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SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council this week unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the sale of city-owned property at the southwest corner of Caroline and Henry streets. 

The property currently serves as a 19-space parking lot and is located next to the Saratoga Springs Public Library. 

Listed as two lots on the county tax map, the city says the lots – which it has owned since the early 1980s – have been recently appraised and determined to have a fair market value of about $500,000 and plans to sell it through a competitive bidding process. 

The city cited construction of the City Center Authority parking lot as having rendered the paved Henry Street lot as no longer useful, and notes efforts “to mitigate the serious financial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Visually prominent on Henry Street is a large mural depicting a six-piece musical ensemble, which clings to a brick wall on Caroline Street. The mural was painted in 1998 by the Youth in Saratoga Mentoring Program of Catholic Charities, with funds administered by the Saratoga Arts Council.    

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A schematic design of the proposed Fire/EMS Station 3 was presented to the city this week. 

The one-story building measures 15,500 square feet, features dark green siding with white trim, and will be centered on a 2.4-acre parcel the city is leasing from the state at the east end of the Oklahoma Training Track property, with a drive-in entry on Henning Road. 

The city’s two other stations are located in close proximity downtown, and on the west side, respectively. Station 3 will largely serve residents on the city’s east side.

Review of the design will be referred to the city Planning Board and Design Review Commission for their advisory opinions. 

Environmental assessments are anticipated to be completed in July to be followed by the completion of final detailed building plans in January 2022. If that timeline stays true, the city can start receiving bids in February 2022 with construction to begin two months later. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city this week discussed legislation signed March 31 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo legalizing adult-use cannabis. 

The new law in New York legalizes use and possession of cannabis of up to three ounces for those over 21 and older. 

”I realize our last City Council meeting was actually on 4/20, and if I had been more clever I would have discussed this then,” quipped city attorney Vince DeLeonardis, referencing the April 20 or 4/20 so-called national holiday for cannabis culture. 

DeLeonardis told the council that multiple state agencies are being established to administer programs, issue licenses, and investigate and enforce infractions related to cannabis. The agencies include the NYS Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management. 

“This is anticipated to be very similar as to how the state regulates alcohol through the State Liquor Authority,” DeLeonardis said. 

Besides the newly legislated use and possession of cannabis in New York, the law allows for retail dispensaries and on-site consumption establishments, but those are not expected to take place until at least late 2022. Municipalities do have the ability to opt-out of allowing these, but to do so they must adopt a Local Law by Dec. 31, 2021, which will also be subject to a public referendum. 

Revenue-wise, there will be a 4% tax imposed upon the cannabis, with 3% of that 4% coming to the city.  In other words, if the city of Saratoga Springs does not opt-out it would receive 75% of the 4% tax, and Saratoga County would receive the other 25%. 

That 4/20 designation, according to an article published by Time magazine in 2018, traces back to five students at a Marin County, California high school, who in the early 1970s would say “420” to each other as code for marijuana, in advance of their meeting at 4:20 p.m. by a campus statue “to partake.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco was joined by the City Arborist, Steve Lashomb, and NYSDEC Regional Forester for Region 5, Jeff Speich, today, to celebrate Arbor Day with the planting of a new tree on Broadway. 

The City of Saratoga Springs has been recognized as a Tree City USA, since 2017, by the Arbor Day Foundation, and the planting of this new tree acknowledged the City’s continued commitment to its urban forest.

“The City of Saratoga Springs has demonstrated a real commitment toward protecting and promoting our urban forest. This has included investment from both the City and our community partners. DPW established a successful program managed by City Arborist and Urban Forestry Division to support the Urban Forestry Master Plan and ensure that city trees are maintained and cared for,” said Scirocco, in a statement.

The Tree City USA program, administered by the Arbor Day Foundation, designates municipalities following the review of their investment and maintenance to the urban tree canopy. The program requires spending of at least $2 per capita on urban forestry. Saratoga Springs budgets approximately $11 per capita to manage its urban forest.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — We can learn a lot from one another, even if we may never meet. So, what is daily life like for you?

