Thomas Dimopoulos

Thomas Dimopoulos

City Beat and Arts & Entertainment Editor
Contact Thomas

Thursday, 09 January 2020 10:03

Art In Public Places: New for 2020

SARATOGA SPRINGS – New for 2020: Saratoga Arts presents a new group of Art in Public Places exhibitions on view for the month of January. 

Works include: Frozen, photography by Susan Meyer at Saratoga Springs Public Library; photography Molly Bingham in Saratoga Arts' Members' Hall Gallery; Sculptural Painting, mixed media works by Betsy Masters Cannon at The Saratoga Springs Train Station; Life, acrylic paintings by Ya Li at Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library (Site A); Heaven and Earth, paintings by Marina Petro at Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library (Site B); Oil paintings by Jim Brearton at Saratoga Springs Visitors Center; The Places I've Been, Paintings by Caitlin Sweet at Saratoga Community Federal Credit Union; Harbors, acrylic and water based oil paintings by Neil Muscatiello in The Reception Area Gallery at Saratoga Arts.

Saratoga Arts’ Art in Public Places Program features monthly or bi-monthly exhibits of artists' work in various locations around the region. The goal of the program is to present original artwork in easily accessible spaces throughout the Saratoga Region. Participation in the APP program is a benefit open to all members of Saratoga Arts from new and emerging artists who might be presenting their first exhibition to veteran artists with lots of experience presenting exhibitions.

SpaCityDiner Before

Top photo: Post-demolition photo by Thomas Dimopoulos on Dec. 30, 2019. 
Bottom photo: Spa City Diner – as it was.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Spa City Diner, which closed in 2012 and has stood vacant on South Broadway since that time, was demolished last week. 

In late 2018, a proposed mixed-use project for development was to include 101 multi-family dwelling units – 68 of those units targeting a family of four having a household income of $51,840 or less – as well as another 14 units specifically designated for veterans. Those initial plans appear to have changed, however, according to an article published in the Daily Gazette last week, with the group of partners who have an agreement to buy the property instead focusing on more market-rate rentals.

The horse sculpture which had stood atop the diner was removed for safekeeping by the family who had owned the diner.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The highly anticipated grand opening of Universal Preservation Hall is set for Saturday, Feb. 29. 

Following a multi-million-dollar renovation to transform the 19th century hall into a flourishing 700-plus seat performance space, UPH also looks to fill a half-century-long need in Saratoga Springs.  The city’s downtown district has lacked a year-round, mid-sized venue since the 5,000-seat Convention Hall on Broadway was destroyed by fire in 1966.

UPH was built in 1871 and served as a Methodist church and a gathering place. Teddy Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass and William Howard Taft to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg have each taken a turn atop the main stage during the building’s 146-year history.

A century after its construction, the Victorian Gothic structure on Washington Street began to fall into disrepair and the church sat empty for several years. In 2000, the city condemned the building and members of the community rallied to save the structure from demolition. In 2015, UPH got an added boost when it became an affiliate of Proctors.

Proctors CEO Phillip Morris says he envisions UPH as a welcoming place to gather, and as a cultural heart of the city. After the Saratoga Springs venue reopens with its 45-foot-tall ceilings, bell tower and walnut and ash staircases that feed into the main hall, it is anticipated it will stage 200 or so annual events.

Opening Night features an appearance by singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash, the eldest daughter of country legend Johnny Cash. 

Tickets are available by phone at 518-346-6204, online at universalpreservationhall.org and in person at the Box Office at Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady.

Tickets to the following shows are now on sale:

Rosanne Cash
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. The Great Hall at UPH, $65 - $150.

Sounds of the Hall
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4. The Great Hall at UPH, $20.

An Evening with Chris Botti
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 6. The Great Hall at UPH, $79.50 - $179.50.

The Marvelous Marquise Family Circus
2 p.m. Sunday, March 8. The Great Hall at UPH, $10.

Megan Hilty
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13. The Great Hall at UPH, $32.50 - $109.50.

Howard Jones Acoustic Trio
7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14. The Great Hall at UPH, $29.50 - $69.50.

Irish Hooley with the Screaming Orphans
7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15. The Great Hall at UPH, $25.

Rochmon Record Club: Paul Simon’s Graceland
7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. The Great Hall at UPH, $10.

One Night in Memphis
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20. The Great Hall at UPH, $30 - $65.

Journeyman
7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21. The Great Hall at UPH, $19.50 - $39.50.

Joey Alexander
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 27. The Great Hall at UPH, $39.50 - $89.50.

