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Author: Marisa Scirocco

Readers React to Publisher Beatty’s November 13 editorial “Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom from Harassment.”

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in News.

Reader responses to Publisher Chad Beatty’s November 13 editorial “Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom from Harassment.” Click here for the original Editorial.

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Chad,

I couldn’t agree more with your editorial, today and in fact I had sent a similar email to the Mayor and Public Works Commissioner last week. We got caught walking home from dinner lat Saturday, and someone started yelling at my 68 year old wife that “you are killing us” as we walked to our car. It is beyond disturbing that our leadership allows this repetitive violation of our civil rights, after promising to stop it after the last incident. Are we going to be another Portland–afraid to do anything about such disorder? 
Regards,
Christopher 

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Beneath the Rage is Pain and Sorrow

We were deeply troubled by Chad Beatty’s editorial in the November 13-19, 2020 edition of Saratoga Today, in which he suggested that gatherings of those protesting for the rights of Black people should be condemned, and if the police are short on staff, they should “deputize community members and let them clear the streets.” As the owner of this newspaper, he is in a powerful position to help mediate. Instead, he gave voice to those who wish it would all just go away, by force if necessary. 

 Yes, there have been several organized protest events, as in many cities across the country, attended by a cross-section of our local population. Protesters have blocked Broadway and some side streets. While some drivers and bystanders reacted angrily, others honked and shouted encouragement. Yes, protesters have used megaphones to express loud support for Black lives, for justice for Darryl Mount, for police reform. They have made some people uncomfortable and affected local businesses. But before calling on the City Council and the police to close in and put an end to the interruption of our safe, convenient lives, maybe we should ask, “Why do they block the streets? Why do they sound so angry?”

It takes courage to step out, carry a sign, shout a slogan, and expose yourself to public judgment. It takes even more to walk into traffic and sit in the street. They do it, they tell us, because after all that Black people have suffered in this country, going through channels still doesn’t work. They have no choice but to shake things up. Why so angry? Look at history. Emancipation took a bloody Civil War. A hundred years later, the Voting Rights Act rose from the beaten bodies of those who walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.  And in 2020, we witnessed the brutal fates of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others who died at the hands of the police. Though it comes as a surprise to many white people, we still haven’t reached a day when Black people can put their long, painful history of oppression behind them and feel welcome in their own communities – even in Saratoga Springs. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., protest is the language of the unheard. The protesters are angry, but we must understand that beneath the rage is pain and sorrow.

How should we respond to these cries for justice in our city?  Saratoga Springs has the opportunity to be a leader in police reform. Governor Cuomo has ordered cities across the state to involve stakeholders in an effort to remove racial bias in police policies and practices. In response, Mayor Kelly appointed the Police Reform Task Force, which includes a strong and dedicated group of community members. We hope their work will help prevent future tragedies, like the death of Darryl Mount, and include serious discussions about whether some incidents now handled by the police might be better addressed by social service and mental health professionals.

We cannot allow the voices of the unheard to be stifled by chants for law and order. We must be willing to listen, accept that we have much to learn, and take constructive action. The real work has to begin in the hearts of every one of us.

Holly and Rick

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Thank you for your well-thought-out, well-written expression.  Please keep up your good work showing us citizens of Saratoga Springs what’s really going on in town.

Nancy and Albert

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Dear Mr. Beatty,

Thank you so much for your editorial against the bullies terrorizing Saratoga Springs businesses and shoppers on Saturday Nov. 7th.  Your article was very well written and addressed the concerns of all those law-abiding citizens who work and patronize Saratoga Springs.  Since they now feel emboldened because of the non-action of police and government officials, it won’t be long before windows will be broken, and we will see many shut down businesses in a beautiful town.  I would like to see a follow-up as to the response of the mayor and police officials to this situation.  There are many citizens like me, sitting in the sidelines, who feel you were the only voice we had.

Thank you,
Linda 

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 Mr. Beatty,

Thank you!  Your editorial holding our cities authorities to task, for failing to act last weekend, was absolutely correct and called for!  The group demonstrating has a history of poor behavior and not allowing opposing views to express an opinion.  This same group counter protested a “Back the Blue” demonstration in early July, effectively denying the “Back the Blue” group to fully voice their opinion.  This same counter “protest in July resulted in the destruction of our communities Civil War monument, thus denying the veterans of the 77th New York Volunteers to continue to express their opinion.  Our city authorities have done nothing to prosecute the outrage of the destruction of our monument.  The authorities must have photographic IDs of last weekends “protesters”.  The authorities need not confront the entire protest, now, they can all be arrested one at a time!

Please tell me how a thriving city like Saratoga Springs, with so much going on that is terrific, needs to change the form of government?  Sure, some things might be improved, sure, some mistakes are made, however,  all in all Saratoga Springs is a success story!  Four charter revision votes in a dozen or so years, enough!

Thank you.
Michael

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 The editorial by Saratoga Today publisher and owner Chad Beatty in the November 13th edition of the paper in response to the November 7th protest that blocked the intersection of Broadway and Lake Ave was written with an understandable degree of frustration. Businesses are negatively affected when customers don’t walk through their doors on a rare 70 degree Saturday in November; going into what will no doubt be one of the longest, darkest winters in recent memory, every dollar of business is crucial for keeping their doors open. The city is also negatively affected, not only from a budgetary standpoint, in that payroll and overhead for the policing necessary to manage protests costs a great deal of taxpayer money when there is a $7 million dollar budget shortfall for 2021, but from the public image projected as a city that is out of touch with its citizenry to the extent that large protests have been a regular occurrence for the past six months. However the subtext in his editorial of encouraging vigilante groups, deputized or otherwise, to confront protests such as the one that occurred on November 7th is equally dangerous to the city and is an abuse of his soapbox as publisher of the paper. Moreover it is a near perfect mirror of the same misguided frustrations voiced by protesters that night. 

