inspire readers to see what happened “on this spot” they call home. Dive into the internet or hire the Saratoga Preservation Foundation to do a written history of your home. Our area is so rich with history, you never know what you may find!

On November 23, 1876 the Daily Saratogian ran a piece describing the condition of the gravesite of Rutherford B. Hayes’ grandfather, Roger Birchard.

His headstone was one of 67.

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James Marvin

Thomas Marvin

The Marvin Brothers of Franklin Square T WRITTEN BY HOLLIS PALMER, PHOTOS PROVIDED

he stories of the Marvin brothers, who lived at numbers 3 and 4 Franklin Square, are told together because theirs is an integrated story. In terms of investments, political involvement, and their children’s continued commitment to the city, their lives were similar; yet, as is always the case, in other ways their lives were different. Because they were a force behind so many initiatives that benefited Saratoga, and because their influence was so great, their tale is told jointly.

When the Marvin family moved to Upstate New York from Connecticut they settled near Ballston Spa. Two sons, Thomas and James, would move to Saratoga, where their impact would last long after they had expired. The reason for the move was their mother’s brother, Elias Benedict. Elias was the man who purchased the land that constitutes the block along Broadway between Washington and Division Street. He built the first United States Hotel. Later, the Marvin brothers would become partners with Elias, rebuilding the hotel after the fire of 1865.

Today it is common for people to name their children after friends, family, or even characters from books, television, movies, and celebrities. Following the Revolutionary War, a family showed their commitment to the new country by naming their children after the

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nation’s founding fathers; thus, we have Thomas Jefferson Marvin, born in 1803, the year of the Louisiana Purchase and while Thomas Jefferson was President. James Madison Marvin was born in 1809, the year Madison became President.

The brothers would show their commitment to the country’s ideals by building houses with tall pillars, similar to the White House, and they would name their hotel The United States.

Thomas graduated from Union College in 1824, coming to Saratoga to study law in the office of William Warren. He was accepted before the bar in 1828. As was expected of men in the professions and of successful businessmen, Thomas was active in politics and social causes. Within Saratoga his community service started when he was justice of the peace and he went on to serve as a village trustee, eventually becoming president of the village (equivalent to mayor). He was elected to the State Assembly, he served as a supervisor on the county legislature, and he was elected county judge. He also served in the very lucrative position of postmaster.

Accounts hold that he served each political office with distinction; however, it was his business interests that had a more dramatic influence on Saratoga.

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During his short lifetime (he died in 1852 at the age of 49), Thomas received the first state charter for a mutual fire insurance company (later to become Saratoga Mutual), created the first bank in the village, was instrumental in the railroads, and was part owner of the village’s best lodgings.

James, the younger brother, came to Saratoga in 1838 at the age of 19 to work for his uncle, who had the controlling interest in the United States Hotel. He moved for one year to Albany, where he remained in the hotel business.

Returning to Saratoga in 1840, he became the proprietor of the United States Hotel.

Thomas Marvin's house, front view.

Thomas Marvin's house, side view.

James Marvin's house.

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Like his brother, James Marvin was active in local affairs. Starting as a volunteer fireman, he would later serve on the county legislature, including one term as chairman.

James would go on to be a State Assemblyman before being elected to the United States Congress during the Civil War. He served six years in Congress, from 1862 until 1868. When the village decided to build the reservoir and install a water system, James was the commissioner of the water works.

In addition to being the proprietor of the hotel and director of the bank he opened with his brother, James was a director of two local railroads and, after the merger, he was a director of the New York Central.

James Marvin's stables.

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United States Hotel.

The United States Hotel

The truth of the rumors cannot be determined but we do know that the hotel was not rebuilt for nine years.

The most visible business of the Marvin family was the United States Hotel. The hotel stood directly across the street from the old train station and was literally one of the first buildings visitors saw when they disembarked from the train. Built in the 1820s, the hotel stood as a gateway to the great hotels.

1865 was the first season following the end of the Civil War, and was projected to be a celebration with all of the hotels prospering.

Guests to the village that summer were greeted by not only the rubble of the once grand hotel, but the smell of the recent fire.

