Simply Saratoga Winter 2020

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SARATOGA

™

THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

Winter 2020 Complimentary

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Simply...

SARATOGA ™

THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell

Saratoga’s Community Guide Publication Reaching the upscale, thriving, communities of Saratoga County

Creative Director/ Managing Editor Chris Vallone Bushee Graphic Designers Kacie Cotter-Sacala Marisa Scirocco Advertising Designer Christian Apicella Advertising Sales Jim Daley Cindy Durfey Contributing Writers

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Peter Bowden Samantha Bosshart Colleen Coleman Meghan Lemery Fritz Carol Godette John R. Greenwood Ann Hauprich Wendy Hobday Haugh Charlie Kuenzel Patricia A. Nugent Ray O’Conor Megin Potter John Reardon Theresa St. John Kristin Schultz Jordanna Turcotte Ralph Vincent Maureen Werther Stewart White Diane Whitten

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Deadline: March 27th, 2020 Publication Date: April 7th, 2020 Five Case Street, Saratoga Springs NY 12866 (518) 581-2480 • saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com 4 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Christian Apicella Susan Blackburn Photography Dan Heary Randall Perry Photography Theresa St. John SuperSource Media, LLC.

Published by

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

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

New Year, new decade…

This number is just blowing me away!

2020

I thought we’d be hovering in little Jetson-esque pods by now : ) Even as large and unfamiliar as 2020 feels, I look at our line up for this issue and realize it’s still all about the people in our lives, the relationships we cultivate and the difference we make.

We have an amazing group of people you will love reading about, including such names as Stephen von Schenk, Ray O’Conor, Mary Lyall and even our fearless leader, Chad Beatty. See A GOOD READ, page 18.

Our first restaurant feature (page 11) of the year is the most charming space with a familiar, yet unique menu, a delightful decor and is totally worth the drive to Southern Saratoga County! I was so impressed; I’m also featuring the Vischer Ferry General Store in Architecturally Speaking - see page 45.

I hope you all enjoy this issue and will be back for more… we have a great year planned for you!

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.

I wish everyone a blessed year filled with adventure, good times and purpose!

Love, Chris

Cover credit: Summit of Mount Waumbek, NH. See the story on page 24.

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CONTRIBU TOR S JO

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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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is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Saratoga A S T. J Theresa Springs. Even though history was not on her radar while in high school,

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Kristin Schultz has been writing about food, beverages and restaurants since 2014. She moved to the Capital Region in 2016 and enjoys scouring the area looking for delicious and interesting eats and drinks. She also loves spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking and has recently made it her mission to perfect the art of waffle making. Kristin will never turn down a glass of bourbon or a bowl of noodles. When she's not eating, Kristin likes to pile into the car with her family and explore new places.

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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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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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Maureen Werther is the owner of WriteForYou, a professional freelance writing service specializing in business writing, web and blog content, and creative 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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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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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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When not writing magazine articles that warm hearts, lift spirits and tickle funny bones, Ann Hauprich keeps busy preserving the past and present for future generations at Legacies Unlimited in Ballston Spa. The historic upstate village where the author’s family settled half a century ago will be commemorated in her sixth book in 2020. To learn more, visit AnnHauprich.US and LegaciesUnlimited.com.

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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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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

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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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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Simply...

SARATOGA ™

THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

A GOOD READ

HOME & GARDEN

11 Restaurant Feature

45

Architecturally Speaking

14

Preserving Saratoga: Carrie Woerner

56

Colleen’s Picks

58

In the Kitchen… with John Reardon

16

Honoring Fallen Firefighters

60 Entertaining with Ralph Vincent

17

Matt Varner

62

Preparing an Emergency Food Supply

20

Stephen von Schenk

63

Beginning Begonias with Peter Bowden

24

Ray O’Conor

64

Declutter for the New Year with Jordana Turcotte

28 Chad Beatty 32

Jack Wilpers

35

Mary Lyall

38

Ed Sakos

42

The Cottrell Family

69

Larry Treen

70 The League of Women Voters

65 Dating after Divorce - Meghan Lemery Fritz SAVE THE DATE 66

Start here – Great Stuff Happening All Winter Long!

HISTORY 71

Charlie Kuenzel

76

Carol Godette

78

Stewart White

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See story behind this photo on page 20.

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t’s a little off the beaten path, but once you find the Vischer Ferry General Store, you may never want to leave.

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Perhaps it’s the charm of the original wide-plank wood floors, high, bead board ceiling, airy back porch or long communal table. Maybe it’s the variety of unique, local, and fair trade soaps, lotions, jewelry, bags, scarves, candles or mugs. It could also be the rich, whipped-cream topped sipping chocolate, moist hand-made scones, or the sweetand-savory ham, brie and apricot jam sandwich. No matter why you come in, you will want to be a part of the friendly community that is the Vischer Ferry General Store.

The white, wood sided building at 357 Riverview Road opened as a general store on the Erie Canal in 1856.

Through the years it has been a post office, bike shop, real estate office and tack shop. After a fire in 2013, a group of neighbors bought the building, restored it, and in 2015 the Vischer Ferry General Store opened as a place to gather, shop, and eat.

Louise McManus owns and runs the store and restaurant which serves breakfast and lunch Thursdays through Sundays. Former Vischer Ferry fire chief George Donohue does the cooking, baking and teaches scone making classes.

“The post office used to be in the general store,” Donohue said. “It’s where you met your neighbors and heard about what’s going on.”

That sense of community has returned and is evident throughout the store. People linger over coffee and baked goods, engaged in friendly conversation. No one here seems interested in slamming caffeine and hitting the road.

Neighbors and out-of-towners (some regulars hail from Albany, a 45-minute drive from the store) browse the rack of Beekman 1802 goat milk beauty products. Customers pull another chair to their table to welcome a friend who unexpectedly stopped in. A woman buys a silk scarf for her daughter-in-law.

McManus tells the story of two regular customers who went to school together nearly 40 years ago but fell out of touch. Although they frequented Vischer Ferry General Store, they came in at different times. Finally, Donohue made the connection and the two friends reconnected.

“Every day people run into each other here,” McManus said.

And when they do, friends, neighbors and family can settle in for a cup of coffee or scratch-made meal.

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CRUSTLESS QUICHE saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

The menu is a collection of simple but interesting offerings with breakfast and lunch both served until 3 p.m. For breakfast, try the egg sandwich. This customer favorite comes on a brioche roll with frittata-style eggs, cheddar cheese, roasted tomato, bacon and Dijon mayonnaise. If you’re steering clear of gluten (or even if you’re not), opt for the crustless quiche. Filled with bacon, spinach and cheddar on our visit, the fluffy, tender slice is served alongside fresh fruit.

Sandwich options include the Pilgrim – a serving of savory stuffing and sliced turkey between slices of white bread dressed with a cranberry mayonnaise. This satisfying sandwich has been such a hit that, despite its Thanksgiving theme, the kitchen serves it nearly year round.

Thin-sliced ham, brie cheese and apricot jam come together in a crunchy baguette for a salty-fruity-earthysweet-crispy sandwich.

Gluten free bread is available on request and each sandwich is served with a generous handful of kettle chips.

If you only want a snack, choose from more than half a dozen baked treats including the citrusy orange and cranberry scone, lavender-essenced double chocolate cookie or the sea salt milk chocolate chip cookie. The scones are light and moist and the cookies have a pleasant, just-under baked chew.

“The menu had to be different,” McManus said. “It’s not upscale; it’s just a little special.”

Pair your meal with a hot beverage like the house blend coffee or latte – flavored, if you’d like – or a cool refreshing lemonade or iced tea. Drinks can be customized to accommodate dietary preferences including dairy-free milk options.

HAM, BRIE CHEESE AND APRICOT JAM The food options don’t end when the kitchen closes. McManus keeps a full calendar of community events including those oftensold out scone classes and collaboration dinners. Vischer Ferry General Store also hosts local artist shows, knitting and book clubs, pop-up shops and private events.

Last March, the store hosted its first engagement dinner, and the couple will tie the knot on the property later this year.

McManus wants the Vischer Ferry General Store to continue to be the vehicle that brings the community together. As the business grows she hopes to host more special events like bridal showers and birthdays. She might like to see a bocce court on the property or have other lawn game events. She welcomes people who can teach classes like crafting or cooking.

“I’m always open to suggestions,” McManus said.

THE PILGRIM saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

As towns change and grow, it can be harder and harder to find a place that offers a sense of community. But as long as we have Vischer Ferry General Store, we have a place to go and new friends to meet. SS For more, check out Architecturally Speaking on page 45!

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Lessons of Preservation

CARRIE WOERNER

preserving

Saratoga Race Course

SARATOGA

WRITTEN BY SAMANTHA BOSSHART

SARATOGA SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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n 2002 Carrie Woerner was visiting her mom who was living in Saratoga Springs, when she came across an ad in the classified section of the newspaper for Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. After working for over 30 years in the technology field, she thought she was ready for a change. She was living in Boston at the time and was regularly volunteering to give art and architecture tours of the historic Trinity Church that was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1877. The church was undergoing a significant restoration and she found it fascinating to learn about that effort and how and why decisions were made to preserve the building. On a whim she decided to apply for the position.

Much to her surprise, she was asked to interview, and offered the position, despite not having any professional preservation experience. She accepted. During her six-

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year tenure with the Foundation she increased membership, published “Hoofing It! Eight Walking Tours of Saratoga Springs” (available for purchase SaratogaPreservation.org), secured a $190,000 New York State Main Street Grant for Beekman Street, raised funds to assist the congregation of the First Baptist Church preserve their building, worked with Eugene Corsale to restore the Gideon Putnam Cemetery, and established the Saratoga Race Course Coalition when the New York Racing Association franchise agreement was up for renewal.

While Carrie always had an appreciation for architecture and history, it was during her tenure at the Foundation that she gained a passion for preservation and a sense of community.

“People want to come home to places that they recognize – places that are unique, local landmarks – not places that look all the same – generic.” shared Carrie. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

The Algonquin, 510 Broadway

“It was during my time at the Foundation that I began to truly understand the important role that non-profit organizations play in promoting and advocating issues,” continued Carrie.

At the Foundation, she had her first introduction to local government. She regularly advocated for preservation before the land use boards and city council of Saratoga Springs, and for new construction to be in keeping with the historic character of the community. Carrie not only learned the importance of being a voice for preservation at the local level, but she also learned the importance of being a voice at the state level. “During my time at the Foundation I saw the value of being engaged in creative solutions,” shared Carrie.

For example, when the New York Racing Association (NYRA) franchise agreement to operate race courses at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga was up for renewal, there was significant concern in the community that a new operator would not appreciate the significant architecture and history of the Saratoga Race Course and would insensitively modernize it.

Under Carrie’s leadership, the Saratoga Race Course Coalition was formed. The group of community leaders, businesses, individuals, and organizations, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation League of New York State, advocated for the new franchise agreement to include provisions that would ensure that the historic character of the oldest sports venue in the country was preserved. After meeting with state government representatives, provisions that included the formation of a local advisory board, an unfunded mandate to undertake a cultural resource survey of the 200 historic buildings and 350 acres of the track, and the state historic preservation office review of capital improvements were incorporated into the state’s new franchise agreement, which was awarded to NYRA in 2008.

After leaving the Foundation in 2008, Carrie established a software division for MeetMax Conference Software in Saratoga Springs and decided to take the lessons she had learned at the Foundation to make a difference in the community where she lived. That same year Carrie was elected Round Lake Village Trustee and was appointed to serve on the Town of Malta Planning Board.

She served in both of those positions until November 2014 when she was elected to the New York State Assembly. Upon being elected, she chose to step down from her role at Meetmax to serve the constituents of the 113th Assembly District full-time.

In her role as Assemblywoman, Carrie advocates for responsible spending, improving the economic climate for small businesses and farms, strengthening public schools, and protecting the heritage of Saratoga and Washington counties. Carrie has demonstrated a continued commitment to preservation by being a leader in advocating for the extension and enhancement of the state commercial and residential historic tax credit programs. “The state commercial historic tax credits have played a significant role in preserving the Adelphi Hotel, the Algonquin, 15 Franklin Street, and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. These credits are an important economic tool for not only preserving

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184 Spring Street

historic structures in the areas I serve, but the entire state,” shared Carrie. For Kasia and Adam Israel, homeowners of 184 Spring Street, the rehabilitation of their historic 1871 home would have not been possible without the state historic homeowner tax credits. To learn more about Universal Preservation Hall, 15 Franklin Street, and 184 Spring Street, read past “Preserving Saratoga” articles in back issues of Simply Saratoga magazine.

Carrie also continues to remain involved with the Foundation. Each summer she volunteers to lead a Summer Sunday Stroll of Franklin Square, the oldest residential neighborhood in Saratoga Springs. “I love Franklin Square because it represents an intact evolution of the community through its architecture – the early Greek Revival buildings – the first American style of architecture – to the later styles of Queen Anne and Second Empire. It also is an example of the power of citizenry. Members of the community successfully advocated for preservation, preventing the demolition of the neighborhood to make way for the arterial that would have bypassed Broadway,” said Carrie when asked why after so many years after leaving the Foundation she continues to do the tour. If you want to join Carrie’s tour in the summer, please visit SaratogaPreservation.org in the spring for the full calendar of events.

The Foundation thanks Assemblywoman Woerner for continuing to be a voice for preserving the heritage of the communities of Saratoga and Washington counties and across the state. SS

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KEEPING THE

Flag Flying WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Fires are inherently unpredictable.

The furious flames can quickly become a blinding inferno of intense heat. Yet, even here, there is a certainty – trust will rise above fear.

DEFENDERS OF LIFE & PROPERTY Going bravely into the most dangerous scenes imaginable, firefighters risk everything.

They are able to do this because of a feeling of trust so strong that it makes miracles possible.

“This is a brotherhood and you always have to remember, there are those that have given the ultimate sacrifice,” said Mike France.

A firefighter for 31 years, France is also the president of MacBoston 18, a group that honors past and present firefighters by raising awareness, providing tools and training.

A MOVING MEMORIAL Despite the thousands of New York State firefighters who have died while in the line of duty, there wasn’t a memorial in their honor until 1995.

This was when Greenwich Fire Chief Kevin Shepard inspired 26 people to pool their money and buy a 1976 Seagrave ladder tiller truck from the city of Boston to serve as a moving memorial.

MacBoston 18 was born. While the original truck has since been retired, today, you have likely seen them in parades and at county fairs flying a gigantic 28’ x 36’ garrison flag (made by the Saratoga Flag Company) from the ladder of their 1980 American LaFrance fire truck.

“It’s a sight to see,” said France.

A closer look at the truck reveals plaques with the names of all the state’s fallen firefighters, including 343 names of firefighters onsite during 9/11.

“I drove down to JFK with the truck, past all the crushed police cars that were there. When you look at something like that, it’s hard to say how you feel,” said France.

OF PRIDE AND PURPOSE Bringing rails salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage up to Ballston Spa so they could be constructed into a memorial is just one of the ways that MacBoston 18 demonstrates how proud they are to serve their fellow firefighters.

“I truly believe in honoring my brothers and sisters in the fire service.

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I receive so much from them, I could never pay it back. If I could, I’d spend all my time doing it,” said France.

The MacBoston 18 caisson, a 1936 American LaFrance fire engine, is an especially moving tribute when included in funeral processions.

“Even if you don’t know these fallen firefighters, you feel sympathy for their family,” he said.

“A DEED DONE FOR OTHERS LIVES FOREVER” To help prevent more lives from being lost, MacBoston 18’s mission of raising awareness also includes hands-on training in the techniques that are needed to fight today’s fires – which are burning hotter and faster than ever.

In addition to helping to save lives, preserve property, and the memory of those who have been lost, as an active member of MacBoston 18, you also become a partial owner of the fire trucks.

To help support MacBoston 18, purchase merchandise, or for more information about where they’ll be next, follow them on Facebook or visit www.macboston.com

SS

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second to

NONE WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

When they are suiting up for dangerous situations, firefighters trust in their first line of defense –

TOUGH, FLAME-RESISTANT GEAR.

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Made from rugged, waterproof, high-performance Nomex fabric, these coats and pants are super strong.

Matt Varner, a 27-year veteran firefighter with the Schuyler Hose Company, is giving decommissioned personal protective equipment a second life by repurposing it into custom-made tool bags, backpacks and more.

“We had an abundance of leftover gear and I said, ‘Give me a chance to see what we can do with this’”, said Varner.

2nd Due Turnout Accessories was born.

TRIED AND TRUE With his mom’s help, in June 2019, Varner began making tool bags and donating them to his fellow firefighters to use on the job.

Varner’s designs cleverly incorporate features like these in everything from wallets to dog harnesses. Every bit of the original garment can be reimagined into something new: including zippers, pockets and even pant suspenders that are remade into pack straps.

“I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that I would be sewing and designing,” he said.

