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CITY & COMMUNITY
Henry Street Transformed with Addition of Two-Way ‘Cycle Track’
The City Council conducted an experiment on Henry Street from Saturday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Sept. 29 which saw the two-way road transformed into a one-way street for motor vehicles. The free lane space created was turned into a two-way cycle track. The pilot project was conducted to measure the impact of implementing a low-cost engineered design to create the urban segment of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail from Lake Avenue to Spring Street. The implementation of a two-way bicycle lane was the result of extensive community engagement that began in 2014 with the adoption of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail Plan followed by the 2016 Complete Streets Plan.
Saratoga Summer: An Extended Season
Traditionally, Saratoga had staged a six-days-per-week racing schedule with Tuesdays being dark. In 2019, Saratoga first went to a five-days-per-week racing schedule with Mondays and Tuesdays going dark. The number of racing days remained at 40 for the meet with an earlier-than-normal season opening compensating for the extra days off. The schedule change was due to the construction of a new hockey arena for the New York Islanders at Belmont, abbreviating that racing season downstate. The Belmont Park Arena is slated to open October 2021. The July 11 opening marked one of the earliest openings in Saratoga Race Course history. The 2019 meet resulted in record wagering and paid attendance that again surpassed the one million mark, according to NYRA. More than $700 million in all-sources handle was secured for the first time in the history of the Spa.
NYRA has announced this week that the 2020 summer meet will mirror the 2019 schedule, featuring 40 days of world-class thoroughbred racing primarily run across a five-day week that will open in mid-July and conclude on Labor Day.
The 2019 meet also featured the debut of the 1863 Club – the newest hospitality venue at Saratoga Race Course. Located on the Clubhouse turn, the 36,000-square-foot three-story building features a first-floor banquet area, group event space on the second floor, and third-floor luxury suites offering sweeping views and sightlines of the track. Opening Weekend included a visit from National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and NY Yankees legend Mariano Rivera.
The 2020 season will begin with a four-day opening weekend, Thursday, July 16 - Sunday, July 19.
City Council Approves New Contract for
School Resource Officer at High School
At a special mid-day meeting of the City Council Aug. 27, the council approved a new contract to continue the School Resource Officer Program in the city’s public school system for the next two years. The new contract represents some changes compared to the agreement which had previously existed. Previously, if the assigned SRO was not available – those cases including sick days and time off – a replacement had not been provided. With the desire to have an armed and trained SRO present at the high school every day, the new contract stipulates that should the assigned SRO not be available on any school day, the city will provide a qualified substitute for the position. To meet that expectation, three additional officers completed their SRO training in the fall to ensure there may be substitutes available. Previous costs to the school were about $53,000. To meet the additional guaranteed time, the new contract set costs at $65,000 for the 2019-2020 school year, and $70,000 for 2020-2021.
City Adopts Resolution in Support of Paris Climate Agreement
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the City Council on May 21 adopted a resolution in support of the
Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015, according to the United Nations Treaty Collection.
Development at Wesley Community
In November, the city council unanimously approved a zoning revision for the Woodlawn Oval Planned Unit Development District (PUDD). The project – which is planned to take place at Wesley Community - will include the expansion of the existing Springs building, the construction of a 2,000 square foot maintenance garage, and the addition of a new 100-unit five-story apartment building, a 52-unit memory care facility to accommodate seniors with significant dementia, and an 8,000 square foot two-story office building. The five-story, 100-unit apartment building will consist of 70 mostly one-bedroom independent apartments for low-to-middle income seniors and 30 supportive housing units for seniors.
A Life After Racing: Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga
Therapy horses George and DW at the Healing with Horsepower Derby Day Fundraiser on May 4, 2019 at the Saratoga Auto Museum. Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS), which was established in February of 2018, aids retired racehorses in establishing a purpose post-racing, as most horses are only two to three years old when their career ends. Photo provided.
City Moves Forward with Plan for East Side Fire/EMS Station
Discussions have been held for several years regarding a third city firehouse/EMS station – one which would better serve residents of the city’s east side. In October, an agreement was announced involving the city and the state Franchise Oversight Board – the latter representing NYRA - to allow for the construction of a firehouse on the border of the Oklahoma racetrack.