PB&J Café: The Stinky Cheese Man
11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Saturday. April 4, The Great Hall at UPH, $15.

THE HIT MEN…Legendary Rock Supergroup & Musicians Hall of Fame
7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9. The Great Hall at UPH, $30 - $65.

Bakithi Kumalo & The Graceland Experience
7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23. The Great Hall at UPH, $19.50 - $39.50.

The Okee Dokee Brothers
6 p.m. Friday, April 24. The Great Hall at UPH, $15 for students with ID, $25 for adults.

The Steep Canyon Rangers
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29. The Great Hall at UPH, $20 - $79.50.

Top of the World – A Carpenters Tribute
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9. The Great Hall at UPH, $25.50 - $59.50.

Yogapalooza with Bari Koral Quartet
2 p.m. Saturday, May 16. Great Hall at UPH, $10 students with ID, $20 Adults

Bee Gees Gold
7:30 p.m. Friday, May 22. The Great Hall at UPH, $20 - $55.50.

Thursday, 02 January 2020 12:48

Saratoga Sheriff: It Was a Meteor

SARATOGA COUNTY — The source of last Sunday night’s “loud explosion that shook homes and lit the sky green" was likely caused by a meteor entering and burning up in the atmosphere, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said Thursday.  

Statement from Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo:

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office has concluded our investigation into the loud explosion and green flash which occurred in the skies over Saratoga County on Sunday evening.  Although we received over 30 reports of this event on Sunday evening, our social media post of this event has been viewed over 250,000 times and generated over 1,200 comments.  Based on initial reports and the comments posted there are reports of this event from Broadalbin South to Charlton and East to Ballston Spa but no witnesses to the cause of the event or location of the source. 

After discussions with all of our law enforcement partners, government agencies including the FAA, FBI, ATF, National Weather Service and NASA as well as discussions with scientists and scholars it is our determination that the likely cause of the event was a meteor entering and burning up in the atmosphere.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College will have special hours during Skidmore College’s year-end break, which will also be the last chance to see the exhibitions Serious Sparkle and Ree Morton: The Plant That Heals May Also Poison.

Holiday Hours are as follows:

  • Monday, Dec. 23 to Wednesday, Dec. 25, Christmas — Closed.
  • Thursday, Dec. 26 to Sunday, Dec. 29 — Noon to 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 30 to Wednesday, Jan. 1, New Year’s Day — Closed.
  • Thursday, Jan. 2 to Sunday, Jan. 5 — Noon to 5 p.m.

The Museum’s regular hours — Noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and until 9 p.m. Thursday —resume Tuesday, Jan. 7. Admission to the museum is free, though a donation is suggested. For more information, please call the Tang Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit http://tang.skidmore.edu.

Exhibitions:

Opening Saturday, Dec. 20: Elevator Music 40: Melissa Thorne – Landslide/Solid: Landslide/Solid pairs visual abstraction with Stevie Nicks’ classic hit Landslide and Ashford & Simpson’s Solid (As a Rock). The installation features an original vinyl record produced by the artist and hand-printed sound curtains and seating.

Closing Sunday, Jan. 5:  Serious Sparkle: Serious Sparkle addresses how contemporary artists use glitter to explore issues around the construction and representation of femininity, queer identity, and the body. Also closing, Ree Morton: The Plant That Heals May Also Poison: A survey of the career of Ree Morton (1936-1977) features drawings, paintings, and large-scale sculptural environments made by the artist during her short but prolific career. Morton, who remains widely under-recognized, was involved in the feminist and post-minimalist art movements in the 1970s and produced an influential body of work.

Also on View: Beauty & Bite features artists from the Tang collection whose work examines questions of identity—particularly race, gender, and sexuality—and explores the underlying mythologies and histories that inform contemporary society. Through Jan. 19; Hyde Cabinet #5: Divine Dalí: Organized by Bridget Kerr ’20 in the special student-curatorial project cabinet, the exhibition presents prints from Salvador Dalí’s interpretation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Through Feb. 14; Nicole Cherubini: Shaking the Trees: Nicole Cherubini’s installation comprising ceramic tiling, woven seating, greenery, and sculpture draws on the architecture of the Tang Museum’s mezzanine, and offers a community space for conversation and contemplation. Through September 2021.

Thursday, 19 December 2019 12:20

Looking Back on 2019

 

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
TheraputicHorsesofSaratoga
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 
Election
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
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 
CageTheElephantatSPAC
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 
Madison
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’

KISS
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
RevealArtFair
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.  