When requested, firefighters’ nameplates and numbers are given a place of honor on these pieces, as well.

People were happy with the products he made and began asking him to create more items from their old gear.

“People are excited to see their gear and to be able to use it again on a regular basis as something new. It’s really cool to be able to do that,” said Varner.

Now Varner makes just about anything imaginable.

HEAVY-DUTY EVERYDAY

Whether aprons and oven mitts standing up to the heat in the kitchen or as a backpack loaded up to get through a tough school day, when it comes to everyday use, this high-tech fabric is second-to-none.

Officially launching his business in September, Varner’s work was mainly known only to others in the fire service until this winter when the 2nd Due Turnout Accessories Facebook page and shop was opened.

“The durability of the fabric is the best part of it,” said Varner.

Now, the public can order a variety of products online at reasonable prices, in an assortment of styles and colors.

STATEMENT-MAKING STYLING

“This is a blue-collar product made for a blue-collar customer,” said Varner.

When it comes to creating new items, the distinctive emergency-gear style elements that make firstresponders easy to recognize, like light-reflective striping, offer an array of design possibilities. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

To find out more about what Varner is creating or to place an order, find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/2ndDueTurnoutAccessories.

SS

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from mountain tops to 60 feet beneath the water

Life's Adventures Await 18 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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bankers by day...

ADVENTURERS

BY C HOICE Close your eyes and picture the traditional bank president…older, formal, reserved, conservative, probably plays a leisurely round of golf in his free time.

Now throw that image out the window and recreate them as extreme hikers who push the limits of human endurance.

Sound crazy? Not in Saratoga Springs!

Meet Stephen von Schenk and Ray O’Conor…

Stephen von Schenk is the current president and CEO of the Adirondack Trust Company.

Turn the page to read about his monumental 17-hour hike through the Adirondack’s Great Range, and the people who motivate him.

We follow that story with Ray O’Conor, the former President of Saratoga National Bank. From tackling Mount Kilimanjaro to traversing the 46 high peaks, Ray shares personal stories, triumphs, and unexpected friendships that last a lifetime.

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- Chad Beatty

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 19

every journey begins with the

FI R S T S T EP WRITTEN BY MAUREEN WERTHER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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Stephan von Schenk, President and CEO of the Adirondack Trust Company, has been with the iconic Saratoga banking institution for 16 years. But he and his wife, Carolyn have been aspiring 46ers for more than 20 years, achieving that goal in 2011. Most people who live, work and play in and around the beautiful Adirondack region know the term “46er” refers to the number of peaks above 4,000 feet in the Adirondack Park. Hikers of all skill levels travel there from all over to scale the impressive mountains with elevations ranging from a low of 3,820 ft at Couchsachraga Peak, to the highest of the 46, Mount Marcy, which boasts an elevation of 5,344 ft.

The Adirondack “Great Range” has been labeled one of the toughest daylong hikes in America, according to Backpacker magazine. In total, the Great Range entails over

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20 miles of hiking and 10,000 feet of elevation gain, all in one day.

Steve and his wife, Carolyn, committed to becoming “46ers” after experiencing their first summit atop Giant Mountain. Steve says that the goal of reaching the summit is an abstract concept. He goes on to explain what he means.

“Most of the time you’re out hiking on a trail, you’re in the midst of the forest, with trees obscuring any view. The summit seems more like an idea than an actual place. The top of the mountain seems a million miles away. But once you break through the trees and reach the top, you’re rewarded with spectacular views.”

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The other reward is, of course, the tremendous feeling of accomplishment, of knowing that you really do have what it takes to make it to the top of a mountain.

Steve and Carolyn realized their goal of summiting all 46 high peaks, but Steve had his eye on the next, greater challenge – the 20-mile, daylong trek that would mean summiting 10 peaks at once. In August 2018, Steve and his oldest son Paul attempted the Great Range. As it turned out they began the trek to late and ran out of daylight, so they abandoned the challenge after 8 peaks. However, for someone who was officially a “46-er,” and a marathoner with 19 races under his belt, failure was not an option.

Steve realized that, in order to get the job done, he would have to climb nearly half the peaks in absolute darkness, with only a headlamp – and his instincts – for guidance.

After months of training and preparation (by the time Steve

began his nocturnal climb, he had a resting pulse of 40!), Steve was ready to meet the challenge for a second time.

Only this time, he was motivated by something deeper than just the challenge of man overcoming Nature.

The year before, on October 6, 2018, the von Schenk family was rocked by tragedy. Steve and Carolyn’s middle son Brian was engaged to Allison (Allie) King, who accompanied the family on many hikes in the high peaks and was a spirited participant in their charitable organization, the “Above and Beyond” challenge treks.

On that fateful day in October, Allie and her three sisters lost their lives in the senseless Schoharie limousine accident that captured the attention of the nation.

So, when Steve confronted the 10 peaks this time around, he was more determined than ever to complete the challenge in memory of his son’s beloved Allie.

The an summ a i see ctual t seem p m bre s a m lace. s mor e ak T i you thro llion he to like a p m ’re n u rew gh th iles a of the idea w e th ard m ed trees ay. Bu ount an a wit a h sp nd re t once in yo ecta ach cula the u to r vi ew p, s.”

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On the evening of his big challenge, and after some serious training, Carolyn dropped Steve off at the trailhead at 2:00 am. By the following afternoon, at 4:30 pm to be exact, Steve summited the mother of all the Adirondack High Peaks – Mount Marcy.

Steve had managed to navigate up and down 3 ½ of the 10 peaks in total darkness. His rations consisted of Gatorade, water, trail mix and dates – not to mention a generous dose of adrenaline. His scariest moments during the entire trek came during his descent off Saddleback, which is the 7th peak in the series and includes several hundred yards of cliffs with no ropes or cables, combined with a lot of wind.

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He also took a nasty fall coming off Basin Mountain (the 8th peak), where he slid 15 feet down a boulder.

“I got up with my right hand and wrist ‘ringing,’ but otherwise, I was intact.”

Steve could have chosen to bail out after the fall. In fact, it was the same location where, the year before, he had abandoned the challenge. However, this time, Steve wasn’t traveling alone.

“I remember Allie’s voice in my head saying, ‘You’ve got this!’”

With plenty of daylight still left, Steve went on to summit Haystack, followed by his hike up Marcy. It was 4:30 pm

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and he still had to make the final descent, a 7-mile trek downhill. With the sun setting midway down near Indian Falls, Steve once again donned his headlamp and forged ahead.

During his final two miles, Steve happened upon a young man who had served in Afghanistan.

As the saying goes, every journey begins with the first step.

True for every challenge we face in life, true for the journey through tragedy, and true for all our journeys through this complicated trek called life.

Piggybacking off of his training, the following October, Steve finished his 20th marathon finishing 10th in his age group. SS

g of e Tr ele ail: v at ion gain

“He’d never hiked in the dark and was surprisingly scared, with only a weak and dying flashlight to guide his way. He was elated when I came across him and it felt good to give something back to one of our veterans, even if it was only my headlamp and my company.”

At 9:30 in the evening, a tired but elated Steve von Schenk quietly walked into the parking lot at trail’s end, where his youngest son Mark was waiting in the car.

n Ra at t e r ee Map of the G ov 0f er 2 0 0 0 miles with 10,

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All Journeys

have Destinations of which the Traveler is Unaware WRITTEN BY RAY O'CONOR | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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t is destiny for some people to come into your life to rekindle your spirit, motivate and inspire you. A decade ago, three strangers who discovered an interest in hiking and mountain climbing, found themselves among a group of Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) members at a trailhead

at 6:30 a.m., preparing to hike the Santanoni Range. Alison Darbee, Joe Murphy and I would spend the next twelve hours ascending and descending Panther, Couchsachraga and Santanoni Mountains. It is among the most challenging of day trips in the Adirondack High Peaks.

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Joe and I had met once before on a hike, but we were all virtual strangers with little in common.

Joe, a Residence Life Community Coordinator at Skidmore College, was twenty-five. Alison, an art teacher, ten years older than Joe, and me, a banker, twenty years Alison’s senior.

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"It’s hard to say

what has kept us connected for more than a decade.

Perhaps it’s a common goal or interest.

It could simply be a mutual love of ascending to new heights and being in wilderness."

On this morning of June 6, 2009, we never imagined our lives would become inextricably linked. Nor did we foresee that two years later another twenty-something young man, Jon Laurin, a teacher with whom Joe was acquainted in college, would by chance (or fate) come into our

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lives on a forest trail and complete what would become the MOLD (Murphy, O’Conor, Laurin, Darbee) Mountaineering Society.

It’s hard to say what has kept us connected for more than a decade.

Perhaps it’s a common goal or interest.

It could simply be a mutual love of

ascending to new heights and being in wilderness. None of us can say for sure, except perhaps in Alison and Jon’s case.

Jon and Alison first met on an ADK group hike to Seymour Mountain. It is a long, challenging day, chugging up steep herd paths through thick forest to the summit.

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"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

-John Muir

There is a commonality of purpose in such a task, but there was something more between Jon and Alison. Neither would have predicted that a chance meeting in the wilderness that day would lead to love and marriage. Nor would they have guessed that the officiant at their wedding would be a new hiking buddy, Joe Murphy.

Although the four of us share common values and interests, on occasion the thirty year gap in our ages is evident.

While traversing the Willey Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, a storm approached as we started the ascent of the final peak in the range, Mount Tom. Hearing thunder in the distance, we debated whether we could reach the summit and retreat to safety before the storm. “Is it over?”

Joe lamented. I instantly responded, “Over? Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

Joe shot me a brief glance, then charged ahead leading us through the mud, roots and rocks up to the summit.

We spent only a moment at the peak for a photo before descending quickly as thunder roared, rain poured and lightning illuminated the sky. Once we reached safety, Joe asked, “Ray, you do know the Germans didn’t bomb Pearl

Harbor, right?” With an incredulous stare I countered, “Joe, are you serious?

You’ve never seen Animal House?”

It isn’t always fun and romance on MOLD outings. As a foursome, trio or in pairs, we have ascended more than 200 peaks. There was a confrontation with a bull moose; we lost our way a time or two; we’ve fallen into spruce traps and suffered an assortment of cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains and other injuries.

When assessing risk, we try not to cross the fine line between bold and stupid, but sometimes the line moves on you.

On an attempted winter traverse of part of The Great Range, blizzard conditions struck as Joe and I crossed the summit of Gothics. Visibility was reduced to a few feet as gale force winds slowed us to a crawl. Subzero wind chills and an unrelenting snowfall jeopardized our safe return.

Joe shouted over the deafening howl of the wind, “Are we going to die today?” We may lose a few toes or fingers I thought. But, I assured Joe, and perhaps myself, “No one’s dying today.” We struggled to find a bailout trail and although equipped to spend the night, were grateful that with the aid of map and compass, we battled our way down the mountain.

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Alison and Jon’s most challenging ascent was far from the Adirondacks.

In 2012, we traveled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 feet, it is the highest peak on the African Continent. Our guide was Protus Mayunga, a native of Tanzania and the founder of Roof of Africa Adventures. The ascent was uneventful until midnight of the fifth day when we began to climb the last 4,000 feet to Uhuru Peak, the summit of the world’s tallest free standing mountain. The air is so thin that you gasp for air, can experience dizziness and nausea and be overcome with fatigue.

With the summit still 2,000 feet above and miles away, Alison stopped. “I don’t think I can go any farther,” she uttered while resting against a trailside boulder. She suggested to Jon that he go on without her, but he would have none of it. “We came here to do this together. So, whether we go up, or we go down, we go together.” It was at times like these that Protus would invoke a simple Swahili expression, Imara kama simba (Be strong like a lion). By her personal fortitude and strength, along with Jon’s encouragement, Alison fought through the pain and exhaustion. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Hours later, exhaustion turned to exhilaration as they stood together and watched the sun rise over the Serengeti from the Roof of Africa.

After summiting all of New York’s high peaks, we set out to conquer all of the high peaks in the Northeastern United States and the New England Hundred Highest. Thousands of road miles would be logged along highways and country lanes. We ventured down rough and often impassable dirt roads, occasionally thwarted by washed out bridges throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Our adventures took us across hundreds of miles of trail and tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain and loss. This past summer, a decade since we first met, we set out to ascend Mount Coe, South Brother and Fort Mountains to fulfill our mission.

We traveled to the far reaches of Maine and set up camp the night before. The cool, crisp night air and the soothing sound of a nearby stream created the ideal environment for a good night’s rest. An early rise had us on the trail shortly after dawn. We knew it would be a long day, having

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to cross three mountains (Coe, South Brother and North Brother), before beginning a bushwhack to our 100th peak. The sky was brilliantly blue with a scant number of clouds floating by like feathers, ushered by a gentle breeze.

The steep ascent up Mount Coe challenged us, as sections of the rock slide route were treacherously slick.

As we approached Coe’s summit, we marveled at the superb views of Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak. The wooded saunter from Coe’s summit to South Brother’s was gradual, along well maintained trails.

What followed was a very steep ascent to the apex of North Brother, the launch point to Fort Mountain.

Fort is one of several New England Hundred Highest trail-less mountains.

Jon led us, thrashing through a thick maze of trees, brush and blowdown.

Bare arms and legs were nicked, scraped and cut as we rumbled and stumbled along. While some call this rarely trodden upon course a herd path, Jon coined the phrase herdwhack to describe it. I would argue hurt path is a more accurate characterization.

There was some hesitancy during the final approach to the summit.

It marked an end to another epic journey for the four of us. However, as we broke through the tree line and crossed Fort’s rocky ridge to its peak, hesitancy was replaced by awe. Standing atop Fort, hundreds of miles of natural beauty surrounded us. Neighboring peaks pierced the sky. Deep blue pristine lakes, with surfaces as smooth as glass, lay below. There is always a bit of magic in the mountains and a sense of feeling so small in such a vast wilderness. Naturalist John Muir said it best, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

Seldom is any worthwhile goal achieved alone and it is most gratifying when accomplished as part of a team. There is an old adage that goes, Get lost in nature and you will find yourself. How fortunate are we four adventurers that we not only found ourselves in the wilderness, but also discovered friends in whose hands we entrust our lives. SS

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60

FEET DOWN

WRITTEN BY CHAD BEATTY | PHOTOS BY DAN HEARY UNLESS NOTED

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looked to my left. About an arm’s length away was my dive buddy. The silence was deafening. Just the ongoing inhalation and exhalation of my regulator: chshhhh blub blub blub; chshhhh blub blub blub; chshhhh blub blub blub.

It was a sunny mid-August day, but you couldn’t tell from our depth. At 60 ft. down the water was shockingly cold.

At approximately 30 ft we descended through our first thermocline, and the second thermocline around 50+ feet. A thermocline is a boundary of water which separates regions of warmer water above, from the colder water below. Quite often you can actually see the different texture of the water at the thermocline. When you stick your hand through that point, you immediately feel the drop in temperature.

Despite being covered in wetsuits from head to toe, the bite of the water heightened our senses. Even on a hot summer’s day, Scuba diving in Lake George shouldn’t be taken lightly.

One of the instructors approached me and my partner and flashed a hand signal. He wanted to know our air pressure.

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We both checked our gauges, flashed back the appropriate hand gestures and received the ‘OK’ sign.

Approximately 5-10 feet ahead of us were the other two students who made it to day 2 of the Open Water Scuba Certification. Up to this point our dive had gone smoothly: safety checks, mask recovery, gauge checks, buddy drills, etc.

But then it happened. One of the 2 divers ahead of us lost buoyancy and sunk to the bottom. “Don’t kick your fin…Don’t kick your fin!” I thought to myself. The instructors had been very clear: If you lose buoyancy and hit the bottom, gradually gain buoyancy through a number of pre-rehearsed techniques…but no matter what you do, don’t give a hard kick to ascend.

Well, diver ‘X’ kicked hard, producing a mushroom cloud.

The cloud quickly engulfed us, and everything went black.

And I’m not talking cloudy grey, I am talking black…pitch black…like the dead of night in the vacuum of space, in a galaxy far, far away, black. I couldn’t see the divers in front of us. I couldn’t see the instructors. I couldn’t see my dive buddy to my left. I couldn’t see my arm!

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My son and I doing a quick snorkeling reconnaissance at Salt Pier on Bonaire.

We found crystal clear water and lots of turtles!

Photo provided.

Our class was the ‘Open Water Scuba Diver’ course, which certified us to dive to a depth of 60 ft. The course consists of academic study, in-water skill development training (in a pool), and finally open water training dives in Lake George.

Throughout the course, several things stood out to me.

First, it is much more technical than I imagined. There are countless things that can go wrong underwater, and having the acquired skills is imperative for survival. If you are 40 feet down and your partner signals he is out of air, or another diver knocks your mask off by mistake, you better know what to do.

Getting my gear ready at Adirondack Scuba.

Photo by Christian Apicella.

We were ensconced deep in a frigid cloud of suspended silt.