The proposed station is anticipated to measure 10,000 to 15,000 square feet atop 2.36 acres along Henning Rd., across from the Myers BOCES Educational facility. It will support one ambulance and one fire apparatus, with on-site professional staff present 24 hours per day, and is anticipated to also serve as a command center and operations post for law enforcement during the summer Saratoga meet.
The city currently has two fire stations - one on Lake Ave. just east of Broadway and near the center of the city, and on the other on the west side, near Saratoga Springs High School.
Saratoga Springs Election 2019: A Good Day For Incumbents 
City Mayor Meg Kelly, Public Safety Commissioner-elect Robin Dalton, Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan, and DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco - four of the five City Council members celebrating their respective victories at GOP Election Night gathering at the Holiday Inn Nov. 5, 2019. Photo by SuperSource Media, LLC.
The City Council will begin 2020 much as it will conclude 2019, with four of five current members returning for renewed two-year terms following this week’s citywide election with a majority of incumbents being re-elected to their respective seats.
Democrat city Mayor Meg Kelly (D, WF, I) bested Republican challenger Timothy Holmes by a greater than 2-to-1 margin, scoring the night’s largest margin of victory in local elections.
Incumbent DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco defeated challenger Dillon Moran
54.04% - 45.90%, current Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan bested challenger Patty Morrison 54.77% - 45.03%, and Commissioner of Accounts John Franck will resume his current post after running unopposed.
Earlier this year, Democrat Peter Martin announced he would not seek re-election as Public Safety Commissioner. That position will be filled in 2020 by Republican Robin Dalton, who defeated Democrat Kendall Hicks 53.61 % - 46.19 % on Election Day.
In June’s Democratic Primary for the party’s representation for Commissioner of Finance, challenger Patty Morrison narrowly defeated the incumbent Madigan. The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee had endorsed Madigan prior to the vote and following her Primary Election loss, several members of the SSDC staged a high-profile walk-out.
Incumbent city Democrat Supervisor Tara Gaston, and Matthew Veitch, Republican incumbent Supervisor, each received more votes than challenger Stephen Mittler (R,C,L) and were both re-elected to represent the city of Saratoga Springs at the county level as supervisors.
Voter Enrollment in Saratoga Springs is 18,691 and with 7,344 ballots cast, the 2019 election marked the lowest city voter turnout since 2011, and the second lowest city voter turnout in the past nine elections, dating to 2003, according to the Saratoga County Board of Elections. All five City Council seats and two Supervisor positions are voted on every two years. Under the city’s commission form of government in matters of governing, the voting power of each of the five city council members is equal; each council member gets one vote.
Code Blue Gets New Temporary Home
After a variety of location proposals to site a wintertime emergency homeless shelter were repeatedly rejected by residents in the specific neighborhoods where Code Blue would potentially open, Shelters of Saratoga - which oversees the Code Blue program – secured a temporary venue at 4 Adelphi St., just west of South Broadway.
An 18-month lease was signed to provide the program with a consistent location for the next two winter seasons. When open – anticipated to be imminent - the new space will house up to 60 beds, which should accommodate all who require shelter on any given night.
The Code Blue emergency winter shelter operates from November until April, and as per an executive order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, opens when temperatures drop below 32 degrees.
During the 2017-18 winter season – the latest figures available - Code Blue was open 162 nights, served more than 8,000 meals, and provided sleeping quarters for a total of 6,480 overnight stays – or on average, 40 nightly guests.
Finding a long-term solution to address the city’s homelessness issue – specifically including a permanent Code Blue facility - is listed among the city’s outlook of priorities in 2020. As well, the city is providing $20,000 of funding to Shelters of Saratoga to assist with outreach to those in need, and Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan’s fund balance recommendation calls for an additional $50,000 to be made available to S.O.S. through an assignment specifically for the rent and upkeep of a temporary Code Blue facility, even as the search for a permanent, long-term site is found.
Earlier in 2019, Karen A. Gregory, a veteran of nonprofit leadership for the Columbia-Greene Domestic Violence Program, had been hired to serve as executive director of S.O.S., filling the position vacated by Michael Finocchi in 2018.
