LAKE PLACID — Last week, The Phinney Design Group announced the opening of a new office in Lake Placid. In a statement, the company said it was “thrilled to bring our services closer to north country partners and customers.” The new location at 2413 Main Street will be open Thursdays through Saturdays, 9am to 4pm. 

“We are excited about the opportunities this expansion brings for both our team and our customers,” said Michael Phinney, Founding Principal at Phinney Design group, in a statement. “This new location will enable us to better serve our existing clients while also fostering new connections within the vibrant Lake Placid community. My family is six generations from the Lake Placid region and my father, a former bobsled racer. It feels like coming home in many ways.”

Phinney Design Group is an architecture, interior design, and green building consulting firm that focuses on sustainable and environmentally sensitive construction.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Casino Hotel is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Upon opening on January 28, 2004, it became the first video gaming facility in New York. Since then, the facility has expanded to include table games, live entertainment, a steakhouse, and a 117-room hotel.

“We have been committed to providing exceptional entertainment experiences for our guests since we opened,” said Alex Tucker, Chief Operating Officer of Saratoga Casino Hotel, in a statement. “As we reflect on the past 20 years, I believe it’s this core mission that has made us successful. We are grateful to our guests, and we are proud to be one of many factors that make Saratoga Springs such a prosperous and thriving community,” said Tucker.

A study released by the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency said that the Saratoga Casino Hotel receives an average of 1.5 million visitors per year. The property hosts harness racing, concerts, and corporate events.

For more information on the 20-year anniversary celebrations, visit saratogacasino.com.

ALBANY — Hattie’s, the Southern cuisine restaurant based in Saratoga Springs, needs new employees for its upcoming location in Albany.

A six-day job fair is currently being hosted at 121 Madison Ave in Albany until Sunday, January 21. The fair is open from 10am to 5pm. Some of the full-time and part-time openings include dining room supervisors, prep cooks, line cooks, servers, bartenders, barbacks, and dishwashers. Prospective employees can begin their applications online at BFG.org/careers.

“As we move toward the grand opening of Hattie’s Albany, building our team is an extremely exciting step!” said Chief Operations Officer of Hospitality, Richard DeJesus in a statement. “Being hired at Hattie’s is an opportunity to work for a beloved brand in an awesome environment. We look forward to continuing to provide delicious chicken in another Hattie’s location, all while staying true to the roots of Miss Hattie Moseley Austin’s vision.”

Hattie’s restaurant is located at 45 Phila Street in downtown Saratoga. Additional locations have subsequently opened in the Wilton Plaza and at the Saratoga Race Course. The new Albany restaurant is scheduled to open this year. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Despite the closure of its shop on Congress Street in December, Snider Fashion is still in business. The company’s products are available on its website, and additional trunk show events will soon be announced. Designer Staci Snider’s garments are also distributed to boutiques around the country. The company’s headquarters are now located in Raleigh, NC.

www.stacisnider.com

TROY — Classical music radio station WMHT-FM has added a new host/producer to its lineup: Charlotte Evelyn Wilson.

Wilson previously worked at Radio New Zealand, where, according to WMHT, she managed a nationwide campaign protesting the government’s decision to “axe” the country’s only classical music station. The campaign resulted in an apology from New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, and the station stayed on the air. Wilson was also a public radio host at KBAQ classical radio in Phoenix, AZ and at NPR member station WUOT in Knoxville, TN.

“I am gratified to be joining the team at Classical WMHT-FM,” Wilson said in a statement. “I am a music and art fiend who fell in love with the diversity, opportunity, culture and friendliness of the US, and can’t wait to connect with our audience.”

Wilson began her hosting duties on Tuesday, and can be heard on WMHT-FM from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The New York Racing Association (NYRA) revealed its 2024 Belmont Stakes logo on Wednesday. This year’s event will be hosted at the Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. The new logo features the Saratoga grandstand and pays tribute to the track’s storied past. The image will be displayed during the event and on official merchandise.

The Saratoga grandstand’s spired roofline was designed by architect Herbert Langford Warren. According to NYRA, the grandstand is the oldest continuously used stand of any professional sport in the country.

 The 2024 Belmont Stakes will begin on Thursday, June 6 and end on Sunday, June 9. Tickets go on sale next month.

WILTON — Winslow’s Restaurant in Wilton, first built in 1948, is entering a new era after 75 years of family ownership. Jeff Baker, grandson of the original owners, announced last week that he’s sold the business.  

“Most of you know that I got hurt last winter, I’m still not fully recovered,” Winslow wrote in a Facebook post. “The opportunity popped up to sell the restaurant, so I felt it was probably the right thing to do. The new owners are going to keep it Winslows [and] add some new dimensions.” 

Jeff Baker began working at the restaurant in 1984, according to Winslow’s website. He’s a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He purchased the restaurant from his grandmother in 1989. 

“These past 40 years have been a real blast. There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups,” Baker said. “I tried to keep the restaurant the way my grandparents did, and I met so many people along the way, both customers and employees, so many really good people.” 

Winslow’s Restaurant is located at 801 Saratoga Road
in Wilton.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (BEST) has named Nancy Underwood as its new executive director. Underwood previously directed BEST’s work at the Saratoga Race Course from 2014 until the end of 2023. Last year, BEST opened a health care clinic on the Oklahoma side of the track.

“BEST is successful because of the dedication of our staff, volunteers and healthcare providers,” said Underwood. “I am honored for the opportunity to lead this organization at a time when the future of thoroughbred racing in New York State is so bright.”

Underwood succeeds Paul Ruchames, who retired in December after serving as BEST’s executive director for 14 years.

According to its website, BEST is a nonprofit organization “devoted to resolving the health and social needs of the several thousand barn area (“backstretch”) workers of the Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga racetracks by providing on-site counseling and primary healthcare services, access to health insurance, and case management assistance.”