I instinctively reached out to my left and found the hand of my dive buddy -who was my 15-year old son. I locked on to him, calmed my breathing, and thought “maybe humans aren’t meant to be down here.”

So how did we get to the bottom of Lake George in a silt blackout?

I suppose it began on vacation the year prior. My son and I have always been avid snorkelers. We love being in the water, swimming among the reefs and aquatic life. Whether in Aruba, Bonaire or the Florida Keys, chances are you will find us in the water. Unfortunately, we have always been limited to the top 10 feet. So, we made a pact and I began researching.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a 5-star SDI (Scuba Divers International) dive center located right in Saratoga Springs.

I dialed up their number and 1 month later we walked into Adirondack Scuba to begin our training. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

I was also amazed at the amount of science that goes into Scuba diving. Did you know that: • Once you get below 10 meters depth, you can’t see red or yellow! If you cut yourself your blood looks blue.

• Sound travels five times faster underwater than in air, which makes it almost impossible to establish where sound is coming from.

• Oxygen becomes toxic when under pressure.

• Divers are taught to equalize by pinching their nose and blowing gently, which forces the eustachian tubes to open, allowing higher-pressure air from your throat to enter your middle ears.

• Every 33 feet of saltwater equals 1 atmosphere of pressure. Air in a diver's body and dive gear will compress as pressure increases (and expand as pressure decreases).

Despite the seriousness of the topic and the volume of information, by the time the course was complete I felt well prepared for my checkout dives. The instructors at Adirondack Scuba were laser focused on safety and they didn’t let anyone slide. If you didn’t understand a principle, or had trouble completing a procedure, you repeated the process until you did it right. The instructors were true professionals in their field of expertise, and they went above and beyond to assure we were competent with our skills.

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Ok, back to the cold dark mushroom cloud.

We were lost in blackness with only our thoughts to comfort us. I hoped my son was relaxed and remaining calm. All we could do was wait; panic could be disastrous. Breath, relax. Breath, relax. Gradually the silt faded to the lake floor and a pair of fins slowly came into sight. I looked to my son. His eyes were a little larger than before the silt explosion, but he looked confident and ready to proceed. An instructor came over and gave the OK sign. We flashed it back.

I can only imagine this is what Jacques Cousteau experienced in the 1950s when he first explored the depths of the ocean using his newly invented ‘Aqua-Lung.’ If he were still alive today, he and I would probably meet once a year in a fishing village on the Northern New England coastline to share stories over a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea. I would be wearing a traditional merino wool fisherman’s sweater, and he would be topped off in his famous bright red knitted wool cap.

OK, back to reality…The dive proceeded, and we continued to explore Lake George. Although it’s no Caribbean destination, Scuba students are treated to a variety of objects spread across the lake bottom. As we methodically kicked our way along, we explored an old airplane wreck complete with a mannequin inside, a rusted car, a tiny sailboat and a variety of statues.

Before we knew it, we had reached the end of our dive. We made a final check of our gauges and they both read just over 500 psi tank pressure. Perfect. Standard protocol is: • 3000 psi: Begin dive • 1500 psi: Turn back • 500 psi: Begin a slow and controlled ascent to the surface.

Reaching the surface, we gave each other a big smile and a high-five. We were officially certified ‘Open Water’ divers!

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EPILOGUE: Approximately 5 months after receiving our certification, we were able to visit the tropical island of Bonaire where we put our newly acquired skills to good use. The island, which is located off the coast of Venezuela (86 miles east of Aruba), is protected by the Bonaire National Marine Park. Because of its protected nature, the reefs are teeming with aquatic life, some brightly colored and some mysterious. Among the underwater ecosystem we were able to swim alongside sea turtles, trumpet fish, parrot fish, barracuda, clown fish and eels to name a few.

Diving in Bonaire was truly like being in another world.

If you don’t Scuba, don’t worry, there’s plenty to experience on land. Bonaire is home to the world renowned Salt Pans; some of the best fresh seafood restaurants in the region; and it is steeped in colorful Caribbean Dutch tradition.

To learn more about Adirondack Scuba visit: Adrondackscuba.com To learn more about Bonaire visit: Tourismboniare.com

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The reefs were filled with an abundance of aquatic life of all shapes and colors.

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saratoga

Hometown Hero Jack Wilpers, and a Journalist Who Helped Tell His Story

Army Lt. Jack Wilpers stands next to a U.S. military transport plane on a runway on the Pacific island of Peleliu in October 1945, shortly after the island was taken by the Marines.

WRITTEN BY THERESA ST. JOHN | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY WILPERS FAMILY UNLESS NOTED

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’ve always been interested in history – especially WWII coverage and the brave men and women who fought for freedom. I’m a German-Jew, with vivid memories of sitting with my mother in front of the TV as a child, here in America.

I can still hear her voice pleading that we never forget the atrocities of Hitler’s Germany – lest they happen again.

Many of the stories I write today involve WWII veterans willing to speak with me about that time, what they lived through during those years. I’ve met Holocaust survivors and their families, attended ceremonies and

celebrations, listened to stories of good people who hid them during the war that encompassed so many different countries throughout the world.

Chris Carola worked 34 years for The Associated Press, the last 31 as a reporter with the AP’s Albany bureau.

His byline appeared in newspapers and on media websites around the world, including The Washington Post, MSN, ABC News, Fox News, The Independent, USA Today, New York Post, Yahoo Singapore, Yahoo India, to name a few.

When he heard about John J. Wilpers Jr. – Jack to his friends and family – Chris

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knew he wanted to meet and speak with him. “He was born in Albany in 1919 but grew up in Saratoga Springs. His father loved horses and worked as a bookie.

Wilpers enlisted in the Army Air Corps during 1942 and then transferred to a counterintelligence unit,” the man sitting in front of me says. I watch as he looks away for a moment, deep in thought.

Wilpers was one of five men, part of the U.S. Army Intelligence unit ordered to track down and arrest former Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo after WWII ended.

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Army Lt. Jack Wilpers poses in the uniform jacket of Hideki Tojo soon after Wilpers helped capture the former Japanese prime minister on Sept. 11, 1945.

Chris Carola It was September 11th, 1945, only nine short days after Japan surrendered. In Tokyo, the soldiers stood outside Tojo’s home, ready to take him into custody.

Before that could happen, there was a shot – the Japanese warlord who had approved the attack on Pearl Harbor had tried to take his own life by shooting himself in the chest.

Wilpers kicked in a door and found Tojo collapsed on a small couch, his white shirt soaked in crimson blood, a pistol still clutched in his hand.

Wilpers ordered a Japanese doctor – at gunpoint – to help keep the war criminal alive until an American doctor arrived to take over.

Nicknamed ‘Razor,’ Tojo was a highranking army officer, born into a military family. He’d been minister of war from 1940 to 1941, then Prime Minister until 1944. He was ruthless, blamed for the murder of millions of civilians in China, the Far East and the Pacific, as well as thousands of Allied POWs.

Chris’s quest to talk to the WWII veteran began in the early 1990s. “I called, left messages, wrote letters in an attempt to reach Mr. Wilpers,” Carola shakes his head at me. “He didn’t want to talk, like so many others who made it through the war, coming home to marry, raise families, start a new life. They just wanted it to be over.”

Tojo survived his botched attempt at suicide. In the end, he was convicted on several counts, sentenced to death by hanging inside the Sugamo Prison just a few days before his 64th birthday, December 1948.

Once returning to the states, Jack married, raised a family of five while living in a Washington D.C. suburb, and had a successful 33-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency. It would be decades later before he was willing to speak about his wartime experiences.

“I was fascinated with the story, from the moment I saw a photograph of Wilpers standing over Tojo’s bloodspattered body,” Chris tells me drinking from a bottle of Orange Juice while I nurse a cup of coffee. “Finding out that this young man was from Upstate, Saratoga no less, blew me away.”

Most of the veterans I speak with are humble and shy away from talking about their years of service. I can’t even imagine the things they saw and lived through during times of war. Many say that they were doing their duty, what any good soldier would do. It takes some coaxing to accept any credit for their heroism.

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In 2010 Pentagon officials held a ceremony to award Mr. Wilpers the Bronze Star he’d earned for his part in Tojo’s arrest. Only a few media outlets covered the ceremony and they didn’t get the details Chris would gather later that same year. None mentioned that Jack was a native New Yorker who had grown up in Saratoga, either.

According to the award’s citation, however: “Had Captain Wilpers not acted with courage and initiative, Hideki Tojo would have succeeded in avoiding trial and possible execution for his acts.”

The interview excited Chris Carola.

“He was speaking to the press now,” he says while taking another sip of OJ. “I wondered if it was because of his age? Maybe the war was far enough behind him? It made me want to try to reach out again, try to get him to speak with me.”

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Jack Wilpers holds the door for a patron at the Arrowhead casino, circa 1940. Wilpers spent summers working at the Arrowhead, one of the illegal casinos located near Saratoga Lake.

Left: Yank magazine spread detailing the capture of former Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo on Sept. 11, 1945. Lt. Jack Wilpers is shown picking up the handgun Tojo had used to shoot himself in the chest in his unsuccessful suicide attempt.

Photo by Sgt. George Burns of Albany.

That Summer, Chris was on vacation in Westport, MA with his brother Barry and his kids. They were staying at a waterfront rental house on Horseneck Beach. Plans for their return home changed a bit when news of a storm brewing hit. Chris decided to check out the other end of the beach before they left to head back to New York.

He was wearing a khaki 2004 Saratoga Race Course giveaway baseball hat – the free ones they give out at the track during the meet. He watched an older guy make his way up the beach from the surf. The man collected his belongings and Chris laughed when he noticed the hat he was holding was the same one!

“Hey, you,” Chris called out. “Nice hat!” How ironic. The surfer told Chris his family had lived in Saratoga at one time, that they’d owned a couple of different businesses back in the day.

Curious, Chris asked what the family name was. Believe it or not, the man replied ‘Wilpers.’

“Tell your old man I’m still pissed off at him for not talking to me about Tojo,” Chris half-kiddingly said.

sure. Perhaps they also shared stories of family and loved ones, personal aspirations, and dreams of peace.

Once the man introduced himself as John Wilpers, Chris realized they’d actually spoken on the phone in the early ‘90s. John had been the one to explain to the young reporter that his father was never willing to talk about the war – not even with family.

“It was a job we were told to do and we did it,” he told Chris. “I just happened to be the one who busted open the door.” The words of a true, humble American hero.

They shook hands goodbye. John promised to tell his father about the random meeting on the beach, that Chris was going to call in a few days, that his dad needed to talk about the war with this man who’d been trying to get in touch for so many years.

Chris did get to speak with Wilpers after all. They talked on the phone two different times, on consecutive days, for about 90 minutes, but it was enough. I imagine the conversation was warm and open. I’d like to believe that both men spoke about heavy things – the capture and arrest of Tojo, the end of the war, heroism, for

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Since April 2017, Chris has been giving one-hour presentations on Jack Wilpers – using family photos, Jack’s own wartime letters and WWII newspaper clippings to tell how a Saratogian helped capture one of WWII’s most hated figures.

Among the places he has given the talk: The New York State Military Museum here in Saratoga, The Irish American Museum in Albany, Saratoga Central Catholic School, (formerly St. Peter’s, Jack’s alma mater,) and Fort Ticonderoga. He’s scheduled to give his talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23rd, at the Saratoga Springs History Museum in Canfield Museum in Congress Park. SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Center for HOPE’s

Mary Lyall

Lights the Way for Families of Missing Persons across USA WRITTEN BY ANN HAUPRICH | PHOTOS PROVIDED UNLESS NOTED

This candid photo of Suzanne Lyall has a mystical quality. Snapped on impulse by mother Mary because she was in a hurry to finish off a roll of film, the image wasn’t discovered until long after the teen’s 1998 disappearance. Reflects her mom: “I had forgotten about this precious moment in time until after I got the film developed. I immediately realized what a gift I’d received. This picture is priceless to me now.” Suzanne Lyall’s SUNY/Albany college ID photo (right), meanwhile, was circulated internationally in the aftermath of her March 2, 1998 abduction.

There were times after receiving the news that her cherished 19-year-old daughter Suzanne had vanished without a trace from her SUNY/Albany campus in 1998 that Mary Lyall was on the brink of despair.

Instead, the Ballston Spa mother quite literally chose HOPE.

O

ut of the ashes of her anguish and grief, Lyall co-founded The Center for HOPE (Healing Our Painful Emotions) with her now late husband Doug. Advocacy, education and prevention are cornerstones of the not-for-profit which has earned a national reputation as a beacon and a life raft for those struggling to cope with the unexplained disappearance of a loved one.

transforming call about their youngest child nearly 22 years ago.

The lack of resources and support available to them and Suzanne’s older siblings, Sandra and Steven, ultimately became the spark that ignited the flame that led to the founding of The Center for HOPE and its outreach initiatives.

Nearest and dearest to Lyall’s heart is New York State Missing Persons Day which has taken place on Mary Lyall beams after being presented with a 2017 Women of Distinction award or near Suzanne’s April Her purpose-filled life

by NYS Senator James Tedisco. The following year, Tedisco awarded Lyall the state’s highest honor: The Liberty Medal during 2018’s NYS Missing Person’s Day in Albany.

6th birthday every year is a shining example since 2001. The event of what can happen enables friends and relatives of thousands of missing when the human heart and spirit summon the strength persons to join together to reflect, remember and provide and the courage to transform a tragedy of immeasurable mutual support. The April 2018 gathering proved to proportions into rays of hope for others. be extra meaningful when NYS Senator James Tedisco According to Lyall, families and friends of missing persons presented Lyall with the state’s highest award: The Liberty typically experience intense emotions ranging from shock Medal. In a poignant tribute, Tedisco praised Lyall as “a and disbelief to sorrow and grief to frustration and anger community hero who turned her own personal tragedy into before finally coming to the gut-wrenching realization that a positive crusade to help other families across the USA.” this is not some nightmare from which they will awaken if In addition to co-founding The Center for HOPE, Lyall helped pinched. At this point, the most devastating emotion of all to lay the groundwork for the NYS Campus Safety Act (now – despair – often enters the scenario. federal legislation called Suzanne Lyall’s Campus Safety There was, Lyall explains, no place she and Doug (who Law) as well as a second piece of federal legislation titled passed away in 2015) could turn for the kind of guidance Suzanne’s Law which boosted the age for those protected by and support they needed when they received the life The Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 18 to 21. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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College of St. Rose Cold Case Analysis Center students flank Professor Christina Lane, Center for HOPE co-founder Mary Lyall and NYS Senator James Tedisco.

On display in front of the group are enlargements of sample Coasters for HOPE. One features Ballston Spa’s Suzanne Lyall, who was 19 when she vanished without a trace from her SUNY/Albany campus in 1998; the other provides information about Scotia’s Craig Frear, who was a 17-year-old high school student when he mysteriously disappeared while walking home in 2004.

She and Doug also spearheaded efforts to introduce the Missing Persons Alert System through the NYS Thruway and Missing Persons profiles on NYS tax forms. Having decks of Cold Case playing cards produced for circulation among inmates in county jails and Coasters for HOPE featuring missing persons distributed for use in restaurants and bars are other notable achievements.

Recent additional undertakings have included working with students at the College of St. Rose Cold Case Analysis Center and involvement with a popular WGY investigative podcast series titled Upstate Unsolved. (See sidebar) Boosting awareness of radKIDS (the “rad” stands for Resist Aggression Defensively) is yet another cause to which the Saratoga County woman yearns to devote more time.

Mary and Doug Lyall as photographed by Antonio Bucca using an early digital camera inside The Center for HOPE on Prospect Street in Ballston Spa in 2002.

A radiant, relaxed Suzanne Lyall posed for this senior portrait as she was preparing to graduate with the Ballston Spa High School Class of 1996.

Founded by Ballston Spa native Steve Daley, radKIDS educates youngsters and empowers them with the skills needed to help prevent them from becoming victims of predatory violence.

Based on the nationally accredited radKIDS curriculum, the program includes dynamic live-action demonstrations of the skills needed to escape danger and abduction. Through radKIDS training, children and adolescents become empowered and learn to replace the fear, confusion and panic of dangerous situations with confidence, personal safety skills and self-assurance.

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College of St. Rose Cold Case Students and “Unsolved Upstate” Podcast Shed New Light On Older Mysterious Criminal Justice Cases As the sun rises on 2020, widowed grandmother Mary Lyall draws renewed energy, strength and inspiration from interactions with WGY’s Unsolved Upstate podcast host Phoebe LaFave and Professor Christina Lane’s College of St. Rose Cold Case Analysis Center interns.

Mary Lyall created the artwork for this mug featuring village landmarks as a Center for HOPE fund-raising item. The $10 mugs are available at O’Brien Pharmacy and at The Center for HOPE (inside of the historic Chocolate Factory) in Ballston Spa.

