Simply Saratoga Summer 2020

July/August 2020

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SARATOGA

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THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

Summer

2020

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SARATOGA ™

THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty

General Manager Robin Mitchell

Creative Director/ Managing Editor Chris Vallone Bushee

Magazine / Advertising Designer Marisa Scirocco

Advertising Sales Jim Daley Cindy Durfey

Writers

Samantha Bosshart Coleen Coleman John Greenwood Carol Godette Ann Hauprich Jessica Holmes Charlie Kuenzel Lily Neher Hollis Palmer Meghan Lemery Fritz Megin Potter John Reardon Theresa St. John Wendy Hobday Haugh Ralph Vincent Photographers Susan Blackburn Heather Bohm-Tallman Pattie Garrett Mary Hauprich Randall Perry Teri O’Connor John Seymour Saratoga Photographer Marisa Scirocco SuperSourceMedia. com Wendy Hobday Haugh The George Bolster Collection

PUBLISHED BY

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

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Simply Saratoga is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © 2020, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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From The Editor

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

Hello Neighbors!

I think Saturday June 6, the first Saturday of phase 2, will be one of those days that I will always be able to recall.

I can still feel the smile on my face and the tears running down my cheeks as I drove through town and saw people. Whether they were walking, shopping or peacefully protesting – they were downtown – and I hadn’t seen that in a while.

I know I may be a bit melodramatic, but after the past few months (88 days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes, but who’s counting?!) that afternoon was practically life affirming.

I hope I don’t get fired for saying this, but I’m looking forward to a summer “season” without the swarm of tourists…

I will be able to dine out, find a place to park downtown, and it won’t take 30 minutes to get from Exit 14 to my office. Yes…much to appreciate this year!

Not that I am saying I will not miss the buzz, the people, the energy, but I think we will be okay.

As always, but now more than ever, THANK YOU! to our advertisers for helping us provide this beautiful magazine – free of charge – for the thousands who read it.

Saratoga TODAY was built on the premise of being able to provide local news for free - and we couldn’t print our publications (magazines nor the newspaper) without our advertisers, so please mention us by name when supporting them during this time… Simply Saratoga, the Saratoga TODAY magazine.

Enjoy your town this summer, with any luck, you’ll never get this opportunity again : ) May God Bless us all.

Love, Chris

Cover photos: (clockwise) Welcome to Saratoga Springs, photo by John Seymour Saratoga Farmers' Market, photo by Pattie Garrett Doc Brown's, photo by Saratoga Photographer Maddy Zanetti and her dog Smitty enjoying Broadway, photo by John Seymour saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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CONTRIBU TOR S

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

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

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

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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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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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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 LegaciesUnlimited.com. The historic Saratoga County village where the author’s family settled half a century ago will be celebrated in the Ballston Spa 2020 Community Yearbook. To learn more, visit www.BallstonSpaLiving.com.

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

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

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

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

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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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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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saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com Foxy, photo by Tracey Buyce, see page 33

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contents

A GOOD READ

17 Opening Day Photo essay

24 Lifestyle Changing Times

28 Trackside Living

32 Bea Sweeney;

Preserving Saratoga

39 Backstretch Memories

42 Terminology 101

44 Meet… Paul Anderson

46 Ballston Spa’s

Community Yearbook

48 Meet… Anthony Swiatek

50 Meghan Lemery 100 Meet Richard Varley

112 John Greenwood SPRING FASHION & GIFT GUIDE

51 Caroline & Main,

Lifestyles, Lucia,

Pink Paddock, Spoken,

Union Hall, Violet’s

60 Gift Guide OUT & ABOUT

62 Tour the State Park

64 Time for Ice Cream!

66 Tee Time HOME & GARDEN

69 Architecturally Speaking

90 Colleen’s Picks

94 In the Kitchen with

John Reardon 96 Entertaining with

Ralph Vincent

98 Homesteading 101 HISTORY

101

106 109

Charlie Kuenzel Hollis Palmer Carol Godette

THE LAST WORD

114 Silence

Simply...

Simply ...

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SARATOGA SUMMER

2020

10 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JULY/AUGUST 2020 Avenue of the Pines, Photo by Samantha Bosshart. See story on page 62.

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Opening Day 2020

PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY

On June 2nd the shops downtown opened their doors to customers, after almost three months of quarantine. Photographer Susan Blackburn was there to capture the (glorious!) moment. Come along with us…

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Lifestyle-Changing

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Times

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

PHOTOS PROVIDED

There’s no question about it – the world is changing. Even though change has always been ceaseless, when it happens quickly and unexpectedly, it can be jarring.

Longtime downtown small business owner Heidi Owen West knows firsthand how frightening change can be. She is in the fashion industry, an ever-changing scene where staying informed and staying ahead of the curve is the only way to stay in business.

For her, like others, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in unprecedented changes.

“It has been super-frightening for small businesses who thought, ‘We’re never going to survive – this is the end.’ Then, we started to think, ‘How can I move forward and change things to adapt?’ No matter what’s going on, there’s always a different way to look at it and change your perspective,” she said.

A HISTORY OF CHANGE Pull out fashions from another era; bustles, corsets, impossibly high heels, and it’s easy to ask, ‘How was this ever in style?’ Knowing that fashions change as lifestyles do, puts them into context, and looking back, helps us to make sense of the history of fashion.

Even in the last 30 years, as our lives have changed, so have the fashions at West’s store, Lifestyles of Saratoga.

“Our lifestyles have changed dramatically, and fashion really followed that. Fashion used to be more compartmentalized. You would wear one thing to work, somethings were for going out to dinner, then there were the clothes you’d wear at home. Now, those areas of our lives have meshed together, and clothing is more multi-functioning,” said West.

Photos by Heather Bohm-Tallman

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In just the last decade, comfortable clothing has been elevated to a much higher status than it ever had before.

Scientific advancements changed the types of fabrics that are available.

Consumers have also become more conscious of how and where their clothing is being made.

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MOVING WITH THE TIMES When Lifestyles of Saratoga first opened in 1992 it was in the Broadway storefront that is now home to Jos. A. Banks. Not many people remember that, said West, because they quickly (within six months) relocated to the corner of Phila Street and Broadway.

This is where they really found their footing within the Saratoga Springs community. For years, customers would try on fashions in a dressing room that was actually a converted vault, leftover from the days when the small space was home to First National Bank. West remembers leaning out the building’s window to talk to passersby at one of the city’s busiest intersections.

“That was a lovely, lovely time in the history of Lifestyles,” she said.

Just as West’s apparel store was thriving, her mother’s gift shop, Nostalgia, was struggling. That’s when mother and daughter decided to go into business together and Lifestyles moved into the larger space at 436 Broadway, where they are still located today.

In 2013, after her mother passed away, West did a total refresh; revising the product lines they carried, rebranding, and taking on an annual project to keep Lifestyles vibrant.

Photos by Heather Bohm-Tallman

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REVOLUTIONIZING SARATOGA STYLE The last five years brought even more change. Just when Lifestyles needed to expand, the space next door became available.

“I snatched it up as quickly as I possibly could,” said West.

In 2016, she opened a curated clothing collection there, known as Caroline & Main.

Her next, and perhaps most revolutionary step, took a lot longer to evolve.

“For years, I would literally have men sitting outside the Lifestyles dressing room all day, every day, asking me why we didn’t have anything for men. After being hit over the head with that question long enough and chewing on that for a while, I started to ask it myself.”

As a result, in 2019, she opened the casual, contemporary men’s shop, Union Hall Supply Co. across the street at 437 Broadway.

DIFFERENT BUT STILL TIGHTLY KNIT All these changes (and more!) were possible because Heidi Owen West knows working in isolation just doesn’t work.

“Along the way, I’ve had a very loyal, talented, creative, tight-knit group that I rely on,” she said.

She believes in the philosophy of surrounding herself with people who are great at what she is not - so has built a strong accounting and sales team, while following advice from expert consultant Bob Phibbs, known as the Retail Doctor.

While they are loyal, they are also willing to ask the tough questions and express their honest opinions.

These are the characteristics that will also allow Saratoga’s small businesses to get through a summer unlike any other in its history.

“It has been a journey, a roller coaster of super high highs and super low lows. When you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to step outside of it and see how these changes will affect things. We are still in that place and still wondering what it’s going to look like, but the one thing I know, growing up and living in Saratoga Springs all my life, is that this is a strong community. People here really care about each other. I’ve seen ideas blossom and am excited. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.” SS

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The fine art of

WRITTEN BY ANN HAUPRICH PHOTOS BY SUPERSOUCEMEDIA.COM

SARATOGA BACKSTRETCH LIVING against backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic

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ith Saratoga backstretch memories dating back to the Depression era that was famously brought to life in the box office hit Seabiscuit, R. C. (Bob) Ewell thought he’d seen it all along the Oklahoma Training Track that borders the home he shares with wife Barbara.

Indeed, the 89-year-old equine artist who as a boy had delighted in peeking through fence posts to catch early morning Thoroughbred workouts had, at last count, completed nearly 2,000 paintings that captured trainers, riders, grooms, hot walkers and others going about daily routines seldom seen by those who flock the nearby Saratoga Race Course.

Neither Bob nor Barbara, his wife of seven decades, ever imagined the day would come when the view from their Fifth Avenue backyard would resemble a sci-fi movie set.

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But that’s precisely what transpired after NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a State of Emergency in March in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initially it had been more of a ghost town where one could hear the proverbial pin drop onto the turf. From a few weeks before Easter until around Memorial Day, there was nary a two-legged nor a four-legged body in sight.

“We missed the sounds of thundering hooves and the waves from friendly riders who in previous decades had started galloping just beyond the rail that separates our patio from the training track around the same time the first springtime buds appeared. It wasn’t until just before the calendar page turned to June 2020 that the first of the riders and grooms finally returned to the Saratoga backstretch. They are now working out again in the mornings – all of them with face masks in place,” says Bob. JULY/AUGUST 2020 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | 29

“We are so happy to see everyone coming back,” chimes in Barbara. “We wish our very best to the owners, trainers, riders, stable folks and all. We urge them to stay safe and celebrate life.”

Prior to the onset of the global health care crisis, The Ewells might just as well have had banners embroidered with the words “Home Sweet Home of the fine art of Saratoga backstretch living” festively displayed above both their front and rear entrances.

That’s because hospitality served with a dash of Oklahoma Training Track trivia was inevitably on their breakfast conversation menu when folks stopped by to visit. Just last summer, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito (whom Bob had a few years earlier, painted at the rail with Queen of Saratoga, Marylou Whitney) and his assistant Jaime Stevens (whose Hall of Fame jockey father-in-law Gary co-starred with Chris Cooper, Jeff Daniels and Tobey Maguire in the 2003 Seabiscuit film) sat down with The Ewells at their kitchen table.

While sipping coffee, the guests learned about the time when Hall of Fame trainer William (Bill) Mott rescued a runaway within clear view of the couple’s backyard begonias. So inspired was Bob by Mott’s “excellent horsemanship skills” that he recreated the spirited equine adventure in a watercolor. And so masterfully did Ewell capture the moment that Mott’s staff gave the painting to him as a present a decade before his Country House won the 2019 Kentucky Derby with stable-mate Tacitus placing third.

Backstretch personalities, including “Queen of Riders” Lorna Chavez, Canadian “Mountie” Maxine Correa, British-born and bred Vicki King and “Galloping Granny” Pat Meadows, also consider themselves fortunate for having been immortalized in at least one work of art signed by R.C. Ewell.

Memories of those pre-coronavirus days have brought much comfort and joy to the Ewells since a health issue landed Bob in Saratoga Hospital shortly before St. Patrick’s Day. It was after being advised during the discharge process to prepare to shelter-in-place that they began coming to grips with what would become their New Normal.

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The first hitch in the git-along for this match made in equestrian heaven involved accepting the reality of hermitage living -which they mastered with characteristic grace and good cheer.

“We did not have any guests at all from mid-March until the end of April except for our wonderful daughter Karen who journeyed here weekly from her home in Vermont to visit and bring us groceries. We depended on her a great deal and we want everyone to know she is the best daughter in the world,” smiles Barbara, adding that son Robert was also wonderfully supportive via long distance outreach initiatives from his home in Idaho.

Thanks to face masks Karen had made for her parents, they felt well-protected on those rare occasions when cabin fever tempted them to venture out for car rides, such as on the afternoon when they drove around Saratoga Lake to gaze upon the foals at the McMahon Horse Farm where Funny Cide was born several years ago.

“Our first May ventures were to the Food Florist in Ballston Spa to get a couple of their delicious frozen casseroles to bring home to cook when needed.

We are otherwise taking advantage of Market 32’s home shopping with Instacart.

Our other adventure was to Home Depot in Wilton to get some flowers,” notes Bob. Because the selftaught artist has been a “regular” at the Oklahoma for more than two decades, he insists he doesn’t need any new subjects for equine paintings. “The images change day-to-day, but also not at all,” he reflects.

Although The Ewells hadn’t been in the habit of attending the races in the afternoons (they preferred watching televised race course action), they did enjoy meandering over to the main track each morning to watch the workouts and chat with friends, including owners, trainers, photographers, riders and fellow fans.

You can bet they’ll continue watching the races on their TV this summer -- both to witness the outcomes and to congratulate winners via phone and/or email the next morning. SS

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preserving

SARATOGA WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

SAMANTHA BOSSHART, SARATOGA SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

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ach May the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation celebrates National Preservation Month. In the past, those who demonstrated a lifetime commitment to preservation were recognized with a Spirit of Preservation Award by the Foundation. On May 13, 2005, Beatrice “Bea” Sweeney was honored with the award for being a pioneer of preservation in Saratoga Springs. Fifteen years later nearly to the day and just two weeks shy of her 105th birthday, Bea passed away. It is important that her contributions are not forgotten for Saratoga Springs would be a far different city without her.

Beatrice “Bea” Sweeney, a preservation leader who passed away on May 16, 2020. Photo courtesy of The Saratogian.

Thank you, Bea, for all that you have done for our community you left an amazing legacy that should never be forgotten!