After Decades of Debate, City Center Gets its Parking Garage
On Sept. 17, the Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously approved the leasing of 1.75 acres of city-owned land just east of Broadway to be used for the development of a multi-level 600-vehicle parking garage by the City Center. Approximately 220 currently free-to-park paved spots will be eliminated to make way for the structure, resulting in a net gain of about 380 spaces.
At present, a section of the previously existing paved lot on High Rock Avenue is closed to the public, to accommodate construction of the parking garage, a project titled: Flat Rock Centre Phase I.
We Remember You, Marylou 
Marylou Whitney, accompanied by husband John Hendrickson, in the Winner’s Circle at Saratoga Race Course, with the race track reflected in her eyes. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
Marylou Whitney, whose philanthropic initiatives and contributions to racing earned her the nicknames "Queen of Saratoga" and "Grand Dame of Saratoga" among other honors, died Friday, July 19, 2019 at her Cady Hill home in Saratoga Springs. She was 93.
Born Marie Louise Schroeder on Dec. 24, 1925, Whitney grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and for seven decades, was among the most successful owners in thoroughbred racing. She married Cornelius Vanderbilt "Sonny" Whitney, one of the founders of the National Museum of Racing and Pan American Airlines, respectively, in 1958.
In the 1970s, the Whitneys helped convince the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) to keep Saratoga Race Course open as a viable part of its racing calendar at a time when wagering and attendance sagged. Their efforts and long-term vision continue to benefit racing, with the Saratoga meet attracting more than one million fans annually. Beyond racing, the Whitneys made a huge impact in the Saratoga community, founding the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), which opened in 1966.
Two years after C.V. Whitney's death, Marylou met John Hendrickson.
They married in 1997, and the couple continued their philanthropic endeavors. In the world of horse racing, Marylou Whitney Stables would go on to earn nine graded stakes victories and campaigned more than 190 winners from 2000-2019.
THE ARTS
Thankfully, The Show Goes On
Rochmon Record Club (monthly vinyl sessions at Caffe Lena), Super Dark Collective (twice a week music shows at Desperate Annie’s), and the New York State Summer Writers Institute (some of the world’s great writers publicly reading from their works through the month of July at Skidmore) each continued to showcase in Saratoga Springs some of the best that the world of the arts has to offer, and all of it offered in an affordable setting.
Yo La Tengo brought their wondrous mix of sweetness and noise to the Spa City June 6 for a performance at the Zankel Music Center, on the campus of Skidmore College. The band staged an hour-long “live documentary,” with filmmaker Sam Green narrating the film and cue-ing images for “The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller.”
Art of the Dance
An exhibition of posters from Hollywood’s “Golden Age” opened at the National Museum of Dance in May. The more than 100 dance movie posters featured things like Fred Astaire tripping the light fantastic with Ginger Rogers, a pensive Snow White hovering atop a Russian banner while the Evil Queen ominously glared from the shadows, and Lucille Ball exuding a technicolor presence in MGM’s Ziegfield Follies in 1945. The posters, ranging in date from 1918 to the 1980s, came via the Mike Kaplan collection. Kaplan, who attended the exhibition opening, counts more than 3,000 posters in his collection and during the 1960s worked as marketing strategist on the iconic Stanley Kubrick films,
“2001 (A Space Odyssey),” and “Clockwork Orange.”
At the Tang Museum: Laurie Anderson Discusses the State of
Existence Between Death and Rebirth
Renowned performance artist and practicing Buddhist Laurie Anderson took part in the Tang Museum’s Dunkerley Dialogues on April 17, during night two of the museum’s three-night “Bardo Now” events. The events were held in conjunction with the Tang Museum’s exhibition “The Second Buddha: Master of Time,” which explores the life, legend, and legacy of Padmasambhava, a tantric master who is an iconic figure in Tibetan culture, celebrated as “The Second Buddha” and credited for bringing Buddhism to Tibet. Anderson first gained widespread attention with her song "O Superman," in the early 1980s. Anderson spent time in the early 1970s as an artist-in-residence at the ZBS Foundation’s 33-acre complex on the Hudson River between the villages of Schuylerville and Fort Edward. Anderson met songwriter Lou Reed in the 1990’s and the two were later wed. She released her acclaimed documentary film “Heart of A Dog” in 2015.