It is Lyall’s hope that selling coffee mugs she designed which feature a mural of village of Ballston Spa landmarks (including the Old Chocolate Factory on Prospect Street where the Center for HOPE is based) will raise sufficient funds to assist in bringing radKIDS programs to Capital Region locations in the near future.

There is no way of knowing how many families may yet be spared the agony of losing a loved one because of the tireless efforts of Mary Lyall and The Center for HOPE. To learn more, visit hope4themissing.org or call 518-884-8761.

“If the Fairy Tale ending I’d dreamed of when I got married in 1964 had come true – if Doug and all three of our children were still with me -- I’m sure I’d be spending a lot more time knitting, painting and gardening,” muses Lyall. “But as long as I draw breath, exploring every possibility that might lead to the solving of the mystery of Suzy’s unexplained disappearance must remain my top priority. I know that’s what Doug would want me to be doing if he were still here with me on earth.”

Center for HOPE co-founder Mary Lyall enjoys spending time with WGY investigative podcast host Phoebe LaFave.

Eyes misting up, she recalls how soul mate Doug had been her primary comforter, protector, sounding board and travel companion.

(Though they logged thousands of miles as part of their Center for HOPE volunteer efforts, the couple never accepted monetary compensation. All funds raised for the not-for-profit went, and continue to go, directly back into its work.)

The scope of topics involving Suzanne that were tackled in LaFave’s popular Upstate Unsolved podcast during 2019 ranged from memories of the teen’s life prior to her March 2, 1998 disappearance from SUNY/Albany (including a significant romantic relationship while attending college), to the search for her whereabouts following her abduction to an interview with the case’s lead investigator. (To listen to the investigative podcast and to view many never-before-published photos of Suzanne, who graduated with Ballston Spa High School’s Class of 1996, visit wgy.iheart.com/featured/upstate-unsolved.)

The College of St. Rose Cold Case Analysis Center, meanwhile, enables select students from the institution’s Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law, Forensic Science and Forensic Psychology degree programs to probe more deeply into true cold cases. Students chosen for competitive internships in the one-of-a-kind in NYS college program, which offers specialized training in cold case investigations, also volunteer to assist local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in solving unsolved murders as well as cases involving unexplained disappearances. (To learn more, visit www.strose.edu/academics/ schools/school-of-mathematics-sciences/cold-case-analysis-center.)

Dreams of a “happily ever after” Fairy Tale ending filled young Mary Gloria’s heart when she wed sweetheart Doug Lyall in 1964.

For more on radKIDS, see an upcoming edition of Saratoga FAMILY. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

“It’s impossible to articulate how much I miss Doug, his empathy, his encouragement, his insights, his optimism,” reflects Lyall. “And there will always be a hole in my Mama Bear heart only Suzy, who was my Baby Bear, can fill. But since I began meeting the students, several have become close to me, almost like surrogate children. Their presence in my life has made me realize there’s always room in one’s heart for more love. I’m eternally grateful to have them - Professor Lane and Phoebe LaFave - in my life. There’s increased reason to hope that the answers I seek involving my daughter and other missing persons will eventually come into the light aided by their efforts.” SS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 37

When the opportunity to write about an old friend presents itself, you grab it with vigor.

This story is about Ed (Mr. Ed) Sakos, the former owner of Saratoga's famous "Mr. Ed's Hot Dogs." While Ed was feeding thousands of rowdy bar-goers and Broadway regulars throughout the 1980s and 90s, I was the proprietor of Price's Dairy. Not only did he become a valued customer of mine in 1984, but he also became a good friend. His love of storytelling and sharing sophomoric jokes made my milk deliveries, and our visits a treat. Ed’s unmistakable laugh and eternal grin draw people in like moths to a flame. Stepping inside, Mr. Ed's was an unforgettable experience.

The location was 443 Broadway directly across from Caroline St., and next to what was then called, "The Square." The restaurant was deep and narrow. Its cast of characters spanned all walks of life.

Lawyers, Skidmore students, business owners, policemen, drifters, teens, and alcohol-soaked bar patrons packed the place from lunch to the wee hours of the morning. The back wall was lined with the most popular video games of that era. Ed smiled when he talked about the quarters from Pac Man and Frogger paying the bills during those years. The profit from food was simply a bonus.

Mr. Ed Reunion WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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In 1987, while still running the Broadway location, Ed partnered with Rich Garms to open The Front St. News and Sandwich Shop in Ballston Spa. Although they were only open a few years, the two men helped usher in a wave of new interest in that city's downtown. That revival continues today.

Ed's unwavering glass-half-full-attitude and perpetual energy kept him in a constant search for the next project.

It was 1996 when Ed escaped the increasing rent of Broadway and headed east on Rt#29 to the outskirts of the city where he opened Mr. Ed's Ice Cream Station. He would re-invent and remodel this location several times over the next eighteen years. His classic car Tuesday Night Cruise-In and Memphis Barbecue drew rave reviews and a loyal following.

After years of wrestling antiquated zoning regulations, Ed finally secured a buyer and retreated back to his Schallehn Rd. farm.

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The author with his prized Mr. Ed’s 'Clem' Sign.

Mr. Ed posing with Mister Ed & crew in front of 443 Broadway circa 1990.

Along with the restaurant business, Ed had a hunger for antiques and estate sales. His vintage sign collection was legendary. His interest in old signs began when he purchased a large number from an antique dealer going out of business.

He used those signs extensively in decorating his Rt#29 location. The 1950s era signs not only added to the Happy Days-vibe of the place it also helped pad his retirement when he sold the collection a few years ago. Anyone who has watched an episode of American Pickers would love spending a day listening to Ed's stories about his self-described "junk" collecting.

That leads to one of my favorite Mr. Ed stories.

In 1989 I dissolved Price's Dairy and went to work in the Hauling Department at Stewart's. I worked there until retirement earlier this year. During those years, the only real contact I had with Ed was when I would blast my truck's air saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Mr. Ed commandeers a Hot Dog Bun Float in support of local teens.

horn as I passed his Rt#29 farm or business. These were the years where friendship rested just below the surface, waiting for spring rains to bring it back to life. In 2015 Ed and I reunited on Facebook. We hadn't really visited with each other for years, so it felt good to touch base again — even if it was electronically.

It was 8 a.m. one Saturday morning when I heard my cell phone buzzing.

I was in the middle of a project, so I didn't check it right away. It was after 9 before I actually read the message. It said," FYI, there is a Price's Dairy milk box at an estate sale at 23 Elizabeth Lane off Lake Ave." Damn! By the time I get there, the thing will be gone for sure. People descend on estate sales like vultures. There's no way that piece of Saratoga history will still be there. I showed my wife the message. She said, “GO!" I threw my shoes on, grabbed my keys, and literally ran to my truck. I hit Northern

Pines Rd., like a volunteer fireman on a late-night fire call. Vic Price must have been looking down on me that day because every light turned green on my approach. I made the four-mile drive in minutes. Not until I reached the end of the street, did I find a home with #23 on it and a roll-off dumpster in the driveway. There were only a couple of cars parked out front. Either the house was cleaned out, or I was the luckiest man in town. Once I spotted the cardboard sign taped on the door to the garage that said, "Come In," I knew I had the right place. When I entered the garage, I was greeted by two people. I briefly described the Price's Dairy milk box and why it had such sentimental value to me. They smiled and pointed me toward the cellar stairs.

Low and behold at the bottom sat the faded and slightly dented 1950's milk box. I was grinning like a kid with a new bike. This time Mr. Ed had me laughing at something more than one of his a-man-walks-into-a-bar jokes.

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Ed appears in four clips of the 1991 Billy Bathgate movie filmed in Saratoga.

During our interview, I asked about the "Mr. Ed" name. For those of you who remember "Mister Ed," the talking horse, the star of the 1960’s television show bearing the same name, yes, it's true, Mr. Ed has a connection. Ed explained that in the 70s, to help pay for college, in Atlanta, Georgia, he worked at a childcare center. When the children at the center referred to him as Mister Ed, the talking horse, he replicated Mister Ed's deep-chested horse-chuckle. The children roared with laughter, thus implanting a connection that remains today.

Ed faithfully showed his mutual support of his Saratoga patrons by involving himself in many community activities. Over the years, he was an active member of the Downtown Business Association, Victorian Street Walk, Boy Scouts, Saratoga Dressage Festival, to name a few. He has always been supportive of Saratoga youth, whether it was an athletic fundraiser or a group of colorful skateboarders.

The Mr. Ed story I cherish most was documented in Simply Saratoga's 2018 Summer Edition. I was chasing down the whereabouts of "Clem" signs painted by longtime Saratoga Springs sign painter Walt Clements. One day in the spring

Ed and Mary Jane Sakos at Saratoga’s 2019 Victorian Street Walk.

of 2018, Ed and I were discussing my search. Ed nonchalantly mentioned he might have a Mr. Ed's Hot Dogs A-frame sign painted and signed by "Clem" buried in the dusty loft of his barn. Over the phone, I begged him to toss the purring cat from his lap and go confirm its existence. The following week Ed invited me over to help pull the priceless find from its musty resting place. To pull that sign from the darkened depths of that barn was like setting eyes on the sunken Titanic. In true Mr. Ed fashion, Ed generously gifted that sign to me. I am thankful for the gift, but even more grateful for the joy the memory of that excavation left me with.

A testament to Ed's ability to deal with unforeseen setbacks that all self-employed people experience came just as this summer was fading.

Ed's farm on Schallehn Rd., at the city's edge, was the epicenter of a confirmed tornado. It's hard to believe that while their home was left relatively unscathed, Ed's wife Mary Jane's car was scratched and dented beyond recognition. A massive collection of estate sale finds were destroyed. There was roof damage to his outbuildings, but fortuitously the horses boarded there were untouched. Unfortunately, the majestic trees that encompassed

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the multi-acre parcel were decimated.

The property was left impassable and unrecognizable. With help from friends and family, and without skipping a beat, Ed and his wife Mary Jane spent the next two months clearing and reclaiming their farm.

What I'd like readers to take away from this article is not the historical facts, but more importantly, the significance of "place." My wife and I chose to remain close to our birthplace for a reason. The comfort one receives in living near your roots is something you can't order online. It's free for the taking. Recognizing it is the key.

During a recent nostalgic ramble with childhood friend Brad Dake, he said something about me living close to home all these years. The quote encapsulates the sentiment of many longtime Saratoga County residents.

As someone who has been away from the area for a long time he said, "I remember bits, but time and distance confound my attempts to conjure the image in its entirety. I guess staying in one place offers a completeness that many of us will never know." Bingo.

I want to thank Ed Sakos for doing his part to bring 'completeness' to this author. SS

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The

POWER

of a

love story

Meet the Cottrell Family

WRITTEN BY THERESA ST. JOHN | PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY TOP PHOTO (LEFT TO RIGHT): ALISSA, GARRETT, VALERIE, BEN, AND JENNA COTTRELL

I

meet them on a sunny autumn afternoon. Father and son greet me in the driveway, opening the door of their home wide, calling out to mom and two daughters, announcing my arrival.

I learn their names right off the bat.

Valerie and Ben are parents to twins Garrett and Alissa, both 31, as well as a younger daughter Jenna, who is 28.

We sit around the dining table together, sun streaming in from the deck, laughter ringing gaily throughout the room. You’d never know what they’ve grappled with, struggled through as a family – unless you asked.

It seems like everyone you meet today either knows someone battling cancer, is a survivor themselves, or has lost a loved one from what the American Cancer Society estimated (back in 2015) would claim the lives of about 1,600 people daily.

If you’re wondering about the numbers, it equates to approximately 590,000 deaths due to cancer. In one year.

dad to ask if my brother had this or that done to him that day. It was like I always knew.”

Garrett was 16 when he was diagnosed with ALL – Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. The doctors at Albany Med offered him two options. He chose the second one – which would be harder and take longer – but would also allow the medical community to study the disease, its treatment, and his recovery.

There was guilt, too. “I couldn’t understand why Garrett was enduring this hell while I was healthy. It was horrible. I cried a lot, felt defenseless and alone. What if the other half – the better half of me died? I couldn’t imagine life without him.”

“I knew it would be better if we could bring more education and awareness to this type of cancer,” Garrett tells me. “I felt it was the least I could do – help the next person suffering from it.”

Garrett knew his sister felt helpless.

“I needed Alissa to understand this wasn’t her fault. We sat down one day, talking for a long time. I hugged her and said she was going to have to be strong and healthy for both of us.”

Alissa, his twin sister, says she felt phantom pains all the time. “Whenever mom and dad brought Garrett to the hospital for a procedure, the wait was unbearable. I panicked. It felt as if I was going through it with him. I’d call

Chemo, shots, IV drips, 25 different pills every Friday – it sure seemed like it would never end. It was tough for the family to carry on with normal activities, but they coped, doing the best they could under the circumstances.

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“some days there won’t be a song in your heart. sing anyway.”

- EMORY AUSTIN Thankfully, Garrett saw another birthday, then another, and yet another - growing stronger with each one.

Doctors still keep a close eye on him, but cancer moves further away from his life every day.

Jenna talks softly, remembering a momentous day during December 2016.

It was time to come off of her parent’s health insurance. “I was crying like a baby, complaining about how much it was going to cost. Man, I was young – I didn’t want to think about spending my hard-earned money on things like that.”

She had a long conversation with her dad, deciding it was the smart, grownup thing to do. Securing medical coverage would help her worry less over the ‘what ifs’ in life.

Thank goodness she made that decision.

In January 2017 she was attending a press conference for her job as a sports anchor for ABC/Fox. By then, she was living and working in the Rochester area.

She wasn’t feeling well and recalls being drenched in sweat. Coworkers asked if she was okay and Jenna wasn’t able to shrug it off. Her temperature was 104.

At the hospital, she was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkins Lymphoma. Her team of doctors would be from The Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The family was in disbelief. How could this have happened again? How would they ever get through the journey saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

of another child suffering from this terrible disease?

“Friends and family rallied around us both times,” Jenna tells me. “They brought food, lent an ear, offered a helping hand. We were never alone.”

At first, Jenna says she was angry with the news, grappling with the questions of “Why me? Why our family? Why a second time?”

She’d shared a bedroom with Alissa over the years, the sisters were very close, even after she’d moved away. “It was so hard for me to watch,” Alissa says, tears brimming from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. “Once again – I was healthy and a sibling wasn’t. Why?” It was terrifying for Garrett as well.

“I felt terrible, all-consuming guilt.

Memories of my own personal journey with cancer came flooding back – I didn’t want my younger sister to suffer any of what I’d gone through. I was her big brother, yet there was nothing I could do to spare her from what I knew was ahead.”

Jenna’s journey was a tough one as well. Some days were good, others were bad. 12 rounds of treatment came wrapped up in a lot of different emotions, sickness, depression, hope.

It’s an experience she wouldn’t wish on anyone. “I learned how tough I am though,” she tells me, “how strong my family is, how supportive my friends are. Cancer taught me more about the human spirit than any other experience could have.”

Over the last two hours, I feel as if I’ve opened a wound that’s only just scabbed over. I search five sets of eyes and see raw emotion. When they speak their mouths quiver. The love they have for one another is evident and very powerful.

“It’s important to talk about cancer,” one of them tells me.

“Cancer changes your perspective on life,” another one says, wiping tears from her face with the back of her hand.

“Look,” Garrett pipes in. “You can have a bad day – you just can’t live there.”

Valerie and Ben hold hands and look at each other. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster. We’re just so grateful the kids are okay. They’re all doing well, have great jobs, keep up with doctor appointments, and are closer than ever. Most importantly, they’re living the best lives they can. We’re extremely proud of all three.”

Each one hugs me tightly as I prepare to leave - with bear hugs that don’t need a single word.

Jenna points to her parents. Garrett and Alissa follow suit. “These two,” she tells me. “They’re why we’re still here. They wouldn’t let us give up or wallow in pity. Rock-solid people, our parents. We’re so lucky to have them in our corner.”

I shake my head ‘yes,’ tears brimming from my eyes as well. They sure are. SS

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H&G Randall Perry Photography

Flip the page for more

This photo of picnickers in their festive attire was taken on July 4, 1891, behind the general store near one of the old Vischer Ferry mills (no longer in existence).

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Archite Randall Perry Photography

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

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Bringing Folks AT THE

VISCHER FERRY

WRITTEN BY WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH PHOTOS BY RANDALL PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

I

t takes some pretty amazing villagers to purchase a burned-out, mid-1800s building and restore it to its original splendor. But that’s exactly what happened in the case of the Vischer Ferry General Store, located at 357 Riverview Road, Rexford.

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Together:

GENERAL STORE

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Randall Perry Photography

The enclosed back porch, added during the renovation, provides a peek into the store through a set of salvaged antique doors.

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A

fter fire swept through the structure in 2013, three local couples—Paul and Joanne Coons, George and Karan Donohue, and Louise and Tom McManus—banded together to purchase the building, comprised of a store and two apartments, and renovate it in a historically accurate and energy efficient manner.