Today it is hard to imagine a time in Saratoga Springs when there were few hotel rooms. However, by 1955 none of the large historic hotels on Broadway – Congress Hall, Grand Union Hotel, and United States Hotel – remained.

The city was in a state of economic decline and was desperate to attract business and economic development.

In 1956 a proposal was made to construct a 300 room hotel on the north side of the Canfield Casino. Despite opposition led by Evelyn Barrett Britton, President of the Katrina Trask Garden Club and City Historian, the City Council received approval from the state legislature to discontinue the use of a portion of the park to allow it.

Fortunately, construction proved to be too costly and the hotel was never was built. Yet, the authorization to lease the land for development remained in place.

Following the fire in 1965 that destroyed the 1893 Convention Hall located on Broadway that could host nearly 4,000 people, the City Council considered different proposals, a civic center auditorium that could hold several thousand people and a convention center and hotel. Both proposals would have irreversibly changed Congress Park.

Thankfully it was Bea who successfully led the opposition to lease four acres of land in Congress Park to construct a 150 room hotel attached to the Canfield Casino in 1968. In February of that year, Bea wrote to Ada Louise Huxtable, a prominent architectural critic – “This letter is written in haste and desperation…. The secrecy and speed of this present action is frightening.”

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Canfield Casino located in Congress Park, today listed as a National Historic Landmark.

Today the Canfield Casino is home of the Saratoga Springs History Museum and Walworth Museum.

On March 10, the New York Times published “Saratoga Losing Race”

by Huxtable. The introduction to the impactful three column article – “The latest beautification and preservation bulletin comes from Saratoga N.Y., a community known for its historic Victorian heritage and its new cultural center. It is not news to make anyone easy about the cultural state of Saratoga or the nation.

It follows a familiar pattern of aesthetic and environmental erosion.” She continued, “Turning a park into real estate is a barbaric betrayal of the public trust anywhere… and about to be violated is the celebrated Canfield Casino.” She described the use of the first floor of the Canfield Casino for public spaces for the hotel as “this kind of ‘preservation’ is akin to the successful operation where the patient dies.”

One of the proposed redevelopment plans.

Photo courtesy of George S. Bolster Collection, Saratoga Springs History Museum. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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The model of the proposed Civic Center. Photo courtesy of The Saratogian.

Huxtable’s article brought national attention to the efforts of those who opposed the plan. Bea helped circulate petitions against the plan. James Kettlewell, local architectural historian, recalls, “Bea set up tables on street corners to solicit the needed signatures for the petition.” The developer withdrew the proposal and within a year the city repealed the local law that allowed for the leasing of the land.

Bea’s efforts did not stop there. She was the first person in the city to recognize the value of the new federal law, the National Historic Preservation Act, passed in 1966.

She understood that designation of historic properties provided a measure of protection, requiring federal agencies to consider the impact of their actions on historic properties and be publicly accountable for their decisions. She immediately prepared applications to list the Canfield Casino, Congress Park, and Circular Street; the Drink Hall, 297 Broadway; and the Franklin Square neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.

The plan that shows where the Civic Center would be located.

Photo courtesy of The Saratogian.

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The 1832 Marvin-Sackett-Todd House at 4 Franklin Street, which was proposed to be demolished to make way for an arterial that would have bypassed Broadway.

Like many areas of Saratoga Springs, Franklin Square, was deteriorated. The federal Urban Renewal Agency was targeting neighborhoods to be razed. Bea did not want that to be the fate of Franklin Square and advocated for Urban Renewal Administration officials in Washington to determine how the funds could be used to rehabilitate the buildings in that neighborhood. However, that was not the only threat to Franklin Square. In 1967, the New York State Department of Transportation proposed a four-lane eastwest arterial through Franklin Square. The proposal would have required the demolition of the 1832 Marvin-Sackett-Todd House, 4 Franklin Square, and 35 other houses.

The combined awareness that Bea raised regarding the significance of the neighborhood, the pending application that she wrote for the Franklin Square Historic District, and the grassroots opposition that formed from the business community that did not want to see Broadway bypassed resulted in the arterial being abandoned.

In 1969, Bea was named the City Historian, a role she served for 17 years. Before 1978 our city historians did not have a dedicated space in which to work or an archive to house primary documents. When space became available in the Drink Hall, Bea

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seized the opportunity to create an office that would also have a vault for the most precious documents. She successfully applied for a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Committee to establish the City Archives. “Beatrice Sweeney did what had to be done for the sake of history and preservation for Saratoga Springs, leaving a legacy for all future city historians and all researchers seeking primary resources for their work,” said Mary Ann Fitzgerald, City of Saratoga Springs City Historian.

Bea also played a vital role in the Historical Society of Saratoga Springs and the Walworth Museum. “Bea Sweeney laid the ground work for what we are today,” shared Jamie Parillo, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs History Museum. He continued, “She professionalized the organization and took what was a collection of things and created a properly cataloged collection and archive. Our library was named the Beatrice S. Sweeney Manuscript Archive to recognize her achievements.” In 2005, Bea was inducted into the History Hall of Fame to recognize her many contributions to preserving the history of Saratoga Springs.

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Bea listed the Drink Hall, built in 1915 originally as a trolley station, on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today is the home of the City Historian’s Office and Archives and the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center.

Bea was an advocate for establishing the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and a charter member of the Board of Directors in 1977. It was Bea that urged Julie Stokes, founding Executive Director, to pursue historic district designation for Broadway and Union Avenue. These designations laid the foundation for not only protection, but also funding through the federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit program that resulted in the investment of many historic buildings. “The community should thank a truly great lady, my mentor – Beatrice Sweeney – for throwing down one of the first gauntlets to protect the historic legacy of our city which contributed to the city’s success today,” said Julie.

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“Bea had a truly special personality, high intelligence, an ability to engage many different people, a quiet politeness, and a push of steel to convince others,” fondly recalled James Kettlewell. “She came at a critical time when the city could either take hold of protecting what it had or lose it,” said James.

Thank you, Bea, for all that you have done for our community - you left an amazing legacy that should never be forgotten!

Should you want to make a contribution in her memory, her family asked that donations be made to an organization of your choice. To support preserving the places that matter, please join the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation at SaratogaPreservation.org. SS

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Moe’s Coffee Coach

Saratoga Backstretch Memories…

WRITTEN BY ANN HAUPRICH PAINTING BY R.C. EWELL PHOTOS BY TERI O’CONNOR

Renowned equine artist R.C. (Bob) Ewell was inspired to create this painting of Moe’s Coffee Coach serving customers along the backstretch for an August 2003 exhibit at the visitors’ center in Saratoga Springs.

Photo Courtesy of R.C. Ewell

Moe's Coffee Coach namesake Moe Dandeneau.

T

here was a time along the Oklahoma Training Track when a goat named Bambi would stand in line with Thoroughbred owners, trainers, jockeys, and backstretch workers to order refreshments from a free-wheeling enterprise called Moe’s Coffee Coach.

Although the portable food and beverage venue that was founded half a century ago served its last Spa City customer in 2008, perky memories of the seasonal business where equine lovers could relax and renew far from the glamour and glitz of the grandstand remain. Ed O’Connor, who became “the face of Moe’s” after its late namesake Moe Dandeneau retired in 1991, fondly

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recalls the favorite menu items and occasional hi-jinks of many patrons – as does his wife Teri, who worked incredibly hard behind-the scenes.

Among their favorite “characters” was a cash-toting goat named Bambi who loved munching on potato chips. “The barn workers would tuck a dollar bill in Bambi’s collar, and she would come to the truck for a bag of chips. We also served horses, some of them retired Thoroughbreds, who would come up to the window, stick their heads inside and wait for a donut. And, of course, lots of four-legged, tail wagging dogs would ‘order’ hot dogs or hard-boiled eggs or pieces of cheese,” laughs Teri.

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The now retired Ed -- who had sometimes put in as many as 18 hours a day, seven days a week interacting with Moe’s customers between April and November – also has fond recollections of times spent with then young children Keegan and Brody on the backstretch. While their Dad wouldn’t use the word “mascots” to describe his tiny tots, the pair won many a heart, accompanied by many a free pony ride. A favorite photo taken by Teri (who now serves with distinction as Ballston Spa’s Village Clerk) in the 1990s shows future paralegal Keegan and future financial analyst Brody experiencing the thrill of thundering hooves while snuggling in their father’s strong arms at the rail. Another precious moment in time, captured a beaming Ed as he allowed this son and daughter to “help” him behind the counter.

While there were times when the couple -- who expanded Moe’s from two vehicles to a fleet of three -- had as many as six employees on their payroll, it was sometimes challenging to recruit new workers needing to report for duty before the sun had risen.

The fact that an average of 1,500 cups of coffee were served to Moe’s customers each week offers some insight into the demand for products and services.

In addition to serving Thoroughbred owners, trainers, jockeys and other backstretch workers, Moe’s Coffee Coach also served horses, some of them retired racers, who would come up to the window, stick their heads inside and wait for a donut. And, of course, lots of four-legged, tail wagging dogs would ‘order’ hot dogs or hard-boiled eggs or pieces of cheese.

Young Keegan O'Connor flanked by mom Teri and grandmother Marilyn Steiner Dandeneau. Teri, who is now Ballston Spa's Village Clerk, worked incredibly hard behind-thescenes as co-owner of Moe's. An egg salad sandwich recipe handed down to Teri by her now late mother proved to be exceptionally popular with coffee coach patrons.

Ed O’Connor, who became “the face of Moe’s” after acquiring the coffee coach from its namesake in 1991, has fond recollections of times spent with then young children Keegan and Brody on the backstretch. While their Dad wouldn’t use the word “mascots” to describe his tiny tots, the siblings won many a heart, accompanied by many a free pony ride. A favorite photo shows young Keegan and Brody experiencing the thrill of thundering hooves while snuggling in their father’s strong arms at the rail. Another precious moment in time captured a beaming Ed as he allowed this son and daughter to “help” him behind the counter.

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Among the most popular items on Moe’s early morning menu were apple fritters and pumpkin muffins which were brought in fresh baked daily from Gambles Bakery in Queensbury along with Danish pastries, donuts, assorted other muffins and hard rolls. The fritters and muffins would be warmed on the coffee coach’s griddle upon request while the rolls were used to prepare other Moe’s mainstays.

Eggs served with sausage or bacon inside of the rolls and egg salad sandwiches also earned rave reviews.”The egg salad sandwiches were prepared using a recipe that was handed down to Teri by her now late mother, Marilyn Steiner Dandeneau. Although Marilyn did not serve Moe’s customers, sampling her scrumptious egg salad was something folks continued to clamor for during the decades when her daughter and son-in-law ran the business.

Moe’s proprietor as “a young, friendly guy with a very friendly face who was an institution for years. All of us and the grooms would go out and relax by the truck. The owner was a mainstay you could share a few laughs and drink a coffee with.”

The decision to sell Moe’s was a difficult one for the couple, who next year will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Key factors that contributed to the end of the backstretch’s portable truck stop era were escalating insurance costs, rising food prices, and securing sufficient employees.

What does Ed miss most about his years as the face of Moe’s Coffee Coach? “I definitely miss seeing the horses work out up close every morning and the interaction with the trainers, owners, jockeys and workers. The whole backstretch culture is very caring regarding the horses, It’s a lifestyle, not just a job,” muses Ed. And while the 2020 Saratoga Racing Season will be like no other in history because of the pandemic, you can bet Ed plans to watch the Thoroughbred action on the Union Avenue race course from the comfort and safety of his home daily. SS

“In those days, Teri did all of the shopping – which was almost a fulltime job. She also made hundreds of egg salad and ham and cheese sandwiches several times a week so that we had ready food for those in a hurry,” marvels Ed. In addition to the sandwiches and hot dogs, Moe’s offered freshly grilled hamburgers and a vast array of condiments and chilled sodas as well as lemonade and iced tea.

So impressed was painter R.C. (Bob) Ewell by Moe’s Coffee Coach and the action surrounding it that he created a masterpiece depicting one of the enterprise’s three vehicles that was showcased during a 2003 equine art exhibit at the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center. Ewell says he and wife Barbara, whose home straddles The Oklahoma Training Track, “enjoyed hearing the morning horn as the coach made its stops to attract hungry customers.” The Ewells also savored the sausage, egg and cheese on hard roll sandwiches that “tasted especially good on a cool spring morning at the Oklahoma and the coffee that was never quite hot. More like tepid so it didn’t burn your mouth.”

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, meanwhile, fondly remembers saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Where Does the Term

DARK HORSE Come From?

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e hear the term all the time and know it means an unknown contestant, but how did a horse racing term become part of everyday language?

In 1831, Benjamin Disraeli provides the earliest known reference in his novel The Young Duke, “The first favourite was never heard of, the second favourite was never seen after the distance post, all the ten-to-oners were in the rear, and a dark horse, which had never been thought of… rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph. The spectators were almost too surprised to cheer…”

A Dark Horse was a Thoroughbred that trained “in the dark” whether that was at night or in secret to keep bettors from knowing how well the horse was doing. That way most gamblers would not put money on

the horse causing it to have very high odds and a big pay off when it unexpectedly beat the favorite. Dark Horse originated in horse racing, which was the sport de jour in the 1800s. Dark Horses started “appearing” in news articles relating to other sports as well politics. Now any unfamiliar contestant is called a Dark Horse. The same year the Dark Horse originated, the terms “Backstretch” and “Crib Biting” were also used for the first time; both related to horses as well. The next time you’re at the racecourse pay attention to the horses without the best odds… it might not be because they aren’t the best horses, they may just be the Dark Horse.

UPSET, Saratoga’s Original Dark Horse I n 1919 Man o’ War was a force to be reckoned with. Standing at 16.2 hands and having a stride that spanned between 25-28 feet, he seemed unstoppable. He came to Saratoga and dominated the field, until August 13th. That day, during the most remembered Sanford Stakes in history, Man o’ War was defeated for the first and only time in his career. He was beaten by The Dark Horse in the race, appropriately named Upset! Owned by the Payne-Whitney Stable, he was not considered a threat to Big Red who was carrying 15 pounds more than the other horse in the field. A mistake was made when the starter let the horses go with Man o’ War facing the wrong direction, giving the other horses an advantage. Upset scarcely beat Man o’ War, even with the great head start, but the race goes down in history as one of racing’s greatest upsets.

