MALTA — The Debra LaMay Agency in Malta has been acquired by HMS, an insurance agency that serves the Capital Region.
Debra LaMay, an insurance professional with nearly 50 years of experience, will remain with the agency in her current role.
“Debbie has built a legacy around care, trust, and responsiveness, which are values that are at the heart of our mission at HMS,” said Bill Mather, Jr., principal of HMS Agency, in a news release. “We’re honored to welcome her and her clients to the HMS family.”
As part of the acquisition, HMS has relocated its Ballston Spa office to a new location at 2537 Route 9, Suite 200 in Malta.
In its announcement, HMS said that clients of both agencies can expect “a seamless transition.”
Jockey Katie Davis with her husband, recently retired jockey Trevor McCarthy. A bottle of LALO tequila, autographed by 2025 Triple Crown race-winning trainers and jockeys.
Photos provided by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adelphi Hotel was packed last Wednesday night for the sold-out “For Jocks & Horses” fundraiser that featured LALO Tequila and a bevy of horse racing celebs.
The soiree benefited two organizations: the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The night included signature LALO cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and remarks delivered by industry leaders.
Next up for TRF is their biggest event of the year: the Backyard BBQ at Rood & Riddle Saratoga on Aug. 19. The outdoor evening (with tents) includes live music, food, drinks, a silent auction, and stories from graduates of the Second Chances Program, which utilizes retired Thoroughbreds to help incarcerated individuals heal, grow, and prepare for the future.
For tickets or more info, visit donorbox.org/events/766495/steps/choose_tickets.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Bookstore’s main retail floor reopened on July 31 after the business incurred water damage due to flooding in an upstairs apartment unit. Northshire has resumed its normal, daily operating hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We are pleased to say that remediation efforts were successful and the environment has been tested and deemed safe for our staff and customers to occupy, browse, and shop,” Northshire said in a statement sent to its customers last week.
Although the main floor is open, the children’s floor will remain closed while restoration continues. A number of children’s items have been relocated to the main floor.
The bookstore suffered significant losses to its book and gift inventory due to the flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Yaddo mansion contains many secrets within its parlors, hidden doors, and winding hallways.
There’s the ornate, regal-looking chair dubbed “Truman”, in honor of Truman Capote, who is said to have enjoyed sitting there many years ago, perhaps while writing to Patricia Highsmith to encourage her to apply to the famed artists’ retreat. (Highsmith would not only attend Yaddo, but also bequeath her entire estate and all future royalties to the organization.)
There’s the sled, carved sometime in the 1600s and gifted to Yaddo’s founders Spencer and Katrina Trask by Queen Marie of the Netherlands.
There’s the Latin inscription above the fireplace that, when translated, reads: “The flame unconquered by fire, Yaddo rises up again in peace.” An etching of a phoenix rising from the ashes is a nod to a fire that destroyed the first mansion on the property.
There’s a grandfather clock near the grand staircase that was permanently stopped by author Elizabeth Ames so that Yaddo artists in residence would be protected from the passage of time.
Around 1,400 people are expected to uncover these secrets and many more during tours offered on Sept. 27. It’s the first time since 2021 that the public can stroll through the retreat’s historic mansion and grounds via a guided tour, which will include stops in Spencer and Katrina’s bedrooms, various spaces across the mansion’s first and second floors, the West House, Greenhouse Studios, and the Saratoga Studio.
The timing is ideal, as Yaddo will get a bit messy this winter when it begins a construction project that will increase accessibility on the property via a permanent ramp and auto-operating door that leads into one of the mansion’s entrances. The artists’ retreat is also in the midst of a project that will allow the primary part of the mansion to go electric and eliminate the use of fossil fuels. The improvements should be ready in time for Yaddo’s upcoming 100th anniversary of artists first arriving on site, which occurred in 1926.
Tours will be offered on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4 p.m., with each lasting about 90 minutes. Tours will run rain or shine, and tickets range from $75–$85 depending on the time selected. Yaddo merchandise will also be available, with a commemorative ornament and book available for pre-order online. A private VIP tour and cocktail reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. Tickets for this exclusive evening are $250. All proceeds from the tours directly support residencies for artists.
Yaddo is a nonprofit retreat in Saratoga Springs that has hosted thousands of artists that have collectively earned 83 Pulitzer Prizes, 1 Nobel Prize, 13 Academy Awards, 71 Emmy Awards, 34 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowships, 71 National Book Awards, 500+ Guggenheim Fellowships, and 16 Tony Awards. Some of its most famous residents include Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Leonard Bernstein, Saul Bellow, Patricia Highsmith, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jonathan Ames, Noah Baumbach, Jonathan Franzen, Langston Hughes, David Foster Wallace, Mario Puzo, Flannery O’Connor, Dorothy Parker, and many others.
Aerial photos of 460 Crescent Ave. via the property’s official website.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A massive parcel of land near Lake Loney will be put up for auction next month, the Albany Business Review first reported on Tuesday.
The plot of more than 166 acres at 460 Crescent Ave. is being called “the best property left in Saratoga Springs” by its current owners.
The largely undeveloped land, located just two miles from the Saratoga Race Course, is being advertised as ideal for buyers looking to create either a private estate or a residential development. It will be offered in an on-site auction on Aug. 21 by Spellman & Malloch Real Estate, according to the Albany Business Review.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Standard Fare, the new restaurant from the duo behind Bocage Champagne Bar, unveiled its menus on Tuesday, along with some additional details about the restaurant that’s scheduled to have its grand opening on Aug. 15.