The fire was in mid-June 1865, at the beginning of the season.

The fire started in the attic area. Since fire burns up, it spread very slowly at first, allowing time for most of the furniture and the guests’ personal property to be saved. Once the fire dropped to the lower floors, it spread rapidly. With winds from the southwest, the flames jumped Division Street and the Marvin House, (a smaller hotel not owned by the family), also burned to the ground. The first building that was saved was the Davison House (Wine Bar).

Two people died as a result of the fire. One was a policeman who was killed when the chimney fell on him.

The destruction of the hotel was a major setback for the city and the Marvin family. The hotel loss was estimated at $300,000, but since it was assumed that any fire would be put out before it could destroy the entire structure, the insurance was only for $110,000.

The problem with rebuilding was the result of the hotel never being owned by one person. Although, from 1840 on, James was almost always one of the proprietors. Over the years he had a series of partners. At the time of the fire, James and his brother’s estate owned over half of the hotel; their Uncle Lewis Benedict’s estate owned most of the rest. Because ownership was tied up in the two estates, over thirty people claimed a share of the insurance and loss.

James, who was occupied as a Congressman at the time, started to have the debris cleaned up immediately. Rumors started that Major Leland, the new proprietor of the Union Hotel, was trying to limit competition by getting to some of the more distant Marvin family members, encouraging them to slow down the rebuilding process.

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When the United States was finally rebuilt, it surpassed any of its contemporaries. Each day on the hotel’s porches and in its gardens, deals would be made, fortunes would be won and lost, young couples would be introduced, fortune hunters would try to meet heiresses, and widows would sit as dowagers surveying the behavior of those they found acceptable and those who were beneath their scope. On its grand piazza Commodore Vanderbilt would “hold court” each day.

The Marvin Families Thomas, the older brother, died in December of 1852 in Havana, Cuba, probably as the result of tuberculosis. He had been sick for several years and that year had gone south to avoid a winter in the northeast. Following Thomas’ death, James would assume responsibility for both families.

Out of respect for their father, both Thomas and James named their only sons William. Both boys died before they reached their tenth birthdays.

3 Franklin Square James Marvin had four daughters: Mary (b. 1839), Frances (b. 1841), Caroline (b. 1843), and Rhoby (b. 1858), named for her mother. Mary married Charles Meehan and had two sons. Charles died before 1875, and Mary remarried Dr. Charles Payn, a dentist in the village.

(Is there a better name for a dentist?) Dr. Payn was a partner in the Union Hotel. After the Payns married, they moved to Paris, France, for three years. Dr. Payn, who was almost the same age as Mary’s father, would die in 1881. She lived until 1918 and never remarried.

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2nd Veteran Cavalry, a unit assigned to Saratoga. Shortly after his wedding, Perry’s health issues returned and he gave up his medical practice. He and his wife traveled around Europe seeking a cure for his recurring fever. In 1866 his health was much better and the Perrys returned to Saratoga. John Perry purchased part ownership in a local pharmacy, which he maintained until 1873.

3 Franklin Square.

Frances married Murray Colgate Shoemaker, a lawyer from Cincinnati, Ohio. Frances would live most of her adult life in Ohio.

Murray Shoemaker’s father, Robert, was one of the early builders of the railroads in Ohio. The Shoemakers were reasonably wealthy.

Even after Murray’s death in 1885, Frances continued to have at least three servants. Their son, also named Murray, was a lawyer like his father. Her daughter, Henrietta, was the first wife of Nash Rockwood (31 Union) whose divorce was so infamous that it made the New York Times.

Caroline married William B. Gage who, after the United States Hotel was rebuilt, would be a proprietor with John Perry, the husband of his wife’s cousin, and Henry Thompson.

James was no longer listed as one of the proprietors.

The last daughter, Rhoby, has proven more difficult to trace. It appears she married Walter Bryant and moved to Philadelphia where they raised two children. Rohby passed in 1935.

James Madison Marvin died in 1901 at the age of 92. At the time of his death two of his daughters, Frances and Mary, were residing with him. The sisters were both widowed. Following their father’s death, Frances would return to Cincinnati and Mary would remain in the family home. The third sister, Caroline Gage, was living at 779 Broadway.