In honor of Upset, a new Dark Horse has been named in his memory. Our mascot, Upset, a miniature horse, stands only 33 inches tall and has never run in a race. He is proud to carry the name Upset and will help tell the story of The Dark Horse in Saratoga Springs to racing 42 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JULY/AUGUST 2020

fans everywhere. Meet Upset, the Mini Dark Horse, throughout the summer in Downtown Saratoga Springs. His schedule is online at DarkHorseSaratoga.com! Live the Legend!

Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti are Co-Owners of The Dark Horse Mercantile and Impressions of Saratoga in Downtown Saratoga Springs. The Dark Horse brand is all about overcoming the odds and believing in yourself even if you are not the favorite.

There are so many interesting Dark Horse stories both in and out of horse racing we wanted to share them with our friends who read the Saratoga TODAY family of publications.

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SNOWMAN

A RAGS TO RICHES DARK HORSE STORY

B

orn in 1948 Snowman was a 16 hand grey horse of undetermined breeding that spent his early life as an Amish plough horse. As the farming community made the switch from horse to mechanical powered vehicles he eventually ended up in a horse auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania. There were no bidders for Snowman and he was on his way to slaughter in 1956 when he caught the eye of Dutch immigrant and horse trainer, Harry de Leyer. He saw something in Snowman and purchased him for a mere $60, plus an additional $20 to transport him home to St. James on Long Island. He started a new life at 8 years old in the de Leyer’s riding lesson program for children at the private Knox School.

Snowman was sold to a neighbor for twice his investment as a beginner horse for a child. Snowman however had other ideas and kept jumping the fence between properties to go back home to de Leyer! It was then decided that Harry would never sell him and started teaching him to jump. After three or so months of training, Harry decided to enter Snowman in a local jumping event. Two years after being bought off a slaughter truck he started winning prestigious events beating the bluebloods of show jumping and well on the way to making show jumping history. He became known as the “Cinderella Horse” and attracted spectators to watch this working man’s horse become a legend during his 5 year career as an elite show jumper!

In 1958 and 1959 the pair of unlikely champions won the US National Open Jumper Championship and the pinnacle of show jumping, The National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden in NYC. He was the first horse to win Horse of the Year two years running. He and Harry put the de Leyer’s Hollandia Farm on the horse showing map!

When Snowman wasn’t on the show circuit jumping his heart out, he was a pet and playmate for the de Leyer kids. They would swim on him, use him as a diving board and use him for sledding in the winters. Harry would jump him over all sorts of obstacles, including another horse! He would often ride Snowman with no use of the reins at all and nothing but a soft rubber snaffle bit.

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In 1969 Snowman and de Leyer were invited to the National Horse Show for an official retirement ceremony.

Harry and Snowman made many public appearances, including one on the Johnny Carson Show, where Johnny actually mounted Snowman.

Snowman was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1992. There have been numerous books written, movies made and Breyer models created to celebrate this amazing horse and his Dark Horse story!

He was retired in 1962 and lived out his years with Harry. He passed away at age 26 with Harry by his side and is buried in his favorite corner of his pasture at Hollandia Farms.

Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti are Co-Owners of The Dark Horse Mercantile and Impressions of Saratoga in Downtown Saratoga Springs. The Dark Horse brand is all about overcoming the odds and believing in yourself even if you are not the favorite. There are so many interesting Dark Horse stories both in and out of horse racing we wanted to share them with our friends who read the Saratoga TODAY family of publications… Stay tuned for weekly updates starting in July!

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Meet the Artist

Paul Andersen WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

“Throw your heart into the picture and then jump in after it.”

-Howard Pyle

O

n the pages of classical 19th century children’s literature, thrilling tales of fantastical adventures are accompanied by dreamy, dramatic illustrations.

Growing up, Paul Andersen was captivated by these pictures, and his heroes became the men that painted them.

Jumping In Paul Andersen’s Schuylerville home is filled with a collection of paintings, art reference books, and sculpture.

Inspired by artists like Howard Pyle, who founded the renowned Brandywine School of artists, one of Andersen’s latest works, a painting of an iconic Pinocchio street scene, stands on the easel beside him.

His canvases are large – often several feet or more, and feature everything from cute characters, to sophisticated romantic figurative works, historic depictions, religious and holiday iconography.

“Fantasy excites me in so many different ways. Its an area where you’re not locked in and you don’t have to be exact. You can use your imagination,” said Andersen.

Art that Grabs You After attending art school at Pratt University and the School of Visual Arts, Andersen got a job in advertising, creating book and magazine illustrations.

Today, he has an expansive portfolio of completed works; he’s painted murals, written song lyrics and children’s books, and published a career retrospective.

By copying the work of other artists, he developed his own style.

“If you copy enough of what you enjoy, what you like, and what grabs you – before you know it – you have your own style,” said Andersen.

Early on, he painted a replica of one of his favorites, N.C. Wyeth’s, “Winter.” It now hangs above his desk where an unfinished portrait of a princess, in the style of Maxfield Parrish, beckons.

“Sometimes I struggle painting a picture. I hit a point when it’s not together yet but it’s difficult to work on because it’s just horrible.

I have to just get through that stage. I can’t sleep if it’s unfinished. Then, when it’s finished, I miss that sad, mean point because of the excitement of it. So, I start another one right away.”

Schuylerville’s Newest Mural Andersen moved into the region just two years ago from Long Island, where he and his wife of 35 years, Kathy Calabretta, ran the Locust Valley Plaza Gallery.

“I like it up here very much. The countryside is so beautiful, so green, healthy. I just liked it immediately,” he said.

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This countryside is featured in a 7-panel, 6ft. x 30 ft. mural Andersen painted for the Town of Saratoga court. It depicts the turning point of the Revolutionary War as a peaceful scene. Women and children are in a grassy field as General Phillip Schuyler plucks an apple from a tree. The clouds are like fireworks in the sky as generals read documents, and soldiers stand ready. In the center, a white horse faces the viewer with a determined look in his eye.

“I’m very happy with it. I like the tonality of colors – it’s colorful but not overpowering. It was a very important day in history. It was the beginning of a whole new world,” said Andersen.

The sequel to Andersen’s book “Art & Passion.” featuring his later pieces, is due out this summer. This and his other titles are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. SS Randall Perry Photography saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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The Spirit of Ballston Spa Residents and visitors invited to contribute to community yearbook and website WRITTEN BY ANN HAUPRICH PHOTOS BY MARY HAUPRICH

But just as it took a whole village to build Kids’ Creekside Village in Kelley Park in 2008, it will take a whole village to make the Ballston Spa Living 2020 Community Yearbook an exquisite literary Time Capsule to be treasured for generations to come. To this end, residents, visitors and representatives of the village’s business and professional community are being invited to contribute images and captions that capture “The Spirit of Ballston Spa” during 2020.

W

ith their 50th and 40th Ballston Spa High School reunions nearing, sisters Ann Hauprich (Class of 1971) and Mary Hauprich Reilly (Class of 1981) are increasingly grateful for the precious moments in time preserved inside their respective BSHS yearbooks.

If only, Mary had mused on the eve of 2020, a way could be found to create an heirloom quality community yearbook with a companion website devoted to preserving the past, celebrating the present and embracing the future in the revitalized village that had in recent decades become a destination for all seasons.

There was, however, no way of knowing as Editor Ann and Webmaster-Publisher Mary began laying the foundation for their heritage preservation project in January that life in their hometown would soon change in unprecedented ways in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Our original concept had been a blissfully simple one,” recalls Ann. “We would showcase images of crowd-pleasing multi-generational concerts, exhibits, parades and festivals as they were scheduled to unfold during this calendar year. We couldn’t wait to photograph events and activities linked to First Fridays and the Saratoga County Fair. We also envisioned including highlights of award ceremonies, enrichment programs, graduations, proms, reunions, and theatrical productions. But as we continue to find ourselves in unchartered territory dubbed The New Normal, with a downtown that sometimes resembled a sci-fi movie set after a State of Emergency was declared in March, we began re-imaging how best to carry out our mission.”

Although still in the embryonic stage, the free Ballston Spa Living website (BallstonSpaLiving.com) contains foundational blocks for the yearbook, including content that documents history-in-themaking against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

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“We are incredibly grateful that some of our former classmates were among the first to respond to our appeal for contributions,” notes Ann. “Paul Monaco, who graduated with Mary four decades ago, has been crafting a splendid series of Village Vignettes that will form a major section within the yearbook. And my former BSHS classmate Antonio Bucca, who co-authored a book with me and now late Village History Consultant Maurice “Christopher” Morley a decade ago, is focusing his professional photography talents on other timely subject matter.”

Additional early contributions have come from BSHS Class of 1981 alum Beth Whalen Smisloff and the Class of 1977’s Michael Garland. It is hoped many more images and reflections from a broad spectrum of sources will be forthcoming to complete the construction of COVID-19 galleries with such headings as “The stories behind the masked faces.”

Bonus features already posted on the website that illustrate Silver Linings in the midst of the pandemic include the uplifting tale of how a lad’s 10th birthday evolved into a Spirit of Ballston Spa celebration complete with a “parade” and the poignant account of a disabled octogenarian who enjoyed her final weeks surrounded by loved ones after being brought home from a nursing care facility near the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

The site also boasts a series of Q & As with “Pillars, Posts & Supporting Beams” of the community. The first to be featured on the website were Mayor Larry Woolbright, Village Clerk Teri O’Connor and Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA) Executive Administrator Ellen Mottola. The yearbook will ultimately encompass a collection of 20 such exclusive interviews.

Another series will commemorate the legacies of those who spearheaded the Renaissance that gradually transformed the village from a “drive-thru dot on the map” in the 1970s to a saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

“drive-to destination” in the new millennium. “At the time our parents transplanted their 10 Albany-born children here in the 1960s so our Mom could walk to her teaching job at the Malta Avenue Elementary School, the Old Chocolate Factory was so run-down that even a ghost would have been afraid to haunt it. And most of Front Street was in such derelict condition that Hollywood deemed it the perfect setting for some Depression-era scenes for The Way We Were,” says Ann. “Perhaps chronicling the obstacles that have been overcome and the innovative strides that have been made since then will bolster the spirits of those who are demoralized by mandatory closures and the ongoing need to don protective facial coverings and practice social distancing etiquette.

Ballston Spa may never be precisely the way it was just prior to the pandemic. But gazing upon the rainbows and yellow ribbons that now decorate streetscapes that surround my home-office, one dares to dream that some things may be even better.”

As a Christmas gift to the community, a digital copy of the more than 200-page full-color 8.5” x 11” yearbook published

by Legacies Unlimited will be available free of charge via BallstonSpaLiving.com commencing on December 24.

New links will be added by Labor Day for those wishing to purchase hard copies of the limited-edition volume for private collections and for those who offer support as part of a special section honoring Spirit of Ballston Spa sponsors.

An earlier book by Ann titled Mornings with Morley that includes a video presentation by Mary is now available for complimentary summer enrichment on the same site.

To learn more, please visit www.BallstonSpaLiving.com.

SS

Ballston Spa Living Publisher & Webmaster Mary Hauprich Reilly (seen with Editor Ann Hauprich) created the trio of digital artistic renderings of the masked faces on the opposite page. Clockwise from top left: Village Clerk Teri O'Connor, Mayor Larry Woolbright and Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association Executive Administrator Ellen Mottola. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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MEET Anthony Swiatek Saratoga’s Great Coin-noisseur

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOUCEMEDIA.COM

W

hen Anthony Swiatek was a boy, he, along with his aunt and uncle went to Gimbel’s department store in New York City. A shiny 1952 US coin proof set caught his eye. When he saw a present under the Christmas tree matching the size of that set, he thought, that has to be it!

“Little did I know this would germinate into my interest in coins, and who I am today,” said Swiatek.

Considered by many to be a luminary in the world of coins and currency, Swiatek became a full time professional numismatist in 1979 and is known as “Mr. Commen” because of his extensive knowledge of U.S. commemorative coins.

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN Before his coin career took off, Swiatek was a hard-working Science teacher with a personality that earned him the nickname “Cool Breeze” among his students.

“I’m really an honest person and I really give a care. I would call it the way it was,” he said.

This reputation came to serve Swiatek well in the coin business, having its share of unscrupulous dealers hoping to make a quick profit. Learning as he went, Swiatek too, fell victim to some of these faulty appraisals and remembers the disillusionment and hurt that it caused.

Today, he is helping people get the most for their money as the owner of Minerva Coins and Jewelry, 63 Spring St., Saratoga Springs.

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“You can have something that’s old but that doesn’t make it valuable,” he tells clients.

He always willing to take a look and let you know just what you’ve got.

“We’ll see if we hit the slot machine’s jackpot here,” he remembers saying to a man who brought in a collection of 1968 proof sets. After careful examination, he found within the set that one of the dimes the man had paid $5 for was worth more than $8,000.

ON A ROLL For Swiatek, some of his greatest riches in life have come from accumulating and sharing his knowledge and experience with others.

He has served as the past president for prestigious groups including the Society for US Commemorative Coins, and the American Numismatic Association 50th leader. As a coin fraud consultant for the US Attorney’s Office, his testimony led to a conviction in a high stakes case that would later be featured on the television series “American Greed.”

Among his achievements and honors are the numerous invitations he’s received to appear at the White House during the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations, as well as the West Point Mint, where he struck the 20th ceremonial coin commemorating the 200th Anniversary of West Point. Swiatek’s wife of 43 years, Gloria, was able to strike the 21st ceremonial coin. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Swiatek is also the author of several expansive coin guides, including the 713-page, “Encyclopedia of Commemorative Coins of the U.S.,” has written for a number of magazines, and is a sought-after lecturer. For more than 13 years, he’s taught a continuing education class, “How Much are Your Coins Worth?” at Saratoga Springs City School.

