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National Museum of Dance Hosts Day of Performances Honoring Black History Month

Johnnie Roberts
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National Museum of Dance Hosts Day of Performances Honoring Black History Month

Clifford Oliver Mealy has an ongoing dialog with Solomon Northup’s memoir, Twelve Years a Slave. “I’m always re-reading it and always noticing something new,” he said. While portraying Northup in a one-man show over 20 years in the making, the Greenwich photographer was a walking repository of events in the historic Saratogian’s life. 

Mealy and others performed at the February 23rd Black History Month Celebration, held at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga. Taking the stage at the dance museum holding a violin and dressed in the white cotton “plantation suit” and hat like those Northup was known to wear, Mealy embodied the former slave. He complicated the narrative in a way that engaged the audience, pointing out that Irish and Germans had also once been enslaved in the Americas, as had Native Americans. However, Mealyas- Northup posited what made black slaves more vulnerable: “Unlike the Indians, black slaves didn’t know the local flora and fauna. And cold? They will be dependent on slave owners just to keep warm.” He also discussed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1851, Northup’s role in the Underground Railroad, and the part played by white abolitionists, such as the colorful character John Brown. 

When asked how his performance has evolved since he began, Mealy said, “I’m always learning!” He noted that the song “Roaring River,” played at the film’s beginning by Paul Draper and Janet Foster (a.k.a. JD’s Bow & Banjo) is not, as he had thought, written by Northup (it appears in the book) but was a traditional southern song memorized and transcribed by the author and musician. 

Sharing the bill were David Montalvo, Felix Machado and Andre Noel, members of the dance troupe Figures in Flight Released. The men began dancing while incarcerated in Woodbourne Correctional Facility. Since being released from prison, they have performed at venues in the Hudson Valley and New York City area. David Montalvo said dancing has brought into his life the realization that “…freedom is not just about not being incarcerated— being free is about allowing your soul to express itself.” In this way, Montalvo said, dance lets him demonstrate to audiences that “We’re all human, all on the same playing field. It takes courage to break down the barriers, and be who you want to be.” On this afternoon, the dancers performed modern dance—sensitively expressing feelings from frustration to joy—first to an African American work song, then to a moving rendition of “Motherless Child” by John Legend. The performance included choreography by Susan Slotnick of New Paltz. 

The event wound down with a soul shaking rendition of “Went Down to the River Jordan” by members of Saratoga’s Mt. Olivet Baptist Church choir. The words were provided to audience members, who joined in singing. 

Finally, Johnnie Roberts of the Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center, who opened the event by introducing the audience to Solomon Northup’s story, closed with her poem “The Journey.” The poem’s ending evokes the inspiring resilience demonstrated by Northup:   

Pain is the great professor, 

through it, all gain.

We are our hero,

Spirits housed in flesh,

Awakening each day to find a way.

Saratoga After Dark: Shelters Of Saratoga Hosts Gala At Longfellows

Staff Report
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Saratoga After Dark: Shelters Of Saratoga Hosts Gala At Longfellows

Guests milled about tables draped in white linen, and were accompanied by the tasteful sounds of a four-piece jazz ensemble during the annual Shelters of Saratoga Gala at Longfellows Restaurant in April.

“S.O.S. goes to great lengths to not only get people back on their feet, but to do it with dignity,” explained WNYT news anchor Phil Bayly, who served as the master of ceremonies for the event. “They show them kindness and respect and treat them like a guest in their home.”

Guests who plunked down $100 apiece perused a silent auction table featuring VIP boxes at Saratoga Race Course, collectible footballs, and a crafter’s library of books featuring everything from grilling with George Foreman to the culinary fare of northern Italy. The food and the space where the event was staged were donated by Longfellows. Organizers hoped to raise $50,000 for S.O.S. programs, which feature four buildings and a mobile outreach program to assist the homeless and those at risk of homelessness.

The needs are staggering. In 2013, S.O.S. served more than 25,000 meals and provided more than 10,000 bed nights to houseguests; 453 houseguests were served through emergency shelter housing, and nearly 850 face-to-face contacts were made with youths through the mobile outreach program in the greater Saratoga region.

Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen said the “continuum of care” is about getting people off the street, into a home and eventually into gainful employment.

S.O.S. beneficiary Jonathan D’Allaird spoke to guests about his troubled childhood. His journey included placement in foster care at the age of nine and an unsuccessful adoption at 14 before drifting through a series of hotels and mental health units. “I was all alone,” he said. D’Allaird had one week to find a place to live and was running out of time when he met S.O.S. Youth Outreach Coordinator Crystal Swinton. “Crystal helped me get my life in order by getting into Shelters of Saratoga, where I could lay my head and not worry.” D’Allaird explained S.O.S. provided a safe environment and helped him to focus on his goals, one of which he achieved a few months ago when he enrolled in college.