The menu will feature “elevated takes” on classic dishes like:
• Mom’s Meatloaf with homemade tomato relish, green beans, and herbed mashed
• Smoked Pork Chop with apple chutney, squash-potato rosi, and chive sour cream
• Roast Half Chicken with wilted greens and heirloom tomato
• Lil’ Oinkers starters (wagyu franks with dijonnaise and soft herbs)
• Pork and beef Swedish Meatballs starters with lingonberry and shroom au poivre
• Zucchini “Lasagna” for vegan and gluten-free diners
• Decadent desserts, including four “ridiculous milkshakes,” over-the-top pies and cakes, and the classic Cookies ‘n Milk
The beverage program will spotlight creative cocktails and non-alcoholic options, alongside a curated selection of wines.
The 40-seat restaurant will be open seven days a week, with extended late-night hours (12 am during the week, 2 am on Friday and Saturday). Lunch, brunch, and takeaway options are planned for the future.
Standard Fare is located at 21 Phila Street in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce hosted an opening ceremony on Tuesday morning for the Saratoga County Fair, which will run until July 27. Local officials in attendance included Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi, Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford, State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, State Senator Jim Tedisco, and State Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
WILTON — In news that might make you want to “shout” (that’s a Buffalo Bills reference, for all the Giants fans out there), the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain is aiming to open a new location in Wilton on Lowes Drive, the Albany Business Review first reported on Monday.
A proposal before the Wilton planning board would allow Wild Wings to create a 6,000-square-foot eatery, a 900-square-foot patio, and 128 parking spaces.
The new location, if approved, would be the second Wild Wings in Saratoga County and the fifth in the Capital Region.
Buffalo Wild Wings specializes in serving chicken wings in a sports bar-style atmosphere. The franchise was founded in Ohio in 1982 and currently has more than 1,300 restaurants scattered throughout the country.
A glimpse of Standard Fare’s interior, with artwork by Daniel Fairley.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Little is standard about Standard Fare, the new eatery from the duo behind Bocage Champagne Bar.
In an early visit to the nearly-finished restaurant at 21 Phila Street, one could see quirky but arresting artwork by Daniel Fairley that depicted, among other things, a pickle piloting a hamburger spaceship, and one goose surrounded by many ducks at a cartoonish Congress Park (see if you can find it, “Where’s Waldo” style).
Amidst the unique artwork was perhaps the most eye-popping item: a decadent milkshake called “Go Shawty, it’s Your Birthday,” made with vanilla ice cream, Fruity Pebbles, strawberry syrup, and a funfetti cupcake. The treat served as an apt representation of what Standard Fare is aiming for: elevated comfort food. Expect dishes like meatloaf, pork chops, Swedish meatballs, and mac & cheese—all with a gourmet approach.
“I always tell people, think about it as the Martha Stewart or the Ina Garten version of dishes you might find at a diner,” said Standard Fare co-owner Clark Gale.
Standard Fare aims to be the kind of place that would be appropriate for both a high school baseball team celebrating a state championship, and a couple in search of an evening date spot.
Preparing this type of laid-back but boujee environment required a complete gut overhaul of the existing property, which Gale and fellow owner Zac Denham have been supervising since last winter.
The Standard Fare team, from left to right: Executive Chef Connor DeMarco, Co-owner Zac Denham, General Manager Samantha Pierre, and Co-owner Clark Gale.
“I think that if people were familiar with the space previously, they’re going to be in for a nice surprise,” Gale said.
In addition to redesigning the space, Gale and Denham also wrangled together a team that includes Executive Chef Connor DeMarco and General Manager Samantha Pierre. DeMarco is a Saratoga Springs native who was previously an Executive Chef at The Merc, and has an extensive resume that includes stints with Cantina and Prime at Saratoga National. Pierre, in addition to her management role, also helped shape Standard Fare’s pastry program.
As if they weren’t busy enough running one restaurant and opening another, Gale and Denham also recently developed an exclusive beer with Whitman Brewing called the Phila Street Low Life. The hazy IPA will be served at both Bocage and Standard Fare. Its name is meant to compliment Miller High Life (also known as the “champagne of beers”), which, until the Whitman collab, was the only beer offered at Bocage.
The “Go Shawty, it’s Your Birthday” milkshake.All photos by Super Source Media.
Also brewing in the background is Gale and Denham’s participation in Variety magazine’s “America’s Favorite Couple” contest, which could net them a prize of $20,000 and an advertorial in the famed Hollywood trade publication.
With a lot on their to-do list, expect to see the duo bouncing back and forth this summer between Bocage and Standard Fare, which are essentially across the street from each other on Phila.
“I think we look at them as one operation, even though they’re two quite different concepts,” Gale said. “I think they’re going to work together in the same ecosystem.”
The ecosystem will come to fruition on Aug. 15, when Standard Fare is scheduled to celebrate its grand opening.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Designer Louis Mazza sold his wares at a special two-day trunk show at N. Fox Jewelers in downtown Saratoga Springs last week.
Louis is from the sixth generation of the Mazza family, who have been purveyors of fine gemstones since 1775, supplying famed New York retailers like Tiffany’s and Bergdorf Goodman. The American iteration of the business began in the early 1900s, when Louis’ great grandfather arrived in the USA. In the 1950s, Louis’ grandfather and great uncles expanded the operation when they started designing and manufacturing their own jewelry.
Some of Louis’ more unique pieces at N. Fox included a mother’s necklace that contains an ancient Roman coin, a Pope Leo VI necklace that features a Byzantine coin minted in 892 AD, and a necklace with Venetian glass depicting the gods Mars and Venus.
For more information, visit raymondmazzajewelry.com.