I wholly agree with Mr. Beatty that the police should have acted differently that night. The claim that this was an unplanned rally is unfounded – it was indeed planned, though perhaps not sanctioned, and if the SSPD was appropriately vigilant of the social media networks used by the grass roots groups that are advocating for change in this city they would have known that. However, violence through policing is not the answer – communication and dialogue is. Understanding that each group of purportedly oppositional groups – the protesters and the police department and their supporters – are all human beings and treating them as such, and engaging in discourse with them as such, is the avenue through which change can be achieved and the frustration fueling these protests can be redirected and used to fuel more constructive efforts.

One of the core, if not the core, issues at the heart of that protest is the matter of Darryl Mount, viewed through the lens of the Black Lives Matter movement. Who was Darryl Mount? He was a young black man that had an interaction with the police on August 31st, 2013. By the end of that interaction, which involved both police witnessing Mr. Mount shove a young woman and a foot chase after Mr. Mount tried to evade them, he ended up that bottom of a scaffolding with injuries that lead to him remaining in a coma for much of the rest of his life until his death in 2014 due to complications from those injuries. There were no witnesses to how Mr. Mount sustained the injuries he received. The Saratoga Springs Police Department reported that the injuries were sustained as a result of falling from the scaffolding, however there has been a sustained contingent of people who disagree with that assessment and allege police brutality is to blame. There are also other details to the case, including a lawsuit and outside forensic analysis instigated by Mr. Mount’s family and a reckoning over the fact that the police chief at the time, Greg Veitch, admitted under oath in 2017 that he deceived a reporter from the Saratogian in claiming that an internal investigation of the event occurred when in fact no such investigation happened.

I will not comment on which position I agree with – whether Mr. Mount fell from a scaffolding while evading police or whether he was beaten, however I will hazard the guess that most of those reading this letter have merely a cursory knowledge, if any at all, of these events. Moreover, if any of those reading this wanted to learn more about the city’s record of that incident they would find only an archived PDF of an old webpage from the city’s old website, filled with dead links and non-functional videos. Certainly if someone were trying to learn about this case it might come across that the city was trying to hide something, even if they aren’t. In fact, I’d warrant that with sufficient funding, or even the efforts of a young, eager, unpaid intern if no funding were available, all of the city’s information on the case could quickly find its way to the front of the SSPD’s website, updated and polished, in short order.

My point with this is that information, communication, and dialogue will bring a close to this chapter of unrest in the history books of the city, not instigating vigilante actions from citizens because you aren’t satisfied with how the police department is handling the matter, nor patronizing protesters because you don’t understand or agree with what they’re protesting or because they’re young and may not fit the physical description of people who you think are “supposed” to be protesting. 

Currently the Police Reform Task Force is meeting on a regular basis to modernize and develop meaningful, achievable changes that can be instituted by our city’s police department. We must give them the space and time necessary to do that, and their recommendations are due by February of 2021. Meanwhile, as citizens, regardless of the color of our skin, and regardless of whether we are students of Skidmore, the high school, or matured adults, we need to educate ourselves on the reality of what happened that night in 2013, and the Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton and the Saratoga Springs Police Department need to facilitate that by making the information they have on the issue of Darryl Mount more public. They should also consider issuing a mea culpa for how the event was handled by police chief Veitch at the time.

The issue of what happened to Mr. Mount will likely never be resolved. It was seven years ago and there were no witnesses to the event besides Darryl himself and the police that interacted with him. However we can, as a city, put right effort into trying to understand what the protesters were trying to tell us on November 7th, even if their delivery was misguided, timing poor, and energy aggressive; there is room for us to change, evolve, and learn from our history in this city, and it is the responsibility of both the city government and the citizens to make that happen in a constructive way. Because that is what democracy looks like.

Jake

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 Hello Chad,

I just read your excellent editorial regarding the “protest” that kept our beautiful  city hostage for 6 hours!  My husband and I retired here from Newburgh, NY to enjoy living in Saratoga – and specifically moved to live on Broadway to enjoy the dining and shopping.  We had seen a sad and steady decline in the quality of living here that will continue to decline, I’m afraid if significant change doesn’t happen.

We too witnessed the horrible event(s) over the summer with “protesters” taking over the park and streets.  When the city administration made a strong statement (that you quoted) we were relieved that finally the city would address the illegal marches and laying down on the streets to block traffic and the harassment of visitors and citizens. What is being done – nothing!! And it never will.  Same with the homeless situation – nothing has been done – it’s escalating out of control and yet if anything is done it will be too late.

Here are (2) other instances that I know of where nothing will be done.  Graffiti.  It’s a growing issue and concern throughout the city and continues to grow unchecked.  In the alley between Putnam Market and the building that houses Union, Piper, etc. the amount of graffiti is ugly and appalling.  Written in white spray paint is “f..k the (518) pigs”.  The same graffiti was painted on the wall behind The Washington (where we live) and was immediately painted over by the management.  I texted about the graffiti in the alley to the city and the relpy…we’re contacting the building owner about it!!!! Nothing was done…I believe it was finally painted over but not before many families visiting Saratoga saw it.

Another disturbing and growing issues is a “gang” of teen skateboarders and others hanging out downtown and harassing the pedestrians.  They continually ride on the sidewalks (which is illegal!) and we’re hanging out in the walkway between Kilwins and Cantina this summer…it took many calls and complaints to the police to have them “moved”…where did they go…top of (they board down it which is an accident waiting to happen) Caroline Street where they harass shop owners and people to such a disgusting extent – they are afraid to shop on Broadway!  Afraid to be on Broadway Saratoga in broad daylight!  They police were called and they were harassed too by these teens!  Again – nothing has been done!

Smaller incidents but will add up to the downfall of our city…at the start of my letter I mentioned we were from Newburgh so I’ve witnessed what will happen first-hand and I really fear for Saratoga.

Anyway – thanks for your recent articles and reading this. I needed to vent!

Take Care,
Debby

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Editor:

We are writing in response to Chad Beatty’s editorial in the November 13-19 Saratoga Today objecting to a protest held downtown on Saturday, November 7. The editorial is deeply disturbing in its initial assertions and tone. Its conclusion, articulated in the final sentence, is deeply distressing.

The assertions framing Beatty’s views are open to question.  They are not the basic truths that he implies.