Saratoga After Dark: A Song Of Ice And Fire

Staff Report
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Saratoga After Dark: A Song Of Ice And Fire

For the first time, the American Red Cross held its Fire + Ice Gala at the City Center, on March 22, and drew a record crowd of 420. An added bonus: three disaster relief vehicles could drive into the ballroom for guests to explore, said Gary Ferris, executive director of the Adirondack Saratoga Chapter, based in Glens Falls.

One truck, from Albany, has 99,000 miles and went to New York City after 9/11, to Louisiana after Katrina, and to help victims of hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. “We provide food, we provide beverages, we provide hope,” Ferris said.

And for the first time in its 16-year history, the Fire + Ice Gala benefitted both the Adirondack Saratoga and Northeastern New York Chapter, based in Albany. Founded more than a century ago, these two Red Cross chapters have 1,700 volunteers and cover 12 counties—from Greene and Schoharie to Hamilton and Essex—providing disaster relief and lifesaving services for 1.2 million people.

“The Red Cross plays a tremendous role in our city,” Saratoga Mayor Joanne Yepsen said in welcoming the crowd. “Last summer, when seven historic town houses went up in flames, volunteers made all the difference in getting people’s lives back together.”

When the city’s new Code Blue homeless shelter got started, “the Red Cross was one of the first to step up to participate on Christmas Eve and saved dozens of lives from the extreme cold,” Yepsen said. With the first Fire + Ice Gala held in Saratoga, “We hope it’s the beginning of a new tradition.”

Joining the two chapters at the Saratoga City Center drew 170 more people than last year’s gala in Troy. “Our net proceeds were over $82,000, which is almost double last year’s amount,” said Kara Livingston of the American Red Cross Northeastern New York Region, which last year responded to 339 local disasters, primarily house fires, affecting 643 families. The Red Cross also collected more than 80,000 units of blood for use at hospitals throughout the region.

WNYT meteorologist Jason Gough, master of ceremonies, said, “I’ve covered countless disasters close to home and around the world.” Seeing the victims of the 2011 tornado that hit Springfield, Mass., was “like an episode of the walking dead; these folks had nothing left.”

From Haiti to Sandy, disasters abroad and close to home never cease.

Yono Purnomo, a chef and new board member, said he witnessed the devastation in his native Indonesia four months after the tsunami hit. “I’m here because I believe in the community efforts. Seven years ago, the tsunami in my country, I lost my whole family, the whole village died….” Chef Yono and his wife Donna Purnomo donated dinner for eight at their restaurant—one of four live auction items—which raised about $1,750 for Red Cross disaster relief.

Spirited bidding for a behind-thescenes tour of the World Trade Center by developer Roger Silverstein, followed by lunch, raised $5,000. High bidder was Marissa Valletta.

Patty Valletta, Marissa’s mom, and Lisa Scott co-chaired the gala, which featured filet mignon and crab cake by Mazzone Hospitality and the great vocalists and brass section of New York Players. Honorary chairs were Chris Dowd, president and CEO of Ballston Spa National Bank; his wife, Patricia Putman; and Dr. John Bennett, president and CEO of CDPHP.

Mary Fran Faso, a Red Cross board member, was accompanied by her husband, John Faso, who ran for governor in 2006 (losing to Eliot Spitzer), their daughter Margaret, son Nick and his wife, Meagan Murphy. When asked if he had any plans to run again, John Faso said: “I’m a recovering politician.” Chatting with them were Candace and Charles Wait, there with Natalie and Charles Wait Jr., the father and son at the helm at Adirondack Trust Co.

Mary Beth Sonne, a board member and co-leader of disaster services, described working at a shelter in Prattsville after Irene hit. While she was at the ball, her son Paul was in Crimea reporting for the Wall Street Journal. “He says it’s every journalist’s dream. I’m clutching my rosary beads.”

Mike Tripodi, a volunteer mass care supervisor, gave a mini-tour of one of the Red Cross disaster trucks that could serve 1,000 meals.

Lena and Jim Hart lamented when Syracuse got beat by UConn, as their son Nolan plays for the Orangemen. “I’m sad, but he’s had the best four years on the best team,” said Lena. Her husband “has been wearing his Final Four ring all season.”

Richard Sleasman of CBRE, board chair for the Albany chapter, thanked Mona Golub of Price Chopper for raising more than $2 million for disaster relief. Rob Albano of Barton International, Adirondack Saratoga board chair, and regional CEO Gary Striar also addressed the crowd.

Gala-goers included Laura Petrovic of the BBL Family of Companies, which include Saratoga’s Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn; Roger and Joyce Locks of Hatsational; Kate Otis of Key Bank; and Leah Slocum of Realty USA. Tom and Sara Griffen of Albany, Tim and Catherine McCann of Loudonville, Lori Anne and Jim Harris of Clifton Park, and Carrie Hillebrand, Sujata Chaudry, and Rebecca Burnham were also there to have fun—and support a good cause.