Each of the couples had a personal interest in resurrecting the damaged structure. Louise and Tom McManus live in the historic home to the left of it, the Donohues in the gray farmhouse to the right, and Paul and Joanne Coons have a passion for purchasing historically significant homes and restoring them to their former glory.

In fact, they once owned and refurbished the 19th century Greek revival residence that the McManuses now call home.

“The fire enabled us to see all the original features that had long been hidden behind sheetrock walls, drop-ceilings, and carpeted floor,” says Louise McManus, who now owns and operates the general store portion of the building. “The newer features took the brunt of the fire damage and protected the historic materials. Incredibly, we were able to salvage and refinish most of the original floor planks throughout the building. Replacement boards were sourced from an old barn in Fort Plain.”

Although Louise had never specifically dreamed of owning her own business, she had always aspired to do something creative. When her 10-year career at a Saratoga bridal shop wound down just as the renovation project was materializing, she found herself intrigued by the creative opportunities that might come of bringing an old-time general store back to modern-day Vischer Ferry. In its heyday, the store had been a gathering spot for locals and a popular stop for canallers along the Erie Canal.

Given its proximity to the 740-acre Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve, Louise believed that the store could once again become a popular stop for visitors as well as a vibrant community hub for local residents.

“I’ve always enjoyed curating merchandise,” Louise says, “and I loved the idea of bringing food and retail together.” Each month, she arranges special onsite events like an evening pizza truck, a Saturday outdoor antique market, or a Lebanese afternoon tea.

Louise’s creative flare is further showcased in her stunning seasonal and holiday displays, both in-store and throughout the grounds. “I love decorating—especially the truck!” she says, referring to the green,1950 Studebaker pickup truck parked out front to welcome visitors to her establishment.

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Randall Perry Photography

The legs for the communal table, featuring their original green paint, came from an old jewelry factory and were procured at the Brimfield Antique Show.

The Vischer Ferry General Store is well-known for its scrumptious breakfast sandwich, distinctive beverages, and mouthwatering baked goods. “Our menu varies daily,” says employee Jenna Batchelder, who does some of the cooking and baking, “and we’re always trying new things.”

Louise credits George for locating the store’s crowdpleasing Studebaker. “One day I told George that I’d really love to have an old green pickup truck parked in front of the store. A day or so later, he walked in and told me he’d found us the perfect truck!”

Popular items include challah bread French toast, soups, salads, sandwiches, crustless quiches, and wraps. And check out the made-from-scratch sweet treats like sea salt milk chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pecan pie, and maple bacon scones! Gluten-free options are always available.

One of George’s contacts from his many years as a mechanic not only graciously lent Louise her dream vehicle but allowed her to detail it with the store’s name and catchy slogan: Gather, Shop, Eat.

Property co-owner George Donohue is the kitchen’s head chef. “I’ll find a new recipe online and try it, then play with it, adjusting it ‘til I get it right. Our customers give us ideas, too,” he adds. “We’re always open to suggestions.”

In addition to food, the Vischer Ferry General Store carries a distinctive line of gift and souvenir items. A tinier shop out back, christened The Shed, also houses an eclectic array of vintage gifts and curios. In fair weather, four cruising bikes can be found parked nearby.

George, a retired 40-year automobile mechanic, enjoys making people happy. “In my old job, I’d hand someone a $500 repair bill and they’d leave unhappy. Here,” he grins, “I give them a $10 meal, and they leave happy. It’s nice to be on the other end.”

“We added the bikes last June,” Louise says.

“We encourage our visitors to enjoy a nice bike ride, explore the preserve, then stop back afterwards for a bite to eat. Our staff is always happy to offer suggestions on where to go or what to do.”

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Randall Perry Photography

When asked if her initial goals for the store have been realized, Louise McManus beams. “Realized and exceeded! The positive response from our customers and the community has been overwhelming and heartwarming.

Looking ahead, I hope to collaborate with even more local business owners and bring in many more special events.

The possibilities are endless.”

Vischer Ferry General Store hours: Thursday & Friday, 8-5; Saturday & Sunday, 8-3. To learn more, visit www.vischerferrygeneralstore.com.

SS

Check out page 11 to see their restaurant feature!

Portions of the original plank walls were discovered beneath the sheetrock, and were reinstalled with their beautiful patina.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 55

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

Welcome 2020!

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 can remember imagining what this year would feel like when I was a kid…that was a long time ago! It seemed so far off yet here it is!

I think sometimes our home projects can feel the same way too.You imagine a magazine-like room, dream and pin ideas, but it seems so far in the future. Then it’s finally here, you’re in the throngs of demolition and you didn’t know you had to order most of those dream items in advance! Well let’s look at some of the selections I found around our Saratoga area to help you get ready during this winter season of preparation!

ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE 2570 U.S. 9, Malta, NY 12020 Allerdice.com 518-584-5533

Let’s start with some personal items…sometimes during the gloomy winter season, we need a personal pick-me-up to put a smile on our face!

ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE, in Malta, has these enchanting Labradorite Bracelets and Necklaces. The stone gets its name from the location in which it was first found, Labrador Canada, which is the northernmost geographical region in Atlantic Canada…and we thought it was cold here! The crystal is a feldspar mineral, one that is often pearly on a cut face and is closely related to the Rainbow Moonstone. That’s bound to put a smile on your face! Or if you are more into your little ones, Accents has a wonderful selection of Artwork Designs for Newborns like this wonderful “Butterflies” collection. What a great gift for a baby shower!

CURTAIN & CARPET CONCEPTS 146 Marion Avenue, Suite 7 Saratoga Springs CurtainToCarpet.com 518-886-1389

All their items are knitted from breathable, super-soft yarn with applique’ details that lend a distinctive touch! It just might be that keepsake that is passed down to the next generation! Now that’s thinking ahead!

Now, let’s chat home décor.

THE FURNITURE HOUSE 1254 Route 9P Saratoga Springs TheFurnitureHouseNY.com 518-587-9865

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CURTAIN AND CARPET CONCEPTS just received these amazing Throw Pillows with Laser Cut Cowhide overlaid on a canvas backdrop. These down filled lovelies are too luxurious to let slip through your hands, so I recommend you hustle over there to scoop them up before they’re gone!

More of a snuggly cover person? Well then look at these divine Mohair Throws which would pair with any fireplace backdrop and a glass of wine! The neutral colors of grey, charcoal and rose work seamlessly in any setting while the petite chevron woven broad stripe adds a hint of classic flavor!

I can see any of these in a Classic Blue room, Pantone’s Color of the Year! (more about that in Saratoga Home & Lifestyle magazine, due out on February 14th!)

With the trend of GRAYS hitting its peak…it’s been ten years now…many homeowners have taken the plunge into converting their main spaces with a clean and fresh palette.

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THE FURNITURE HOUSE

Gray is the backdrop for other colors so what better than this spectacular find at THE FURNITURE HOUSE; a Fairfield 42” Round Coffee Table crafted out of metal and topped with hand painted glass to mimic stone!

What a great opportunity to inject color in an unexpected, yet rustic style.

And who couldn’t use a little yellow in their life right now? This Taylor King Upholstered Chair is constructed of solid maple with true 8-way hand tied springs, the golden standard of upholstered furniture. The linen base is upholstered with laser cut velvet, offering a range of color and texture.

1254 Route 9P Saratoga Springs TheFurnitureHouseNY.com 518-587-9865

Be bold this decade my friends as you roar into the 20s by updating your tone-on-tone palette with a splash of vitality!

Enough interiors… let’s dive outside in anticipation of warmer weather!

With the cold elements glazing over our Saratoga landscapes, lets dream a bit about the sun and fun we will have when our pools and patios reopen in the Spring! Isn’t it grand to sweep off the deck and uncover your furniture for the season? Oh…you needed new furniture?...You were GOING to order it...I see…Well good thing I’m reminding you NOW! Hop on over to SARATOGA SIGNATURE INTERIORS for an array of Outdoor Rugs like this plush colorful option. Ask about their Outdoor Woven Frames and Sunbrella Fabrics from Watermark Living... And if you DO forget to order early, Saratoga Signature Interiors has several options to choose from on a Quick Ship Program…meaning… it arrives in two weeks! Just look at this Crescent Shaped Sofa…an entertaining centerpiece!

Last, but not least… I’m sure there are many of you who are planning a kitchen renovation or building a home. Do you love to cook? I’m talking connoisseur, pleasure-seeking moments with food! Then let me introduce you to a few ranges offered at EARL B. FEIDEN’s that will make your gourmet heart melt like slowly simmered chocolate! First, Viking’s Dual Fuel 5 Series advances your cooking experience with patented features like VariSimmer-to-high, Vari-Speed Dual Flow Convection System, Rapid Ready boasting the fastest preheat times on the market and so much more; it’s a culinary dream!

EARL B. FEIDEN

EarlBFeiden.com 785 Route 9, Latham 518-785-8555 1771 Route 9, Clifton Park 518-383-2215 661 Broadway, Kingston 845-331-2230

SARATOGA SIGNATURE INTERIORS 82 Church Street Saratoga Springs SaratogaSignature.com 518-581-0023

For the epicurean artist, the French La Cornue Grand Palau’s 180 is the crown jewel of the Château Series, crafted by hand and embodies the owner’s vision for a personal cooking experience. In the La Cornue, you will find an uncompromising culinary encounter embodied in options such as a French Top (best for simmering and holding temperature), Teppan-Yaki (Japanese for iron plate-grilled…much like when you go to a Japanese restaurant and the chef entertains you while he prepares your dinner), induction plates and of course high performance gas burners. With two grand vaulted ovens...one electric, one gas, this masterpiece commands respect and admiration in any kitchen.

Visually, La Cornue captures the soul by offering 50 enamel or metal body finishes with eleven metal trim options ranging from brushed brass to polished stainless steel.

Are you crying tears of culinary joy…I am! I think I need to propose a series of articles on kitchen appliances so I can take more time to explain all these marvels to you! I’ll talk to the editor! Done – again, look for Saratoga Home & Lifestyle magazine!

For now, I leave you to ponder all the ways we can make the Roaring 20s come to life in your home. I’m excited to see what this new decade will bring and how the many changes to come will impact how we create our environments for life.

Be sure to share your updated homes with me @cmcdesignstudiollc #colleenspicks!

Until next time my friends, SS

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 57

In the Kitchen WITH

H

JOHN REARDON

ello my Foodie Friends!

Burrrr, these colder months call for those heartier comfort foods we love. Winter is here and is a great excuse to feed those fierce cravings of homemade pizza. One of our family’s favorite food is pizza; especially Paula’s homemade pizza. Pizza brings back so many beautiful memories for me.

Back in the days before children, pizza was a frequent meal for Paula and me. Our lives were basically like “two ships passing in the night.” When Paula and I first dated, one of our favorite romantic places to eat was an Italian restaurant called Verdolini’s. We were there so much they knew our order when we came in. The waitresses used to elbow each other and fuss over the young lovers. They were planning our wedding before we even thought about getting married.

The lighting and ambiance was straight out of a movie. The whole Verdolini family worked there and when he was old enough, my brother Bill, worked there also. They made a pizza that was different from any pizza I have had before or since. Paula was curious about their ingredients and how it was made. She would ask and they would say “it’s a secret.”

We had my brother Bill, however, as our spy on the inside.

Bill would bring home any left-over pizzas at the end of the night and hand them out to whoever wanted them. He could not manage to get the entire recipe from the owner, but he got enough that he and Paula came close. One of the special parts was baking them in their stone oven. After 60 years in business, our hometown Italian Restaurant, Verdolini’s had to close due to a flood and family health problems, but they live in our memories forever.

We have tinkered with the recipe over the years and I think Paula’s pizza is now perfect. That’s the thing about pizza; it’s a personal taste type of food. The way I like it might be different than the way someone else likes it and that’s ok. Paula still enjoys making homemade pizza. One of our favorite items in the store that we use to make our pizza is a Pizza Stone made by Old Stone Oven. Over 35 years ago, Old Stone Oven Company introduced the original baking stone for home use. This pizza stone is thicker than other stones. It is made of a special blend of lead-free clays and has porosity and heat retention that is unmatched for giving a delicate crispy, restaurant-quality crust to any pizza, focaccia, or other breads in a standard home oven.

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It is oven and grill safe to 2000˚ Fahrenheit. The Old Stone Oven Pizza stone has a heat core that is specially engineered to concentrate heat evenly at the center. This solves the problem of a large pizza having an undercooked center while the outer edges are crispy. These stones can be used with care on outdoor grills – both charcoal and gas fired. They are also made in the USA. The trick to a crispy pizza is to heat the stone in the oven prior to putting your prepared pizza on it.

Making homemade Pizza is an excellent all-around family food that every person can personalize and enjoy on the day it is cooked, or the following day (Breakfast Pizza?). It is also a perfect “on the go” food to help with the crazy schedules that we all have. Looking for a culinary activity to do with the family during these “stay in the house” days?

Mention the word pizza and they may be in your kitchen ready to make their own fun creation before you know it! Enjoy making pizza with your family and friends. Sing, dance, play music (really loud!) and have fun eating your very own culinary work of art.

Stop by downtown Saratoga Springs’ Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place where we have Cool Tools for Cooks.

Make lasting memories in your kitchen. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

TAKE CARE,

John & Paula

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NEAPOLITAN STYLE PIZZA using a pizza stone

INGREDIENTS Note: Dough makes six 6-ounce balls for 6 individual small pizzas.

• 5 cups (22 ½ oz) unbleached all-purpose flour • 1 ¾ teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon dry yeast • 1 ¾ plus 2 tablespoons cool water (65°F) Topping for 6 small pizzas: • 1-pound fresh mozzarella • 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes • 10-12 fresh basil leaves torn • 1 tsp dried oregano • Optional: freshly ground black pepper and grated (shredded) parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large metal bowl) stir all ingredients together until well combined. If using a stand mixer fit it with the hook attachment and mix on low for 4 minutes. The flour should form a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix on medium for 2 more minutes, or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and sticks just a little to the bottom. If the dough is too soft and sticky, mix in some flour, if it is too stiff, add some more water.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, dust the top with flour and working from four corners fold the dough into a ball. Place in a bowl, that has been brushed with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour, to double its size. Then punch a hole in the dough, reshape, place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove dough from the fridge 2 hours before using. (The instructions might sound a little confusing, but saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

the idea is that the dough expands and the gluten in it relaxes). Divide dough into 6 parts. Form 6 balls and brush them with olive oil.

3. Position an oven rack at the lower third of the oven and place pizza stone on it. Heat oven to 450F. Never place cold pizza stone in a hot oven, because it will crack. (If pizza stone is not available, brush pizza pan with some olive oil).

4. Stretch and shape pizza dough into circles, that will fit the pizza stone. Transfer to a well floured pizza peel (we don't want pizza to stick to stone). Spread crushed tomatoes into an even layer and top with mozzarella cheese slices.

5. Using a pizza peel, transfer pizza to the pizza stone. (If using a pizza pan, place pizza in the pan and place pan directly on the rack). Bake pizza until edges of the crust turn golden and cheese starts bubbling or for 10-15 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with some torn basil and dried oregano, (you can add grated parmesan cheese), cut and enjoy!

SS

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PHOTO PROVIDED

Entertaining with Ralph Vincent

The Black Raspberry Chocolate Martini A LUSCIOUS, ENCHANTING WINTER COCKTAIL Something magical happens when you pair raspberries with chocolate, and my Black Raspberry Chocolate Martini combines both in a delectably dreamy cocktail. This drink is perfect as a dessert cocktail, or for sipping in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter’s eve.

The rich flavors of black raspberry liqueur and white crème de’ cacao blend deliciously and premium vodka adds an additional kick. The finished cocktail is gorgeous and even more so when garnished with two blackberries skewered on a cocktail pick.

Ingredients: • 1 ounce blackberry liqueur

I prefer Hiram Walker • 1 ounce premium vodka I like to use Ketel One • 1 ounce white crème de’ cocao • Fresh blackberries for garnish

Directions: Pour the black raspberry liqueur, vodka and crème

de’cocao into an ice filled cocktail shaker and secure the lid. Shake until well chilled and strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with the skewered blackberries and enjoy.

Wingless Buffalo Dip A MEATLESS ALTERNATIVE FOR YOUR SUPER BOWL PARTY MENU! If you are hosting a Super Bowl party chicken wings are most likely part of your menu. These tangy, scrumptious treats will delight many of your guests.

That is unless they are among the growing number of people who do not consume meat or poultry.

Still, your vegetarian guests can still enjoy the flavor of Buffalo chicken wings. My Wingless Buffalo Dip is a delectable meat free alternative. In this recipe white albacore tuna works beautifully as a substitute for chicken. The addition of wing sauce and blue cheese infuses this creamy dip with classic Buffalo flavor.