4 Franklin Square In addition to their son who died before he was three, Thomas Marvin and his wife, Harriett, had three daughters. The girls were Mary (b.1840), Virginia (b. 1843), and Grace (b. 1846). Grace died in 1862 at age 16; she never had the chance to marry.

The effect on the girls, aged 12, 9, and 6, in watching a vibrant father lose his strength can only be estimated. Their ultimate relationship may cause one to wonder about the bond the loss created. Thomas Marvin left four women behind; none would ever live any place except in the house on Franklin Square.

The two daughters who lived to be adults, were Mary and Virginia.

They would have an interesting relationship; they would both marry dynamic men. Neither of the sisters had children and they lived in the same house together until 1895, when the first one died. This extended relationship may explain why the house construction was so long.

In 1874, he joined in a partnership with several other prominent Saratogians, including William Gage, the husband of his wife’s cousin, in reopening the United States Hotel. Perry’s ability to speak fluent French, German, and Spanish, combined with his managerial skills and world travels, made him an asset to the rebuilt hotel. Perry and Gage would remain as the proprietors of the hotel until Perry’s death in 1915.

In 1876, sixty-five-year-old William Sackett married thirty-six year old Mary Louise Marvin. Sackett, who was only ten years younger than Mary’s father, had much in common with both the Marvin men.

William was a lawyer (the same as Thomas); he had served in Congress from 1849 -1853 (the same as James). Sackett had been married twice before and had seven children by his first two wives. When William Sackett married Mary Marvin, he had lost three of his children.

Sackett had moved to Saratoga in 1853, immediately after he finished his term as a Congressman. Sackett had invested well and did not practice law after his move to the village. Like the second generation of the Marvins, Sackett’s children by his previous marriages were scattered around the state and the country.

William’s oldest son, Col. William Sackett (b. 1838), was an attorney practicing law in Albany at the start of the Civil War. He enlisted and was promoted to Colonel of the 9th New York Calvary. His troops, while serving as pickets, fired the first shots at the Battle of Gettysburg. William was killed in the Battle of Trevilian Station on June 9, 1864. He was given a posthumous promotion to General.

Sackett’s other children were: Edward Sackett, a lawyer in Seneca Falls; Mrs. Charles Stone, the wife of a lawyer in Syracuse; Mrs. Charles Duell, whose husband was commissioner of patents; and Mrs. Lighthall, who lived in Geneva. Sackett’s remaining son, Frederick, died in California in 1887.

With his marriage to Mary Louise Marvin, Sackett began a three-year tour of Europe. He recorded the trip in a series of letters which were published in journals.

William Sackett and his sister-in-law, Virginia Perry, both died in 1895. John Perry would continue as a proprietor of the hotel, but would move out of the house in Franklin Square. For the next thirty years Mary Marvin Sackett would be the only family member to live in the house. She died in 1926.

The Lincoln Avenue gates to Greenridge Cemetery are dedicated to the Sacketts. SS 4 Franklin Square.

In 1864, Virginia, the second born, was the first to marry. She married Dr. John L. Perry, who was a native Saratogian, and had served as the assistant surgeon in the 115th NY Volunteers. While in the service, he contracted typhus and was forced to resign his commission. His active service over, Perry started a private practice in the village and was in charge of the medical department of the saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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SARATOGA’S BEST

KEPT SECRET A Story of Thoroughbreds, Wealth, Relationships and The Black Men & Women Workers

At The Saratoga Reading Room AS TOLD BY STEWART WHITE

This is the true story of a little piece of American history. It is the story of a private, but exclusive, members-only club that was inspired by wealthy men and their love of horse racing. It is a true story about a club that is one of the least talked about, yet one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. So prestigious, not just anyone could walk through these gates. It’s a private dwelling that hosts some of the wealthiest people in the country, let alone the entire world.

Last, but not least, it is a true story about a small group of black men and women thriving and surviving in a rich white man’s world. It’s a behind-the- scenes story of the workers who were the heart and soul of establishing the Saratoga Reading Room as one of the most historic and best kept secrets in Saratoga Race Course history.

