Thomas Dimopoulos

Thomas Dimopoulos

City Beat and Arts & Entertainment Editor
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Thursday, 04 August 2022 12:39

A Saratoga Dream: Lightning Strikes Twice

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Funny Cide. Tiz the Law. 

Sackatoga Stable operating manager Jack Knowlton will be the featured speaker on Aug. 16 at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge where he will talk of his adventures and take part in a Q&A session. 

The event – presented by Second Chance Sports and The Learning League, will be held to raise funds and awareness  for creative programs, engineering, therapies and equipment for autism and PTSD rehabilitative medicine. 

“I’ve worked with them before and I’m willing to help out and talk to people who might be interested in what I have to say,” says Knowlton, who has been the Operating Manager of Sackatoga Stable since the mid-1990s. He has served as the racing manager for dozens of racehorses - including 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide as well a multiple Grade 1 Winner Tiz the Law - victorious in The Champagne, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes, and a second-place finisher in the 2020 Kentucky Derby. 

Ask him what people most are interested in when he speaks and the answer is obvious. 

“Believe it or not, even though Tiz the Law is more recent, it’s Funny Cide,” Knowlton says.

During a magical run in 2003, Funny Cide won the  Kentucky Derby, becoming the first New York-bred horse to do so. Seventeen years later, Sackatoga’s Tiz the Law secured victory in the Travers, and in The Belmont – the latter being the first New York-bred to do so since 1882. 

“Funny Cide captured the imagination of this whole area for sure and a large part of the country when he made his run for the Triple Crown. Fortunately, he was able to race another four years and also have some success doing that,” says Knowlton, who has also served as a member of the NTRA Jockey Insurance Working Group, on the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing in New York State and on New York State’s Task Force on Retired Race Horses. He also played a leadership role in assisting the New York State Gaming Commission in organizing Aftercare Summits in Saratoga Springs in 2015 and 2016. 

Funny Cide has been at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions since 2008, and next year marks the 20th anniversary of Funny Cide’s most special year. 

“Talking about it, it never gets old. Winning the Kentucky Derby is what everybody who has ever been involved or ever will be involved in thoroughbred racing wants to do. You want to go to the derby, you want to own a horse, you want to win the derby,” says Knowlton, who is hoping for a good run with  some of the stable’s horses in this summer’s meet.

 “You know,  a little stable like us with only New York breds to run in the Kentucky Derby twice  - and then to win it once…” 

Proceeds from the Tuesday, Aug. 16 event at Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge 161 will be used for equipment, therapies and scholarships. Tickets are $75. The event starts at 7 p.m. Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge 161 is located at 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs. For tickets and/or additional information, contact Billy Yaiser at 518-226-5888. 

Saratoga Springs — In conjunction with the release of their second album, “Angel Dust & Cyanide,” the Black Feathers have just kicked off a four-month long tour that will have the UK-born Americana duo stage a show at Caffe Lena on Sept. 23. 

The new album finds songwriters Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler embracing the chaos of the past couple of years and calling upon a large cast of musicians to bring their new songs to life -  Country Music Hall of Fame’s Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt, Muscle Shoals rhythm section) and Dan Moore (massive attack, Beth Orton) – among them. 

Comprised of 12 new songs – including their striking take on portishead’s “glory box,” which acts as the album’s lead single – “angel dust & cyanide” re-forms the band’s sound into something altogether more comprehensive, drawing upon acoustic and electric guitar bass, drums, hammond organ, dobro, violin, cello, viola, piano, and synths to create a musical world of their own. 

Thursday, 28 July 2022 15:32

From Parking Lot...To Pocket Park

SARATOGA SPRINGS The city’s Department of Public Works alongside the local LA Group design firm have collaborated on a plan that would turn an existing paved lot immediately adjacent to the City Center parking garage into a community park featuring stone-dust walking paths, newly planted trees, and an amphitheater “where artists and musicians could gather,” city DPW Commissioner Jason Golub said this week. 