The Saratoga Springs Public Library has launched a project to connect New Yorkers across the diverse state landscape through the act of letter-writing. 

The project was inspired by Sue Johnson, who first brought the idea to the Saratoga Springs Public Library a year ago after having participated in a similar program from Oregon Humanities called, “Dear Stranger” –   a project which since 2014 has seen almost 1,000 people exchange letters. 

Dear New Yorker is a creative writing project that allows people living in and around New York state to create connections through writing letters to other New Yorkers.  Saratoga Springs Public Library is the host of the project. 

Here’s how it works: Participants pen a letter, send it to the library and then the library will match it and send it off to another letter writer.  Volunteers will log and keep track of correspondences, but all participant addresses will be kept confidential and not shared with other participants. The only thing the letter recipient will get is your first name and letter – no contact information.

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Participating in the project means someone in the state will receive your letter and you will receive one from someone else. The anonymous exchange provides the opportunity to share experiences about life across many miles.

“What’s a day in the life in your town? What do you like about it? What makes your town unique?” Johnson says. “Our state is so diverse, and in so many ways.” 

The project recognizes that a lot can be learned from our neighbors across the state, even if we may never meet one another.

While participants in the project may eventually have the opportunity to exchange addresses, all letters will be exchanged anonymously. “Strictly anonymous, unless the two parties decide they want to carry on and write to each other,” Johnson says. The letters participants receive will come from the library’s address, to ensure participant addresses are kept confidential. 

Interested in taking part? Here are some guidelines: include your full name and address on the envelope you send to the library so the library knows who to send a letter back to. Do NOT include your address on the letter itself and please do NOT include offensive language or inappropriate topics. Once you have written your letter, mail the letter to: Saratoga Springs Public Library c/o J. Ogrodowski/Dear NYer, 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. 

For more information: https:guides.sspl.org/dearnyer

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A three-week auction of the county-owned building at 31 Woodlawn Ave. recently concluded. The high bidder for the building, which once housed the DMV, was identified as the Adirondack Trust Company. The bid is for $2.8 million. County approval of the sale of the building is expected to take place later this month, city Supervisor Matt Veitch said. 

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Saratoga County — The Saratoga County History Center participated in the statewide “Spring Cleaning” activities along New York State Canal System, April 24-25.  Scheduled to honor Earth Day 2021, this multi-community celebration is the product of a partnership between the New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails New York. 

On Saturday, April 24, trustees, staff, and members of the History Center teamed-up with the Quaker Springs Country Kids 4-H Club to clean-up the Old Champlain Towpath Canal Trail in the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater.  The following day, History Center folks were joined by New York State Senator Daphne Jordan (R, C, I-Halfmoon), Saratoga Deputy Town Supervisor Michael McLaughlin, and students from the Notre Dame Visitation Church School to restore the March to Surrender Canal Trail in Saratoga.

Beginning with the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the 524-mile New York State Canal System is comprised of four waterways: the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals.  The Canalway Trail System saw increased use in 2020, with nearly 3.9 million visits to the 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail, a more than 30% increase over 2019. 

For openers, this year’s Kentucky Derby will be different from past Derbies. This Derby will prohibit use of race-day medications, a decision not without some controversy.  How some runners react to racing 10- furlongs for the first time without medication is a new known unknown for fans and bettors. The industry’s goal, however, is to ban the use of race day medications by 2022.

A full field of 20 will again meet the starter. Contention begins with prep race winners and moves to “sneaky good” non-winners. Note, however, that the public’s “live” odds board continues to be a most reliable predictor of both contention and results. The winner will most likely emerge from among the public’s first 7-8 betting choices. 