Beginning of the End…

D

uring the summer of 1989, an abrupt and shocking change took place at the Reading Room. Another gentleman was brought in to run the club. Our new boss’ name was Whitney Travis. What is so important about this change was the fact that Fred, who was black was no longer in charge and that Mr. Travis, our new leader, was an elderly white man. We always had supervisors that were black men. Mr. Travis seemed like a nice man, but honestly, we were all a little leery of him. Right from the start, he started changing rules that had been in place for years.

sense that this was just the beginning and that more changes were yet to come. The new servers turned out to be really professional and very good at what they did. We even took a liking to them.

They brought some new ideas that worked out pretty well. With the professionalism they brought to the table, it didn’t take long for life to be good once again at the Reading Room. We just had to give the new guys a chance and get to know them. We would even take them out on the town with us and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. It turned out to be a really good summer!

For example, there were members who would ask for me to sign their name on their service checks. I had been doing that for years. There was a particular couple, who regularly sat at my table; Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Aulisi. For years, I had signed Mr. Aulisi’s name to his check for his food and beverages. He would say, “Stewart, sign my name,” which I would do, and I would print my signature underneath. That summer, Mr. Aulisi said for me to sign his name as always. I responded that Mr. Travis had changed the rule and I wasn’t allowed to do it anymore.

Mr. Aulisi proceeded to get very upset and next thing I knew, he was speaking with Mr. Travis. Before I knew it, I was told to continue signing Mr. Aulisi’ s name, just as we had done for years. Mr. Aulisi trusted me and that made me feel really good.

A lot of the staff didn’t trust Mr. Travis. During the summer of 1989, our intuitions came to a head. I was now entering my 17th year at the Reading Room.

Mr. Travis also made a couple more changes. He brought in three white waiters from the place he ran in Manhattan. Previously, the only white person on our staff had been JoAnn. As I said before, times were definitely changing, and right before our eyes. I could

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Next came a move I never anticipated happening. Upon reporting to the Reading Room, I again was looking forward to another racing season of work at my summer job I had loved for the past sixteen years. I said, “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Travis.” He said “Hi,” and then strangely asked me “Where are you working this summer?” My reply was, “Right here.” Mr. Travis told me “Oh, no,” He had brought in his own crew.

After seventeen years, this is how it’s going to end? He brought in an entire white staff, from the cooks, waiters, maître d, right down to the dishwashers. In a two-year period, the staff went from entirely black to almost entirely white. The lone black faces were Buster and Mike Settles, who stayed on as food preps. The two Frankies were still taking care of the ladies in the powder rooms and the rooms upstairs.

He replaced all the other black employees. I understand things like

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1. 1990 Staff 2. Stewart White as a waiter at the Reading Room 3. Sonny Gooden and Stewart White share their experiences in an interview with Simply Saratoga.

4. Current Reading Room Chef Alex 5. J. White, my inspiration for this story, passed in 2016 6. The Reading Room 7. Stewart White as a guest at the Reading Room, 2019 8. Ma White, my other inspiration for this story, passed in 2019.

this happen when new management takes over. It just came in such a way that it took everyone involved by complete surprise. Gone were my mother, brother, and all my childhood friends that made the Reading Room such a joyous place to work. With one blink of an eye, it all changed! When some of the members heard of some of the personnel changes, they were not happy. After all these years of working at the Reading Room and having become a familiar face there, it abruptly came to an end. Mr. Petter, Mr. Aulisi, and other members, who I had a very close relationship with, didn’t like the way things went down. They held a meeting and instructed Mr. Travis to reinstate me immediately, which he did. It bothered me that so many of my friends and family were let go. It was a difficult summer for me.