“For a number of years there has been a community discussion about the development of Flat Rock Park… but since that time it has remained a land-locked parking lot and an unusable piece of city-owned property offering no benefit to the community,” Golub said, explaining the workings of a plan that would, in a reversal of the popular Joni Mitchell tune: un-pave a parking lot and put up a piece of paradise in its place. 

“Much of the (previous) discussion centered on the City Center parking garage. The two remaining city-owned parcels were left for later phases of the project,” Golub said. “Part of the City Center agreement included that the center lot would remain a green space when construction was completed.” 

The two parcels sit between the newly developed parking garage and the Lake Avenue corner. The newly released DPW design features the re-development of one of those lots into a park. 

In May 2018, then-city Mayor Meg Kelly created the Flat Rock Working Group. Comprised of area residents, City Center Authority representatives, county leaders, city officials and other community members, the group was tasked with developing a Concept Plan for the 2.6-acre city-owned parcel. A subsequent July 2018 La Group presentation conceptualized the land bordering Lake Avenue as the site to be developed as “Flat Rock Park.” 

By August 2019 the project plan was broken into multiple phases, with the development of a multi-level parking garage, a “pedestrian connector” between the City Center and the parking structure, and an extension of the Green Belt Trail along High Rock Avenue targeted as priority one. Specific park design plans for the remaining two lots subsequently varied, and it is unclear whether the previous administration had identified either of the lots for inclusion in projected future phases.   

“The park will allow folks to come from the Farmers’ Market and have a picnic at Flat Rock, or let their kids run around on the big open lawn. Musicians can play and people working downtown can eat their lunch at the tables,” Golub says. “Our downtown needs more green space for families and Flat Rock Park will be a great addition.” 

The Department of Public Works will pay for the project, and all material costs are covered in the 2022 operating budget, says Golub, adding that all construction work will be performed in-house. So far, the only fixed cost is $12,000 to CT Male for conducting soil tests to ensure there are no contaminates. Those findings will determine the overall project cost. A high-end project estimate points to a cost range between $30,000 and $40,000, but some of that may potentially be offset by grant opportunities.

“We, along with the community, will evaluate future potential uses for this area,” Golub says. “The great thing is that we will take a space that has been an unused eyesore in our downtown for years, and make it into a beautiful park that will serve our community.”

Public input is sought regarding the proposal. Comments may be offered via DPW social media channels, or by contacting the department directly by phone at 518-587-3550, ext. 2561, or via email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Construction is anticipated to begin late summer or early fall. 

Thursday, 28 July 2022 15:29

Aggressive Panhandlers Beware

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In an effort to help curb “aggressive” panhandling in Saratoga Springs, the City Council this week is expected to stage a public dialogue session regarding a proposed measure to prohibit “aggressive solicitation.” 

The purpose of the measure is to protect people from threatening, intimidating or harassing behavior by persons soliciting money or other valuables in public places, according to a draft copy of the proposed ordinance. A public hearing is anticipated to take place in advance of the 7 p.m. start of the council’s Tuesday, Aug. 2 meeting at City Hall. A vote on the measure could also potentially take place later that same night, although the council has yet to release its agenda. 

“The purpose of the ordinance is not punitive, to not take away from the poor, but rather intended to serve a two -fold purpose,” said city Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino. 

The first is to provide mechanisms for those with mental health issues to access services needed, Montagnino explained. This would be achieved by issuing court appearance tickets for “homeless court” sessions – held every other Tuesday. Those sessions are attended by service providers who can offer guidance of available services to those appearing in court. 

“The secondary purpose (addresses) an aggressive minority of panhandlers in the city who don’t take ‘no’ for an answer and become an annoyance to people…this ordinance will limit the means by which an individual can ask for money,” Montagnino said. 

The draft is based on a similar model in effect in Rochester, N.Y. for nearly 20 years. “It is an ordinance that has withstood constitutional challenges,” Montagnino said. 