Serve this dip with carrot sticks, celery sticks, and crackers

Ingredients: • 16 ounces cream cheese, softened • 8 ounces blue cheese salad dressing • 8 ounces wing sauce • Four 5 ounce cans of solid white albacore tuna, drained • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: In a medium size bowl mix the cream cheese with the blue cheese salad dressing and wing sauce until well combined. Stir in the drained tuna and shredded cheddar cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the ingredients are melted.

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Gnocchi with Chickpeas, A COMFORTING DISH PERFECT FOR COLD WINTER EVENINGS. On a cold winter evening what could be better that a hot comforting meal? I think the only thing better would be a hot comforting meal that is simple and quick to prepare!

My Gnocchi with Chickpeas recipe fits the bill. This delightful dish is perfect for frosty wintertime evenings, or any time you crave a heartening meal but have little a time to cook.

I love pasta in all its forms and soft dumpling-like gnocchi is one of my favorites.

There is much to like about gnocchi. This versatile pasta takes only minutes to cook, and pairs delectably with an infinite variety of sauces and ingredients.

This recipe is robustly flavored with bell pepper, garlic, onion and anchovies. If you have an aversion to anchovies give them another chance with this recipe. The anchovies melt away as they cook and the end result is a deliciously salty depth of flavor without the fish like taste many people dislike.

Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • One 2 ounce can of flat anchovies in olive oil • 1 medium size sweet onion thinly sliced • 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced • 2 Roma tomatoes chopped • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning • Pinch of red pepper flakes • One 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas drained • 1 pound of gnocchi. I prefer using potato gnocchi in this recipe • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more to pass at the table

Directions: Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil along with the garlic and the anchovies and their oil to a large skillet, and cook over medium heat until the anchovies dissolve. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking the vegetables for another 5 to 10 minutes until they soften. When the vegetables soften add the chickpeas and continue cooking until heated through.

Meanwhile cook the gnocchi according to package directions.

When the gnocchi are done carefully drain them, add to the skillet and gently combine with the chickpeas and vegetables. Pour into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with the cup of parmesan cheese.

The only thing left to do is enjoy! SS

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 61

preparing an

EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY WRITTEN BY DIANE WHITTEN, CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A HOMESTEADER to be prepared in times of an emergency. In our area a snow storm or high winds can disrupt power for days. Preparing an emergency food supply will allow you to feed your family for a few days, even if you have no electricity.

When preparing your emergency food supply keep in mind your family's food preferences, and include some comfort foods which will help to elevate spirits in a stressful situation. Avoid salty foods that will make you thirsty because water may need to be conserved. The general recommendation for water is one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation.

The following items are suggested when selecting emergency food supplies. You may already have many of these on hand.

By gathering them and storing them in one location it can help your household through the worst days of an emergency.

If you put them in a Grab-N-Go tote, you can take them with you in the event that you can’t remain at home. This list includes shelf stable foods that mostly require little to no cooking or added water.

• Canned meats, including soups (reduced sodium) • Canned fruits and juices • Canned vegetables, including soups (reduced sodium) • Protein or fruit bars • Dry cereal

• Ultra-pasteurized milk (only needs refrigeration after opening) • Dry powdered milk • Dehydrated potatoes & canned gravy • Instant rice • Peanut butter & jelly • Crackers

• High energy foods, like nuts and dried fruit • Comfort foods such as cookies, hard candies, instant coffee and tea bags • Food for infants and for special dietary needs • Staples, such as sugar, salt, pepper • Water – 1 gallon per person per day

Make sure you have a can opener and knife for opening products, and disposable cups, plate, bowls and utensils.

Store your emergency food supply in a cool, dry place that is rodent proof. Some foods can be stored indefinitely, while others have a six month or one year shelf life, so check your supply every six months, and replenish as needed.

Cooking – A grill or camp stove that heats with propane can be used outdoors. If you want to be able to cook indoors, consider purchasing a butane burner and canisters. You may reheat canned foods in the can if you remove the label first to avoid a fire hazard.

Emergency Preparedness resources can be found at the Cornell Cooperative Extension website, www.ccesaratoga.org, under the Food & Nutrition tab. You can also find the following suggested resources for preparing a 3-Day emergency food supply at other government websites.

Make An Emergency Food Supply Kit: www.ready.gov/food • Determining Water Needs: www.ready.gov/water Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods & Fires, www.fsis.usda.gov/ (search for title) 62 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

SS

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WITH

PETER BOWDEN

hile it might seem too early to get started on spring planting, there's one garden plant that needs to get started during winter for spring planting; tuberous begonias -and the tubers just arrived at the garden center.

As the name implies these begonias grow from tubers rather than seeds or cuttings like other begonias. They sport showy flowers that come in a wide range of sizes and colors. There are even hanging varieties. Besides being a great choice for planting in flowerbeds, tuberous begonias are happy to grow in containers that you can place about the shady patio or balcony.

Since tuberous begonias are slow to start, it’s best to start them indoors and the earlier the better. It’s also a great winter activity for the desperate northeastern gardener who’s yearning for the feel of soil and the sight of something…anything… that’s growing.

To make a good show in the garden, you’ll want to start several begonias. Choose pots that are an inch or so larger than the begonia tuber. Fill the pots with a good STERILE potting soil that’s high in peat content.

When you’re picking out your tubers at the garden you’ll notice that the lumpy round tubers are domed on one side and slightly dished on the other. Starting them is a snap. Simply nestle each tuber into the soil, dished side up, into your pot or tray just barely below the surface of the soil. You should cover the top of the tuber but not with more than a half of an inch of soil.

Water with room temperature water. Make sure the container you're using has a drainage hole. Begonias will rot easily if kept too moist. After the initial watering, keep the soil just lightly moist. Don't water again until the soil is actually dry an inch below the surface. Poke your finger in to check. Depending on the variety you’ve chosen, sprouts will appear from one to five weeks after planting and watering. Once the first shoots appear, make sure that you keep the soil from drying out; still avoiding sogginess since begonia tubers can rot easily if kept too moist. Frequent light watering is best.

They’ll need lots of bright light but no direct sunlight. Once they start growing, you can speed them along with HALF strength balanced (20-20-20) liquid or soluble plant food every three weeks.

Once ALL danger of frost has passed in spring (late May to you) you can transplant them into their summer bed. I like to cover mine for a few days with horticultural fabric to allow them to get used to outdoor light after growing indoors. Remember, they prefer shade so make sure they don’t get direct sunlight. An hour of the day’s first rays won’t hurt them but avoid any afternoon sun completely. Now all they need is a little of the liquid plant food every couple of weeks and regular removal of spent flowers and they’ll just go and go.

Since begonia tubers are quite tender, you’ll want to lift them from the soil immediately after the first frost nips them in fall. There’s no sin in taking them out a bit before frost gets them. Better safe than sorry.

Snip off all the stems and place the tubers on a sheet of newspaper to dry. Brush off any loose soil and dust them with a good bulb dust to help prevent mold. Place them into a shoebox of sterile potting soil for winter storage. Store them in a cool place that won’t freeze.

Get them out next winter and start all over again. If you never have, give tuberous begonias a try. They’re easy to start and you’ll have fun playing in the dirt as we wait for the frozen world outside to thaw.

THANKS FOR THE READ.

SS

Begonias need a big head start . . . The bulb goes flush with the surface of the soil . . . A thorough watering wakes them up saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 63

D E C Lfor U TtheT ENew R Year WRITTEN BY JORDANA TURCOTTE

B

eing disorganized can be caused by a combination of things. But more importantly, being disorganized causes many ailments and barriers for you and your life. The new year has only just started; this is a great time to regain your space and improve your health.

Problematic cluttering behavior manifests itself in 3 major ways; compulsive acquisition of useless possessions, living spaces so cluttered you can’t use them and distress or an inability to function due to the hoarding. Your stuff will cost you in more ways than one: money, time, health, relationships and more.

Clutter can be a symptom of other health issues. If you have had an emotional trauma or brain injury, you can struggle with normal upkeep of your home. Conditions such as ADD, OCD, ADHD, depression, chronic pain and grief can also prevent you from tackling your stuff on an ongoing basis. Having a significant level of clutter can also be an indication of emotional deprivation or an absence of warmth expressed in the family during adolescence.

In all of these cases, seeking help in some form from a psychiatrist, psychologist, doctor or professional organizer is probably necessary.

The stuff in your home is not only physically impeding your space but preventing you from actually

doing things… if you can’t find your sneakers, you aren’t exercising. The items cluttering your home can create an un-safe obstacle course, especially for those with limited mobility. If you have young children, it means making a safe space for them is almost impossible. You may not be taking your medications properly due to lack of systems and always losing them.

And if we are talking about clutter in your kitchen, you will eat better by clearing the space in order to prepare a healthy meal at home and use healthier foods from your pantry.

Eating at home is almost always healthier than a meal prepared out.

The stuff, as packed as it is, can also mask dirt and allergens and harmful mold. In some cases, even bugs and rodents. Have pets? They can “hide” surprises within the stuff that can cause major issues for your health and the condition of your home. What you can’t see can be seriously harming you.

The big glaring issue with clutter in your home is the challenges it poses to your mental health. It causes a lot of stress, i.e. not being able to find things when needed, being late for work or events, having to repurchase items and spend more money. The burden is high when you have too much stuff and it is disorganized. This reason is, of all the others, why most professional organizers get called. This stress leads to depression and anxiety.

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So, physically and mentally, gaining control of your space and your stuff, can have huge positive improvements on your health. Your mental health will improve; you will be at peace with your stuff and rather than it limiting you, it will support the life you want.

You will be calmer and happier. If you have breathing problems, tackling the clutter and cleaning your home thoroughly will improve those issues.

With eating healthier and finding those sneakers, your fitness and energy should improve, you may even lose actual pounds when the weight of your stuff is gone. You’ll have more time for the things you want to do because you will be in charge of your space.

Getting organized and simplifying has so many benefits. It is overwhelming to get started, but please do… just start small. Even one cleared surface can create huge results. If your kitchen table is covered, just clearing this off may set you up to eat regularly, have a basket for meds and take them properly, and pay your bills on time. If you think you need help with how to do it, seek that help. You won’t be sorry when you reap all the benefits of letting go. SS You can reach Jordana Turcotte of SIMPLY YOU at 518-309-CALM www.SimplyYouOrganizing.com Facebook.com/SimplyYouOrganizing Instagram: @simplyyouorganizing

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Dating After a Divorce ...are you ready?

E ntering the dating scene after a divorce can feel overwhelming and anxiety provoking. Having healthy boundaries and rules to keep yourself grounded and emotionally safe are the keys to getting through the process with your dignity and peace of mind intact.

LCSW-R

The first question to ask yourself when you are considering dating after a divorce is, “Am I available?” If you are still grieving your marriage, hold deep anger or resentment for your spouse and/or find yourself talking about the demise of the marriage often, you are NOT available.

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College, PA. Email meghanlfritz@gmail.com

If you push yourself out into the dating scene too soon, you will likely attract equally unavailable people and instead of moving forward, you will be more likely to unconsciously re-create the relationship dynamic that you just got out of.

MEGHAN LEMERY FRITZ,

The healing process can take years. Hold yourself gently in a place of patience and compassion and realize you may be putting yourself in a very vulnerable position if you start dating before you have taken the time you need to grieve and heal.

themselves feel more adequate and accepted. They love bomb you so that you fall for them quickly and as soon as they get your love and attention, they ghost you for the next victim who will fill their self-esteem.

Once you are honest with yourself about being healed from the trauma of divorce you may be ready to date! Here are some common red flags to pay attention to when you start meeting potential romantic partners.

This can leave the victim of the love bombing devastated and confused. Love bombing has NOTHING to do with you and everything to do with the person doing it. They are so hungry for love they draw you in by telling you exactly what they want to hear and then discard you when you bite.

“MY X IS CRAZY.” When you hear this statement RUN. More often than not when someone labels their X “crazy” they end up being the crazy one. If the person you are dating bashes their X, they are showing you the true nature of their character.

Any adult who takes this approach and character assassinates the person they likely co-parent with (if they have children together) is not a person that shows emotional intelligence or maturity.

It doesn’t matter how they spin the story and what the horrific details are of their X; if that’s the topic of conversation RUN. This is not a person that has their family’s best interest in mind or has the capacity to reflect in a healthy, mature manner why the relationship ended.

Keep your eye out for a person who speaks honestly and respectfully about their X. “We were on different paths but are committed to being great parents and some days can be challenging, but we respect one another.” A person who can own their faults and at the same time speak about their X in a respectful matter is ready to date and shows signs of emotional maturity.

If in fact someone truly does have a difficult X these details will come out slowly as you get to know one another, not all at once over your first date.

“I’ve NEVER felt like this for ANYONE, not even my X.” EEEK. This is a tough one. You are hurting and your confidence has taken a hit and this person is overwhelming you with adoration, praise, affection and love. I know it sounds good, but this is a sign of love bombing.

Love bombing is what people who suffer from low selfesteem (and usually a personality disorder), use to make saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Love bombing is an immature, sloppy and manipulative way to lure you in and it happens so fast that usually your intuition doesn’t even have time to process the red flag.

If your new date is sending you flowers often, writing you amazing love letters, praising you constantly and affirming that they have never felt this way before, you are in the presence of a love bomb terrorist. The fast and furious is a tell-tale sign that you are getting love bombed.

Don’t allow yourself to be bamboozled by the love bomber, exit the situation immediately and don’t look back.

“I’m a REALLY nice person, I just want to be happy.” Typing the words even makes me cringe! A “really nice” person who just wants to be happy is code for “I’m seething with rage and bitterness and I am miserable.” Truly happy, healthy people do not feel the need to convince others how happy they are.

If the person you are spending time with uses this phrase often, read between the lines and realize they are not in a place of peace and most likely underneath all of that niceness lurks a person with anger issues.

A truly healthy person will not spend their time trying to convince you of who they are, they will simply show you.

If you feel ready to date and you keep these red flags with you during the process, you are on the way to a healthy partnership!

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

SS

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College, PA. To read more on this topic visit changeyourstoryllc.com and use the code Simply Saratoga.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16

January - March 2020 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 CHOWDERFEST 2020 Downtown Saratoga Springs, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Come enjoy samples of chowder from local restaurants in Saratoga Springs at the 22nd Annual Saratoga Chowderfest. Once you taste them all, you can vote for your favorite! Part of Winterfest, Chowderfest is one of the area's most highly anticipated events of the year and the perfect activity for a cold winter's day. Stroll through town and purchase a $1 cup (3 oz. serving) of chowder from as many participating establishments as you'd like. Some restaurants will be offering classic varieties, while some may be serving original, unique concoctions.

Over 80 vendors participate, including Saratoga County's best restaurants and caterers. After you've enjoyed sample after sample of delicious, warm chowder, vote for your favorite! Join us for a day of live music, family-friendly activities and, of course, a wide variety of chowders! Chowderfest is organized by the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau. For more information and a list of participants, visit www. discoversaratoga.org/chowderfest.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 2020 SARATOGA FAT BIKE RALLY Saratoga Spa State Park, Warming Hut 19 Roosevelt Dr., Saratoga Springs, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Our event was founded with two principles in mind; building a community of fat bikers, and supporting the communities we live in. Each year our attendance has increased, with many participants driving in from Central NY, Northern PA, and other surrounding areas.

We take pride in putting together one of the best grass-roots fat bike events around! We do not charge a registration fee to attend / ride since we want as many people to join us as possible. To register, visit: www.bikereg.com/44928

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THE 2020 FLURRY FESTIVAL Saratoga Springs City Center 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Get ready to enjoy a great weekend of dancing, dipping, and whirling with thousands of other spirited dancers! Each February over President's Day weekend, Saratoga Springs hosts the annual Flurry Festival. The weekend-long festival draws dancers of all ages, abilities, and styles of dance. Dancers can participate in a variety of workshops and programs designed for all levels of experience, from beginner to advanced. And there's more than just dancing!

The festival also includes an array of performances, singing, concerts, jamming, storytelling, vendors, and more. It's the perfect event to bring your dancing and non-dancing friends with you! Don't miss it! For more information visit www.flurryfestival.org/schedule.html

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 2020 SARATOGA BEER WEEK Fun, food, and fantastic beer. Multiple beer-centered events, locals and visitors alike will enjoy top regional and national brews while seeing the best of what Saratoga has to offer, including restaurants, hops, and hotels. For more information visit www. saratogabeerweek.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 SARATOGA BEER SUMMIT Saratoga Springs City Center 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, Noon – 8 p.m.