I knew that Mr. Travis had a right to bring in whomever he wanted to work, but I just wasn’t prepared for such a drastic change. I tried not to let my disappointment show during the summer of ’89. Sure, I had my job back, but it wasn’t the same. I had to adjust my attitude because I was holding on to a little bitterness that took me a while to shake. Actually, I don’t think I ever did shake it that summer. Most of the members weren’t aware of it because I was good at what I did and taking care of the members and their families or guests, was of the utmost importance to me. I just missed my friends and family members who had been by my side for many years. That summer went by and, as usual, I made lots of money, but it was so different for me. My new coworkers were all nice to work with. They enjoyed my stories of my memories of sixteen years working at the Reading Room. It just seemed like an extra-long summer and to tell you the truth, I couldn’t wait for it to get over. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

The next summer of 1990 came and I decided that I just had enough, and I decided to not go back. I took a job working with at risk 13 – 18-year-old boys, which I would continue to do for the next 26 years. I don’t even know if Mr. Travis returned. One thing I do believe is that the spirit of the black worker in the Reading Room will always be alive. How could it not be; we were the heart and soul of the Reading Room for decades. In saying that, I think I can speak for all the black folk that I had the honor and privilege of working with. We shared plenty of blood, sweat and tears in helping establish the Saratoga Reading Room as a place where the wealthy enjoyed coming. It was something we took great pride in. It was the members’ club, and we tried to make it a very pleasurable experience for them. We were very dedicated to our jobs. We knew we were representing years and years of black workers at the Reading Room.

Sure, some people may have looked at this as a bunch of rich, old white men with their old plantation mentalities, who wanted to continue their ways of thinking and felt the black man should be serving them. I get it, if some people felt that way. That’s not what this story is about. Occasionally, during sales week, you may have had “a southern good ole boy,” come in and be a little demanding. During my seventeen years at the Reading Room, we were treated very well.

That’s all we asked. Very seldom did we feel the influx of any racism there. First of all, it wouldn’t have been tolerated if there was. We were a select few, who were given a chance to make a great living for the six weeks of the racing season and we realized the significance of what we had, and we enjoyed being part of it. We also had lots of fun and made lots of money in keeping the tradition of the black worker alive at the Reading Room!!

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Hopefully these memories helped bring to light some of what went on behind the gates of the Saratoga Reading Room.

Furthermore, it’s a story about a hard-working bunch of black men and women during the 70s and 80s. I am so thrilled to have been a part of it.

One final thought. The Reading Room is one of the most historic and best kept secrets at the Saratoga Race Course. One thing for sure, it will always be a prestigious club with high profile wealthy white members and hopefully an occasional black member.

Today a lot of the current Reading Room members are family members who are keeping the legacies of their predecessors alive. Thoroughbred Racing is what it is today because of the rich tradition of many of the families that came through the Reading Room gates. Many of the members have gotten younger, but the tradition of coming to the Reading Room before and after the races continues. Many people I have spoken with, born and raised right here in Saratoga, have no idea what the Reading Room is or had not even heard of it. They have no clue that behind the gates were some of the wealthiest and most powerful people, in not just the racing world, but in the entire country.

One thing it will never have again is an all-black staff of workers. We were able to thrive and survive in the world of the rich and famous at the Reading Room. It was a lot of hard work, but I wouldn’t trade the experiences for the world. Our friendships grew stronger than ever and we remain as close as ever.

I hope you enjoyed my story that began through the eyes of a then young 18-year-old dishwasher and was brought back to life by a now 66-year-old man. Boy, does time fly!

In closing, I stopped by the Reading Room in July 2017. It was the first time I had been inside, other than outside the back gate to say “Hi” to Buster, since I left in 1990. It hasn’t changed much inside. It has gotten a little fancier. They serve dinner now with a buffet of fancy foods and have an impressive dinner menu.

The kitchen is totally different. It has added more areas for food prep. Inside they have the same table that we used to sit at and divide up our tips. I noticed as soon as I walked inside. Boy, did that bring back memories. The porch, my summer home for fourteen summers, remains the same. It brought back a lot of memories. For a moment, I thought I heard the voice of Mr. Aulisi saying, “Stewart, sign my name.” The yard remains the same. They are still using the same tables and chairs we used 110 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020

to set up during our time. They have a big tent in the backyard that comes in handy for parties or galas. I noticed they even have a golf cart for their use. We used to have to run. As I said before, times sure have changed at the Reading Room.