Melanie Trimble, regional director for the NYCLU Capital Region office, says the New York Civil Liberties Union strongly opposes the anti-panhandling ordinance proposed by the Saratoga Springs’ City Council. 

“Begging and use of public sidewalks for non-criminal activities are First Amendment rights protected by the United States and New York Constitutions,” Trimble said in response to a Saratoga TODAY inquiry seeking comment from the organization regarding the city’s proposal.  “This ordinance is antithetical to the values of generosity and compassion that are a notable part of New York life. While no one condones intimidation, the mean-spirited nature of this ordinance that criminalizes poverty can be lost on no one.”

The Rochester law prohibiting aggressive panhandling went into effect in July 2004 with fines ranging from $25 to $250. Repeat offenders potentially face up to 15 days in jail, if convicted twice withing 12 months. 

“It’s a city code, but they don’t give tickets. They choose not to,” explained Bettie McBride, responding this week to an inquiry requesting information about the effectiveness of the law. McBride works as a clerk in the office of the Rochester chief of police. “What we do is we try to help out; offer resources to get shelter, get clothing and food.” 

In 2020, the town of Colonie crafted a resolution to curb aggressive panhandling similarly based on the Rochester ordinance. Police reported they had answered 95 calls for aggressive panhandling in 2019, and 110 complaints through the first part of 2020. 

During public hearings regarding the Colonie proposal, residents raised concerns that such a Local Law could open the town up to a lawsuit, that it discriminated against the poor, addressed just one symptom of broader issues related to poverty, drug addiction and mental illness, and violated a person’s freedom of speech, according to a report by Jim Franco of the Spotlight News. The resolution was adjourned without vote during the board’s meeting in late August 2020 and seems to have since fallen off the town’s radar. Messages requesting information about the current status of the resolution were left with two of the board’s past and present members, but no response was immediately received. 

With the Saratoga Springs measure, both the city Police Department and the Department of Code Administration would have the authority to enforce and to issue appearance tickets for violations of the provision. 

The described intent of the measure is to protect people from threatening, intimidating or harassing behavior in connection with solicitation in public places, provide for the free flow of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and to promote tourism and business and preserve the quality of urban life. “Aggressive acts can cause persons to avoid public places and lead to declining patronage of commercial establishments and tourism,” reads the draft. 

Solicitation is prohibited outright in proximity to bank entrances or ATMs, as is making physical contact with a person in the course of the solicitation. Behavior that causes intimidation or fear by following someone in an act of solicitation, or continued solicitation in close proximity after a person has provided a negative verbal or non-verbal response is also not allowed.  Additionally, no person shall solicit in an “aggressive manner” in a public place, or when it is directed at an occupant of a vehicle while standing on a sidewalk.

SARATOGA COUNTY — Congressional and State Senate Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 23, with an early voting period set for Aug. 13 – 21.

Both the Congressional race and the State Senate race have local primary ramifications. Also note, both have recently been redistricted. 

Congressional District 20, which includes Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany and part of Rensselaer, counts about 500,000 registered active voters – 170,000 of them in Saratoga County. Of these, just over 61,000 are registered Republicans, 50,000 are registered Democrats, and 46,000 are “blanks” – registered voters unaffiliated with any party, according to the state Board of Elections’ most recent report, on June 6. Voters registered with the Conservative, Working Families, and “other” parties comprise the difference.

Democratic Party:

Rostislav Rar, Paul D. Tonko.

Republic Party:

Elizabeth L. Joy (uncontested). 

Conservative Party: 

Elizabeth L. Joy (uncontested).

Working Families Party: 

Paul D. Tonko (uncontested).

Senate District 44 counts just over 219,000 registered active voters, largely comprised of approximately 170,000 registered in Saratoga County. The district also includes a part of Schenectady County. 

The party registration breakdown in Saratoga County is as follows: just over 61,000 are registered Republicans, 50,000 registered Democrats, and 46,000 are “blanks” – registered voters unaffiliated with any party, according to the state Board of Elections’ most recent report, on June 6. Voters registered with the Conservative, Working Families, and “other” parties comprise the difference.