“This is information I thought people could use and would need,” he said.

COLLECTING INTO THE FUTURE Coin collecting has changed a great deal since Swiatek has been in the business.

In recent years, the appeal has been waning, as the thrill of the hunt has been replaced by a quick online search and cash is being replaced by digital banking.

“Everything the US Mint makes goes down in value. People get tired of losing money, so the collector base of people who want to have a coin just to have it, is shrinking,” he said.

The history of our nation is told through our money.

It’s a story of inflation but also of our values as a people. This year concerns about spreading the Coronavirus with saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

cash transitions mimics the worries that people had in 1908 about spreading germs with the rimless Indian Head coins.

Saratoga is part of this story.

Swiatek has sequential 1865-1902 “horse-blanket” notes issued by individual banks in Saratoga Springs.

In 2015, when the National Parks were a theme of the America the Beautiful commemorative collection, Swiatek helped chose the image for the Saratoga quarter and even helped to pay for all 500 students at Schuylerville Central School to have one of their own.

For those looking to start a collection today, Swiatek recommends looking through the sea of sameness -it is our mistakes and rare changes that create value.

Try finding one of the Sacagawea dollar coins put inside boxes of Cheerios in 2000 as a promotional campaign. Some of these have the rarely seen eagle with detailed tail feathers and can be worth as much as $17,000 today.

“If you go to a yard sale or show and see that on the table in sealed Cherrios original holder, that’s a winning coin, you may have the real McCoy there.”

For more information, go to USCoinGuru@aol.com. SS

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SUMMER FA

A Different

SUMMER SARATOGA SUMMER

SUMMER FASHI

Navigating the Social Scene During a Pandemic MEGHAN LEMERY FRITZ LCSW-R

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

A

s we enter the Saratoga summer season, we are all aware that this season will be a very different Saratoga experience.

Large crowds at the race track, strolling down Broadway and full restaurants will be replaced with social distancing, wearing masks to protect ourselves and others in our community, and being creative about how to enjoy the summer in way that keeps us safe, healthy and respectful of the restrictions we are asked to honor.

Every person has a different set of rules for how they are navigating the pandemic. For some, a green light means going back to the normal way of living pre COVID and for others, caution will be exercised until a vaccine comes out and more is known about the nature and spread of the virus.

It is important when you do plan time with others in a social setting to be up front about what guidelines you are (or are not) practicing. If you are visiting someone at their house ask how many people will be there, will they wear masks and will they practice social distancing in seating arrangements. Ask if you need to use the bathroom if they are comfortable with you coming into the house.

If you are less conservative in following the guidelines suggested, be honest about that so there are no surprises for family or friends. While it can be an uncomfortable conversation it is important to stick to the medical facts and keep the discussion from being political.

If you are sticking to guidelines of small groups of people, social distancing and wearing your mask in public it can be anxiety provoking to see others in the grocery store or the farmers’ market not wearing a mask. Don’t force yourself to stay in situations that will leave you feeling vulnerable and anxious. Honor what works for you and remove yourself from the crowd as soon as possible.

When it comes to family members who want to visit you and are more liberal with guidelines, ask the important questions and let them know that even though you are in the green phase, you and your family are still practicing semi-quarantined living. Don’t apologize for what works for you and your family and let family members know your restrictions on visitation are not personal, rather based on medical fact.

This is not the time to fall into peer pressure and engage in social behavior that ultimately leaves you feeling vulnerable. Honor your intuition and resist the urge to judge family or friends who may be more comfortable expanding lifting initial restrictions.

Do what works for you and when in doubt trust your inner GPS to guide you to the right action!

SUMMER SUMMER FASHI

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YOU ARE WORTH IT.

SS

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2020

ASHION SUMMER FASHION SUMMER FASHION SUMME R FASHION SUMMER FASHIO ION SUMMER FASHION SUM

UMMER FASHION SUMMER R FASHION SUMMER FASHIO ION SUMMER FASHION SUM saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs @CarolineAndMain.com

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A Perennial bestseller by Habitat Clothing, the Catalina Striped Tunic $79.00

436 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • 518.584.4665 LifestylesOfSaratoga.com saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Freshen up your wardrobe this Summer at Lucia.

Alex is wearing the Desi Mini Dress

by ASTR The Label, Maggie Mini Tote Bag in Mint, Perforated White Sneakers, and Gold Hoop Earrings from Amano Jewelry.

Photo by The Content Saratoga

454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.587.7890 • LuciaBoutique.com 54 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JULY/AUGUST 2020

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Shelli Stretch Shift in Dream Team $168

Narissa Shift in Coco Island $198

Redford Crossbody Wicker Clutch $158

Palm Beach Flat Leather $115

Kat Crossbody in Cork $148

Natasha Leather Wedge $198 All Lilly Pulitzer

358 Broadway, Saratoga Springs thepinkpaddock • 518.587.4344 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Celebrate the warm sunny season called Summer with Spoken's exclusive hi-low detailed sleeve tunic! Keeping it casual and playful with their white cropped embroidered jean from Driftwood!

Come see all that summer has to offer at Spoken Boutique Photo by SuperSourceMedia.com

Make-up courtesy of Alayne Curtis, Make me Fabulous

27 Church Street, Saratoga Springs • 518.587.2772• SpokenSaratoga.com 56 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JULY/AUGUST 2020

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Your Go-to for father’s Day gifting Joules Revere Print Shirt light & Breezy Cotton Poplin

437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • @UnionHallSupplyCo.com saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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(Left to Right)

on Mackenzie: Rails 'Cara' Tee, AGOLDE 'Jaime' High Rise Jean, Free People 'Coastal Platform Wedge' Sandal on Rena: Velvet by Graham & Spencer 'Ori' Off-the-Shoulder Peasant Top, AGOLDE 'Riley' High Rise Jean, Free People 'Coastal Platform Wedge' Sandal HatAttack 'Bamboo Handle' Bags on Hanna: Velvet by Graham & Spencer 'Abba' Tie-Front Tee, Paige 'Hoxton Slim Crop' Jean, Seychelles 'Jump for Joy' Sandal

Photo by SuperSourceMedia.com

494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • 518.584.4838 • VioletsofSaratoga.com 58 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | JULY/AUGUST 2020

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Gift Guide Silverwood

398 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.583.3600 • SilverwoodGalleries.com Al fresco is key this summer… pick up our wine totes and cheese travel sets for your next picnic.

These new custom wall maps featuring topography, roads, and water features come in beautiful colors and several size options. Saratoga city and lake, Lake George, and the Adirondack Park are stocked but these can also be special ordered to specific places.

TOGA HERITAGE

398 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.944.8951 • TOGAHERITAGE.COM Celebrate Summer In Saratoga with a TOGA HERITAGE Signature Wood Sign.

The perfect keepsake!

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Casual yet elegant pieces abound at Lifestyles!

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Touring the

Saratoga Spa State Park WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

SAMANTHA BOSSHART, SARATOGA SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

The Spa Complex completed in 1934.

A

s we are in the midst of a global pandemic, health is a priority for everyone. People have been restricted to their homes and to limited outdoor activity – walking, running, or biking – individually or with those you live with. With its wide open spaces and beautiful architecture, the Saratoga Spa State Park is a perfect place to explore while doing one of those activities. So lace up your shoes or hop on your bike and come learn about the history and architecture of this National Historic Landmark!

To begin, it is important to learn about the development of the park. Spring waters have been important to Saratoga since they were first discovered by the Native Americans who considered them to have healing properties. The springs attracted many from near and far who believed in their medicinal benefits, making Saratoga Springs a popular resort destination. Thousands of visitors arrived each year to stroll, partake in the different spring waters, and stay at grand hotels on Broadway. However, the springs also attracted entrepreneurs seeking ways to make money.

Entrepreneurs not only sold the water from the springs, but discovered that the carbon dioxide from the carbonated spring waters could be extracted and sold for soda fountains, which were gaining popularity. This resulted in many unsightly manufacturing complexes with deep well pumps extracting hundreds of thousands of gallons daily. Unfortunately, this caused a significant threat to the springs- what had made Saratoga so famous was nearly lost forever.

Depending on how ambitious you are, you could start on foot or bike, at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center, 297 Broadway, where in 1915 guests boarded a trolley at the Hudson Valley Railroad Station to go south to the Lincoln Bath building, 65 South Broadway. For those less ambitious, start at the Lincoln Bath building. Prior to the existing building, there was a wood-frame factory built to extract gas and adapted by the state for public bathing in 1915.

So many sought the medicinal benefits of the spring waters that five years later the adjacent Washington Bath House was constructed -now the National Museum of Dance, 99 South Broadway.

This building was designed by State Architect Lewis F. Pilcher in the popular Craftsman style. It was at the Washington Baths that for the first time in Saratoga an appointment system was used and higher fees were charged for patrons to enjoy semi-private to private rooms. Between the two bath houses, 2,500 clients were served daily.

The Washington Bath House features a stucco exterior with half-timbering detail and a slate roof and originally had a fountain in the lobby with Lincoln Spring Water.

Senator Edgar Brackett and Spencer Trask, a wealthy financier, formed a committee of local citizens to “protect and preserve the mineral springs of Saratoga for prosperity.” The committee was successful in passing the 1908 Anti-Pumping Act, which prevented the pumping of the water and extraction of gas. However, the gas companies ignored the law and New York State took ownership of the lands where the springs were located in order to protect them long term in 1909. In 1910, at a time when the use of bath houses was popular, the Saratoga Reservation Commission was formed to develop a health resort on state lands. Over time, the state acquired the land now known as the Saratoga Spa State Park.

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Lincoln Bath House with its grand entrance marked by marble columns and the State of New York Seal.

In March of 1928, the original Lincoln Bath building burned causing “considerable inconvenience in obtaining treatments” since over 75 percent of capacity was lost. On May 12, 1930, the stucco Neoclassical building that you see today opened. The new $750,000 bath house was designed by State Architect William E. Haugaard.

When constructed it was the largest and finest bath house in the world with a capacity to provide 4,500 treatments daily. It had 252 bathtubs and more than 500 dressing rooms.

From those two bath buildings, you can walk, run, or bike west down the beautiful Avenue of the Pines, originally named the “Pine Promenade.” The promenade, historically a mile in length with trees planted in calculated increments, was designed in the early 1920s to serve pedestrians and wheelchairs, allowing people the opportunity to exercise and get fresh air.

The Avenue of the Pines opens upon the impressive red brick Georgian Revival style Spa Complex with columned porticos, arched arcades, reflecting pool and long malls. In 1929, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a new Saratoga Springs Commission and the second phase of development took place. In 1932, during the Great Depression, construction started on a scientific spa, employing 1,200 local workers.

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The Spa Complex was designed by Joseph H. Freelander, who had studied famous spas in Europe, and landscape architect, A. F. Brinkerhoff. By 1934, the Simon Baruch Research Institute that included offices, laboratories, and an auditorium, the Victoria Pool, the Bottling Plant, the Hall of Springs that featured three separate springs, a nine-hole golf course, and a hotel were built as well as the two Roosevelt Bath buildings. It is here you can wander, read the 35 different inscriptions, and admire the neo-classical figures in the complex.

The Saratoga Spa State Park encompasses so much more than what is mentioned here. To learn more about the architecture, history, and the many springs, please join the upcoming bike and walking tours hosted by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. Bike tours will be held on Saturdays – July 11, August 22, and September 29, and a walking tour will take place on Sunday, August 16. To learn more about other upcoming tours and safety requirements, please visit SaratogaPreservation.org or call (518) 587-5030. SS

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Time for Ice Cream!

COMPILED BY LILY NEHER

FARMERS DAUGHTERS

882 NY Route 29, Saratoga Springs FarmersDaughtersDriveIn.com March to October, 9AM to 9PM PRICE RANGE:

Affordable – full menu of American food and ice cream

WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:

Delicious ice cream that can be enjoyed overlooking the scenic rolling hills of Schuylerville

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

It’s a Schuylerville community staple and it’s just across from Schuyler park!

DAIRY HAUS

476 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs DairyHaus.com Sun-Thurs 11AM-8PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-9PM PRICE RANGE:

Affordable and large portions

WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:

“The best homemade hard and soft ice cream since 1985!”

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

Their excellent ice cream cakes!

HUMPTY DUMPTY

70 West Ave. Saratoga Springs HumptyDumptyIceCream.weebly.com 11AM to 10PM PRICE RANGE:

Affordable ice cream and subs

WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:

KING BROTHERS DAIRY

(518) 695-MILK (6455) 311 King Rd, Schuylerville, New York Open Year Round Spring/Summer Hours Monday-Saturday 9 am - 9 pm Sunday 12 pm - 9 pm PRICE RANGE:

Affordable – with a charming gift shop and grocery farm store.

WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:

They feature over 40 homemade hard ice cream flavors!

Soft serve, ice cream sundaes, milkshakes and more are also available.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

King Brothers Dairy is a family run dairy farm, in the small town of Schuylerville, NY, situated a few miles northeast of Saratoga Springs in the beautiful Hudson River Valley. Their milk is produced by them, bottled by them and delivered by them.

Family Owned, friendly staff and the line to be on during the summer!

…AND WITH A

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

EVERY FEW MILES, YOU ARE NEVER FAR FROM AN ICE CREAM BREAK!

They have Dole Whip too!

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STEWART’S SHOP

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'

AIRWAY MEADOWS GOLF CLUB

MCGREGOR LINKS COUNTRY CLUB

An 18-hole championship course with a par 72.

15 Minutes from Downtown Saratoga, Open to the Public.

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

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

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

BALLSTON SPA COUNTRY CLUB INC.

SARATOGA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

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

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

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

BROOKHAVEN GOLF CLUB 333 Alpine Meadows Road, Porter Corners, NY (518) 893-7458 BrookhavenGolfCourse.com

GALWAY GOLF COURSE (9 holes)

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

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

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

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

SARATOGA LAKE GOLF CLUB

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

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

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

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H&G Randall Perry Photography

Let us show you around… saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Archite

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cturally SPEAKING

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

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C rom w e l l M a n o r

A Jewel in the Crown of Lake George, Queen of American Lakes WRITTEN BY THERESA ST. JOHN PHOTOS BY RANDALL PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

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Lake George is 32-miles long and fed by underground springs that grant it the crystal-clear water everyone raves about when visiting the area.