The author begins by characterizing the protests as a simple matter of young people engaging in public harassment. His editorial comments do not explain the protestors’ reasons or motivations. He does not acknowledge that these non-violent protests are part of a larger protest movement across the country that aims to bring about long-needed changes to the systemic racism that pervades this country.

The editorial assumes that the protesters are somehow not “us”: “we” need to protect ourselves (and “our” women and children) from “them.” But in truth, no one was harmed by that Saturday’s action, and many members of the community sympathize with the protesters’ fundamental concerns, whether or not we take part in public protests. We recognize that racism, both conscious and unconscious bias on the basis of race, is a major problem.

Beatty also asserts that a more aggressive response by the police would make the protest go away. Arresting the protesters would get them temporarily off the street. But historically, and right now in other cities, aggressive police response tends to polarize people and result in more anger, more protests, and escalating tensions.

The editorial asserts that Skidmore students are “guests” in the community and implies that they thus have no right to protest. But citizens of this country—whether Skidmore students or others—have every right to participate in democratic processes, including non-violent, active dissent.

And Beatty takes issue with the way the police handled the situation: he seems to assume the only good outcome would have been arrests.  “Start arresting these kids as soon as the roads are blocked and let’s see how long their resolve lasts,” asserts Beatty. We say that the collaborative process between the Skidmore President and City officials was effective. Wasn’t the peaceful dispersion of the crowd–with no harm inflicted on anyone–desirable?

The editorial’s tone is biased, dismissive, and menacing. It gives a few business owners’ concerns fairly lengthy treatment, while it caricatures the protest as “undesirable behavior.” It makes no attempt to represent a variety of community perspectives. It asks, “Do we want a community where women and children feel threatened?” Which women and children does this refer to? We answer: Women and children of color, and men too, do feel threatened in our community. And they are threatened. That is what the protests are about.

This editorial doesn’t just assume that the protests deserve a violent response. It menaces the protestors, saying: “Deputize community members and let them clear the streets.” We have already seen how badly that goes.

What is missing is any sense that we need “real, institutional change,”  that we should make real “efforts to foster communication, dialogue, and trust,” as President Marc Conner wrote (quoted in a recent story in the Albany Times Union). We do not need citizen militias. We do need to envision together a world in which George Floyd and others would not have been killed. A more just world.

Susan & Sarah
Residents of Saratoga Springs and Skidmore Professors emeritae

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Dear Sir:

Both the New York State and Federal Constitutions permit state and local governments to impose reasonable, time, place and manner regulations on street demonstrations.

If local officials will not enforce constitutionally qualifying ordinances, the remedy is at the ballot box As a resident of Saratoga Springs, I intend to exercise my franchise accordingly at the next election.

(For what it’s worth, I taught state and local government law for 44 years and have published extensively in that field)

Sincerely Yours, Michael

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Mr. Beatty,

Great editorial this week.  I couldn’t agree more with your article.  And the fact that not only are the businesses suffering, but the opposite page also mentions a 7 million dollar shortfall in revenue which will affect the city greatly.  That will mean less money for police at a time when we need more; and higher taxes for residents who can ill afford it during this ongoing fiscal crisis caused by the government shutdown.  Perhaps the protestors should be paying fines and damages for the lost business and the cost of overtime for law enforcement in trying to protect the citizens.  When this behavior is tolerated it emboldens the perpetrators and leads to more frequent occurrences with escalating consequences. 

Sincerely,
Melanie

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Chad,

I very much appreciated your editorial, Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom From Harassment. I’m glad that you put in print what I have been feeling since the stunt last Saturday. I happened to be driving on the east side of Lake Ave trying to get across Broadway to the West Side. I was stopped at Maple Ave and forced to re-route. A small inconvenience but I couldn’t understand why Broadway was closed to traffic. When I found out later why Broadway was closed I was quite upset and you touched on most of the reasons why. Why was this allowed? 

This kind of stunt only angers me. It does not help any cause. They could have assembled in many other locations, Skidmore, The State Park and Congress Park come to mind.

Whoever organized this event was only after shock value and not real change. 

John

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Mr. Beatty,

I am disgusted to see that you used the platform of your newspaper to spout racist rhetoric.  In your article you mock and threaten protestors, who are practicing their right to peaceful protest, by encouraging citizens to “take back the streets” and then referencing deputizing citizens at the end of the article.  Businesses losing 6 hours of business does not compare to the hundreds of years of injustices that have faced Black people in our country and in our hometown.  Your inability to recognize this only shines light on your privilege and ignorance.  Educate yourself and do better. 

Melissa

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Dear Mr. Beatty,

I just want to thank you for one of the best opinions I have ever read.   Please don’t let this matter drop.  We need more people to speak up if we are ever going to be living in a free and just society.  I am an old lady and all I can do is pray for peace in our cities, states and country.  I am sick and tired of all these protests and esp. the BLM protesters.  When these protests impact on the freedoms and rights of other people, something is radically wrong. 

Sorry I will step down from my soapbox and just say thank you again for the wonderful editorial.  Keep up the good work and do not let anyone intimidate your freedom of speech.

Sincerely,

Sally

Five Decades, Same Opportunities

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Editorials.

The year was 1973 and downtown Saratoga Springs was facing a crisis. Twenty-two storefronts were vacant, with almost all the 2nd and 3rd floors empty. Simultaneously construction of the Pyramid mall had begun at exit 15. The perfect recipe was brewing for a downtown disaster.

Today we face a similar challenge. Communities are locked down in a global pandemic, which includes social distancing and reduced numbers allowed in businesses. We already have empty storefronts and business owners worry more may be coming. Deja vu? Not to worry.

In 1973 local citizens stepped up to the challenge…and today local citizens are once again stepping up to the challenge. Two similar crises, separated by decades, but in both circumstances, leadership, optimism, and community action came together to save the day.

First let’s look at the past. It was the mid-90’s and Joe Dalton of the Chamber of Commerce, along with Bob Bristol of The Saratoga Associates, called a meeting with a dozen property owners. This informal meeting led to the creation of a dynamic ‘Plan of Action’ which would guide the city for years to come. Within weeks dozens of citizens had volunteered to work on the project.