Democratic Party: 

Michelle Ostrelich 

(uncontested).

Republican Party: 

Daphne Jordan, 

James N. Tedisco.

Conservative Party: 

Daphne Jordan, 

James N. Tedisco.

Working Families Party: 

Michelle Ostrelich 

(uncontested).

Note, the political parties that remain in New York State are Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families. Those previously registered with the Green, Libertarian, Independence, or SAM party, are now considered No Party (NOP). All registered voters are eligible to vote in the November General Election; however, No Party voters are not eligible to vote in any Primary Elections.

General Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

 

Note: an earlier version of this story misstated the early voting starting date in the headline. The correct date is Aug. 13.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group (DCMLG) will host its annual celebration of the life of David Cassidy on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at Putnam Place.

The event kicks off with a “mix & mingle” at 3 p.m. and lasts til 11 p.m. and will feature Celebration of Life events and live performances. The showcase will act as a fundraiser to promote racing and to support thoroughbred aftercare organizations. Benefit recipients include the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, NYRA Cares, Take The Lead, Take2 and Columbia Greene Humane Society.

Debuting in 2021, the David Cassidy Remember Me Awards will again be included at this year’s summer fundraiser. Featured among the award categories are Thoroughbred Aftercare Awards, Compassionate Trainers and Owners Awards, Heart of Saratoga Awards, Animal Welfare and Advocacy Awards, Animal Rescues and Shelters Awards, Amazing Horse Racing Awards and Thoroughbred Horse Racing Community Awards.

The event will feature music, videos of memorable horse racing moments, guest speakers from the horse community and benefitting charities, silent auction, a trivia contest and an announcement of the recipients of The David Bruce Cassidy Memorial Scholarship Program and the David Cassidy Remember Me Awards ceremony. 

Videos showcasing “In The Spotlight” bands will be shown on the big screen. Live performances will be staged starting at 8 p.m. featuring long-time Cassidy drummer Teri Coté, Vance Brescia, and Joe’s Boys - performing a variety of Cassidy’s solo work, music from the Partridge Family and “good time rock n’ pop” songs from the 60’s, 70’s 80’s and beyond. 

Tickets are $20 at the door. For more information, email the David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or go to putnamplace.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — If you’ve spent time in the regional arts community over the past couple of decades you’ve likely come across the creative efforts of musician, writer and filmmaker Charles Sweeney.

His new film, “The Vow,” has recently been screening in Manhattan and will have its Capital Region showing Friday, Aug. 5 on WMHT, we are told. Check listings for screening time.

TMFF (The Monthly Film Festival) gave the film 4-1/2 out-of-5 stars and says this: “We all know the sad story of Madame Butterfly and her tragic love affair. Well, Charles Sweeney invites us to a sort of alternative ending of the famous opera. However, his short film, ‘The Vow‘, doesn’t take place in the early 20th century, but in the United States of our very present.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s the start of a new  month at the city’s most historic café featuring Open Mic Night for musicians (7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1), Storytellers (7 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 2) and Poets (7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3), when some of the most memorable and unpredictable moments in the arts take place. A few bucks gets you in the door on any of these nights which both – stages a featured performer, as well as sign-up opportunities for attendees to showcase their sounds, words, and stories in front of a live crowd. 

A series of shows featuring nationally recognized touring musicians takes place throughout the month, of course, and to check out a full listing, go to: caffelena.org.   

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Amid the blare of sirens and a blaze of lights flashing, Cheap Trick kicked off their 60-minute set with an opening volley of their tune “Dream Police” on a sweltering summer night at Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 22. The heat didn’t seem to keep many fans away; miles of motorized machines, jalopies and limousines alike stretched across Saratoga Springs, queuing in lines to attend the concert featuring Rod Stewart as its headliner. 