A Particularly Tasty Spring-Time Score at Caffe Lena delivered on-stage appearances by Robyn Hitchcock, (April 14), Eric Andersen - accompanied by the fab Scarlet Rivera on violin (April 7), founding Blood, Sweat & Tears member Steve Katz (April 18), and singer-songwriter Sawyer Fredericks ( three-night stand May 24 –May 26). In early May, at Lena’s historic café also played a role in a three-day event across the Capital Region celebrating the life and music of Pete Seeger.
Greg Haymes, 2019: The Loss of a Regional Music Giant
Greg Haymes will be remembered by some in the MTV video logs as Sarge Blotto – the stage name he adopted with the band Blotto in the 1980s, and recalled by many others - particularly those in this region’s music community - as Greg Haymes: writer, poet, musician, artist. Born in Buffalo in 1951, Haymes died April 10 from complications of metastatic lung cancer. He was 68. His bands included Blotto, the Star Spangled Washboard Band, Ramblin’ Jug Stompers, and others; His artwork was displayed across the Capital Region - Firlefanz Gallery, Albany Center Gallery and Spectrum 8 Theatres, among them. He was also one of the region’s most avid supporters of the arts in general, and of music specifically. For several decades, Haymes’ words graced the printed pages and websites of the Albany Times Union, the Daily Gazette, Metroland, and most recently the award-winning arts website which he co-founded at Nippertown.com.
Historic Yaddo Mansion Reopens
The historic Mansion at Yaddo reopened to the public on June 20 after a multimillion-dollar restoration and stabilization. The renowned artist retreat has hosted the residencies of thousands of writers, poets, musicians, painters and other artists since 1926. In 2014, Yaddo’s Board and leadership spearheaded an ambitious project to restore, preserve and update Yaddo’s facilities, and launched a $1 million Capital Campaign to raise the necessary funds. The 55-room mansion, built in 1893, had closed for a complex, 18-month restoration in the fall of 2017. The June 20 Yaddo Summer Benefit provided event attendees the first public glimpse of the results of the massive renovation effort. Singer-songwriter Mike Doughty, founder of the ‘90s band Soul Coughing, performed at the event.
Cage The Elephant & Beck at SPAC 
Cage The Elephant singer Matt Shultz, who shared co-headlining duties with Beck, performs at SPAC during a memorable show on Aug. 12, 2019. Photo by SuperSource Media, LLC.
“Homecoming” Performance by Madison VanDenburg 
Crowd of supporters at The Crossings of Colonie in a “homecoming” performance by Madison VanDenburg on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in advance of her appearance as a finalist on the “American Idol” TV show. The 17-year-old singer/songwriter, a classically trained 11th-grade student at Shaker High School, captured third place in the talent show. Photo by SuperSource Media, LLC.
A Farewell Kiss to Saratoga in a Blaze of Pyrotechnics and
a Birthday Party for ‘The Demon’
Gene Simmons on stage with KISS at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Aug. 24, 2019.
Photo by SuperSource Media, LLC.
As the clock inched closer to midnight, Gene Simmons was serenaded by several thousand of his closest Saratoga friends with a group sing of “Happy Birthday,” celebrating the conclusion of the bassists’ 70th year on earth. Simmons and bandmate Paul Stanley – two of the four founding members of Kiss – and their musical accompanists performed a 20-song set greatly comprised of their early years, on Aug. 24 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Gene (The Demon) Simmons was in full tongular assault throughout - a menacing God of Thunder bound in some feathery sort of breast plate and spewing blood in the stage haze of puke-green illumination. The show marks the final regional performance by the band, who promise they are on their farewell tour.
Reveal Art Fair Stages Event in Spa City
Image captured during the Reveal Art Fair, which featured more than two dozen exhibitors from across North America showcasing art works. The event, which staged its inaugural gathering in 2018, was held at the Saratoga Springs City Center July 18-21, 2019. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