It wouldn't be Saratoga Beer Week without the Saratoga Beer Summit! Help us bring the 2020 Saratoga Beer Week to summation with the annual Saratoga Beer Summit at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Sip the day away and try 160+ craft beer samples from more than 80 breweries in the Spa City area and beyond while enjoying live music entertainment and snacks available for purchase. The VIP Tasting Session is from Noon – 4 p.m., and the General Admission Tastings are from 1 – 4 p.m. or 5 – 8 p.m. For more information, visit americaontap.com/ event/saratoga-beer-summit saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2020 LONGFELLOWS WEDDING SHOW Longfellows Restaurant 500 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The 20th Anniversary Longfellows Wedding Show brings over 40 premiere wedding professionals to the elegantly rustic setting of Longfellows to celebrate a bride’s special day and assist with all the associated details. Hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, and the opportunity to meet with a select group of vendors is why newly engaged couples make it a point to attend this event every year.

For more information call 518-365-3459.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29 SUPERHERO DANCE PARTY Gurtler Brothers VFW 190 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs, 1 – 4 p.m.

Her Royal Treatment Parties, LLC is hosting a children's event called the Superhero's Dance Party. The event is for both boys and girls and will take place at the Gurtler Brothers VFW in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 29 from 1-4. We will have a live DJ who will get all the little ones moving and shaking, Superhero Meet & Greets, photo booth & souvenirs photo, and face painting. There will be pizza, treats, and beverages for purchase. A few vendors will be available for those interested in shopping a bit. Children are encouraged to dress in their favorite Superhero attire as there will be a lot of photo opportunities. We will also hold a raffle basket with all things Superhero for those who bring in items to donate to Veteran's in need. Tickets are $20 for children, $10 for adults.

To order tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/ superhero-dance-party-tickets-81643440729

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January - March 2020

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 SPAC'S WINTER BALL 2020: THE FUTURE IS NOW! Hall of Springs 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, 7 – 11 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29 AND SUNDAY, MARCH 1 SARATOGA HOME & LIFESTYLE SHOW Saratoga Springs City Center 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Show features a variety of home and lifestyle businesses in categories such as home improvement, landscaping, décor and fine finishes, heating and plumbing, pools, financial and professional services, and many more. There are also hourly door prizes, a grand prize, and other special activities taking place throughout the weekend. Event Hours: Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Special activities include an Art Show on second floor with 25+ artisans showing photography, painting, woodworking, jewelry, and wine, with items available for purchase. Saratoga Springs Police Department, child safety booth, and identification cards, and hourly prize drawings. For more information, visit www.rotaryhomeshow.com/floor-plan.

There is free admission to this event courtesy of Adirondack Trust Company.

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The Saratoga Performing Arts Center Junior Committee invites you to celebrate our 10th Annual SPAC Winter Ball: The Future is Now, as the Hall of Springs teleports you into a futuristic utopia. Join us for an experiential new realm complete with live music and dancing, celestial-themed cocktails, gourmet food, a futuristic photo booth and more. For this time warped affair, we welcome guests to dress to impress in formal or cocktail attire, drawing inspiration from innovative and modern designs and styles. The evening's festivities include: Live music by Grand Central Station, Catering by Mazzone Hospitality, Futuristic Photo Booth, Open bar with celestial-themed cocktails, raffle prizes, complimentary coat check. Tickets are $125. Must be 21 years old to attend. To purchase your tickets, visit spac.org/event/winter-ball-2020.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14 HMT'S SPRING BENEFIT: PI DAY BENEFIT Spa Little Theater 19 Roosevelt Dr., Saratoga Springs, 7 – 10 p.m.

It takes a lot to make the magic of theater happen, and ticket sales are only a piece of the pie. Join us at our annual fundraiser and celebrate 35 years of HMT with our “Pi Day Benefit,” an evening filled with cabaret performances from HMT favorites, and delicious desserts!

Tickets are $35. To order tickets, visit homemadetheater. org/special-events/hmts-annual-spring-benefit.

saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

The is

Fight

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS PROVIDED

THE TREENS

ON

THIS WILL HURT. BUT WITH THE PAIN, THERE IS RELEASE .

That’s the message in Fight Club, the movie that came out 20 years ago, tapping into universal feelings of anger and helplessness.

Traumatized and vulnerable, these men share their experiences and come out changed on the other side.

In May of 2019 Larry Treen started a Fight Club in Saratoga when he decided to run for Man of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Man & Woman of the Year is philanthropic competition to support blood cancer research among a group of motivated and dedicated individuals in communities across the United States.

Candidates form powerful fundraising teams and compete in honor of two local children who are blood cancer survivors.

“Everybody who has a fight in life – with cancer, addiction, abuse, whatever it may be – this was an open door and an open forum for many people to deal with their individual fights,” said Treen.

FIGHT FOR A CURE Instead of raising their fists, Treen’s Fight Club raised over $231,000 in ten weeks to help fight cancer.

Larry’s wife, Nicole, lost her grandmother, Anne Gianakos, to Leukemia.

In 2015, Treen’s family began holding an annual Kentucky Derby fundraising party in their backyard, donating the proceeds to the Upstate New York/Vermont Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Their children, Cole and Elle, sell lemonade, t-shirts and necklaces to help support the cause.

“My wife and kids help plan the event and execute it. It’s our way of giving back. It brings the family together. It teaches them that life is about supporting each other. They love it and are super involved with it,” said Treen.

The annual event has grown to include a guest list of 400 people and has raised nearly $400,000 through their charitable organization, Treen Events.

For the event, they have brought in international guest speakers, which last May featured Jonathan Goldsmith (spokesman for “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign).

“After I read his book, I realized this is a guy that fought his whole life to get where he is and that his wisdom and guidance makes him the ideal person to speak at this event,” said Treen.

In the words of Goldsmith, Treen says: “I don’t always run for LLS Man of the Year, but when I do…”

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INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE. Every year at the Kentucky Derby Party, Treen sees childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma survivors at the event and experiences the reality behind the numbers.

“I’ve been able to meet some great kids who are fighting constantly. It’s been humbling. Rylyn Swierzewski is an amazing survivor and one of the LLS Boys and Girls of the year and former winner of the LLS Student of the Year. She’s been so involved and has become a great friend of the family. I look at people like that who have done so much in such a short time and think, ‘What an inspiration!’” said Treen.

This past year, their example inspired Treen when his mother, Rene Ims, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“It was incredibly devastating. She was a single mother who raised me while working three jobs and is only in her early 60s. I thought, ‘how am I going to deal with this thing?’”

Treen formed his Fight Club and ran for the 2019 LLS Man of the Year and dedicated his campaign to his mother.

Putting even more heart into the fight, in addition to their existing sponsors, Treen Events secured 17 new sponsorships from local companies and is currently looking to add more for the 2020 event.

Mark Your Calendar: Two Events to Benefit LLS THE KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY will be held May 2nd from 4 to 8 p.m. For ticket information, go to treen-events.com RUNWAY TO A CURE will be held May 14th from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Canfield Casino. For more information visit llsrunwaytoacure.com.

To find out more The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society go to: lls.org/upstate-new-yorkvermont. SS

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STILL GOING STRONG AT 100 Above photos: (L) Barbara Thomas (circa 1980s) (M) 1900 suffrage rally blended with more recent LWV march.

(R) Barbara Thomas at recent Saratoga Springs Student Climate Change Rally.

WRITTEN BY PATRICIA A. NUGENT | PHOTOS BY PATTIE GARRETT

What’s vibrant, relevant, interesting, fun, lively, and passionate at 100 years old?

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE UNITED STATES.

F

ounded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt, the League was founded to educate women about political issues so they could use their hard-won vote wisely after the passage of the 19th Amendment. There was a legitimate fear that women wouldn’t take full advantage of the opportunity to have a voice in government or that their ballots would be heavily influenced by men in their lives.

Because there are no active Leagues in the surrounding counties of Warren or Washington, residents of those counties are eligible to join the Saratoga County chapter. While the LWV name implies gender exclusivity, that’s no longer the case. Today, the League strives to ensure that ALL citizens are heard in the halls of government.

No matter how old it gets, fair representation will never go out of style.

Carrie Chapman Catt, who was also a peace activist, took the reins of the 50-year battle for suffrage in 1900, succeeding Susan B. Anthony as the Director of the National American Woman’s Suffrage Association. She’s credited with devising “the Winning Plan,” which coordinated state suffrage campaigns with the drive for a constitutional amendment. For twenty years, she led the crusade, achieving success in 1920.

And the best part? The LWV is nonpartisan, a rare feature in our currently polarized political climate. No candidates are ever endorsed or supported by this nonprofit organization. After studying issues and building consensus, the League advocates and lobbies for causes but not along partisan lines. Current concerns include ethics in government, fair elections, voting rights, women’s health, immigration, public education, and environmental justice.

The Saratoga Springs branch of the League of Women Voters (LWV) was organized in 1964 by still-active member Betty Gallagher. With four small children, and having lived out of the country for a year with her anthropologist husband, Betty had been hungry for information that would help her understand how women could influence government. “I wanted to start a local League because I felt ignorant about American politics,” she reminisces. Fifty-seven women showed up for the organizational meeting held at the former YMCA (now Temple Sinai) and agreed local women would benefit from a League. A few years later, in 1971, they helped create another chapter in the southern part of Saratoga County, under the leadership of Lise Cerqua. The two branches merged in 1999.

Betty takes great pride in how the League has thrived, transitioning from an organization primarily composed of stay-at-home moms to one that attracts working men and women. She credits Barbara Thomas, among others, with the League’s continued vibrancy since Barb has served as president or in a leadership role for over 20 years.

Nearly 250 members keep the organization relevant and involved in our community, state, and nation.

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Women finally gained the right to vote in this country because of those vocal and passionate enough to risk their reputations, and even their lives, to fight for justice for female citizens.

The League today continues the tradition of passion and advocacy for a healthy and engaged citizenry of all genders.

Old age isn’t for sissies! But activism is closely correlated with longevity, as Betty Friedan posits in her book The Fountain of Age. She recommends we all find a purpose and a project in order to age gracefully. Examples within the women’s movement include Elizabeth Cady Stanton who lived until 87, Susan B. Anthony who lived until 86, and Carrie Chapman Catt until 88. Gloria Steinem is still going strong at 85, as are our own Barb Thomas at 82 and Betty Gallagher at 94.

Special events are planned in 2020 to celebrate women’s right to vote, as well as state and local League history. To find YOUR project and purpose, contact the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County at 518-728-5201or president@lwvsaratoga.org, or visit www.lwvsaratoga.org. All are welcome here! SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Our

HISTORY PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION

PARK BANDSTAND (LITHOGRAPH) This is a unique view of the old bandstand that occupied the space in Congress Park where the World War 1 Memorial is today. In this drawing you can see in the distance the very large Grand Union Hotel with the structures of the Congress Spring Pavilion between the hotel and the wooden bandstand.

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THE GREAT DEBATE

Saratoga Springs v. Ballston Spa WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION

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A

fter nearly two decades of operating a tour business based on telling the stories of Saratoga Springs’ History, I think one of the top five questions asked by guests is; “If Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa both started as health resorts what changed things for Ballston Spa?” That question usually starts a great debate between people from both communities.This question was asked of me a year ago by Jim Richmond who acts as director for the Saratoga County History Round table. After a brief discussion between us it became evident that not only would further research be needed but upon completion of that research, we should stage a “debate” in a public forum to allow others to hear the facts that guided the two great cities to eventually follow different paths.Together Jim and I did two presentations during the summer and fall of 2019 to “debate” these thoughts.The entire process was fun and provided a look back in time to reveal key events and individuals that would have a part in the course of history to determine the eventual paths of these two great communities.

When we looked at the history of both communities it was funny to see that both villages started by following the same path in trying to promote their abundant natural resource of mineral water. It is very interesting that the same basic geologic fault that brought the mineral water to the surface in Saratoga Springs did the same in Ballston Spa.Therefore, the source of mineral water for both villages comes from the same source deep in the rock layers below.The rock structure is very complex in that the mineral water flowing from each spring is usually very different in taste and chemical composition from other wells even if they are close in proximity of each other. As I have said before about Saratoga, I now add for Ballston Spa; “It was all about water.”

BEGINNINGS Both villages discovered mineral water at about the same time but in two different ways. In Saratoga Springs we believe that it was Sir William Johnson being brought to the High Rock Spring by Mohawk braves in 1771 that allowed the first European to know about our waters.

Ballston Spa discovered their first spring as a result of a surveying crew. The entire area known originally as the Kayaderosseras Patent, was being surveyed in 1771 by a team lead by Beriah Palmer with the purpose to divide this vast amount of land to different owners identified in the patent. Palmer discovered Ballston’s first spring; the Iron Railing Spring. Early accommodations were built around the sites of both springs and were described as “miserable habitations” by early visitors. It wasn’t until 1787 that the first permanent settler came to Saratoga by the name of Alexander Bryan who built a log cabin near the site of today’s Old Bryan Inn. That same year in Ballston Spa, a log tavern was built by Salmon Tryon and in 1787 Benji Douglas built a two-room cabin for visitors. Douglas expanded his tavern in 1792 and turned it into a boarding house that became known as the “First Respectable House” in Ballston Spa for visitors. Ballston Spa now was attracting more visitors to their springs than Saratoga and the accommodations were much better. Ballston Spa takes the lead. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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A NEW FACE In 1789 a man named Gideon Putnam and his wife Doanda came to settle in Saratoga Springs. Gideon was a lumberman by trade and established a sawmill and lumber business that flourished in the area.

By 1802 he had leased and then purchased land from Henry Walton to build the first hotel in the village called Putnam’s Tavern and Boarding House. Their hotel design was laughed at by locals as being too large for the primitive surroundings of the day with a planned capacity for 70 guests. The Putnams realized that the mineral water would attract visitors and they worked hard to provide comfortable accommodations for those visitors. The plan worked and at the end of the first summer they were already planning to put an addition on their boarding house.

Saratoga Springs was back in the game. Much of the land in Saratoga Springs at the time, was owned by Henry Walton, who routinely leased and then sold land to new entrepreneurs coming to the village. The village began to grow.

THE SAN SOUCI

In 1819 the village of Saratoga Springs petitioned the State of NY for the right of self-governance and it was granted. The village fathers began to worry about the race with Ballston Spa as well as a temperance movement in the area and passed a number of laws to allow more freedoms in Saratoga Springs. Laws in 1819 were passed to allow billiard tables and private card games at some hotels, the opening of new taverns and bars as well as the bulk sale of alcohol in grocery stores. Saratoga Springs had taken a turn and was embracing pleasurable activities while Ballston hosted more religious conventions and Bible studies. Saratoga had played the “sin” card.

SEPARATE PATHS By the 1830s Ballston Spa was losing the race. More visitor dollars were spent in Saratoga Springs on many pleasurable activities during the summer months. Saratoga Springs was also being helped by a huge marketing program through the efforts of John Clarke. Clarke came to Saratoga in 1823 and began to bottle mineral water from many springs. These quart and pint bottles of very desirable water were distributed all over the United States and was a constant reminder to users that Saratoga Springs was the spot to visit and take the waters.

Saratoga’s popularity would be further helped when many publications of the day supported the idea that the water from the Congress Spring was better tasting than other springs in Ballston Spa. Saratoga Springs was winning in the water department.

In 1804 Ballston Spa responds to Gideon’s vision with the construction of a hotel of their own. Nicholas Low, a major landowner in Ballston Spa, invested in the construction of a hotel called the San Souci which had a capacity to house 150 guests making it the largest hotel in the United States at the time. With this new addition to accommodations, Ballston Spa begins to surpass Saratoga Springs in seasonal guests coming to “take the waters.” Nicholas Low also Early Saratoga, 1829.

Ballston Spa had another embraced a model in the village of leasing his land to other prospective shop owners and not card to play at this time. The village of Ballston Spa had one resource that always selling land to them as Walton was doing in Saratoga Springs. At Saratoga Springs did not have in abundance, and that was waterpower. the same time as the addition of the San Souci property, Gideon Putnam Sawmills and gristmills were built in the early days but now cotton and realizes that he needed to upgrade the Congress and Columbian Springs woolen mills as well as the new product of the day, paper bags were as well, adding a Bath House near the Congress Spring for summer being produced using the waterpower of the Kayaderosseras Creek in the guests. By 1811 in Saratoga Springs, the Putnam family knew they Ballston Spa area.The village had realized that the race to be the best resort needed more hotel rooms, so in that year Gideon began construction was not to be won and a path of industry was the better way forward. of a grand hotel across the street from his original Tavern and Boarding House to be called Congress Hall. During construction, Gideon fell RAILROADS from scaffolding, resulting in his death later in 1812.

The final factor to determine the ultimate paths of both Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs was with the latest invention; the railroads. A group of THE YEAR 1819 concerned businessmen from Saratoga Springs raised the money and Once Congress Hall was open and running, the competition between constructed only the second rail line in New York State that went from the two villages was fierce. Each village looking for a way to eclipse the Schenectady to Saratoga Springs in 1832. A faster, more comfortable other in number of summer guests. Even with Gideon gone, the Putnam mode of transportation had an immediate and long-lasting effect on family continued adding projects to improve Saratoga and continued to Saratoga Springs. In 1800 there were about 2,000 visitors over the expand the Tavern and Boarding House, eventually re-naming it Union course of the entire summer. When the railroads came in the 1830s the Hall. In 1819 Ballston Spa won the right to be called the County Seat of number of visitors increased to thousands per week. Saratoga continued government. This was a blow to Saratoga, but Saratoga had more ideas. to grow as the 19th century progressed and was helped by the addition In 1819, Henry Walton sold a prime building lot on the corner of Lake of casino gambling and Thoroughbred horse racing in the 1860s and 70s.