Marky Ramone Takes Stage at Skidmore

Brandon Salls
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Marky Ramone Takes Stage at Skidmore

Draped in a black leather jacket and donning dark mirror shades, Marky Ramone carried an auditorium filled with young Skidmore College students and middle-aged punk rockers alike on a verbal journey that began with his modest Brooklyn upbringing and was highlighted by a 15-year stint as the drummer for The Ramones.

“I wasn’t a very good student, neither were the other Ramones,” he told an audience packed into Skidmore’s Gannett Auditorium. “We were hyper, but that helped us later to play the music that we did.”

Ramone, who was born Marc Bell, was eight or nine years old and watching his parents’ black and white TV set during a serendipitous moment when The Beatles appeared on the screen. “I saw Ringo on TV and that’s what I wanted to do,” he explained. In short order he turned his trading stamps in at a local grocery store in exchange for his first snare drum. His musical odyssey had him keeping time behind the drum kit for his teenage band, Dust, and eventually led him to a downtown Manhattan scene in the early 1970s where he played with bands fronted by Wayne County, Richard Hell, and eventually with The Ramones. “

I started hanging out at Max’s Kansas City, and eventually at CBGB’s. At Max’s the backroom became home to David Bowie, Lou Reed, Mick Jagger, and members of the New York Dolls,” he said. “CBGB’s was a dump [but] it was a place to hone our skills. You could sit back and watch all these groups that were eventually changing music, like Blondie. It was our home, but I always made sure I knew where the exit was. The only good thing about CB’s that I liked was the sound system. It was excellent. And that’s why a lot of bands wanted to play there.”

After touring England in support of The Clash as a member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Bell returned to New York where he lived in a cold water flat on Avenue A and 9th Street. It was a dangerous place in a dangerous time.

In the spring of 1978, he was approached with an offer by Dee Dee Ramone about a vacancy in the band. “I was at the bar at CBGB’s one day and Dee Dee goes, ‘Marky, you wanna join the Ramones?’” He learned 40 songs in two weeks, played his first of 1,700 live shows with the band, in Poughkeepsie, and headed to the studio where he recorded the first of nine studio albums as a Ramone.

“The first song I recorded was ‘I Wanna Be Sedated.’ Anybody ever hear it?” he asked an enthusiastic crowd at Skidmore,  where the talk was sponsored by the college Student Entertainment Company and Skidmore Speaker’s Bureau. Senior Veronica Monroe, who helped organize the event, introduced the guest speaker to the audience and explained she first started listening to The Ramones at the request of her father when she was a child, and now she was in the process of completing her senior thesis on the topic of punk rock.

The Ramones played their final show in 1996. “When The Ramones albums came out, they weren’t selling,” the drummer explained, as a large screen behind him displayed images of his friendship with Phil Spector, his acting role in the film Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, and accolades from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Grammy Awards, and MTV.

“See, all this stuff happens—not because of what I’m doing now, but because of what I did do,” he said. “Better late than to never have it.”

Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Educates, Assists, Advocates And Restores

Staff Report
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Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Educates, Assists, Advocates And Restores

The historic preservation movement in the United States is often said to have begun with the fight to save Pennsylvania Station in New York City, which was demolished in 1963. For Saratoga Springs, the watershed moment took place in February 1968, when concerned residents came together to halt the attempt by a chain called Dutch Inns of America to build a 150-room hotel in the city’s beautiful Congress Park. The company was taking advantage of an ill-conceived piece of legislation conjured up by city fathers in 1957 to increase the dwindling stock of hotel rooms.

Mayor James Murphy, Jr. created the Aesthetic Zoning Board (now the Design Review Commission) to oversee additions to (and subtractions from) the cityscape. City native Bea Sweeney and City Historian Evelyn Barrett Britten led the fight against the Dutch Inn. By the time architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable wrote in the New York Times that Saratoga was “losing [the] race,” the motel plan was faltering and, within a year, the legislation was repealed.

The preservation movement was underway.

There had been earlier glimmerings of awareness and concern in the city. Late in 1965, preservationist John G. Waite, then a Columbia University graduate student, pointed out to the Historical Society of Saratoga Springs the importance of such landmarks as the Batcheller Mansion and Franklin Square. The following year, Sweeney, who was a member of the society, prepared a successful application to have Franklin Square listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation established by a 1966 federal law. The square was threatened by a proposed arterial highway, despite dogged opposition led by Broadway businessmen Norm Fox and Jack Berkowitz.