With more than 109 miles of shoreline and over 300 islands seemingly made for top-notch fishing and camping, Lake George is the perfect place for a vacation or retreat, no matter the time of year.

Now, add a spectacular sunrise or sunset over the water and beautiful views of the Adirondack mountains on the horizon every single day.

Can you picture it? A year-round private estate – with 212 feet of lake frontage set on 2.4 acres of meticulously landscaped lawn.

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If so, you have just served yourself a slice of heaven others often refer to as Cromwell Manor, located in the muchcoveted area known as Diamond Point.

At one time, this was two properties, separated by a six-foot-tall wooden fence. Then… The homeowners hired Dean Howland, owner of Howland Construction, Inc to remodel the 1940s main house.

He’s been known for luxury remodels and custom energy-efficient homes in the Lake George region for over 25 years, so their choice was a simple one.

It wasn’t too long into the initial project – which included the main house and party deck before Dean found signs that this remodel was going to be a huge undertaking.

“I sat with the owners and explained how some things were in bad condition. We traveled around, touring other properties I’ve worked on with my crew. I was hoping the couple would get a feel for my designs, and I wanted to talk more about what they wanted in their own home.”

Dean tells me.

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“It’s all about listening to my customers. We are partners from day one; their voice is the most important one. I work with the same sub-contractors on other projects, and we all have that same mentality – the customer’s wants and needs, are always front and center.”

The project got the green-light and evolved from there. One thing seemed to lead to another. Today, the two-story main house boasts a spacious foyer, oversize fireplace, French doors, and transom windows that overlook a stone patio with breath-taking views of both the lake and the mountains.

Randall Perry Photography

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Think of hardwood floors, crown moldings, built-in custom cabinetry, a wet-bar, state-of-the-art appliances, and six bedrooms spread over two floors.

Picture a master suite with a balcony that overlooks the lake, a home gym, sauna, finished 2-car garage – these are just a few of the luxuries Dean created for the family.

The 2nd largest house on the property has two separate entrances, which can be closed off, creating a separate wing for added privacy. The first floor boasts a great room – with a wall of windows offering panoramic views of the lake, afire pit, and an expansive deck. The first-floor guest room offers plush wall-to-wall carpeting.

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A circular stairwell leads to the second floor, where other inviting bedrooms greet visitors.

In the rear wing of the guest house, you’ll find a beautifully appointed living room, a custom full bath, a kitchen, and two more bedrooms.

There is certainly plenty of space to spread out and accommodate all the friends and family you wish to invite.

“The Pool House offers a modern, contemporary twist, while the Lake House is so close to the water you can move from the house to the boat, and back to the house with ease. We wanted each of these six year-round homes to have a personality or theme,” Dean says. “And we achieved that.”

The grounds are just as impressive. There are babbling brooks, an infinity pool, boat slips, screened-in gazebos, meandering paver walkways, stonewalls, and stairwells.

Randall Perry Photography

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If you like to play horseshoes or bocce, you’re in luck. The property has both, and they are regulation-sized, something important when you’re into competing for the win! There is also a basketball court surrounded by nature’s greenery.

When I spoke with Dawn, cousin to the family, she had beautiful memories of visiting over the years.

“It was a magical place,” she told me with a warm smile. “There was more than enough room for families to enjoy their own space. I mean – what other property has 18 bedrooms? 14 bathrooms? My husband, kids, and I would try to plan 10-14 days at a time, and the entire clan would come to relax, regroup, and catch-up.”

Dawn states they would eat breakfast together and then decide what to do for the day. Frequently they never left the property.

“Why would we?” she grins. “We had everything we needed right there.” They’d hang out at the pool, dive off the deck, take out the boats, go swimming, play on the water trampoline.

“I love to cook,” she laughs gaily. “So every day I’d take a survey, find out what everyone thought we should have for dinner. I would cook for 8-18 people, and everyone would jump in to help when it was time to clean up.”

Randall Perry Photography

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Later, after the sun had gone down, they’d light a campfire, roast marshmallows, have a few cocktails, use the carnival-style popcorn maker, and enjoy the lake. They’d play pool, chess, and cards in the Adirondack Playhouse.

Often, they’d try out the karaoke machine, which was a blast.

“Because it was private property, the kids were free to roam around and then fall into bed when they were ready.

Usually, the adults would stay up and talk into the wee hours of the morning.

It was perfect, truly perfect.”

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Life happens; people get busy, kids grow up, time gets away from you. Dawn states it was the best time, that her kids and husband often talk about the lake and their idyllic times at the manor. “It was all about family. That’s what I loved the most.”

While I was there at the estate, and then later, speaking to Dawn on the phone, I learned a few interesting facts about the manor: *Slate from the original home’s fireplace was repurposed and used to build others in both the Pool House and the Adirondack Playhouse. The slate came from a mine in Vermont which is no longer available, as the mine closed. *Even though residents can no longer build party decks – this property has two, and man, they are beautiful. *And even though residents can no longer build within 400’ feet from the lake – several of these six homes are closer. *There’s room for a helicopter to land on the front lawn!

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*In keeping with care for the environment, Dean implemented a drainage system that keeps water from making its way into the pristine lake. *In the Adirondack Playhouse, I was impressed with the decor – it was both unique and primitive.

I learned that Ralph Kylloe – a leading authority on rustic furniture and owner of the Kylloe Gallery in Lake George had created most of what was here in the room – including the Drawknife pool table, of which only three exist.

“Of course, every project comes to an end, and you move on to your next one,” Dean says with a smile. “In my line of work, though, you always leave a piece of yourself behind.”

I have a feeling visitors say the same thing as they drive away from 1016 Colony Cove Road, the sight of Cromwell Manor in their rear-view mirror.

For more information on this property, please contact Janet Besheer (518-265-9575) and Lisa Vitiello (518-466-9083) of Equitas Realty. SS

Archetec-

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tually

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Colleen's Picks

Susan Blackburn Photography

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

SARATOGA IS OPEN

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.

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for business!

aratoga…we made it to the other side of the mountain! I mean crazy, right! It is so exciting to see our shops open…from home goods, clothing, restaurants and the all-important hair salon!

Our downtown is beginning to bustle again, why the other day…I had to look for a parking spot on Broadway! I never thought that would make me happy…but it did! I mean truly happy!

It is time we had fun again…laughed, met friends for lunch and just had a good time walking around window shopping! So, let’s celebrate our town's GRAND REOPENING by getting a sneak-peak at all the exciting items they have to offer as we venture out and make our way through all our wonderful boutiques, local shops and stores!

Let’s start with stone! I know so many of you have been holding off on your renovations to begin until the contractors can once again go full steam on your projects. GRANITE AND MARBLE WORKS has been one of our staple suppliers for stone and quartz material for the Capital Region. With a display room filled with full slabs for review, it’s no wonder many of you find it easy to purchase your stone material at their modern facility. But wait until you see what they have in-house now…

Let’s start with their Silver Grey Honed Granite.

Honed simply means it is not polished, smooth, but not shiny. If you prefer not to have lights reflect off your countertops, this is a great option.

The deep charcoal background with its elusive white-to-grey veining, is perfect for both indoor and outdoor applications. In a more rustic or farmhouse setting, this granite mimics soapstone but without the need to oil. The Sequoia Brown Leathered Hard Marble (yes marble…) has the appearance of wood which makes it very versatile.

The linear flow of the stone lends itself to a dramatic waterfall edge, like a river flowing off the brink of your island! The Maldives, both honed or polished, incorporates hues of whites and blues with hints of warmer tones. A great option for kitchens with natural cabinets that need a facelift! Or pair this stone with a clever blue island to add a punch of unexpected color! Did you know blue is noted as the most “positive” color in most cultures? It is…From symbolizing healing, good health, love, joy and peace to name a few!

And lastly, the Atlantic Lava Stone with its striking presence boasts a marble-like appearance but due to the make-up of lava, it tends to be harder like a granite, making it a beautiful addition to an outdoor kitchen application! Granite and Marble Works can even craft table tops as well!

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GRANITE AND MARBLE WORKS 8 Commerce Park Drive, Wilton GraniteAndMarbleWorks.com 518.584.2800

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Over at the lake, THE FURNITURE HOUSE is open and selling items off their showroom floor like hot-cakes! Catch this beauty…A Taylor King down filled Lauren Leiss Architect Mini Sofa with loose back cushions in a relaxed sepia print on a cotton blend fabric. A perfect reflection of the casual outdoors brought inside to convey relaxation and comfort. Even the boxed pillows sport a baseball stitching…now that is a detail even the hubbies can get into! This handcrafted piece is on the floor and ready for immediate delivery. There is only one, so take a trip to The Furniture House now!

In Malta, ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE has outdone themselves this time. What cute finds I have to share with you! For starters, check out this oh-so colorful, Boho Folding Chair!

My heart swoons! It’s fun all rolled up in one portable seat! With heavy duty construction, it can be taken anywhere! And with a strapped carrying bag and cup holder, it makes it a great seat for picnics and family gatherings! And don’t we all want our own double-walled, Stainless Steel Water Bottle these days. Let’s get rid of all the plastic! The world has had a break from all our pollution in the last few months and it is time we realize we need to continue to treat her better! With a natural wood screw-top lid, this hot/cold beverage keeper even has a wide opening for ice cubes. And who could resist this colorful bottle made up of cheery blues, yellow, greens and reds taking you into the forest to find your soul! I could just giggle…So much fun!! And with all the rage for fashionable face masks, you better get to Accents for one of their Bandeaus…yes, originally used as a headband, this little gem is flexible enough to wear as a fashionable face mask without all the hassle of tying strings or elastic around your ears. Actually, use it to hold your hair back in that rag-top fun car of yours and when you get to where you’re going…voila…an instant face mask! There are lots of colors to choose from so you can pair them with any outfit! Like always, you better get over there before they sell out!

Last but not least, isn’t this pair of Recycled Frogs on a Swing the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen or what!?! The website print on the tin right down to their sweet eyes made of old metal nuts. Standing at 14-1/2” tall by 12” wide, this pair is a sweet reminder of all the bumps and bruises, dings and .com’s in life we experience that may change what we look like, but deep inside, we still cherish those special moments together as best friends, spouses, partners…soulmates!

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THE FURNITURE HOUSE 1254 Route 9P, Saratoga Spings TheFurnitureHouse-NY.net 518.587.9865

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

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Colleen's Picks

LAKESIDE FARMS 336 Schauber Rd., Ballston Lake LakesideFarmsCiderMill.com 518.399.8359

And let’s not forget one of our favorite shoppes at LAKESIDE FARMS…Ye Olde Gift Shoppe…You have been feasting on cider donuts for a month and they thank you for every donut you’ve purchased! Our community is strong… isn’t it great that we crave the simple things in life to feel normal…and boy do cider donuts hit the spot! But now…the gift shoppe is open!! I am so excited. What great finds!! One item they just brought in is the New York State platter…we are all NY’ers…what a perfect way to celebrate where we are from. Serve up Hors D’oeuvres of local cheeses and fresh picked blueberries. Tis the season, let’s not miss our opportunities to delight in the bounty of our state!

Let’s chat appliances. You all know this is where I love to ramble! EARL B. FEIDEN’S has two items I’d love to touch on for healthy living. Let’s start with the Thermador 30” Professional Steam & Convection Oven. Besides being certified for ADA, Home Connect and others, this oven performs BIG! It broils and bakes, roasts and steams in both traditional and convection culinary methods. In addition, it can double as a warmer, dehydrate food, speed cook, defrost and even self-clean!

The large capacity oven, at 2.8 cubic foot, can be installed in a traditional manner or flush mounted to the face of the cabinet.

Now that my friends, is a winning oven!

Trust me, once you’ve cooked with convection and steam and have tasted the healthy difference in your food; the retention of juices and the bread…don’t get me going…. The crust is pure heaven… you’ll never want to go without it! Now, with cooking comes messes and who doesn’t need a good washer to not only clean your clothes but sanitize them as well! The Asko Classic Series W2084W has a large-capacity drum with Activedrum technology. Basically, that means the shape of the actuator guides the clothing to the center of the drum, effectively removing dirt and gravel to the larger holes at the edge. A bonus, the Asko washer has the ability to heat the water to 194 degrees… can you say sanitize…nurses, restaurant workers, those in the mail and delivery service and others…this is YOUR machine!

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

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SARATOGA SIGNATURE INTERIORS 82 Church St., Saratoga Springs SaratogaSignature.com 518.581.0023 If you are looking to update your patio or porch, be sure to stop in at SARATOGA SIGNATURE for quick ship items to keep your summer parties on schedule. As I mentioned in the 2020 Winter issue, they have Watermark Living Furniture which is available in a quick ship program. If you haven’t ordered your new patio furniture by now… this may be a great option!

Two weeks from order to having friends over!

Why are you waiting…Check out the Crescent Shaped Sofa…now that is casual entertaining!

Another Fav of mine is IMPRESSIONS OF SARATOGA…If I need something for a guest, a memento of Saratoga or a gift for a client, this is my go-to place! But did you know they have a clothing line too? Take for instance this Quilted Vest for a man or woman…a great gift for the outdoorsman, a quick coverup for your 5am workout fanatic or pair it with a sassy pair of jeans for a night out downtown. I can feel the energy…it’s all in the quilting!!

IMPRESSIONS OF SARATOGA 368 Broadway Saratoga Springs ImpressionsSaratoga.com 518. 587.0666

As for DARK HORSE, let the entertaining begin!

They have just brought in these Silipints, colorful silicone drinking glasses! Fun colors, flexible, unbreakable and perfect for ANY celebration! A Bonus…no condensation…so even grandma’s wooden end table is no longer at risk! A family peacemaker…you can’t ask for more than that!!