Avenue and Broadway to Nathan Lewis to build another hotel named The race was over. But was there a winner? We only had a winner in the the Pavilion (on the site of City Hall today). These new hotels were race for summer resort location and that was Saratoga Springs. Today we beautiful, comfortable and had attached “green space” areas to stroll and have two great communities that embraced different paths but produced sit. In a few years another grand hotel, the United States was built. A two cities both with low crime, great schools and a true community local law gave homeowners a tax break for planting trees and Saratoga feeling. When you look at those assets how can there be a single winner? SS Springs began to transform into a beautiful vacation destination.

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Rarely Seen Images of OLD SARATOGA Springs WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL, PERMISSION FROM SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM IMAGES FROM THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION

CLUB HOUSE (LITHOGRAPH) This lithograph shows the front of the Club House (today’s Canfield Casino) at a time between when Morrissey built it and Canfield owned it. We know that fact because when Richard Canfield bought the building, he added a bay window with Tiffany glass above it on the west side of the building that is not visible in this drawing.

PARADE TO THE TRACK (LITHOGRAPH) This lithograph depicts the flood of patrons driving their carriages to the Saratoga Race Course. The building in the background is the Saratoga Clubhouse, known today as the Canfield Casino. When the Casino was built in 1870 it was located on the corner of Putnam Street and East Congress. Today part of Putnam Street has been removed and stops at the intersection of Spring Street, and East Congress does not connect to Union Avenue.

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On This SPOT. THE FIRST IN A NEW SERIES, On This Spot will peel back the layers of time at well-known locations in Saratoga Springs to reveal the significant changes our city has undergone. Today’s beautiful Broadway and beyond would be unrecognizable if we were transported back to the 1700s or 1800s. I venture to guess that if we could travel 100 years into the future, today’s city wouldn’t resemble “our Saratoga.”

A natural starting point is the focal point of today’s downtown, the iconic Adirondack Trust Company at 473 Broadway. So much has been written about this community bank-most notably Field Horne’s comprehensive “With the Strength of the Adirondacks: A History of

1951 photo of Adirondack Trust showing drive thru.

Photo provided by The George S. Bolster Collection, courtesy of the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

473 Broadway

(formerly numbered 471) WRITTEN BY CAROL GODETTE PHOTOS PROVIDED UNLESS NOTED

the Adirondack Trust Company 19012001"-that it is challenging to shed new light on the subject. However, many lesser known facts about 473 (aka 471) Broadway abound!

PRESENT DAY-1917 ADIRONDACK TRUST COMPANY “Visitors say it is the handsomest bank building in the State,” states The Architectural & Building Press in a 1917 piece. Today’s locals agree, especially during December when holiday lights and greenery accentuate the building’s best features.

Surprisingly, this Saratoga institution has graced the corner of Broadway and Church Street in its current form for only a little over 100 years, opening on

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January 2, 1917. NYC architect Alfred Hopkins was one of nine men to submit building plans for the bank. Hopkins’ reputation for creating secure structures came from well-known prison designs.

Additionally, he was a native-born Saratogian. The bank board couldn’t have made a better choice.

Attention to detail prevailed both inside and out. The bookend-matched white marble exterior and the bronzed-relief front doors depicting woodland scenes caught customers’ attention as they were about to enter the spacious foyer.

Today, eyes are immediately drawn to the decorative chandeliers that are quite different from the way they looked in 1984 when Charles V. Wait took over for his dad, Newman “Pete” Wait. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Early on in his role as bank president, Charles hired a NYC company to clean the blackened chandeliers. To his delight, the restoration revealed the gold-washed stags and green and red painted enamel details we now marvel at.

“Nicotine from 100 years of smoke rising up in the lobby had discolored the ornate chandeliers,” explains Charles.

One of many unique design features was a rooftop sniper hatch. “In the Roaring 20s, banks were getting robbed all the time, so part of the design included a sniper’s nest. It was not accessible inside the bank. The sniper had to go in through the roof and unlock a little door that no longer exists. There was a small opening in direct line with the tellers for a 22 caliber Remington rifle,” explained Charles.

ATC lobby chandeliers were black before professionals cleaned off the nicotine to reveal stunning details

TRANSITIONS 1900-1917: THE WESTCOTT BUILDING

Bronzed relief doors of Adirondack Trust.

Photo courtesy of Charles V. Wait.

At the start of the twentieth century, the building at 473 Broadway was in transition. Its upper two floors were still occupied by twins James Halbert Westcott and Caroline W. Westcott, descendants of the original owner, Judge William Lafayette Warren. In 1901, the bottom floor was leased to the board of the newly formed Adirondack Trust Company.

Original structure on the corner of Church St. and Broadway was the grand two story home of Judge William Lafayette Warren and his family.

Judge Warren was considered a founding member of our community serving as a lawyer, judge, district attorney. He owned several properties in town. Photo courtesy of Charles V. Wait.

The new bank needed a secure vault, and in 1902 a massive vault (still in use today) was transported by rail and established at the site.

As the bank prospered, the board members realized that the original residential structure was not suitable for banking operations. In 1915, they moved the operations across the street, to 462 Broadway, while the original building was demolished and then reconstructed. The vault, of course, wasn't moving anywhere, and every night the cash was moved back across the street and locked in the vault. By January 2, 1917, the whole bank had moved back across the street and opened in its present location.

In terms of ownership, James Westcott never married and resided at 471(473) Broadway until his death in December of 1909. His twin Caroline, who also never married, became the sole owner of the building and lived there until her death on November 30, 1915. After she died, the bank purchased the property in February 1916. The price was $25,000.

BEGINNINGS 1832-1900: WARREN FAMILY RESIDENCE In 1832, on the very spot where the current bank sits, the original two-story building was constructed for Judge William Lafayette Warren. It was a spacious dwelling, housing the Warren family and their two Irish maids. It was valued at $18,000 according to 1870 census records. The Warren family were well-regarded founding members of the Saratoga community. Judge Warren (Warren Street is named after him) owned several parcels of land in town.

He was a lawyer and a district attorney, who helped to build the railroad from Saratoga to Whitehall.

After Judge Warren died in 1875, his wife Eliza, widowed daughter Elizabeth Belknap Westcott and her four children continued to reside there. When Eliza passed away in 1886, the property was solely owned by Elizabeth Belknap Westcott. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Westcott Building circa 1900.

Photo provided by The George S. Bolster Collection courtesy of the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

Elizabeth Belknap Westcott died on July 11, 1897; she had lived most of her 66 years in the Warren residence.

In her elegant hand-written will, she left shared ownership of 471 Broadway to her children, James and Caroline. James Halbert Westcott, an architect, most likely added a third story and significantly altered the building. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of 1900 show the structure as a three-story building housing a drug store on the ground floor. Prior to that date, the Sanborn maps describe 471 Broadway as a two-story building.

WHAT CAME BEFORE 1832 ON THIS SPOT? Skidmore students hand-colored a map by city engineer Samuel Mott to illustrate major landholders of early Saratoga.

The undated map shows the area around 471 Broadway owned by Henry Walton. Imagine how different our city history would be if Walton held onto this prime real estate! SS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 77

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.

Let the story continue…

S

ales week was usually the third week of the meet at Saratoga. It was when the horse owners would buy and sell Thoroughbreds to the highest bidder at Fasig-Tipton. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was bought and sold at the Saratoga Sales in 2013.

At the Reading Room, sales week brought many more powerful men, women, and their guests. It was the busiest time of the summer for us. We would have packed breakfast, lunch, and cocktail hours. As soon as members, their families, or their guests would leave, we had to very quickly reset the table for another member. Things were equally fast paced in the kitchen. Helen, Lou, and the rest of the kitchen staff had to prepare a lot of extra food due to the higher than normal volume of people. Buster, Tattoo, Mike, my mother Ma White, Toye, Russell and even the dishwashers; Dave, Charlie, Duck or Squid were all giving a helping hand to assist in trying to keep up with the added demand. It was longer hours for everyone, but we were a great team and we would always try to be fully prepared for the rush we knew would come.

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This week was when some of the highest profile people would turn up. There was Mr. Seth Hancock, for example.

He was President of Claiborne Farms, which was famous for breeding and raising world class Thoroughbred racehorses.

In 1984 Claiborne-bred horses topped the list of earnings at $5.5 million.

There was John Galbreath and his son Dan, whose family owned the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1946 to 1985. In 1986 their estimated worth, as per Forbes, was $400 million.

Ogden Phipps II and his family would sit at my tables.

Mr. Phipps and his family were considered, as per Forbes, one of the 50 wealthiest families in America with a net worth of over $6 billion. Mr. Phipps passed in 2016.

Then there was a gentleman named Henryk de Kwiatkowski who also used to sit at my tables. He was from Poland and I can still remember his accent. Mr. de Kwiatkowski was an aeronautical engineer and made his fortune leasing and brokering the sale of used commercial airplanes. He was the owner of the 1982 Horse of the Year in North America;

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1. Ogden Mills Phipps, center 2. Stewart White as a waiter at the Reading Room 3. American Pharoah, Triple Crown Winner 4. Penny Chenery, First Lady of Racing 5. Seth Hancock, President of Claiborne Farms 6. Fasig-Tipton, home to the horse sales 7. Stewart White as a guest at the Reading Room 8. John Galbreath, former owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Conquistador Cielo. I remember Mr. de Kwiatkowski was going to give me a tip. He pulled out this massive billfold and proceeded to look inside it. After flipping through an enormous amount of $100 bills, he found a lonely $20 at the end of his stack. For a moment, I thought I was going to get a $100 tip! He was a nice man as well.

I used to love his accent. He too has passed.

There was Mr. Lucien Laurin, who trained the great Secretariat along with the late Mrs. Penny Chenery, who was known as the First Lady of Racing and who owned Secretariat, along with another great Thoroughbred named Riva Ridge. I remember how stunned everyone was when Onion defeated Secretariat in Saratoga at the Whitney Stakes in 1973.

John W. Hanes, whose family started a sock knitting factory called Shamrock Mills in 1901, also sat at my tables. That company would later become the Hanes Hosiery Mills Co. and then go on to be the famous Hanes underwear company we know today.

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There was a gentleman named E.P. Taylor. He created many lucrative businesses including the Lyford Cay Club in the Bahamas, which is a playground for the wealthy. His net worth was believed to be over $600 million. He passed away in 1989.

Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills, would show up during sales week. Woody Stevens, the legendary trainer, would also show up as well. The list goes on and on of high profile, wealthy people who came through the Reading Room gates.

There was lots of partying going on as well amongst the people here to buy and sell horses. A prominent lady, who loved being part of the social scene, was named Peggy Steinman. She owned a newspaper and communications company, amongst other businesses, and is widely known for her charitable work in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was known to have lavish parties at her magnificent Saratoga home. She would ask me to bartend parties at her house before they went to the sales. I would bring along my brother James, cousin Sonny, and my friend John Gordon to work at the bar we would set up by the pool.

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It was such a laid-back atmosphere working these parties.

Guests would come after the track (but before the sales) to eat, drink, and unwind before taking care of business. I even had my mother come over and work alongside Mrs. Steinman’s kitchen staff. They were mostly of Jamaican descent. My mother became good friends with Lucille, the main lady in Mrs. Steinman’s kitchen. It was fun working Mrs. Steinman’s parties.

During the sales week, a gentleman named Mr. William Harder would ask me to come to his house and bartend for a celebration of his buying and selling horses for some of his friends and family.

He used to love his Makers Mark Bourbon. I liked Mr. Harder. He would always say, “Stewart, how much I owe you?” Before I could answer, he would always add, “I’m not cheap now,” meaning he was going to give me whatever I asked for. Three hundred dollars for a couple of hours wasn’t bad at all. I did those parties for a few years. It was fun mingling with them, and I loved the extra money.

Back at the Reading Room, sales week was very profitable for everyone.

We worked extra hard that week and even though we made plenty of money and were all appreciative of having a successful week, after seven days of continuous running, we were all looking forward to the pace slowing down.

The Reading Room during the ‘80s was constantly changing. The staff continued to be black and the members continued to be rich and white, but the gender was changing on the membership side of things.

Women members were becoming more prevalent. If a male member died and was married, a letter from the Board of Directors was sent expressing their condolences and welcoming their wives to keep up their membership and become an honorary member. The honorary membership list for women now included the names of some local highprofile women, such as Saratoga's own, Socialite Mary Lou Whitney, who passed in the summer of 2019 and was the widow of C.V. Whitney before being remarried. Mrs. Anne Palamountain, whose husband Joseph was the former

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President of Skidmore College, and Mrs. Adelaide Eddy, whose husband Spencer was a lawyer who also served on the State Harness Racing Board and was also a former VP and Director of the Adirondack Trust Bank, and Ellen R. Bongard of Schuylerville, New York, is also a favorite of mine .

I had to add this little special relationship that I developed with an older gentleman by the name of Mr. John Munroe, who used to stay in one of the rooms upstairs at the Reading Room. He was a really close friend of C.V. Whitney.

Mr. Munroe would ask me to drive him to various places. I had a 1986 black Subaru at the time. It was a real sporty car, with a sunroof that I could remove and place in the trunk. I used to open the doors for Mr. Munroe as if it was a limousine and chauffeur him around town in it. Numerous times I would drop him off at the Whitney Mansion on Cady Hill in Saratoga. It was funny to me, using my little Subaru to chauffeur him around.

I developed a real nice relationship with Mr. Munroe.

It was so much fun working our summers at the Reading Room.

Saratoga was known as “The August Place to Be” and having a summer job at the Reading Room was like icing on top of a great cake. I enjoyed the camaraderie of our staff. I enjoyed the relationships we built with some of the members, and I really loved the money that we made.

Most importantly, we enjoyed the tradition of being a predominantly black staff continuing to carry on a tradition that lasted for decades. Things were going so well. I along with my friends envisioned many more summers at the Reading Room We had no clue that the hammer would suddenly drop and shatter that idea. My head is still spinning with how fast it all went down. Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘change is gonna come” and at the Reading Room, that change would come as a shock to all of us! SS The final installment will be out on March 20th. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

y o J e h T of

Complaining WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD | PHOTOS PROVIDED

I felt a need to share this tale of woe with you.

Like most husbands, I love to complain about snow removal and all the problems that come with the white stuff. We clench our backs and whine every time we come in from snow-blowing, snowplowing, or old fashioned shoveling. We always add a little more to it than is necessary. We knock the snow off our boots with a bit more intensity to make the snow sound deeper than it really is. We huff and sigh, making sure our wives are within listening distance. We cock our ear to the side, listening, hoping to elicit a sympathetic response about how cold or tired we must be. Sometimes it works so well… we find a fresh cup of coffee or hot chocolate waiting at the kitchen table.

Basically, whenever there are more than three inches of snow, we like to "play it up a little." My male counterparts will be angry with me for sharing this long-kept secret, but I'm all about honesty—it comes with the name John. I have no choice but to tell the truth, and the truth is, we love it. We love playing in the snow. We can't get away with making snowmen after the age of thirteen, so we must resort to snow-removal to get our winter playtime in. As much as we wince at any snow predictions over six to eight inches, it's all just an act. We get a Home Depot-high whenever we hear a forecast approaching shin-high proportions.

No matter how bundled up we get, or how loud we whimper--we are little boys inside. We can't wait to step out the back door into the white depths of a winter storm. Anything above the knee adds credence to our stories about what we encountered while we were "digging out." Every snowbank we create with a shovel, plow, or Toro is another snowman or snow-fort from our past. Although advanced age and achy bones make it easier to fake snow-regrets, deep beneath the hooded sweatshirt and wool hat lies an old man in boy's clothing. The childhood joy of a snowball fight with the kids next door lives just below the surface of us all. So, to all you guys out there who are ready to add a bucket-loader full of embellishment to your storm woes, I just let the cat out of the bag.

I couldn't keep silent any longer. I guess it's all that talk about political transparency that has me a little skittish about alternative facts.

It felt good to come clean. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

SS

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For those you love!

ALPINE SPORT SHOP

399 Clinton St, Saratoga Springs www.alpinesportshop.com • 518-584-6290

Deja Vu Bag, by Pistil $43.95 Deerskin Primaloft Glove, Hestra $119.95

BOHO CHIC BOUTIQUE

90 Front St., Ballston Spa, NY www.bohochicny.com • 518-885-1546

Moroccan Rose Sea Salt Soak - Vegan and Cruelty Free Bath Soak by Buck Naked Soap Company $20 82 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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