During the 1970s, a number of additional crises galvanized Saratogians into creating one of the most successful preservation movements in the nation. During the planning phase for the nowdefunct Pyramid Mall just north of city limits, business leaders recognized that it would likely damage downtown shopping. A group of civic leaders initiated the Plan of Action to seek ways to revitalize downtown through community dialogue and planning. Urban renewal was well underway and alternatives to it had been given little consideration until Julie Stokes, a transplant from the Midwest, wrote to Mayor Raymond Watkin suggesting that federal grant sources be used for building restoration. Soon she was helping to form a historic preservation committee. When Watkins appointed Bernard Donovan, retired New York City schools superintendent, to run the city’s Community Development Program, Donovan hired Stokes to manage the preservation component. At the same time, city native and realtor John Roohan stepped in to market the 82 foreclosed Verrazano College buildings (the former Skidmore College campus centered on Union Avenue)—and did so successfully.

Throughout this exciting period, a group of new young residents, including Mark Straus, Tom Gardner and Bob Bristol, chose Saratoga as their home and invested in downtown real estate, taking calculated risks—as did the Adirondack Trust Company, which loaned them the money. Pioneering individual investments included Bobby D’Andrea’s Old Firehouse Restaurant, Bill Van Bunscoten’s creation of the Downstreet Marketplace from a vast vacant storefront, Brian Dwyer’s rehabilitation of 328 Broadway, and Bob Israel’s extensive restoration projects in Franklin Square.

On January 4, 1977, the city-funded Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation was organized. It was deemed necessary in order to manage the initiatives for downtown resulting from the Plan of Action: the Façade Easement Program, through which grant funds were channeled to responsible property owners; the Special Assessment District, combining federal funds, sales tax dollars, and landlord contributions for downtown improvements; and the use of city funds for street scape improvement sand shade trees. In the same year, the city passed a stronger architectural review law. Although urban renewal was still leading to bulldozed buildings on both sides of Broadway, the events of 1977 represented a remarkable grounds well of support for preservation.

Under the leadership of Stokes and her successors, the foundation hurled itself into a four-fold mission: education, technical assistance, advocacy and physical restoration. One of its early successes was a $43,350 grant towards restoration of the former Verrazano College buildings that had been sold to private owners. The foundation also secured funding—and provided the expertise—to save such important structures and features as a row of Second Empire houses on Clinton Street, the Adirondack Railroad terminal on Grand Avenue, the Gasholder Roundhouse on Excelsior Avenue, the Putnam Burial Ground, the Spirit of Life, and the Regent Street Theatre. It sought, and gained, federal recognition for seven historic districts, adding to three secured by Beatrice Sweeney. Its education program developed many components, including technical assistance, color charts, a marker program, organized tours, lectures and publications. The foundation opened a city visitors’ center in 1978 and, in 1986, transformed it into a unit of the statewide Heritage Areas program, capitalizing on the growing phenomenon of heritage tourism.

By the late 1990s, historic preservation was widely acknowledged to be the foundation of the city’s resurgence, both as a livable city and as a popular tourist destination. National awards came in quick succession, three of them granted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation: the Great American Main Street Award (1996), the Great American Places Award (1997), and the Dozen Distinctive Destinations Award (2002). These were followed by federal designation as a “Preserve America Community” (2004). Another sign of progress at the millennium was the increasing initiative of for-profit developers in rescuing some of the city’s remaining at-risk buildings, notably the masterful adaptive re-use by Thomas Roohan and Sonny Bonacio of the Van Raalte Mill on High Rock Avenue, beautifully restored and converted to multiple uses in 1999.

In the new century, the foundation continued to take a leadership role in two challenging but critical preservation projects. The Universal Baptist Church on Washington Street had been deteriorating rapidly, and by 1999 it was no longer safe. The foundation and several civic activists launched the non-profit Universal Preservation Hall, which secured funding for its restoration and conversion to a performing-arts center. And with that church stabilized, the foundation stepped in to assist the neighboring First Baptist Church with the preservation of its superb 1855-56 Greek Revival building.

The fight is never over, of course. The foundation’s 2006 calendar spotlighted “12 buildings worth saving”—and by New Year’s Day 2008, three of them were gone: the early 19th-century Burgas Inn, the rear wing of the Rip Van Dam Hotel, and the former Hub on Church Street. But success follows success, and these days Saratoga Springs citizens agree on the importance of a strong historic preservation program. Studies have shown that each dollar spent on a Main Street Program (a communitydriven method of revitalizing traditional business districts) leverages $25.76 in new private investment. The Saratoga scene 40 years ago was one of illegal signs, unsightly billboards, rubble-strewn vacant lots, and vacant storefronts. The struggling city of 1970 has been given new and vibrant life by that winning combination of public and private money driven by the efforts of its own residents.

Is Saratoga Springs The Health Mecca Of The Northeast?

Brandon Salls
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Is Saratoga Springs The Health Mecca Of The Northeast?

For more than 200 years, when the first bathhouse went up at the Old Red Spring, health-minded folks have been dipping into the naturally carbonated waters of Saratoga Springs. In 2012, the Roosevelt Baths and Spa in Saratoga Spa State Park turned the taps for 10,000 baths, says Spa director Kimberly Rossi. In 2013, those numbers bubbled upward, approaching 15,000.