Post positions and morning line odds in ascending order:

14) Essential Quality 2-1
15) Rock Your World 5-1
  1) Known Agenda 6-1
  9) Hot Rod Charlie 6-1
17) Highly Motivated 10-1
  8) Medina Spirit 15-1
  7) Mandaloun 15-1
  6) O Besos 20-1
11) Dynamic One 20-1
16) King Fury 20-1
10) Midnight Bourbon 20-1
19) Soup and Sandwich 30-1
18) Super Stock 30-1
20) Bourbonic 30-1
  2) Like the King 50-1
  3) Brooklyn Strong 50-1
  4) Keepmeinmind 50-1
  5) Sainthood 50-1
12) Helium 50-1
13) Hidden Stash 50-1

Line favorite (14) Essential Quality is talented but was all out in the Blue Grass chasing the length of the stretch to win over a tiring rival. For me, that is also a knock against the one he beat (17) Highly Motivated.  (16) Rock Your World easily defeated (8) Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby, pressed by that rival before spurting clear. Florida Derby winner (1) Known Agenda is talented, but a one-paced grinder possibly hampered breaking inside and forced to race in and among rivals throughout. Louisiana Derby winner (9) Hot Rod Charlie is well posted to use his natural speed and tactical ability to secure good position and clear running. His win in the one mile and three-sixteenths Louisiana Derby was impressive. (8) Medina Spirit will be supported because of trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velazquez. This colt does not, however, have near the talent of Baffert’s recent Derby and Triple Crown Winners. (7) Mandaloun‘s defeat in the Louisiana Derby might be a sign he has peaked. (6) O Besos closed powerfully from the rear in that Louisiana Derby, and a repeat puts him in the mix. (11) Dynamic One, also trained by Pletcher, did everything but win the Wood Memorial when jockey Jose Ortiz did not see closing winner (20) Bourbonic rallying to his outside. 

So, I have knocks against the 1st and 5th morning linemakers choices. That leaves me with (9) Hot Rod Charlie, (16) Rock Your World, (11) Dynamic One, (6) O Besos, and (1) Known Agenda as my “key” horses, with questions surrounding both (8) Medina Spirit and (7) Mandaloun.

Statistics support the winner emerging from the first 7-8 public betting choices. Start with Morning Line odds. Then follow “live” odds, which will not change much from start to finish. Stick with the first 7-8 choices and you will most likely find the winner. But stats are predictors, not determiners. And Derby winners Victory Gallup, Thunder Gulch, Giacomo and Mine That Bird were among the longest odds when they won their Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby Fun Facts

147^th running at Churchill Downs Racetrack Louisville, KY

30K – Number of attendees expected for the 2021 Kentucky Derby (half capacity due to COVID-19). Plenty will also view from home; 8.3M people watched the race on TV last year.

$126M – Total amount wagered on the 2020 Kentucky Derby (50% less than in 2019).

$805M – Sales of thoroughbred horses in 2020
(down 26% from 2019).

$3M – Kentucky Derby purse guaranteed by Churchill Downs Racetrack

$200K – Estimated value of the
Kentucky Derby Trophy

$350K – 2018 auction price of 2020 Kentucky Derby champ, Authentic

$1.86M – The winner’s share in 2021

$1.2M – Won on a $18 bet on a series of races in 2018 (second largest in Derby history!)

90% – Of female attendees wear a hat to the Kentucky Derby. High-end Derby hats cost $500-1,000 and can take up to 7 days to make. The most expensive Derby hat cost $3M!

120K – Mint Juleps are served during the Kentucky Derby weekend.

$3.4B – Horse racingís economic impact on Kentucky

$2.7M – Raised for charity by the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation since 2005

1875 – Year of the first Kentucky Derby making it the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the U.S.

400+ – Red roses are used to create the winner blankets; a tradition since 1896

1:59:40 – The fastest finish time in Kentucky Derby history by Secretariat in 1973

15 – Age of the youngest jockeys to win the Derby: Alonzo Clayton (1892) and James Perkins (1895). The oldest winning jockey was age 54: Bill Shoemaker (1986).