Remember…we are Saratoga! We can move mountains together! Let’s all take the time to count our blessings as we move forward. I can’t wait to see you all downtown…I know some have reservation…heck, we’ve got one at Olde Bryan Inn tomorrow! Seriously…we are stronger together. We will prevail…so get yourselves out there, commit to shopping locally, commit to being a part of our great town once again. I am so excited for the energy to come alive… to see all of you in our shops, the coffee houses and diners. Heck, I hope I see you at OBI on Friday nights…that’s where you’ll find me!! One day at a time…we’ve got this…I KNOW we are SARATOGA…Come alive and be the town that everyone wants to live in!

THE DARK HORSE MERCANTILE 445 Broadway Saratoga Springs DarkHorseSaratoga.com 518. 587.0689

Until next time my friends,

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

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WITH

Compliments to the Chef JOHN REARDON

Hello my Foodie Friends!

We believe cooking as a family is important. When it comes to food, we each have family traditions that may have either been passed down from generation to generation or have been recently developed as your own family tradition. Preparing old family recipes is a great way to pass along stories, smells, and flavors of the past to your next generation of family chefs.

Traditions may include having a family member prepare a meal once a week or try out an old signature dish that was part of your own growing up. Give each family member a sense of involvement while discovering a new favorite dish to add to your family cookbook.

Depending on how old your children are (young or adult), you can teach cooking skills, talk about the mathematics of measuring (yes, even fractions!), discuss where different foods come from and what makes some foods more nutritious than others, and share family stories and traditions that center around the foods you’re making. The more chances that your family has to experience foods in different ways, the more familiar and inviting those foods will seem. And, when family members help make the food … by choosing the recipe, going along to the grocery store, or lending a hand with the cooking … they feel more personally invested, and they’re more likely to sample the food (and like it!). Making food can provide plenty of reasons to gather your family together with you in the kitchen and get them cooking!

One of our favorite items to use when it comes to any recipe and is important in food prep is a wooden cutting board. This item is not only useful in your own home but is a beautiful gift to give.

At Compliments to the Chef, we love wood cutting boards!

Good hard woods such as oak, maple, walnut, ash, and cherry are tough cutting surfaces that have been used for centuries to cut food or butcher meat on. Early man just cut down any old tree to butcher and cut meat on but quickly realized that soft woods got people sick. A good cutting board properly

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maintained can last a lifetime and they are safer than plastic which if it isn’t sanitized or left wet can actually harbor bacteria.

Some of the reasons for this are: Plastic is not water-absorbent, so it stays wet longer, which means longer bacterial survival.

Wood is water-absorbent, so it dries faster, which means shorter bacterial survival.

Wood contains natural antibiotic agents that retard bacterial growth.

We carry beautiful hand-crafted wood cutting boards made by Saratoga Springs Artisan Adam Cielinski. Choosing an Adam Cielinski wood cutting board can make a great “Saratoga” gift to bring to family or friends or it can be one for your own home.

Bring one as a housewarming or thank you gift, or choose from one that may reflect a special love or hobby of a person you are buying for. They are simply beautiful and functional.

Adam’s boards are part of Saratoga Springs Art History. They are each different and no two exactly the same. We have boards shaped like horse heads, owls, guitars, violins, hearts, fish, whales, handled serving boards, and small individual boards. He also makes large cutting blocks that are great for larger items.

The good news is they are reasonably priced too! Wood cutting boards have been in my family for generations and we hand them down. I learned as a child to chop and prep on a wood cutting board. Stop in and pick up a piece of Saratoga History and have something that you can hand down in your family.

A little advice on their care: Dry the board immediately after (hand) washing, and...

Once a month, rub the board with oil, to keep it water-repellent and warp-free. Apply a coat of warm food-safe mineral oil, let soak in, and then wipe off the excess. Scratches can be sanded out then re-oiled.

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Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Keep your family together in the kitchen and involved with the prep and creation of your meals.

Family recipes are a way of keeping our ancestry alive, as well as a part of ourselves. Traditions help bond us to those we love. Cooking together creates closer bonds and helps build lifelong memories. You can also use the time to listen, share and talk as a family. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

Take care, John and Paula Charcuterie boards have become a very popular way to entertain. Here is how to create a Meat and Cheese board. Use one of our beautiful wood boards for a wonderful presentation. SS

HOW TO MAKE A MEAT AND CHEESE BOARD All you need to know to make an awesome cheese and charcuterie board! It’s simple, easy and so impressive for a crowd!

INGREDIENTS: Brie Cheese Round Parmesan Italian Cheese Wedge Pepper Jack Cheese Blue Cheese Wedge Plain Goat Cheese 1 Cantaloupe Melon 1 Bartlett pear Red and black grapes Six Cracker Assortment Salted Pita Crackers Genoa Salami Herbs de Provence Dry Flavored Salami Prosciutto Di Parma Pistachios Roasted Almonds with Sea Salt Rosemary sprigs DIRECTIONS: Arrange cheeses, pear, grapes, melon, crackers, salami, prosciutto, pistachios and almonds on platter or wooden cheese board. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.

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IDEAS FOR RELAXED GATHERINGS YOUR GUESTS WILL LOVE... And you will too!

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS FOR THE SPECIAL PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE The COVID-19 pandemic has kept many of us apart from family and friends, and we look with hope toward a future when we can safely gather again. Our post-pandemic gatherings may look different than before due to social distancing, but the essence of these occasions will remain the same - to celebrate the traditions woven into the fabric of our lives, and most importantly, each other.

One way I like to celebrate a friend or family member is to create a special cocktail in their honor. I really enjoy creating these signature drinks and I think you will too.

So, let’s get started creating a signature cocktail for someone special in your life. Here are some tips to help you on your way.

The first step in creating a cocktail for a friend or family member is to consider what they like to eat and drink. Then choose a basic cocktail recipe and with their food and drink preferences in mind, add or change the ingredients to transform it into something unique and delicious.

After you have your recipe finalized, come up with a distinctive name for the drink – a name that represents the individual in some fashion. You can draw inspiration from the person’s name or distinguishing qualities - even the cocktail ingredients can stimulate your imagination.

Now it’s your turn. Choose someone you would like to honor and let your imagination take flight. Enjoy the creative process and have fun!

Here are some of my own signature cocktail recipes...

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The Sweet Carmelita I created this lemon and blueberry flavored drink in honor of Steven’s mom Carmelita Galime, a talented artist who enjoys painting as well as an occasional sweet cocktail or two.

Lemon curd is an unusual cocktail ingredient but gives this gin-based drink body and a sweet lemony flavor. Lemon curd is available in most local supermarkets.

Ingredients 1.5-ounces premium gin such as Beefeater 1 tablespoon lemon curd 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Blueberry flavored seltzer Lemon slices and fresh blueberries for garnish In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine the gin, lemon juice and lemon curd. Secure the lid and shake for about 30 seconds, until the drink is frothy, and the lemon curd dissolves. strain into a chilled cocktail glass filled two thirds with ice and top off with blueberry seltzer.

Garnish with the lemon slice and float a few blueberries on top.

The Chrissie B Sparkler I created this cocktail to honor Chris Bushee, Simply Saratoga Magazine’s talented and inspiring managing editor. Chris is a wonderful mentor and friend - always there to provide advice and encouragement.

Grapefruit and Rose infused vodka is blended with cranberry juice and Grand Marnier.

A finishing splash of Prosecco Spumante makes this drink sparkle just like she does!

Ingredients 1-ounce Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose Vodka ½ ounce Grand Marnier 2 ounces cranberry juice Prosecco Spumante Thin slice of orange zest In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice combine the vodka, cranberry juice, and Grand Marnier. Secure the lid and shake for about thirty seconds. Strain into a champagne flute, top off the glass with Prosecco Spumante and garnish with the orange zest.

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The Mary Lou Wheeler Spritzer I crafted this cocktail for one of my favorite Spa City ladies, the fun and fabulous Mary Lou Wheeler. Mary Lou and her husband Charles are great friends of ours, and we always enjoy getting together with them for cocktails, food, and many, many laughs.

RALPH MAKES IT EASY ON YOUTUBE.COM!

The flavors of cucumber, mint and lime make this drink as fun and refreshing as Mrs. Wheeler herself!

Ingredients 2 ounces Ketel One Cucumber and Mint Vodka 3 ounces prepared limeade. I like “Newman’s Own” brand 1 teaspoon Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice Club soda Thin cucumber slices and mint sprig for garnish Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and the vodka, limeade and lime juice.

Secure the lid and shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a white wine glass half filled with ice, top off with a splash of club soda, and garnish with a cucumber slice and mint sprig.

Scan here to link your phone directly or visit: https://youtu.be/H3wwjtzGz0c

“Doctor H’s” Happiness Elixir I crafted this cocktail for my great friend Dr. Shawn Hunziker, A.K.A “Doctor H.” Over the years, Shawn and I have shared many fun adventures. We tend to get lost more often than not, but at the end of the day we always laugh - and enjoy a cocktail or two!

Orange juice and vanilla flavored vodka gives this cocktail a Creamsicle like flavor, and maraschino liqueur lends herbal notes.

Ingredients 2 ounces vanilla flavored vodka 2 ounces pulp free orange juice ½ ounce maraschino liqueur A splash of Grenadine syrup One thin orange slice and a maraschino cherry for garnish Combine the first four ingredients in an ice filled cocktail shaker and secure the lid. Shake for about 30 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry. SS saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Home Steading

101

WRITTEN BY JESSICA HOLMES,

MASTER GARDENER COORDINATOR-WARREN COUNTY, HORTICULTURE EDUCATOR-SARATOGA COUNTY

Thinking of Growing your own U-Pick Berry Farms In Saratoga County BOWMAN ORCHARDS, LLC Kevin & Martha Bowman 157 Sugar Hill Road Rexford, NY 12148 (518) 371-2042 BowmanOrchards.com Growing over 60 varieties of apples and small fruit for u-pick or in the farm store.

EAGLE’S VIEW FARM 208 Route 29 Galway, NY 12074 518-882-9199 EaglesViewFarm.weebly.com, featuring blueberries.

GREENFIELD’S FOREVER, LLC Tabor Ellsworth 236 Wilton Road Greenfield Center, NY 12833 (518) 265-1322 An organic non-certified fruit and vegetable farm growing apples, pears, berries including currants, elderberries, blueberries, strawberries, and numerous small fruit.

WINNEY’S FARM & BACON HILL BLUEBERRIES Byron J. Winney 113 Winney Road Schuylerville, NY 12871 (518) 695-5547 Featuring 35 acres and 25 varieties of blueberries, the largest in the area.

Strawberries I

f you’re already planning your berry picking trips and what you’ll be making… maybe you should think of growing your own!

A great way to incorporate fruit into your homestead is to grow strawberries -and with a little research and planning now you can be ready for next spring. Growing strawberries can be relatively simple, and they are hardy when taken care of properly.

The first thought before planting anything is site selection. Make sure that your pH levels are within the range that a strawberry needs to grow. pH for strawberries can be between 5.5 and 7.0, but optimal pH should be about 6.2. You can check your pH by visiting Cornell Cooperative Extension. If your pH needs to be amended, follow the recommendation by the extension office.

When considering your site, also note the amount of sunlight the area is getting.

Strawberries prefer a sunny location, receiving at least five or more hours, so make sure you’re paying attention now, prior to spring planting. Also make sure no other strawberries, brambles, or crops from the Solanaceae family are already growing there, to avoid disease and pest problems.

Spring planting is recommended so they have time to establish in the soil. The root system on strawberries is very shallow, so watering regularly is recommended, but always check before watering. There are two main ways to growing strawberries,

one being the matted-row system, which is setting the plants one to two feet apart in rows. You will need to remove the flowers during the first year to promote the growth of the plant rather than giving the energy to produce berries. The second common way to plant strawberries is the ribbon row system, which is spacing the plants only four inches apart and not removing flowers the first year so you can produce fruit, but this way is typically more work. You are not limited to these options; you can also plant in containers, hanging baskets, or incorporate in one of your vegetable gardens as well. After harvesting, you should clip plants to three inches tall to produce new growth and can then fertilize.

When harvesting, pick berries one to two days after they are entirely red. Berries that are picked right when turning red are typically less sweet than those left for a day or two. Make sure also to control weeds surrounding the strawberries to limit disease and pest problems. In the fall, mulching can help the strawberries by adding an extra layer of protection from frost and wind damage.

Some varieties of strawberries include Earliglow, Northeaster, Sable, Allstar, Kent, Jewel, and Late Glow.

For more information, please contact Saratoga County Cornell Cooperative Extension. SS

ARIEL'S FARM 194 Northern Pines Road Wilton, 518-584-2189 ArielsFarm.com STAR FARM 2478 Galway Road Galway, 12074, 518-882-6963 StarFarmBlueberries.com

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Piano Man

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY

WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH

RICHARD VARLEY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN EVERY PIANO HE TUNES

F

or the past 59 years, Richard Varley of Saratoga Springs has been tuning pianos in homes and venues all around the Capital District. As the official piano tuner for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Varley has tuned every concert grand and upright practice piano on the grounds since the Center opened in 1966. Whenever a piano is part of a scheduled performance, Varley tunes twice: once in the morning, prerehearsal, and once again in the afternoon, pre-performance.

“Pianos react to changes in temperature and humidity,” he explains. “Changes in temperature are what necessitate the twice-daily tuning. It’s generally cooler in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. Cold and damp mornings will cause a piano to go sharp. Then, as the day warms up, a piano tends to flatten out.”

Since one of my pianos is in need of a good tuning, I decide to schedule a dual-purpose appointment with Richard Varley: half tuning, half interview. We’ve never met before, but after a quick, cheerful greeting Varley opens his tool case and gets right to work. His tuning is interspersed with bursts of cool chord progressions and haunting melodies. Afterwards, as we head to the kitchen to chat, I compliment him on his playing and ask about his piano training.

Varley shoots me a mischievous grin. “I always wanted to play piano,” he replies pointedly. “But I tune pianos a lot better than I play them.”