Mineral baths aren’t the only health and wellness treatments in town. Saratoga Springs has six yoga studios, more than 30 yoga teachers and many other practitioners devoted to healing the mind and body. Is Saratoga Springs experiencing a rebirth as a center for health and wellness? “There is absolutely a dedicated group of wellness practitioners, healers and seekers in Saratoga. I do believe it’s a little healing mecca, a healing pod,” says Dr. Selma Nemer, founder of One Roof Holistic Health Center. “I also believe there are energy centers. We are similar to Santa Fe and Sedona in some ways.” Ten years ago, the clinical psychologist bought a rundown house on Henry Street and transformed it into a haven of healing and personal transformation. One Roof now has 22 independent practitioners at one site, the largest collection in town, and three years ago, One Big Roof, a space for meditation, yoga and workshops, opened on Broadway, above Putnam Market. “We have a chiropractor, two acupuncturists, a craniosacral therapist, four people who do reiki, nutritional testing and several intuitives. We have a lot of psychotherapists,” says Nemer. Over the years, more than 1,000 students have enrolled in One Roof’s Saratoga Stress Reduction Class, which Nemer teaches with Pierre Zimmerman, a Buddhist chaplain who is her life and business partner, and psychotherapist Carole Russell Smith.

Across the street from One Big Roof, and up a stairway from Broadway, Yoga Mandali is flourishing in a serene and inviting second-floor space. “We offerclasses every day of the week,” says studio manager Meredith Shorb. “We also have the longest running teacher training in Saratoga. Many of the teachers in town were trained by Yoga Mandali.” Voted best yoga studio by polls in both The Saratogian and Saratoga Today, the center has more than a dozen instructors teaching classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced students. The yoga room is an urban oasis, with a polished wood floor, plants, a statue of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant deity, and dramatic arched windows that overlook the heart of downtown. There’s a shop that sells mats, clothing and books, and a kitchen for vegan cooking classes. The weekly yoga book club meets in a cozy lounge.

Because Yoga Mandali is focused onBhakti, the yoga of spiritual devotion, it has become a Capital Region centerfor Kirtan, a community gathering in which world-class singers and musicianslead participants in Sanskrit chanting. Saratoga’s tightly knit yoga networkhas been strongly influenced by the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in western Massachusetts, says Shorb. “The community here is very rich in knowledge. It seems to be growing in a very positive way.”

A few doors away, Fallon Wellness Pharmacy of Saratoga has taken root at Broadway and Lake, in the same spot where Menges and Curtis dispensed medicines for more than a hundred years. “My father owned this business when I was born. I’ve been on this corner my entire life,” says Michael Lenz, president and supervising pharmacist at Fallon of Saratoga. Three years ago, Lenz partnered with Fallon Wellness Pharmacy of Latham. Working with doctors and practitioners in both traditional and alternative medicine, he now fills only customized prescriptions and prepares them in a state-of-the-art lab. “We’re helping people to be well, as opposed to treating sickness,” says Lenz. “When you walk in the door, the experience is unlike any at a traditional pharmacy.”

Fallon of Saratoga offers private nutrition and wellness counseling plus seminars on bio-identical hormone replacement. “We fill a lot of customized prescriptions for women going through menopause,” he says. Lenz also blogs about all kinds of health topics, from why we crave junk food to the latest research on turmeric and coconut oil.

Saratoga Springs has been embracing alternative medicine and preventive health for more than a decade, Lenz says. “It’s always been a place of health and wellness, but definitely lately, it’s coming back around. When people think of Saratoga, they think of health, history and horses. What we have here, I believe, is unique to any place in the country.”

One of Saratoga’s newest centers for natural healing is The Garden, a restored, circa 1861 farmhouse two miles west of downtown on Church Street (Rte. 9N).

Two years ago, Suzanne Jagoda, a massage therapist, master gardener and retired nurse, bought and remodeled the former bed and breakfast. She also runs the nine-room, 1960s-style Saratoga Garden Motel on the four-acre property. In the two-story house, nine practitioners see clients in rooms with names like Ivy, Berry and Violet, and during the warmer months, health-seekers are encouraged to go outdoors and unwind among the flowers and trees. “After you finish, you can go out and sit. It’s a great peaceful place,” Jagoda says as she stands next to a small pond where koi fish dart among water plants. In future years, she sees people doing yoga, pilates and zumba outdoors on the grass.

Last summer, Jagoda planted a 30-foot-long promenade of bright zinnias, nasturtium, yellow cosmos and marigolds. “People have stopped just to see the flowers,” she says, adding that Soroptimists International of Saratoga County have put The Garden on their list for the 2014 “Secret Garden” tour.