 

 

 

Thursday, 19 December 2019 11:21

First Night Saratoga 2020 Guide

FirstNightPoster 

Buttons available at Saratoga Arts (320 Broadway). for $15 until Dec. 25 After Dec. 25: all button sales are $20. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

Buttons can be purchased at any of the following partner locations for $20: The Adirondack Trust Bank (All Locations); Price Chopper Supermarkets; (all Saratoga County stores & select Albany markets); Marriott Residence Inn (295 Excelsior, Saratoga); Saratoga Arts (320 Broadway, Saratoga); Stewart’s Shops (select Saratoga County locations).

  

FirstNight 2019Schedule

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Approximately 70 different performing groups, 30 different venue stages, and a new stroke-of-midnight component inspired by the digital age will ring in the New Year in Saratoga Springs. 

There will be variety: live music – from symphonic to rock ‘n’ roll, dancing, theater, and comedy and skateboard demos will be among this year’s offerings. 

Billed as “First Night Saratoga 2020: A New Dimension,” the goal is to entertain and to inspire, while offering interactive possibilities for thousands of revelers of all ages. The Dec. 31 event will mark the 24th First Night gathering in Saratoga Springs and the 10th such event since it was taken on by Saratoga Arts. 

“We’re not just presenters of the arts, we encourage everyone to be engaged and to find the art within themselves.” - Joel Reed, executive director of Saratoga Arts, said Tuesday, unveiling this year’s event poster. First Night programmer Bobby Carlton stressed the desire to create an interactivity between performers and the public played a major role in organizing the Dec. 31 event, and to that point encouraged dialogue between festival attendees and performers when not on stage. There will also be a variety of dance events in which revelers can take part held in different locations.

The New Year’s Eve event will feature about 70 acts in more than 30 venues - about 230 sets over six hours - as well as a 5K road race which will kick off the night. New this year is an interactive “Digital Midnight” event that will replace the annual fireworks show. The audio-visual presentation will broadcast online and enable revelers to “enjoy midnight anywhere.” 

Typically, more than 10,000 people ring in the New Year with Saratoga Arts and First Night Saratoga in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Admission, by way of a special First Night Saratoga button – is $20. That cost is $15 if purchased online or at Saratoga Arts, located on Broadway, through Dec. 25. Free CDTA bus service will be available downtown. Children 12 and under are admitted to events free of charge. For more information, go to: www.saratoga-arts.org/first-night. For a more detailed list of performers and venues, please see next week’s edition of Saratoga TODAY.

More on First Night...

Saratoga Arts Seeks Volunteers for First Night Saratoga 2020
First Night Saratoga would not be possible without the help of over 250 volunteers. Last year, volunteers assisted in overseeing 30 performance venues, answering questions, and ensuring that over 10,000 revelers rang in the New Year in a fun and safe manner. Volunteers are required to attend a one-hour training session on one evening in December. All volunteers receive a free First Night Saratoga admission button, and a First Night poster. Area Managers and Site Captains also receive a complimentary membership to Saratoga Arts. Get the jump early this year, especially if you have a favorite venue in which you would like to be placed. If you have questions, please contact Mary Henninger, First Night Volunteer Coordinator, 518-584-4132, ext. 208 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Registration Open for First Night Saratoga 5K Run
The Saratoga Arts' First Night 5k - a family friendly event - begins at the Skidmore College gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and traces a 3.1 mile loop around the campus. This is a moderately challenging course, including both hills and downgrades. Registration is $30 through Dec. 25. To register, visit www.saratoga-arts.org/first-night/first-night-5k.

Thursday, 12 December 2019 14:06

A Gangster’s Paradise

Former City Police Chief Pens Historical Book About Saratoga’s Notorious Gangsters & Gamblers 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former city Police Chief Greg Veitch has published a new book that documents the history of Saratoga gangsters and concludes in the 1950s - when 130 years of open illegal gambling in the city came to an end. The argument could be made that along with other mid-20th century events, such as the construction of the Northway and the sweeping project of Urban Renewal, going “legit” in a post-gangster Saratoga Springs contributed to the development of the prosperous city that exists in the present day. 

Veitch, whose family has resided in the Spa City for several generations, served in local law enforcement for a quarter-century, rising through the ranks to become Saratoga Springs’ police chief. Tuned in to a calling that insisted there were other things to do in his life, Veitch resigned his position as police chief in May. 

“Things have been good. I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would, but I felt called to go into the profession and I felt called to leave, so maybe that has made it easier,” he said, during a sit-down interview this week. “I don’t necessarily know what the future holds for me, but I was prepared to leave. In my life, I try to follow what I believe I’m hearing from above.”