In 1954, Varley and his older brother enlisted in the Army. “We’d auditioned for the concert band at West Point as trumpet players,” he recalls, “but we didn’t quite make it. We made the field musicians instead, which consisted of buglers, piccolos, and drums. One of our duties was to be out and playing Reveille at 6 AM every morning as the cadets were coming out and forming up. We made quite a racket for ten minutes each morning.”

After completing a three-year stint in the Army, Richard Varley attended one semester of college before realizing that, as much as he loved music, he did not want to become a music teacher. Returning to his hometown of Thompson, NY, he was happy to learn that a neighbor across town was giving away a free piano—painted white. He’d always wanted to play piano, so he grabbed

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Richard Varley listens intently as he tunes the writer’s Kawai upright piano.

the instrument. But when his mother saw the white paint job, she informed him in no uncertain terms that the piano was not coming into her house while it looked like that!

“So, I put it in the storeroom and proceeded to strip and refinish it,” Varley laughs. “By the time I had that piano finished and in the house, I liked working on it so much I decided to go to tuning school. I spent a year learning the trade at the Rockwell School of Piano Tuning in Clearfield, PA, and the rest is history.”

Varley tunes exclusively by ear. “Most tuners don’t consider the machines legitimate,” he observes. “The human ear is a great deal more accurate than an electronic machine.

Once you’re taught what it is you’re listening to, there’s no way to avoid hearing what you need to hear. You can’t not hear it if you have normal hearing.

“The hard part isn’t the hearing,” he insists.

“The difficulty comes in manipulating the tuning pins, each of which is holding more than 100 pounds of pressure. Steel tuning pins go into very tight holes in wooden pin blocks. Once a pin is in tune, you have to go a hair beyond that and back off so that the pin is relaxed in the hole and not twisted one way or the other. It’s called setting the pin, and it takes an average person a minimum of six months to get the feel of it. You can learn the hearing part of tuning a lot faster than you can learn to manipulate the tuning pins.”

Different brands of pianos have their own distinctive personalities, Varley says, “and almost every piano has some kind of quirk in it somewhere.” The creative element comes in interpreting each instrument, tuning to a piano’s strengths and downplaying its weaknesses.

“A typical piano is holding 40,000 pounds of pressure,” Varley explains. “That’s 20 ton of tension.”

While in tuning school, he heard one unforgettable story about a Pennsylvania piano built before the introduction of waterproof glue. “During a terrible flood, this particular piano—which was sitting up against an outside wall in the home—got soaked to the very top. By chance, all of the glue in that instrument happened to let go at the same time, and the piano blew the entire wall out. Forty-thousand pounds of pressure letting go at once can do that.”

When asked to estimate how many pianos he has tuned in his lengthy career, Varley replies, “Do you have a calculator?”

For the next five minutes, we pass an old calculator back and forth between us as we tackle the question from various angles.

After settling on 59,000—roughly 1000 pianos a year—Varley asks me to figure out what his lifetime earnings might be, based on his current pay scale. When I respond with a multi-million-dollar figure, he breaks into hearty laughter and quips, “Then I should be rich, shouldn’t I!” When it comes to tuning pianos, Richard Varley has a masterfully practiced ear, a curious nature, and a big heart. His warm personality, coupled with his professional skills, make for a truly delightful combination. He welcomes the challenge of each unique instrument and strives to bring out the very best in every piano. Despite the fact that he has been working steadily for the past 59 years, Varley never once mentioned any plans to retire. I suspect he enjoys his work too much. Besides, there is always another piano out there in need of a good tuning.

To learn more, visit RichardVarley.com.

To schedule an appointment, call (518) 584-6430. SS

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Our

HISTORY WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

Spit and Spat These iconic Poseidons are part of the Italian Gardens located on the north-east end of Congress Park. Built by Richard Canfield after a recommendation by the President of Harvard College, as a quiet place to walk, sit and reflect in the park. Notice the thick trees and vegetation that shielded noise from Spring Street. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Soda Fountains Almost Stopped the

T

he early attraction to our city by summer guests was all about the water, mineral water. In the early 1800s people flocked to the village to consume the waters for a variety of ailments and many found the waters to be healing and helpful for better health. By the latter half of the century, the main attraction to Saratoga Springs was not the waters as much as it was for social events, casino gambling and horse racing.

By 1891 there was another plan for the use of the mineral waters that almost killed the springs and the village in which they were found. In July of 1891, an article in the New York Times reported “a

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curious industry opened lately at the springs.” This new industry in Saratoga Springs was being fueled by the relatively new infatuation with soda fountains in America. This new venture in Saratoga was to bottle carbon dioxide gas taken from the mineral springs and ship it to urban areas for the mixing of carbonated drinks in soda fountains.

The public, during the Victorian Era, had embraced the drinking of carbonated drinks in soda fountains and the need for carbon dioxide gas was in very high demand. From a pure chemical point of view, carbon dioxide could be produced with a simple chemical reaction but the reagents to provide that reaction had saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Mineral Springs of Saratoga Springs WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

a cost. As in all business operations, efficiency is always needed to improve profit margin. In 1890 while drilling for a new mineral spring at the south-end of the village, the drill crew hit a pocket of “dry gas” that was so powerful that it propelled the drill tools and a huge amount of stone and gravel high into the air. Soon the idea was out that Saratoga Springs had a huge supply of carbonated gas from both “dry wells” and from mineral water wells.

Most of the naturally occurring mineral springs in Saratoga Springs had a high volume of dissolved carbon dioxide gas that helped to produce the much sought-after taste of the waters. If that mineral water was allowed to sit “quietly” for a few hours the dissolved gas would escape from the water just like carbonated drinks today will go “flat” shortly after being opened. These early businessmen found the same process would happen with mineral water and as long as you trap the escaping gas you could bottle these gases for use later.

In July of 1891, a company had drilled a mineral spring near what today is the Spa State Park and found a large flow of mineral water at a depth of 1,800 feet. They then set up an operation that allowed the gas to leave the water and be trapped in two large iron cylinders that each could hold 600 gallons of very highly pressurized (900 lbs./sq. inch) carbon dioxide gas. These large tanks could then fill smaller tanks with gas that could be easily shipped to soda fountains in mostly urban locations. The news article also conveyed the idea that the cost to produce and fill a smaller bottle cost between $.05-$.10 at the factory, with the retail price at about $3.50/bottle. The problem of sufficient profit margin had been solved. Other business groups began to look at this profit margin and began to investigate how they might try the business. It was estimated in 1891 that the volume of gas being produced by these early efforts at Saratoga Springs were supplying only about 50% of the national need, therefore it was presumed there was plenty of room for increased production and profit.

The mineral waters in Saratoga Springs were known for their high carbon dioxide content from the beginning of their use. In 1771 the Mohawk disclosed the location to Sir William Johnson of the High Rock Spring. As European settlers moved to the area and enjoyed the mineral springs, more naturally occurring waters were discovered and new wells were drilled with new drilling technology of the day. For the majority of the 19th century the village boasted about 60- 75 actively used mineral springs. Each of these springs had distinct and unique taste because of varied mineral and carbon dioxide content.

All mineral springs at this time were privately owned. These varied springs gave many businesses the opportunity to bottle the waters and offer mineral baths on site which made for a sustainable business. Even though the bottled water market was robust, the village never saw a shortage or interruption of mineral water bubbling from the ground. The need and the supply seemed to match, since no mineral springs ever went dry.

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In the latter half of the 1800s the general thought in the village was that the supply of mineral water in the ground was inexhaustible. Although geologic investigations had been done, all those investigations at the time lacked a true study of the supply of water in the ground. Due to these beliefs and lack of supporting scientific data many business ventures began to extract the gas for national sale without regard for possible harm to the unique springs in Saratoga. By early 1900 the number of mineral springs in the village had risen to over 200, due to companies drilling springs for high volume extraction of gas and disposal of the water as waste. This was a terrible model for operation and threatened the existence of the mineral springs and therefore Saratoga Springs as a village.

In just a few years of operation the gas extraction began to limit the flow of many mineral springs and caused others to stop flowing altogether. In 1907 Frank Hathorn, owner of the famed Hathorn Spring at the corner of Spring and Putnam Streets, brought suit against Dr. Strong who operated a large sanitorium near the corner of Circular and Spring Streets when the volume of water at the Hathorn was reduced. Hathorn believed that Dr. Strong’s high volume of water use was the reason for this reduction in flow at his spring. The court case that ensued proved that the over-use of one spring could directly impact the flow of a nearby spring. This verdict led area leaders to pursue legislation that was passed in 1908 by the NYS Legislature as the Anti-Pumping Act. Spencer Trask, owner of Yaddo, was very pivotal in the passage of this law and the protection of the mineral springs. The gas companies would fight the new legislation by paying fines and appealed the decision in numerous courts as they continued to pump.

Eventually the legal system shut the gas companies down and the NYS Legislature passed another law to protect the mineral springs in the future by forming a State Reservation. These actions would form the present Saratoga State Park and limit the number of active mineral springs in an effort to preserve the mineral water resource. The mineral springs would go from private ownership to State ownership and protection. An in-depth water study found that between 17-20 mineral springs should be allowed to flow and that limited number would provide a balance between the supply of mineral water in the ground and future use.

When I was a younger man, I remember hearing the saying

by Friedrich Nietzche, “Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger.” That saying might fit this situation. The action of the gas companies almost killed the mineral springs of Saratoga Springs, but local concern and strong action stopped it and made us have an even stronger position in the future. Today we have 17 active mineral springs with a strong supply of mineral water and a beautiful State Park that is used by many Saratoga Springs residents throughout the year. Over 100 years after this event we can see the springs are still a big part of Saratoga Springs and are safe for generations to come. SS

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Rarely Seen Photos of OLD SARATOGA Springs WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL IMAGES FROM THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION

WRITTEN BY CHARLIE KUENZEL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GEORGE BOLSTER COLLECTION

Deer House This image shows a location at the south end of Congress Park formerly known as Deer Park.

This structure was termed the Deer House that provided shelter for the deer kept in the park year-round. Access to this fenced area was allowed for a fee to feed and pet the animals.

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Circular Railroad This railroad was a self-propelled system located in Congress Park in the area near Circular Street. For a small fee people could “pump” their way around the rails to exercise or impress their dates.

Congress Park 1875 In the summer of 1875, many visitors loved to walk and sit in Congress Park to enjoy daily music concerts and the main activity of people watching. The spring in the image is the Deer Park Spring. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Resting at the top of the hill WRITTEN BY HOLLIS PALMER PH.D.

PART 1

D

uring the lockdown we have all been reminded of the importance of walking. Whether it be an old fashioned promenade on our suddenly quiet Broadway, a stroll in one of the parks or even a peaceful saunter in a cemetery, being outside and at a social distance is a refreshing way to stay sane.

Although not many take the time to enjoy it, Saratoga has a real historical treat in Greenridge Cemetery. Walking among the mausoleums on the hill or along paupers’ row lining the eastern fence, each marker represents a tale that should be told. That is a project I am starting with this issue. Probably none of the stories are more pertinent to our situation today than the one locked away in arguably the largest mausoleum.

On March 31, 1919, during one of the later waves of what became known as the Spanish Influenza, Edward Ashton, owner of a local coal dealership, lost his only child, nineteen-year-old D. Lohnas, to the flu.

As painful as losing one’s only child must be, Edward did not have time to grieve his son. The next day he lost his wife, forty-seven-year-old Harriett to the flu.

A few years later Edward would remarry and have a second family. He would also start what became known as Ash Grove Farm on Route 9N. Sadly, he does have one other unfortunate distinction, his houses at 54 Church Street and 721 Broadway had both been lost. One of the few great families to lose two houses.

Approaching the Ashton Mausoleum on the West Road one passes the Hanson- Lathrop Mausoleum where, one of the earliest deaths from the same virus, Walter Hanson Jr., rests – for the story of the Hanson family see Simply Saratoga Fall 2019.

Drawings courtesy of Saratoga History Museum

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Also at the top of the hill is the resting place for two generations of the Brackett family. The father, Edgar Brackett, a staunch Republican in the mold of Teddy Roosevelt, became financially comfortable the quickest way, he married money. His effect on the city was long lasting. He was an early investor in the G. F. Harvey Company, was one of the founders of the Adirondack Trust Company and McGregor Golf Course. He was also actively involved in the purchase of the land that is now the State Park. The entrance to Congress Park is entitled Brackett’s Gate.

Edgar’s son, Charles, is one of those overlooked Saratogians. The winner of three Academy Awards and the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award; Charles and Billy Wilder made thirteen movies together. Charles and Wilder were considered the original Odd Couple; Charles was extremely straight, and Wilder was anything but. Charles also produced “Sunset Boulevard,” arguable one of the best movies ever.

Bracket Plot

Bracket House on North Broadway

Although Charles would move to Hollywood, he maintained his own house on Excelsior Avenue. As a screenwriter and author, this property was ideal with separate cottages for guests and to serve as his studio.

Either because Charles was one of the lucky ones who got along famously with his in-laws or he had trouble with names, when his first wife Elizabeth Fletcher died in 1948, he married her sister Lillian.

Think of the benefits of only one set of birthdays to remember.

Bracket Cottage

There is yet one more local celebrity whose final resting spot is on the road between the Ashton Monument and the Brackett’s plot, Edgar Montgomery “Monty” Wooley. Wooley, an actor who after graduating from Harvard went on to get masters degrees from both Harvard and Yale. Wooley is best known for his role as Sheridan Whiteside in the movie “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”

Although Brackett’s and Wilder’s names do not appear in the credits, the two were co-writers of the “Bishop’s Wife,” in which Wooley played Professor Wutheridge. Although diary notes indicate that Wooley and Brackett were friends, this is the only movie where they worked together.

In the 1890s and early 1900s Monty’s parents (Edgar and Jesse) operated The Grand Union Hotel under a lease from the Hilton Estate. Stories from the time his parents operated the hotel, tell of young Monty riding his bicycle in the dining room.

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During his youth, the Wooleys lived at 718 Broadway. Later, Monty would buy around the corner on North Circular Street.