Bill Dake of Stewart’s Shops steered it for the first six months, after which Charles Wait of Adirondack Trust Company served as its chairman. “A lot of people did a tremendous amount of work” said Bill Dake. “As people saw the positive impact taking place, more people got involved. Downtown got its own personality!”

A lot of people got involved in the ‘Plan of Action’ from attending charrettes, to planting trees, to major facade improvements, but the key issue may have been getting the City Council to remove the restriction on restaurants and bars serving outside on Broadway’s wide sidewalks.

“It gave Broadway a unique personality as people watching was the best and cheapest entertainment there was,” added Dake. Rumor has it the sidewalk activity had been curtailed years before after the Mayor’s daughter was “mooned” by an over-served patron from one of the bars. But I digress.

One of the first projects that took place was a massive clean-up…something tangible that would yield immediate results. From there an all-volunteer crew dug holes and planted 80 mature trees in the business district, the number reaching 250 within 20 years!

With visible progress taking place, property owners dug deep and funded a basic design plan. That, coupled with a new 1 percent sales tax increase and federal Community Development funds, and the ‘Plan’ was taking on a life of its own. From façade improvements to streetscapes and parking, downtown Saratoga Springs transformed itself, and within a decade 70 percent of the downtown businesses were new; vacancy was a rarity, a testament to community action!

Fast forward to November 2020. With decades of growth under its belt, downtown Saratoga Springs has been the envy of small towns across the nation…but the wheels of progress are quickly slowing. Vacant storefronts are popping up and long-time events which are part of our fabric have been cancelled.

However, led by the DBA (Downtown Business Association), scores of volunteers are once again mobilizing and have reimagined a downtown holiday celebration. “When we realized that there was no way to have Victorian Streetwalk this year, the DBA knew we had to do something to promote downtown and keep our holiday tradition alive” said DBA President, Deann Devitt. “The more we thought about it, the more we realized that we needed to make downtown a destination for the entire Holiday season and remind people how unique Saratoga is!”

At that point they approached Saratoga Springs Special Assessments District with their ideas. “They immediately agreed to partner with us and provide us with a $10,000 grant to help spread the holiday spirit throughout the City. And with that grant, a month-long celebration called Victorian Streetscapes was born!”

Next, they reached out to their friends at Discover Saratoga who were happy to collaborate on the effort. “We hope that this will give one more reason for folks to come downtown throughout the season to take in the holiday atmosphere and of course, shop local!” said Darryl Leggieri, President of Discover Saratoga. “We must continue to work together as a united community, and help our neighbors and local businesses succeed during these difficult times.”

Once the actual planning began, the amount of support from local business owners began rolling in. The Charlton School, with the help of Saratoga Land Management Corp., stepped up with a 19-ft Norway Spruce for downtown. Elms Farm donated thirty, 6-ft. trees for storefronts while Allerdice and Dehn’s Flowers worked on critical behind-the-scenes details. Also instrumental in organizing the event were Mayor Meg Kelly and Commissioner Scirocco and their teams.

Let’s not forget about Santa! Although he won’t be in his cottage this year, Santa IS Coming to Town! He will be driving through Saratoga neighborhoods visiting children on a vintage fire truck provided by King Enterprises.

Devitt finished with “The reality is, during these unprecedented times, it truly ‘takes a village’ to support our local businesses, and without question, this city, its residents and fellow business owners have been that village.”

Saratoga Strong!

Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom from Harassment

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Editorials.

There is a basic law of economics which states, if you subsidize undesirable behavior, you will get more undesirable behavior. I believe the same is true if you ALLOW undesirable behavior.

If you had not yet heard, this past Saturday downtown Saratoga Springs was once again the epicenter of a 6-hour long standoff between protesters and everyone else.

The unscheduled event, which violated city ordinances, shut down multiple roads and left businesses and restaurants empty on what could have been their busiest day of the season.

This comes approximately 5 weeks after the emergency city council meeting which was held to address this specific type of situation. At that meeting, Mayor Meg Kelly came out strong stating

“It is time to make some changes here because we cannot have this happening time and time again in the city of Saratoga Springs – period. We are not going to block streets.”

Public Safety Commissioner Dalton shared her sentiment “The Saratoga Springs Police Department recognizes the right to peacefully protest, however, one person’s constitutional right does not supersede another’s.” Assistant Chief Cattone then laid out guidelines and actions which would be taken moving forward.

I am not sure what happened between that October 1 meeting and last Saturday, but officers from SSPD, the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police stood by as the protesters chanted “Biden won but we’re not done…These are our streets” and taunted the officers. There were also numerous reports of bystanders and families being harassed before they got out of town.

I have to say that I am disgusted, embarrassed, and sickened by this situation. We are in a global pandemic, businesses and families are struggling, yet some individuals feel they have the right to shut down roads, detour traffic at their discretion, and shout vulgarities over a megaphone. And let’s not ignore the fact that the blocked intersection is the primary road to Saratoga Hospital. What happens when a frantic mother is rushing her asthmatic child to the hospital and discovers her route is shut down and she must find a detour?

On Monday morning I had the opportunity to speak with several downtown business owners, and the financial gravity of the situation really hit home. One food/drink establishment shared, “We are struggling to make rent and pay staff. Normally on a 75-degree day, in November, we would be hopping until closing. We were empty from about 3-9 on Saturday. That crushes us.” Of important note, this was restaurant week! The other businesses I spoke with shared the same frustration and anger.

So, my question is why weren’t arrests made? Why weren’t the roads opened? Why do we tolerate this behavior?

According to SSPD Chief Crooks a tactical decision was made based on information relayed to him by supervisors on scene. “There were too many protesters vs. the number of officers.” I asked him the next logical question: why were officers on scene for hours if they weren’t going to make arrests? “Officers were there in case anything happened with the public,” he responded. “There were a number of interactions between the group and bystanders.”