Wendy Wood Ordway, a craniosacral therapist at The Garden, moved from Putnam County to Saratoga Springs four years ago. “It was known as a place that would be open to alternative health. I moved here specifically for that reason,” says Ordway, a former occupational therapist who is also a gardener.

Dr. Patrick T. Miles, a Hudson Falls native who runs Accurate Chiropractic, found The Garden on Craigslist after moving his family back to the area from Massachusetts. “The idea of alternative health is getting stronger across the board. And in Saratoga, it’s been the focus for the last century,” Miles says.

Judy Wyle has been running Joy of Yoga in Saratoga Springs for 24 years. “Yoga has earned a significance place forwhat it can offer for health and healing. And there’s a phenomenal amount of yoga here for the size of our city,” says Wyle. “I had the first really dedicated yoga studio. I’ve definitely been the longest continuously operating one.” She goes on to say that in the early 1980s, there were only one or two yoga teachers in town.“It wasconsidered a kind of a cult. When people would come to my studio, I felt like they were looking over their shoulder to see if anybody saw them.”

Wyle started Joy of Yoga, a one woman business, in 1989, in an aerobics studio on Spring Street called Fit as a Fiddle, and for the last decade, her cozy studio has been located in the Arcade building on Broadway. Some of Wyle’s students have followed her for 10 or 20 years and formed close ties with each other. “‘Yoga’ means ‘union,’ to yoke together, and in that sense, it is community building,” she says.

Wyle believes that what has happened in Saratoga Springs reflects a much larger trend. “In this country and worldwide, there is an enormous expansion of yoga. I think it’s one of the most promising and positive things on the planet right now,” she says.

At the historic Roosevelt Baths, which first opened in 1935, Rossi believes that the same mineral water that sparked the city’s health reputation more than a century ago is now keeping it sparkling in the 21st century. “We represent that health, that authentic bathhouse with magical mineral waters. Back in the day, that laid the foundation. In a 100-mile radius or a 50-mile radius, no one has the wealth of health and well-being offerings that we do. We see guests from as young as 17 or 18, to up to 90. Some of them come from near, and many come from far. Some are tourists just hearing that it’s the thing to do while they are in town,” she says.

At One Roof, Nemer believes that Saratoga’s water and its healthful properties are everywhere, whether one is aware of them or not. “The Indians called it medicine waters. The healing waters are running under this city,” says Nemer. “They are under all our buildings.”

Why Saratoga Springs Has Become Such An Amazing Place To Live

Staff Report
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Why Saratoga Springs Has Become Such An Amazing Place To Live

Certain parts of Saratoga Springs are “like a block out of New York City,” where all the amenities of day-to-day living—services, food, coffee, entertainment—are within walking distance of residential spaces, says Barry Potoker, executive director of Saratoga Builders Association. “You don’t have to go anywhere.”

Potoker terms it the “residential effect: people want to be closer to downtown.” The idea of living where you live—rather than commuting—is a national trend that finds plenty of examples in downtown Saratoga Springs. It is a different picture in the outlying areas of the city and in the neighboring towns, which are more traditional bedroom communities, but with their own strong real estate and rental markets.

A look at the real estate market in the region—including the suburban areas such as the towns of Saratoga, Malta and Clifton Park—reveals both the downtown trend Potoker cites as well as a varied outlook for single-family home purchases. For this overview, Saratoga Living interviewed builders, real estate legal and sales personnel, city planning officials and the Capital District Regional Planning Commission.

Kate Maynard, principal planner with the Saratoga Springs Planning Office, says the “walkability component” is both a continuing objective and a significant success of the downtown. In that regard, the Railroad Place and Market Center developments just a block from downtown provide a working example of what cities nationally are aiming at: mixed-use local neighborhoods; walking destinations; day and night activity.

“Destination and diversity of residential living has been a goal of the city,” she says. The American Planning Association has recognized Saratoga’s success at core downtown development that utilizes the “infill” and re-use or demolition of old sites to create localized, convenient communities.

John Witt is a builder with a hand in the various markets of the city and surrounding towns. Witt Construction’s projects include million dollar showcase homes in Saratoga County and the Capital District, but also condos and apartments that reflect a market changed by the recession—now growing again but a bit more modestly. Witt cites the Excelsior Park project near Northway Exit 15, now in planning and review, as an example of both recent history and the changing market. That was initially to be 200 condominiums plus a spa and commercial space. His company built 30 condos there by 2007, but the weakening market put a halt to that. Now he is redesigning the project to incorporate 108 apartments in three buildings, enhanced by a clubhouse. Rents are projected at $1,100 to $1,800 per month. Fifty condominium-type homes are also envisioned to sell in the mid-$200,000 range.

Witt says this plan is to “hit the affordability factor with great quality of life.” He anticipates construction to start this building season.

Price is the factor here, he says, noting that condominiums downtown begin at around $600,000, including some he is planning near East Side Rec, which will be in that range and above. But the shock the market took in the 2007-09 period left a lot of pricey downtown condos unsold still, says Witt, which is a reason for caution. He plans to build his condo project once he has purchase agreements.