One of the things he has worked on is continuing to historically document notorious gangster connections with the village and the city of Saratoga Springs during a period that spanned more than a century. 

His previously published debut book, “All the Law in the World Won’t Stop Them,” retells the history of the gamblers and gangsters of Saratoga from the early years as a village up through 1930.  The new edition, published by Shires Press, continues the history of Saratoga gamblers and gangsters with tales of bootlegging and liquor raids, gangland shootouts, political payoffs and police corruption.

The new book, “A Gangster’s Paradise: Saratoga Springs from Prohibition to Kefauver,” tells the story from the Prohibition Era t
o the Kefauver Committee hearings in the 1950s. In May 1950, the Senate established a five-member Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce. Tennessee senator Estes Kefauver was selected as its chairman.

“My intent was always to write the story from the beginning of the village through the early ‘50s when the Kefauver investigation put an end to the open gambling in Saratoga, to tell the story from beginning to end,” Veitch said. 

“How did the book thing get started?  When I was a little kid, 4 or 5 years old, The Veitch family had a reunion when we were selling the Old Bryan Inn. I can remember the older guys – my uncles and my father, telling me this story about my great-grandfather Sid and a mafia shooting, or a gangland shooting,” Veitch said.  “It was about this guy who got shot and dumped at the hospital. When the police came and interviewed Sid about it, he said, ‘Look I was sitting in the front seat of the car. They shot the guy in the back seat of the car, so I didn’t see ‘nothing, I can’t help you.’ 

“Now great grandpa Sid was kind of a rough-and-tumble guy, so the story’s believable. For years the only thing I knew about him was that story, and nothing else,” Veitch said. “So, I go away to college, I come back;  I become a policeman and I get promoted to be a detective lieutenant and a detective calls me up out of the blue one day and says: hey, can you go check on a case from the 1980s?”

While searching through the archives he discovered some information about the case he had heard about as a child. “The murder of Adam Parillo 1936. It was one sheet. My great-grandfather is not mentioned at all. He’s not part of the story in any way. And (Parillo) probably wasn’t even shot in the car. My great-grandfather probably just told people that to make himself look tough,” Veitch said. 

Nonetheless, he pulled together some newspaper clippings regarding the Parillo case for a presentation at the Saratoga Springs History Museum. 

“It was about the most famous unsolved murder in Saratoga Springs history. When I was done talking, a guy walked up front and said to me, ‘You should write a book.’ Before that, I hadn’t even thought anything about it, but I did know there were other fascinating stories about Saratoga, so I started piecing these stories together,” Veitch said. 

During his course of research – which was conducted strictly through historical resources like newspapers and not police files – it dawned on him that what he had was a 130-year story of open gambling and corruption. “Stories about what was going on: fixed horse races, bootleggers shooting at each other on Circular Street, just fascinating.  I had so much stuff, I thought, you know, maybe I should write a book; get it down and even if nobody ever reads it, at least there will be a place in the library where somebody can go and look at it,” Veitch said. 

“I love telling stories, I love talking to people from Saratoga. I like people stopping me on the street and saying, ‘Hey, my family did this during that time.’ I think I can write a couple of more books (in the future), but it won’t be about this.” 

The new book features chapters with titles like “A Spasm of Violence,” “Trouble at The Track,” and “Prohibition at The Spa.” It includes historic photos and research notes.

“A Gangster’s Paradise” sells for $25. It is available at Northshire Bookstore, on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. For more information, go to: gangstersofsaratoga.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – It. Starts. With. Art. “Wherever your passion is.  Community starts with art. Economies start with art,” Saratoga Arts Executive Director Joel Reed explained to the crowd gathered for Saratoga Arts’ Soiree at Longfellows Restaurant on Nov. 13.

“We all know how important cultural tourism is. It contributes that wealth to the hospitality industry, to sales taxes, to keep Saratoga Springs growing,” Reed said. The cultural traveler spends 60 percent more than the leisure traveler in the U.S., according to a 2013 Mandala Research report. And some local communities are realizing that benefit. The village and town of Lake George, for example, have contributed portions of tax monies collected for the rental of rooms in their communities  – known as a bed tax – to fund music festivals and events which then in turn bring more people into the community who subsequently spend money at local businesses and stay in local hotels.

Since its founding in 1986, over 1 million people have come through programs and events run by Saratoga Arts, and more than $3 million has been paid to artists and arts organizations in the local community. In 2018 alone, over 42 grants were awarded totaling $125,000 and 78 exhibitions presented in the region, resulting in over 700 artists showing their work locally.  This year’s fundraising soiree raised about $20,000, Reed said.