I understand the police are in a no-win situation. They are damned if they do and they are damned if they don’t. But allowing these situations to continue is unacceptable and only emboldens the organizers. Forget the horrific impact on business and the potential for medical disasters due to the street detours; let’s look at the financial impact to you and me.

Every one of these occurrences, and they are increasing in regularity, costs the city thousands of dollars in overtime. An estimated guess of the infamous July 30 protest in front of Congress Park, which lasted well into the late evening, cost us $10,000. That is money not going to kids’ programs, homeless assistance, or critical infrastructure.

Who are these protesters? With the exception of the few individuals behind the megaphone, the majority this past weekend were white teenagers from our local high school and Skidmore College. The scene looked more like a dysfunctional Justin Bieber concert than anything else. Perhaps there is an opportunity here for Skidmore administration to step up and contribute to the good of our community. If Skidmore students are arrested for civil disobedience (blocking roads), I would think they should face disciplinary action under the school’s code of conduct. Skidmore students are guests in our community. I would love the hear Skidmore’s view on this.

Start arresting these kids as soon as the roads are blocked and let’s see how long their resolve lasts.

But don’t get lulled into a false sense of security. The troublemakers in the late September protest were a whole different group of agitators. In that protest they marched through our streets, harassing diners and yelling at families, while surrounded by their own security force dressed in black with baseball bats!

One thing I can predict is that sooner or later something bad is going to happen. We will either take the path of neighboring cities and slide downhill into crime and chaos, or the citizens will begin standing up to these groups and take back the streets. Neither scenario has a good ending.

In closing, the primary function of government is leadership, and to maintain law & order. Sadly, they are falling short on both right now. I know many families who have stopped coming into town because of this problem. Those families used to spend their hard-earned money shopping and eating in our city. Can we afford to turn our back on anyone right now? Do we want a city where women and children feel threatened?

They need to figure this out and put an end to it NOW. Otherwise, deputize community members and let them clear the streets.

-Chad

Big Snake Rattles Vacationers

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in News.

A family vacationing in Hague (Warren County) had a surprise awaiting them when they got home.

On August 2, ECO LaPoint responded to a residence in the town of Hague, for a report of a trapped timber rattlesnake at a residence. Upon arriving at the home, ECO LaPoint located the snake outside trapped under a tote. Using snake tongs issued by DEC, along with a cloth bag and bucket lid, he safely secured the rattlesnake in the bucket and removed it from the premises. ECO LaPoint transported the rattlesnake to DEC’s Green Island maintenance facility where it was temporarily held until it could be released to a suitable location. Timber rattlesnakes are a threatened species in New York. For more information visit DEC’s website.

Noda continues taking an assertive approach to success at Saratoga … and now the Travers

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Since Opening Day of the Saratoga Race Course meet, there has been occasional solo cheer that echoes from the cavernous porch area of the clubhouse area near the finish line every time particular horses cross the wire, especially when they win.

That voice comes from Orlando Noda and he has every reason to celebrate. One of the principal owners of Noda Brothers LLC and trainer is having another solid start after 14 days of the meet. The 31-year-old Miami native has already won four races from 13 starts, including three wins as an owner, in his second year at Saratoga.

“That was the plan. I would like to accomplish six wins this meet,” Noda said. “We wanted to put them where they could win. As long as they are feeling good and eating good, I am going to run my horses and they can run. The competition is tough, but you have to place them aggressively. The thrill of this Saratoga meet is what racing is all about. Not many people can say this in a short period of time.”

With support from his brother Jonathan who is a finance director for a car dealership in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., Noda slowly developed a stable that led to his first runner – a homebred filly of G.T. Sonia – in late December 2018.

As G.T. Sonia was trying to graduate from the maiden ranks, Noda got several horses from the claiming box. Eventually, one of those claiming horses helped Noda become successful: T Loves a Fight.

Claimed for $10,000 in May 2019, the once stakes-winning gelding gave not only Noda his first career win as an owner and trainer, he also gave him his first Saratoga victory during the meet’s opening weekend last year. Then nearly two weeks later, G.T. Sonia also picked up her first win as Noda finished the meet with three wins, a second-place finish, and a pair of third-place runners from just nine starters. 

Even before this year’s Saratoga meet, Noda continued to win races with seven different horses at Aqueduct and Belmont during the winter and spring and around the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, he has been winning races that go beyond his ownership that includes Zilla Racing Stables based in Guilderland and Mad Dog Racing Stables.

“T Loves a Fight put me on the map,” Noda said. “We’re growing. Slowly and surely, I think people are noticing us. People are sending me horses. Everyone thinks that we can claim a horse for $10,000 and become ‘T’, but it’s not that easy.”

While T Love a Fight may have started Noda’s success, it was G.T. Sonia who helped start the stable. In 2012 while learning how to gallop a horse at Westampton Farm in New Jersey, Noda, his brother and his father Jose Noda Fernandez, who later claimed Very Very Stella for $12,500 and finished third in the Grade 3 Smile Stakes at 134-1, brought 10 horses to compete primarily at Parx and Charles Town.

The family managed two wins at Charles Town, then they brought the horses to compete in Florida before dispersing all the horses except one: Bfit. After Bfit led from start to finish in a $6,250 claiming race at Calder, she retired in December 2013 to become a broodmare.

With the help of Pick View LLC in Ocala, Fla., the Noda family bred Bfit to graded stakes winner Brethren and produced G.T. Sonia, who raced 13 times with two wins before being retired late last year. Today, G.T. Sonia is in foal to graded stakes winner Flameaway, a horse who Noda had groomed while working for Mark Casse. Noda is expecting the foal filly to be born in March 2021.

“G.T. Sonia had some injuries,” Noda said. “Instead of pressing her, I wanted her to be a mom and be happy in the field. I am going to send that foal to Ocala to be broken, then have her come back here to race. I would like her to break maiden here in Saratoga, just like her mama.”

Noda is now looking to make an impact at the next level by entering recent maiden winner First Line for Saturday’s 151st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers Stakes where he is expected to compete against Sackatoga Stable’s Belmont winner Tiz the Law.