Fronted by longtime members Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson, the stage band that is Cheap Trick included accompaniment by Nielsen’s drummer son Daxx, and Zander’s son Robin Jr. on guitar.   

Seemingly sporting a varying series of guitars for any occasion, Nielsen sported a patchwork blazer and baseball cap. The elder Zander – who is somehow still quite capable of hitting ALL the high notes without any auditory sign of strain – appeared in a black-on-black ensemble, blond tresses tumbling to his shoulders from beneath a top hat. 

A rendition of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” was among the fan favorites, and the consecutively fired delivery of “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender” brought the crowd collectively to its feet. 

Rod Stewart entered the stage to a cascade of bagpipes, the smack of a hi-hat smack and the boom-crack-a-thump of a kick-and-a-snare, to reimagine a replica in both sight and sound of Robert Palmer’s mid-1980s “Addicted To Love.” Much of his set revisited that same decade – “Young Turks,” “Forever Young,” “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” among them – mixed with solo Rod staples “Hot Legs,” “You’re In My Heart,” and repurposed tunes written or first performed by artists as varied as Cat Stevens to Donna Summer, Van Morrison to Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Sam Cooke. 

“Here’s one from The Faces – 1972,” he announced before launching in to “Ooh La La,” invoking that most memorable band of rock ‘n’ roll hooligans that included Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagen, Kenney Jones and Ronnie Lane. 

Stewart looked physically fit in this his 77th year on the planet, well-coiffed and smartly dressed. Several decades removed from his time with The Faces and a Vegas-y schmaltz long having become his schtick,  Stewart is ultimately ever the entertainer, and the crowd largely expressed their appreciation of having him. 

CORINTH — Plans to build a 60 multi-family affordable housing complex in Corinth are moving forward following the state’s announcement last week that it has awarded $7.3 million to RISE Housing and Support Services toward the construction of the building. 

The Riverview at Corinth Affordable Housing Project, which will be located on Pine Street in the village of Corinth, will provide 30 supportive housing apartments, 15 affordable senior housing apartments and 15 affordable community apartments. Bonacio Construction, Inc. will oversee the construction of the apartment building which is expected to break ground by the spring of 2023. The total cost of the project is projected to be $21 million. 

In addition to providing affordable housing to Corinth residents, the project will also create eight jobs for the community including two case workers and one registered nurse to help provide support for residents. The project is projected to bring in an additional $1.4 million in annual revenue to the village.

The project is joint effort of RISE and Corinth-based Hudson River Community Credit Union (HRCCU)whose Board of Directors determined three years ago that the single greatest challenge for many of its members living in the community is their ability to afford quality housing. HRCCU found a partner in RISE to build and operate the 60-unit apartment building, which will consist of both 1 and 2 bedroom apartments for Corinth seniors and residents. The three-acre parcel of land on which the apartment building will be constructed was donated by HRCCU.

The funds awarded to the project are part of a $104 million in state grants announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul to create and preserve 864 affordable housing units across New York State. 

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  • New York State Police The New York State Police announced that it issued 5,576 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign began on Friday, March 15, and continued until Sunday, March 17. During the campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors detail. State Police also ticketed distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices. State Troopers arrested 132 people for DWI and investigated 199 crashes, which resulted in 25 people being injured and no fatalities. As part of the enforcement, Troopers also…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Heather DiCaprio sold property at 473 Garrett Rd to Justine Levine for $288,000 Sharon Willman sold property at 99 Jenkins Rd to Charles Lemley for $165,000 CORINTH George Montena sold property at 422 Oak St to Stephen James for $142,250 Mark Makler sold property at 313 Oak St to Sabrina Sinagra for $195,000 GREENFIELD Landlord Services of Upstate New York sold property at 1935 NYS Rt 9N to Cochise Properties LLC for $210,000 MALTA  Linda LaBarge sold property at 35 Snowberry Rd to Qu Haozheng for $270,000 Dennis Mitchell sold property at 60 Village Circle North to BGRS Relocation…
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