The biggest thing I noticed is that the staff now is completely white. Not a black face amongst them. The chef is a Mexican gentleman named Alex. He is an excellent chef who has an exquisite flair during his food presentation. (He now owns a place just up Route 9 called Izzy bella’s Foodz) The young staffers I talked with seemed to enjoy my stories from back in the day.

I jokingly made sure that I mentioned that they probably wouldn‘t have gotten a job back then, because of the color of their skin. They laughed. I am unaware if the workers of today understand or appreciate the tradition of working at the Reading Room that we felt while we worked there. The Black history of the Reading Room is deeply entrenched inside their walls. We were well aware of it. How could we not be? Black faces roamed these floors for many, many years. We were the heart and soul of the place.

Those were very special days and I am so honored to be able to share my part of that history with you.

Before I end my story, I have to tell you of my going to a party I was invited to at the Reading Room in August of 2019. It was Mr. Petter’s 85th birthday party.

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I was so honored to be invited, especially due to the tremendous friendship that Mr. Petter and I have developed over the years. I put on a nice suit and my girlfriend and I went to the Reading Room for his party. I had a lot of emotions going through my head as I prepared to enter the Reading Room gates. I felt as if I was representing all my coworkers and I even felt a WOW moment as I was watching the all-white staff serving me. I remember sitting there and envisioning how we must have looked when we were taking care of the guests.

It actually seemed as if we were the hit of the party. Everyone wanted to talk to us. and I even recognized a couple of elderly members, who remembered me, from back in the day. Alex, the chef, was giving us special treatment. He brought us platters of food where we were sitting. He had some of the guests wondering where we got the food. All in all, it was a great time.

Mr. Petter and his family were great and with all the compliments I received about my lovely date and my suit, it turned out to be a really nice time. So that’s my story. Hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

Thank You,

Stewart C. White

SS

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s my father’s health declined in the last years of his life, it became more and more difficult for him to get around. He always took great pride in keeping up his appearance. He shaved every morning, regardless of how poorly he felt.

Even during his many stays in the hospital, his toiletry kit was his first request. He hated to go more than a couple weeks without a haircut. One day he suggested I purchase a pair of electric hair trimmers so I could trim his hair at home. His long-time barber had also found himself in failing health and finally retired his scissors for good. I found my father’s request to be a vote of confidence in my ability to help him through that difficult period of his life. Of course, he would have preferred to get out of the apartment, go to a real barber, and get a professional haircut, but he was realistic about the situation. He realized how difficult it was for me to juggle my work schedule along with our 70mile biweekly visits to see mom in the respiratory hospital. Add to that the shopping, cleaning, and all the other responsibilities associated with his care. If he was brave enough, I was game. Besides, dad was a generous tipper.

If I didn’t draw blood or take off any body parts, I might just earn a five-spot.

I must admit our bi-monthly hair appointments did cause me a little stress. I wasn’t the most coordinated amateur barber.

It looks easy, but when it’s a sometimes-judgmental father in his 80s, the task takes on an increased fear factor. He pretended to be unconcerned about the outcome, but I knew better. I wanted him to be pleased with the result more than I let on. I knew even in his 80s, he could be a bit vain about his appearance.

Ralph Greenwood at the Fonda Speedway when he was NASCAR Pit Steward.

WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD

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Here’s how the haircut went. Dad would set up an old metal stool in the tiny bathroom of his apartment hours before I got there. Visualize a tangle of oxygen hose and two extra-large men in the middle of it, one wielding a corded electric shaver. There’s dad in his boxers with one of mom’s 30-yearold blue faded Montgomery Ward bath towels draped around his shoulders.

And me wishing I was home having dinner with my heaven-sent and patient wife. I’d tell you it was hell, but I’d be lying because I smile every time I think of it. Once we were all set up, I would try to visualize the training video that came with the Wahl Home Hair Trimmer set. How hard could it be?

dad’s neck. Once in a while, I would stub my toe on the stool and catch a little clump of dad’s hair follicles that I didn’t plan on. Dad teased me and labeled me “Jack The Pipe Cutter,” the endearing name our old barber earned from his occasional misguided sheers.