Competing at 1 1/8 miles for the first time, First Line pressed the pace, then engaged in a pace battle through the stretch to win his first start by a neck in a finishing time that is comparable to other candidates in the Travers field.

“He came out of that race in good shape,” Noda said. “He fought a mile and an eighth through the wire. 

I cannot ask for anything more. Overall, our luck is running good and we are going with the flow. I think we are a go. We’re in it.”

Even before his 3-year-old gelding won his first start, Noda had a lot of promise in his horse, who was purchased privately last October. After a disappointing debut in January, First Line showed some improvement through a pair of sprint races. Now that First Line has won his first race, Noda is hoping the horse can continue moving forward for the Travers.

“I think he should have won his first race, but he got dirt kicked in his face and raced green,” Noda said. He has matured through each race. It’s not always you get a horse like this. I think things are playing out well. Win, lose or draw. I know people are rooting for me. We might be the longest shot on the board, but we might outrun them all.”

A Lookback at Whitney Day

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

SARATOGA SPRINGS- All eyes were on Saratoga this weekend as Saturday’s 12-race card featured four graded stakes races. Whitney Day did not disappoint this year as along with the great races, Saratoga generated an all source handle record of close to thirty-six million dollars compared to last years Whitney day record of around thirty-two million.

Starting off the highlights for this weekend, in the ninety-third running of the Grade 1 Whitney, Improbable’s victory on Saturday garnered the most attention in the $750,000 stakes race. While looking shaken and unruly at the gate, Improbable’s trainer, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, was quick to give his praise to the NYRA gate crew in a release to the NYRA.

When asked about this seemingly unexpected choice in praise, Baffert humorously replied “It’s like being in the gate with a bull sometimes…You have to thank the gate crew, the guys they had in there with him. He could have easily turned over, but they did a tremendous job, so I give them a big assist there because they did a great job.”

However, he did not stop there also giving his praise to jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who managed to snag his second Whitney in three years. In the same release, Baffert commented more on the race saying “As much as he acts up in the gate, he always breaks really well. He breaks like a shot. After that, Irad got him in a nice rhythm. He followed Mr. Buff on the lead and tightened him along there and turned for home. Improbable had been working so well down here at Del Mar. It was a big effort there.”

Improbable’s win matched his namesake as the Whitney was his second time racing outside of California. Going off at 3-1 odds, the horse returned $8.30 on a $2 bet. With this win in the Whintey, Baffert becomes the first trainer since the mid-nineties to win this race back-to-back, the last being Hall of Famer Scotty Schulhofer in 1994-1995. Even with all of the big wins Baffert has had over his career, he still recognizes each new victory saying, “It’s such a prestigious race, and to win it, it means a lot…I’m lucky enough to train for some big outfits, and when you train for them, you get a lot more chances at it.”

While the Whitney did steal most of the spotlight this weekend, the other high grade races did not disappoint either with some upsets and small name victories. In the G1 Personal Ensign, Vexatious managed to pull off a major upset over the reigning champion Midnight Bisou in a last stretch duel. Going off at 5-1, the horse managed to pull off a clutch victory in the seventy-first running of the race. 

Trainer Jack Sisterton was elated upon seeing his horse pull off such a win, but was quick to give his thanks to the rest of the team along with him exclaiming, “Words can’t describe the feeling… That’s what we live for, the opportunity to have horses in races like this, let alone win one. It just goes to show how good the people behind me are. I have a great staff and great owners. If it weren’t for the staff or the owners I wouldn’t be in this position.”

In the H. Allen Jenkins Memorial race, Echo town managed to get the first graded score for L and H racing. It was a big win for the small racing partnership. Partial owner Michael Levinson had this to say about the win, “It’s tough to win any race at Saratoga, but to win a prestigious race like the Allen Jerkens is fantastic. I can’t put into words what it means for us…We’re a small group of guys from Oklahoma trying to make a splash and that was a big victory yesterday.

With a weekend of great racing, look forward to this week’s big races such as the GII Saratoga Special, the GI Runhappy Travers, the GI Ballerina Hdcp., the GI Longines Test, the GIII Troy, and the GIII Waya. 

The Boss of Onions

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Food.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

This week, the must have gadget for your kitchen are onion goggles.  Let’s start by telling you about my first job in a restaurant when I was 16 years old. The manager brought me to the back of the restaurant and said to me “son, we are going to make you a ‘boss,’ being the boss of onions!”  I was so happy and I couldn’t wait to tell my mom. The manager told me that they needed me to peel, cut and chop onions for my entire shift. Yes, life was going my way as a 16 year old might perceive. I had received my driver’s license the week before and started a new job. On one particular day after my shift ended, I was going on my first date with Anna, a cheerleader at my school. My plan was to take her in my used 1966 Ford Mustang that had a 289 engine, factory air, and an eight-track tape player with a reverberator! On the day of the date at work, the manager handed me a knife that seemed to me to be two feet long in length. He said “now have at it.”  I was nervous, however; I wanted to be the superstar “Boss of Onions.” So I started working on peeling, cutting, and chopping the mountains of onions in front of me. I believe that they last sharpened this knife in 1922, so I figured it was safe. Peeling was no problem for boss man because I peeled a mountain of them.  Now it was time to cut the onions in half.  I steadied my “Crocodile Dundee” knife and pressed down on the onion.  Did you ever try that with a dull knife? As I attempted to cut the onion, the juice proceeded to squirt everywhere, and you guessed it, landed right into my eyes. Down goes boss man as I put my hands on my stinging eyes. As I continued to persevere into my task, I simply stated to myself that this was no problem and I could just rub my eyes and I would be fine.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t working the way that I had hoped. Soon I was looking like “Rocky Balboa.” I knew I had a job to do so I carried on but by now the tears were like waterfalls while I was wondering if I would be victorious over the onions. By the end of my shift the mountain was sliced and chopped.  Yep, I did it and the manager told me I was great but suggested I take a long shower before my big date. When I got home my mother screamed and called my Dad in to see his oldest son.  I had onion hair gel and my clothes were covered with juice and pieces of onions.  My eyes were very puffy and I had about seven Band-Aids on my fingers. Ah yes, my hands I noticed were now permanently yellow and it was one hour to my date. At his point I exclaimed; “Mom, you have to help me. I am a walking onion.”  I could not come within 20 feet of anyone without someone saying whew you reek.  I took my shower but it didn’t help. Mom and my two sisters went into full date prep mode. My sister Patty grabbed the lemon juice, my older sister Carol Ann stole Dad’s Hai Karate cologne and mom grabbed a nail brush and went to work with the lemon juice to rid me of yellow hands.  She also had Patty hold ice cubes on my eyes, which worked. She wasn’t going to let her son mess up his first date. The yellow and smell did not go away but the date was a success. Anna was very nice and said it made her think of salad and she like the Hai Karate cologne smell. 