Monty’s life partner was Cary Abbott.

Abbott’s death in 1948 is recorded in the list of burials in Greenridge Cemetery but the location of the grave is listed as “unknown.”

If, however, one steps back and looks at the Wooley Family marker with the individual markers in front, it is obvious that there is a place for one more person on the far right.

My speculation is that this is where Cary rests.

Wooley's House on Broadway

In sharp contrast to the monuments at the top of the hill, several of those who have contributed the most to modern Saratoga have chosen simpler markers as demonstrated by Sonny and MaryLou Whitney.

Hollis Palmer is the author of twelve books including Saratoga 1858 and the award winning See and be Seen: Saratoga in the Victorian Era. He also operates Derby Tours.

On his tour of Greenridge Cemetery entitled How they rest; how they lived, he shows those in attendance pictures of the homes those at rest enjoyed.

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Wooley's Cottage

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On This SPOT.

Local schools love to visit Ben & Jerry’s on Free Cone Day.

34 PHILA STREET

WRITTEN BY CAROL GODETTE PHOTOS PROVIDED

Once “The Mighty Atom’s" station wagon was parked here to perform displays of strength by Joe Greenstein, but today the Ben & Jerry’s van is ready to bring the world’s best ice cream to your event.

The Southwest corner of Phila and Putnam Streets has long been a corner for connections in Saratoga Springs.

People today know this location as Ben & Jerry’s, a business that has thrived there for 37 years. But if we look back in time, 34 Phila Street has always been a unique spot for people to linger.

One hundred years ago, no permanent structure existed on this parcel of land.

In the 1930s this undeveloped land in the heart of the low lying Jewish enclave was owned by Sunny Brook Creamery, headquartered at 48 Caroline Street. For a few weeks each summer, world famous strongman Joe Greenstein sold hair tonic on this corner. “Known as The Mighty Atom, he parked his great long station wagon in the lot, lifted weights, and towed a car with his thickly braided hair to demonstrate the efficacy of his special hair tonic,“ shares writer Amy Godine.

Wooley's Plot Historical marker of this area that is on the down thrown side of the fault that brought us many of the springs we are famous for. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

To my knowledge, photos don’t exist of the crowds gathering to witness this spectacle, but what a sight it must have been!

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1946-1955 TANENBAUM’S FRUIT STAND

Tenenbaum's fruit stand at 34 Phila St.-Photo courtesy of Robert Joki & Impressions

Regina Tanenbaum, co-owner of Tanenbaum’s Grocery Store (across the street at 37 Phila St.) purchased 34 Phila Street from Sunny Brook Creamery in 1946. Tanenbaum’s grocery store was central in the Jewish community. The large presence of summer Jewish residents requiring kosher products led to a demand that exceeded the space of their store. A seasonal solution was to build a stand across the street in the empty lot at 34 Phila Street. Jay Tanenbaum and his father Leo drove their 1932 Buddy Stewart pickup truck to Menands every morning at 4 a.m. to purchase the finest wholesale fruits available to sell at their 35 ft. by 25 ft. covered, greenwood stand. Racetrack customers such as the Whitneys purchased cherries, Knight’s Bros. apples and fine melons 7 days a week.

Customers not only came for produce but to find out daily news.

Behind the fruit stand, the Tanenbaum’s son Jay played hoops on a small basketball court built by his father.

1955-1983 GAS & SERVICE STATION In 1955 Mrs. Tanenbaum sold the parcel of land to Congress Gas and Oil “on the condition that for fifteen years no part of the premises shall be used for the sale of groceries or food products.” Initially it was a Flying A service station. Lucy Cadou Kettlewell loved the flying A logo and accurately captured it in her paintings on the area of Putnam and Phila, reports daughter Chloe Kettlewell.

Lucy Cadou Kettlewell did many paintings of the Putnam/Phila Street area in the 1960s.

Her synthesis of Impressionism and Expressionism captures the emotional power of the Gut when 34 Phila was a ‘Flying A‘ gas station. (Photo permission given by painting’s owner)

The location as a Mobil station.

Today the pumps have been converted into flower planters and customer seating.

Jerry Rose is pictured in this Saratogian article.

Before Urban Renewal, “the Valley” was plagued with flooding after large rainstorms. Photo courtesy of Kathe Rose.

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The gas station switched to a Mobil Service station in the mid-60s. In 1968, race car enthusiast Jerry Rose started running Rose’s Gas Station. The bayed area of the station provided a place to work on his race cars and the front corner of the station provided the perfect spot for Jerry’s car enthusiast friends to gather for Saturday morning coffee. Daughter Stacey often visited her dad at work and fondly remembers how each neighboring business owner watched out for each other. “The Goldsmiths, Mrs. Walzeck at the Golden Grill and the Londons at Mrs. London’s were like a little family to us,” Stacey said. Gas sales generate little income for a service station-roughly a penny a gallon- and pumps were not self-pumping.

Every time a customer wanted gas, an attendant fixing a car had to stop and pump the gas. This was particularly challenging during the gas crisis of 1973.

“Our generation was not used to not being able to get what they wanted,” states Jerry’s wife Kathe Rose. “During the gas crisis you could only get gas on odd or even days based on the last number of your license plate. In the morning there would be 20 cars already in line waiting for gas. The pumps were busy all day till the gas ran out.”

In 1983, Congress Gas and Oil gave Jerry the right of refusal to buy the property. Jerry was ready for new challenges and turned the opportunity down.

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1983- PRESENT: PEACE, LOVE AND ICE CREAM As luck would have it, two brothers, James and Jeff Durstewitz, were looking to open an ice cream store in a renovated gas station. Jeff Durstewitz, childhood friend of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, opened the fourth ever Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop in the converted station on July 1, 1983. After all, Ben & Jerry’s original shop in a Burlington, Vermont Mobil Station worked for them. For the first two years of operation, the ice cream shop shared the space with Montana Books.

Increasing connections. When Patrick Pipino and the Godettes took over operations in 1996 the first thing they did was create an inviting patio with a gazebo and birch trees.

In 1996, after bonding together during Ben & Jerry’s sponsored Little League games, Patrick Pipino and Carol & Dave Godette purchased the ice cream franchise at 34 Phila.

The challenges of having an ice cream store in a gas station parking lot were apparent. The hot, sticky blacktop; a lack of shade; and a large dumpster abutting the store did not create the ambiance for customers to stay and interact for any length of time. The blacktop was replaced with pavers, three large birch trees were planted, a large lit gazebo was constructed, a photo op pint lid was added, and the garbage was moved.

The stage was set to further grow the “corner of connections.”

From Chowder Fest, to Free Cone Day, the Fourth of July Fireworks, and the Victorian Street Walk, everyone visiting Saratoga eventually makes their way to this corner.

Pipino as manager and operating partner significantly increased the store’s sales and was instrumental in earning the store “Franchise of the Year” in 2002 and 2015.

The location spreads “peace and love” well beyond the immediate neighborhood, donating an average of $70,000 back to the community each year.

The six person swings at 34 Phila Street are a favorite spot for people to “make connections."

As part of community involvement, The League of Women Voters often holds voter registration at 34 Phila Street on Free Cone Day. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

In the 24 years since Pipino and the Godettes took over the operation,”The Valley” has seen a lot of change- the 1999 moving of Hathorn #1 Spring to the southeast corner of Putnam; the 1999 construction of a city parking garage; and the 2002 opening of the carousel in Congress Park- all helping to secure 34 Phila Street’s place in the heart of Saratogians. SS

Jerry Greenfield, founder of Ben & Jerry’s, catches a photo op with co-owner Patrick Pipino on one of his visits to the Saratoga scoop shop.

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Company Man (A Stewart’s Story) WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD

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"Working is not a man’s punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure." -George Sand

retired a year ago after 30 years in Stewart’s Hauling Department.

My relationship with Stewart’s began in 1960 when Perrin Dake and I attended kindergarten together in Greenfield Center. Perrin is the youngest son of Charles S. and Phyllis E. Dake. In the six decades sandwiched between, I would assemble a lifetime of dear friends and cherished memories, all under Stewart’s Shops umbrella.

In the months following my retirement, I had the pleasure of revisiting the history and personal stories of Stewart’s. One of those anecdotes surfaced as I scanned through old Stewart’s newsletters from the 1950s.

During that era, they were named “The Stewart Story.” The April 1955 issue caught my attention because of the intriguing photograph on it. It showed a young boy climbing into a Ford Thunderbird. The attached article explained that 12-year-old Duane Greene from Elnora, New York, was the “Mystery Flavor Contest” winner of a brand new 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible. Another photo inside the newsletter showed Charles S. Dake handing young Duane the keys. The article stated that when 12-year-old Greene was asked what he intended to do with the car, he replied, “Sell it and buy a farm tractor and a cow.”

That response brought an instant smile to my face. As I tried to digest the gravity of a pre-teen winning such a spectacular prize, my instincts to uncover more of the story kicked in.

Being an unwavering optimist, I opened my laptop and began Googling away.

Before my coffee got cold, I had found a Duane Greene. This particular Duane Greene was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I became more confident when I realized that UMass Amherst has agricultural roots. It made sense that a young man who was willing to trade a sports car for a cow and tractor might pursue a career there. Searching the college’s website revealed Professor Greene’s email address. The address might be old and obsolete, or maybe my optimism might be rewarded. I began composing an email that would soon reap a bountiful harvest.

Here’s the email as I sent it:

I realized Duane would now be in his seventies and carrying around an intriguing tale. What were the odds of finding Mr. Greene and asking what we are all now thinking?

“What happened to the Thunderbird?”

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Mr. Greene, My name is John Greenwood. I’m a retired Stewart’s Ice Cream employee and have been researching company history over the past few months. I ran across an old Stewart’s Newsletter that included a story about a twelve-yearold boy named Duane Greene winning a brand-new Thunderbird in a contest the company had. I thought what a great story it would be to find that twelveyear-old young man. When the boy was asked what he would do with the car, he replied, “Sell it and buy a new farm tractor and cow.” When I Googled the name, there was one man with an agricultural background that popped up, and that was yours. I knew it would be as big a long shot as a twelve-yearold winning a brand-new car, but I couldn’t help but reach out on the off chance that boy might be you? If not, I’ve still handed you a wonderful story.

If I’m right, I’ll feel like I won a new Thunderbird.

Thank you for your time.

I look forward to a positive ID. :) John Greenwood

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The very next day, I received the following response: Hello John.

Do you play the lottery? If not, you might give it a try.

Yes, I am that 12-year-old boy who won the contest and the Thunderbird. I was heartbroken to sell the Thunderbird, but it was necessary to be practical. No, I did not buy a tractor (own one now), but I did use a little bit of the money to buy a cow. The remainders went into the bank and helped finance my college education. I did go on to earn an MS and a Ph.D. in Horticulture, and I am teaching these subjects now at the University of Massachusetts. Hopefully, Stewart’s can feel good that the prize went to a worthy cause, education. I am most appreciative.

I must also mention that my sister, Marilyn Greene, purchased Perky and Patches (at least the ones at that time). To this day, she is an avid sheep lover, especially Southdowns.

Thank you for reaching out to me. This brings back very fond memories.

Regards, Duane You can imagine my excitement as I read his response. These are the revolving connections that have enveloped my life and have fueled my passion for putting stories down on paper and passing them out like the precious gifts they are. A follow up phone interview resulted in Duane and his sister Marilyn’s willingness to share their story publicly.

In the weeks that followed, I corresponded with Duane’s sister Marilyn. She offered to forward photographs of the Thunderbird and Perky and Patches. She said her family was involved in 4H at the time, and the sheep were as exciting to her as the car was to her brother. She said she would be traveling from her home in Virginia to visit family in the Capital District and her brother Duane in Massachusetts in early March. Because Duane was recuperating from recent surgery, my plan to visit him was put on hold. Instead, Marilynn and I made plans to meet at the Elnora Stewart’s Shop.

COVID-19 was just about to rear its ugly head, so our timing was critical. To date, I have yet to meet Duane in person.

Serendipity was in play as my visit/interview with Marilyn took place a stone’s throw from her family’s original farm. Marilyn said she was nine when she acquired Perky and Patches. Her memory was different from her brothers. Even though her brother had submitted the contest entry, the entire family was involved in naming the “Mystery Flavor.” She believed the two sheep may have been presented to her and her sister as more of a consolation prize. Regardless of the details, she loved her Southdown sheep and continued to raise them until she went off to college.

As we compared notes, we determined that the Stewart’s Shop her family visited in the 1950s was the original Stewart’s on Church Ave. in Ballston Spa. She also remembered the Stewart’s delivery driver Ray Cook who delivered ice cream to their home on Sunday mornings. Ray was a successful driver/salesman in the 1950s and won several awards for his efforts. As the home delivery driver whose customer won the Ford Thunderbird, the same newsletter said Ray was awarded a $100 prize.

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Janet, Marilyn and Duane Greene with the new Thunderbird.

Duane, Marilyn, and Ray’s stories are only one tiny example of what Stewart’s has provided me over the last 60 years. The people and experiences are voluminous. A consistent thread throughout the company’s 75-year history is the interaction between the company, customers, and employees. In 1955, Duane’s Thunderbird played a part in his continuing education.

Today, Phyllis (Philly) Dake’s legacy and “Stewart’s Make Your Own Scholarship Program” continues to support employees.

The family’s involvement in 4H and agriculture was significant back then. Knowing both are still supported by Stewart’s and its employees in 2020 are why I’m proud to call myself a company man. I feel fortunate to have been a participant in so many gems of local history.

So, what did happen to Duane’s 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible?

To the best of his recollection, it was sold and shipped to California. In a recent email from my friend Perrin Dake, the son of the man who handed that set of keys over to Duane, he expressed a desire to see if we might be able to track down that car.

Vroom, vroom… SS

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Silence is powerful Silence is calming Silence is soothing Yet deeply disturbing Silence is beautiful Yet unheard Silence speaks volumes Without striking a chord Silence is broken Upon hearing its name Above all Silence is always the same.

Sadie Palmer Grade 6 Glens Falls Middle School

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