Since 2012, Saratoga Arts has honored the work of a variety of arts advocates in the region - Mona Golub, James Kettlewell, Elaina Richardson, Marie Glotzbach and Dee Sarno, among them. This year, the organization honored Hudson Headwaters Health Network and Beverley Mastrianni. 

Hudson Headwaters Health Network currently hosts 175 local works, either on loan or as part of Hudson Headwaters’ permanent collection, which are strategically placed for patients to enjoy in 19 health centers from northern Saratoga County to the Canadian border.

Artist and Arts Advocate Honoree Beverley Mastrianni has helped shape the arts and cultural organizations across the region for over three decades – helping found Saratoga Arts and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and holding leadership roles with the Urban Cultural Park Commission, Saratoga Springs History Museum, the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, and several other organizations.

“Anywhere in town you stand and look, we feel her work and impact every day,” Reed said, introducing Mastrianni, who took to the podium and recalled first settling down in Saratoga Springs in 1968. 

“Downtown Saratoga was just deserted, there were 22 vacant stores, deserted except for a building where up on the second floor all the apartments were rented by artists,” she said.

In the afternoons, she would take her children to arts workshops and classes, which were spread out among houses all over town. The YMCA had just opened a new center on Broadway with a swimming pool and activities for kids. She was asked to join the organization’s board.

“They put me on the fundraising committee where I learned more about the city: who gave money and who supported these sorts of things,” explained Mastrianni. 

While taking classes at Skidmore College, she was approached by Anne Palamountain with an idea to create a more visually appealing downtown during a two-week stretch in the summertime when families would visit the college.

“We went to the high school and we got everybody. Every kid who played in a garage band or who was involved in art,” Mastrianni said. “We got artists to start bringing their works downtown and putting them in stores. That went on for quite a few summers, and it really helped.”

She also revisited a time when the city was looking to sell Congress Park and the Canfield Casino to a hotel chain from Pennsylvania who wanted to put up a hotel and a windmill and use the casino for meeting rooms.

“There were a bunch of activist women who were really against that. They were really amazing, and a lot of fun,” Mastrianni said. “Minnie Bolster had started to revive the historical society upstairs in the casino and didn’t want it sold, so, we worked on that. The thing that really prevented it from happening?  The lower part of Putnam Street and the park flooded a lot, so the developers decided that wasn’t a good place for the hotel. Left with the casino, a group of citizens who called themselves The Pillar Society started to get together and hold parties in the casino to raise money for its restoration.”

The stained glass was returned to the building and restored, and Mastrianni ran an art gallery featuring contemporary art within the casino structure. “One thing just led to the other, to the other,” she said, adding a story about the time a spirited group of locals had also successfully lobbied to site the arts center on the southeast corner of Broadway and Spring Street. The Arts Center landing followed the relocation of the public library to its current Putnam Street location as the city had designs on placing its court system there.

 “There were an awful lot of people who worked on all these things and enjoyed doing it. The city is flowering now,” she offered, tempering her enthusiasm with a warning. “The problem we have is (while) showing art and artists from all over the region, there are very few artists who can afford to live in Saratoga now because the prices have gotten so high.  Caffe Lena is doing a wonderful job, but there is no place for our musicians and artists to work. A lot of our artists are leaving us to go up to Glens Falls; A lot are going to Troy; There are a couple of art galleries open in Schuylerville now - but we’ve really got to address the issue of how we’re going to keep our indigenous artists in Saratoga Springs, because they’re living outside of town now,” said Mastrianni whose artwork has been exhibited at the Tang and the Schick Gallery at Skidmore, the Albany Institute of History and Art, and is held in many private and corporate collections in North America and Europe.

“I think the Arts Center does fantastic work – we’ve got a lot of stuff going on at Skidmore and The Tang, at Zankel - but we haven’t got the body of musicians and artists who live here and really enrich our lives on a daily basis. I think we should really be thinking about how we’re going to address those issues - so that we’re not just a big shopping mall, so we’re not just a restaurant city, so that we really are a city that supports artists who live in the city,” Mastrianni said. “That’s our next challenge.”    

Saratoga Arts gallery showcases its annual member’s show at the Arts Center Gallery, 320 Broadway, through Jan. 4, 2020.  Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am-5 pm & Saturday, 11 a.m. -5 p.m. 

Page 62 of 101

Blotter

  • 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…
  • NYPA
  • Saratoga County Chamber
  • BBB Accredited Business
  • Discover Saratoga
  • Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association