Why do onions make us cry?

When onions are cut, an enzyme called sulfoxide lyase and sulfuric compounds are released from the broken cells. When exposed to air, they react with one another to form a vapor called thiopropanal sulfoxide. As this vapor evaporates, it irritates our eyes and causes us to cry.  Kitchen folklore remedies such as burning candles or matches, slicing onions under water and freezing the onions before cutting are comical at best. The two methods proven most effective in preventing onion-cutting tears include; wearing goggles or contact lenses. Onion goggles are a unisex design and fit most adults.  Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store to help you with those culinary items that make life a bit easier for you. Remember my Foodie Friends “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

Take care, 

John and Paula.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 small white or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock   

• 2 cups milk (recommend 2% or whole milk)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

• 4 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

• 2 cups freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese*, divided (feel free to add more cheese if you’d like)

• 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep oven and baking dish: Heat oven to 400°F.  Grease a  9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.

Sauté the onion and garlic. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Stir in the flour until it is evenly combined, and cook for 1 more minute.

2. Simmer the sauce. Gradually pour in the stock, and whisk until combined.  Add in the milk, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme, and whisk until combined.  Continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce just barely begins to simmer around the edges of the pan and thickens.  (Avoid letting it reach a boil.)  Then remove from heat and set aside.

3. Layer the potatoes.  Spread half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  Top evenly with half of the cream sauce. Then sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and all of the Parmesan cheese.  Top evenly with the remaining sliced potatoes, the other half of the cream sauce, and the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

4. Bake: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  The sauce should be nice and bubbly around the edges.  Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

5. Cool. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack, and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of thyme and extra Parmesan.

6. Serve. Serve warm.

 

‘Look, don’t touch’ keeps produce healthy and safe at the Farmers’ Market

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Food.

The escarole sat crisply in my display bin at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. It caught the eye of a customer.

The escarole sat crisply in my display bin at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. It caught the eye of a customer.

I greeted him, and he asked, “Is this lettuce?” As he did so, his fingers wrapped impulsively around the leaves, cradling them.

“Please,” I said. “Can I ask you not to touch?”

The customer felt bad. I did, too. But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues we all are adapting to new practices of interacting with each other and the fresh foods at the market. Asking customers not to touch products until they have committed to buying them now is among the Saratoga market’s safety rules.

As we celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week this week, we also highlight how not touching fresh fruits and vegetables minimizes damage while also easing the risk of Coronavirus spread. In addition, the food remains safe and healthy with the farmers being the only ones touching the produce prior to purchase.

But how does one buy without touching?

Jason Heitman of Green Jeans Market Farm helps customers choose tomatoes by asking them what sizes they prefer and when they plan to eat them. He checks the bottoms of tomatoes to gauge their ripeness, noting that not fully ripened fruits will continue to ripen until consumed.

Brian Talmadge of Talmadge Farm encourages customers to choose beans that look wrinkle-free and shine. Cucumbers, he says, also have a shine.

Charles Holub of Scotch Ridge Farm brings handpicked berries to market that have attained enough sweetness to be eaten immediately or frozen for later use. 

Such greens as lettuce, kale, and escarole are harvested one or two days before market so they can be washed and cooled for maximum crispness. They might wilt during a market from exposure to sun and wind but will rebound when rinsed in cold water. If stored in a produce bag in the refrigerator, they’ll remain fresh for up to a week. 

I explained to my customer who mistook escarole for lettuce that it was a green from the chicory family and often used to make Beans and Greens. I also noted that it, like many other greens, was delicious sautéed with a bit of olive oil, black pepper, and garlic.

He bought the escarole and, like many others, thanked us for keeping the farmers’ market safe.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs at Wilton Mall 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter – www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

farmerrecipe

‘Look, don’t touch’ keeps produce healthy and safe at the Farmers’ Market

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Food.

The escarole sat crisply in my display bin at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. It caught the eye of a customer.

The escarole sat crisply in my display bin at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. It caught the eye of a customer.

I greeted him, and he asked, “Is this lettuce?” As he did so, his fingers wrapped impulsively around the leaves, cradling them.

“Please,” I said. “Can I ask you not to touch?”

The customer felt bad. I did, too. But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues we all are adapting to new practices of interacting with each other and the fresh foods at the market. Asking customers not to touch products until they have committed to buying them now is among the Saratoga market’s safety rules.

As we celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week this week, we also highlight how not touching fresh fruits and vegetables minimizes damage while also easing the risk of Coronavirus spread. In addition, the food remains safe and healthy with the farmers being the only ones touching the produce prior to purchase.

But how does one buy without touching?

Jason Heitman of Green Jeans Market Farm helps customers choose tomatoes by asking them what sizes they prefer and when they plan to eat them. He checks the bottoms of tomatoes to gauge their ripeness, noting that not fully ripened fruits will continue to ripen until consumed.

Brian Talmadge of Talmadge Farm encourages customers to choose beans that look wrinkle-free and shine. Cucumbers, he says, also have a shine.

Charles Holub of Scotch Ridge Farm brings handpicked berries to market that have attained enough sweetness to be eaten immediately or frozen for later use. 

Such greens as lettuce, kale, and escarole are harvested one or two days before market so they can be washed and cooled for maximum crispness. They might wilt during a market from exposure to sun and wind but will rebound when rinsed in cold water. If stored in a produce bag in the refrigerator, they’ll remain fresh for up to a week. 