Baby boomers—those now in their prime earning years but seeing a change on the horizon—have their own reasons for caution. Witt recognizes a somewhat different market posed by this demographic. He describes them as “saving for retirement and not wanting to put as much money in a house…a lot are choosing to rent and do other things.”

They may choose to rent or to invest in the more mid-range housing, Witt says, though this does not mean a lack of amenities. “They want to be comfortable so they can age in place.” Some, he said, are moving from “big soaking tubs to walk-in showers.” Such considerations are part of the attraction of apartments and condos, which leave the renter or owner without maintenance chores.

Charlie Goodridge, realtor with Prudential Manor Homes, deals largely with single-family resale homes. He sees “a stronger, healthier market” for both the in-city environment and the traditional suburban areas. “People want to be within walking distance of what downtown offers,” he says. “There’s a lot of demand for that.” There is also good demand for the region surrounding Saratoga Springs. He cautions that the buyer needs to be ready with the checkbook, due to the competition to close deals. “If they are not prepared to move quickly, the house is going to sell.”

But this period is not like the hot market in 2004-05, when there was “silly money being thrown at it,” with offers $20,000 over the asking price. Now, offers may be “a conservative amount over the asking price, but not an absurd amount.” That relates to homes in the $300,000 to $400,000 range and up. Goodridge says sales seem to follow a seven-year cycle. In what is essentially the Saratoga Springs Central School District—the city, Greenfield, Wilton and Northumberland—he cites the period ending in 2012 as the start of a resurgence, following strong markets in 2005-07 and low points in 2008- 09. In 2013 the market continued to gain and that looks favorable for 2014, he said. The rough patch of the recession saw home-buying stall but apartment rentals spike, partially driven by the economic push around GlobalFoundries, the Malta and Stillwater computer chip fabricating plant. But home sales are now going well. That is evidenced by the average days on the market, a statistic important to realtors. Stats show that in the school district market, the average dropped from 102 days on market to 87 between 2012 and 2013, while in the city proper the average dropped from 102 days to 84.

Looking a bit further back, according to Multiple Listing Service stats, in 2007 the average sale price was $324,344 in the school district, with 554 houses sold. The slump saw prices drop by an average of $35,000 and units sold drop by about 125. Then in 2013 the average price climbed to $325,083, with 602 units sold.

An array of statistics is available from the Capital District Regional Planning Commission for businesses evaluating the market, for planners, and for those simply seeking to understand the profile of various communities.

One of the most significant elements for the time being, according to Rocco Ferraro, CDRPC executive director, is the punch of the baby boomers. The boomers, defined as having been born from 1946 to 1964, are in the years of prime wealth and career standing. They are the wealthiest generation in this nation’s history, Ferraro says, as the first generation with many families having two incomes.

In Saratoga County overall, the boomers are the largest age cohort. In the 2010 Census, those aged 45 to 64 were counted at 65,768 out of a total population of 219,607. That lump will be passing along the python into the 2050s, when the county population is projected at 252,153.

In Clifton Park, the boomers totaled 11,393 in 2010 out of 36,705. In Saratoga Springs, they are 7,311 out of a population of 26,586. The city’s youthful profile is evident in these stats also, however, with the 15-34 cohort totaling 8,169 in 2010. They’ll be in the market a bit later.

Here, It’s a Wonderful Life

Brandon Salls
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Here, It’s a Wonderful Life

“It’s a Wonderful Life!” was the theme for the wonderful holiday party given by the Flower and Fruit Mission of Saratoga Hospital at the Hall of Springs on Dec. 7.

In the Frank Capra classic film, George Bailey is despondent when his beloved Bedford Falls is transformed into Pottersville. Saratoga Springs today still has the small-town spirit and sense of community of a Bedford Falls.

For 109 years, the Flower and Fruit Mission has served maternity patients at Saratoga Hospital. Its 35 active and 11 associate members have raised over $1.25 million for heart monitors and other equipment, nurse scholarships, and renovation of patients’ rooms. The December dance has been a tradition for more than half a century.

This year’s “Annual Snowball at the Hall”—chaired by Christa Lance, Gloria Griskowitz, Julie Bonacio and Marlene Okby—raised about $30,000.

“We had a really good year; we worked really hard. It’s a really good number,” said Okby.

President Amy Sutton, there with husband Rod, welcomed the crowd. Holly Sofarelli, who handled reservations, and husband Dr. Bob Sofarelli, a veterinarian, posed for a photo with Santa Claus, as did Charlene Wood Courtney, Heather Mabee, and others in the holiday spirit.

It was a family affair. District Attorney Jim Murphy and wife Laurie were greeted at the door by daughter Claire Murphy and Emily Zihal, who sold boxes of cookies made by Flower and Fruit members. Other Saratoga High National Honor Society students helping out were Chris Engborg, Mike Gyarmathy, and Max Lynch.