We would laugh and reminisce; it was a simple Hallmark moment for a tired son and his failing father. It was one of the most loving memo-

ries I have of dad during that difficult time.

Although he sometimes walked away a little lopsided on top, he never once complained about my inadequacies as a wanna-be barber.

I miss dad. I miss our free haircuts.

Who am I kidding… they weren’t free, they were priceless. SS

When I was a kid growing up in the ‘60s, I would get my haircuts from a bus driver. Let me explain. There was a bus driver/barber who lived a few doors up the road from our house.

His name was Jack. Jack had a fully stocked and furnished barbershop set up on the front porch of his house. He delivered kids to school during the day and cut their hair and their father’s hair after school, summers, and on Saturdays. Every few weeks, my mother would send me up the street to get a haircut. Jack’s wife Tessie would come to the door and welcome me in. She would politely explain that Jack was finishing his dinner and that if I wanted to wait in the barber chair he would be out shortly. I would shake my head, “Okay,” and wait five or ten minutes for Jack to come out. During that time, I always tried to muster the courage to ask if I could buy a 10-cent comb with the change from the dollar mom gave me for a 90 cent haircut. One day I actually followed through. When I got home and showed mom, she smiled lovingly and said, “That’s fine, dear.”

Jack was a talker, and if he got on a roll, you never knew how short your hair might end up. The best course of action was to stay quiet, sit statue-still, and not ask any unnecessary questions. I remember coming home a few times with my mother assuring me the bare spots would fill in after a day or two.

That memory kept tapping me on the shoulder as I buzzed up the back of saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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PE N I NG

THE X FILES WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS PROVIDED

In 1993, Bill Clinton was President, the internet was in its infancy, and the X-Files first aired on the Fox Television Network.

The show ran for nine seasons, two revival seasons, and spawned two full-length movies. In it, FBI agents investigate unexplained cases known as the “X-Files”.

Its unique combination of scientific thought and paranormal phenomena made television history.

“It put Fox right on the map because it brought science fiction, horror and drama back to TV,” said Jim Thornton.

The X-Phile’s Collection Thornton is one of many X-File enthusiasts who have become known as an X-Phile. During the last 25 years, he has spent more than $100,000 amassing a huge collection of X-Files items and memorabilia.

His collection contains commercial items, set props, and more than 200 pieces of wardrobe -worn on-screen, including a baseball cap from fan-favorite episode “Quagmire.” Worn by a bait shop owner, the red and white “Show us Your Bobbers” hat had a significant amount of screen time.

“I was shocked when that became available and I just jumped on it.

It’s one-of-a-kind, there are no more like it out there,” said Thorton.

Another impressive find was an alien cryopod used in the 1998 X-Files movie “Fight the Future.” The 6ft. x 4ft. chamber, which opens only from the back, still has its special effects tubing and interior light system.

“It’s neat when you see this stuff in real life because a lot of times it’s different than you imagine it will be when you see it on TV,” said Thornton.

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We Want to Believe Each year, Thornton and his wife, Kelly Anthony, take the collection on the road to comic conventions. Now, they’re hoping to give it a permanent home in Saratoga County.

“To share this with the public means a lot to me and has done a lot for me. I’m paying tribute to the stars and guest stars, the prop master, all the people behind the scenes and all the work that goes into the show.

It has such a huge, rabid fan following, the collection really is for all of us,” said Thornton.

Hoping to create an interactive X-Files Preservation Collection museum, some of the highlights would include a re-creation of character Fox Mulder’s office, computers (so visitors can play the Windows ’95 X-Files video games), and episodes of the show playing on multiple screens.

“Saratoga could use more variety. Pop culture-wise there’s nothing here. People would come from all over to see this.”

The Truth is Out There Currently in the process of raising money to secure a space and pay expenses to open the museum, for every donation, a merchandise incentive is given, ranging from a public “thank you” to a mug, baseball cap, or t-shirt. For details, go to IndieGogo.com/projects/ the-x-files-preservation-collection. Currently, Thorton is more than halfway to his $8,000 goal.

To find out more, follow the X-Files Preservation Collection on Facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/groups/ JimsXFileCollection and on Twitter @jthornton999. SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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