I explained to my customer who mistook escarole for lettuce that it was a green from the chicory family and often used to make Beans and Greens. I also noted that it, like many other greens, was delicious sautéed with a bit of olive oil, black pepper, and garlic.

He bought the escarole and, like many others, thanked us for keeping the farmers’ market safe.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs at Wilton Mall 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter – www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

farmerrecipe

This Must Be The Place: Saratoga Scholar Put Talking Heads on The Road To Everywhere

Written by Marisa Scirocco on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Consider the sonic arsenal in the Talking Heads songbook – “Once In A Lifetime” and “Burning Down The House,” to “Life During War Time,” among them. Now for good measure add the Tom Tom Club’s iconic “Genius of Love,” and consider these likely would have never been created were it not for David Miller, Professor Emeritus at Skidmore College.  No party, no disco, no foolin’ around.

“When I was in high school in Pittsburgh, the person who really changed my life and my whole reason for being you could say, was a guy named David Miller,” Chris Frantz recalled on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.

“He lives somewhere not far from Saratoga. He taught for many years at Skidmore after the school I went to, which was called Shady Side Academy – which at the time was a boys school. He taught my studio art class then later got a job teaching painting at Skidmore College. He was there well over 20 years,” says Frantz, who has just published his autobiography “Remain In Love: Talking Heads: Tom Tom Club: Tina.”

The book documents Frantz childhood years, his perceptions from his seat behind the drumkit with the bands Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, and his longtime marriage to the band’s bassist, Tina Weymouth. A handful of pages detailing Frantz’ academy school years are filled with a fondness for Miller’s inspiration. “It’s no exaggeration to say this man changed my life. He was and still is a very humble, friendly, and unpretentious person. Mr. Miller opened my eyes to the idea that anyone can be an artist. Under (his) talented influence, I became an artist. It was as if a switch flipped in my brain. I still remember the day I had this epiphany. I was seventeen years old,” Frantz says.  “I went to visit with him and to talk about those days. He’s a great painter and he’s still alive and well and living in your area.”

“I gave them assignments where they would take risks,” says Miller, from his home a few minutes south of Saratoga Springs. “I’d show them slides and recommend artists they should research, and then they would get involved in finding new directions for their own skills. Not to imitate, but to be inspired by. That’s how I taught.”

Drawing, painting and collage lessons aside, Miller had coincidentally also known Frantz’ father. “When I was in the Army Reserves, his father was a colonel and I was a lieutenant,” Miller says. As Frantz entered his junior year, he began thinking of college applications. Miller suggested he should go to a good art school.

“This made complete sense to me,” Frantz says, “but when I told my parents, they spoke to Mr. Miller and begged him, ‘Please don’t suggest to Chris that he should go to art school. How will he ever support himself?’”

“Chris’ father said to me, please don’t talk Chris into going to art school. How is he going to make a living?” Miller recalls with a chuckle.  Miller was persuasive, however, and recommended Frantz apply to the Rhode Island School of Design, which he described as the Harvard of art schools. Miller’s reputation at the Rhode Island School of Design was stellar, having previously sent the college a handful of students.

“My parents suddenly thought, ‘Oh, the Harvard of art schools? Well, that sounds interesting,’” Frantz says. Frantz was accepted and relocated to RISD. It was on campus that he met David Byrne. They started playing music. At the school, Frantz also met Tina Weymouth, who would become the band’s bass player, as well as Frantz’ relationship partner for life.

One day, Byrne came to the painting studio that Frantz and Weymouth – now a couple – were sharing. He said he had been writing a song in a style somewhat like Alice Cooper and hoped the pair could help him with it.

Byrne’s verse began: “I can’t seem to face up to the facts/ I’m tense and nervous and I can’t relax…” Weymouth, who spoke French, added the song’s bridge, and Frantz added even more verses. “Continuing with the psychotic theme as we were brainstorming, I shouted, ‘We are vain and we are blind!’ and Tina said, ‘Yeah, yeah, and I hate people when they’re not polite.’ David wrote it all down in his little spiral notebook,” Frantz says. “It was our first songwriting experience together and it was proof enough for me that we should do more of this in the future.”  

Following graduation, all three moved to New York City where Talking Heads began their career at CBGB, opening for The Ramones.

“Chris’ dad later said something positive about Chris going to art school,” Miller says with a laugh.  As Talking Heads blazed their path through the New York underground, Miller relocated to Saratoga Springs, after answering a call from a friend who was teaching at Skidmore College, informing of an opening in the art department. 

“I said, where is Skidmore? He said: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. I said: I never heard of it, where’s that? He said: it’s by Albany,” Miller recalls.  Miller taught at Skidmore for 35 years – from 1975 to 2010, retiring after 35 years. His son Darren played quarterback at Saratoga Springs High School, and has since gone on to a prestigious law career with the state.

As an artist, Miller has shown his work at numerous galleries including locally at Saratoga Arts Center. A large retrospective of his career work was staged at the Tang Museum.  

In the mid-1980s, Miller and his son Darren attended a Talking Heads show at SPAC.

“I remember we were sitting near the stage and the band were on break, or they hadn’t started yet. Chris came out and waved for the two of us to come up. So, Darren and I went up on the side of the stage behind the curtain, and we watched the show from back here. It was a very interesting experience.  

 “Chris came up and visited us here at the house about two or three years ago and insisted on taking us out to lunch. Anytime he wants he’s welcomed to come back,” Miller says.

Frantz and Weymouth eventually moved out of New York City and settled into the Northeast countryside.

“I have heard from a lot of people who live in New York,” Frantz says, the couple’s two beagles – Poppy and Kiki – joyfully announcing the arrival of a UPS delivery truck coming up the driveway. ”Those who can afford to move are really considering moving out to the countryside – so, look out Saratoga: here they come!”

“Remain In Love: Talking Heads: Tom Tom Club: Tina,” by Chris Frantz, published by St. Martin’s Press. $29.99 hardcover, with photographs.