Kyran and Tina Nigro’s son Kyran, of Albany Academy, and Sonny and Julie Bonacio’s daughter Gianna were among the coat checkers with reindeer antlers, who included Annie Crotty, Emily and Tess Turner, Avery Schaap, and Katie Silver, also of Saratoga Middle School. The girls took a break and livened up the dance floor.

Tina’s parents, Frank and Delores Parillo, also attended, and sat with Delores’ sister, Jan Chesterton, partner Wayne Orlosky, and former neighbors Larry and Marie Zinter.

Mylea Aldrich, there with husband Buzz; Colleen Carlson, with husband Skip; and Barbara Ferraro, with husband Steve, welcomed guests at the door.

Sonny Bonacio was auctioneer for a Yankee-Orioles game package: Lisa and Tim Higgins were high bidders at $5,000. Mike and Linda Toohey won tickets to Bow Tie Cinemas, and Andi and Chris Dolinski won a basket of wines.

Newly-elected Wilton town councilman Joanne Klepetar and husband Dr. Tom Klepetar attended. It was the last dance as mayor for Scott Johnson and his wife Julie, who shares a birthday—and shared a cake—with Kate Calbone, wife of Saratoga Hospital CEO Angelo Calbone.

Dr. Charles Richman and wife Katie, Linda and Don Snyder, Marcia and Jerry MacDonald, and Vicki and Steve Merola were among the partiers. Kate and Mike Naughton, Jean Tarrant, Sue and Wally Allerdice, Lisa and Joe Torani, and Dutch and Kathy Hayward also attended.

Britt and Erik Dittrich, Suzanne and Greg Grande, and Nancy and Tom Burkly were among those on the packed dance floor. The Audiostars, which includes original members of The Refrigerators and Burners U.K., entertained the crowd, after performing at the Saratoga Springs History Museum gala the night before.

Honoring Our Home Made Theater Maven

Maria McBride Bucciferro
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“A hero and champion of community theater,” Barnes was honored with Saratoga Arts’ second annual Community Arts Achievement Award. “For over 18 years, Stacie has acted on the belief that theatrical arts have the ability to entertain, educate and enrich the lives of all.”

Saratoga Arts director Joel Reed said Home Made Theater is “such a strong and vital community theater” because of Barnes. “To have a strong theater is such an important part of any community. With actors, workers, designers, it’s just a central institution for the arts.”

Kate Morris, volunteer coordinator, called Stacie “the ghost light in a theater that is never left dark.” Barnes was thankful, funny, then teary eyed as she accepted the award. “Our community is rich with arts organizations,” she said. “It takes the work of so many people to create the magic of live theater… nearly 200 volunteers each year.” Starting in January 1985, just out of college, she went from sweeping the stage to finding props to being stage manager under general manager Susan Miller and director Jonathan Foster. When Miller left in 1995, Barnes took her place.

Howard Barnes, Stacie’s husband, looked proud, as did her mom, Carmella Mayette, sisters and extended family. Sister Suzanne Mangini was joined by husband David, son Andrew and his wife Melissa, daughter Audrey and Aaron Moore.

Skidmore president Philip Glotzbach and his wife Marie, a major force behind Saratoga Reads and Saratoga ArtsFest, attended, as did Skidmore theater director Carolyn Anderson and Anne Palamountain, Skidmore’s former first lady. Marie Glotzbach was the recipient of the inaugural Community Arts Achievement Award.

Dee Sarno, longtime director of the Saratoga Arts Council, as it was then called, and Anne Carlisto attended, as did James Kettlewell, art historian and retired Skidmore professor.

Kim and Greg Grieco, a board member of Saratoga Arts, chatted with Linda Dziengieleweski, a board member of HMT, and Mary Lou and David Snyder, former HMT board member.

Eleanor Mullaney, a SPAC board member, husband Rob Coughlin, and Shane Williams-Ness of SPAC attended, as did Richard Wissler, James Lee, Lin Whittle, and Mary Huber.

Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius & Heard performed by the indoor pond at Longfellows, where guests perused the koi fish as they waited at the bar under festive holiday lights.

Destination Saratoga: Weddings Aren’t Just For The Caribbean Anymore

Brandon Salls
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Destination Saratoga: Weddings Aren’t Just For The Caribbean Anymore

There was a time when destination weddings were associated strictly with tropical locations. Eloping to a beachside locale was out, inviting loved ones along for the festivities was in, and a trend was born.

Lisa Light, a destination-wedding planner and author of the book Destination Bride, says that what started as a custom reserved for the wealthy blossomed into a mainstream tradition 20 years ago, with vacation hotspots such as Las Vegas, Miami and Newport elbowing for market share. In recent years, however, area restaurants, hotels, caterers and the like have noticed a growing number of destination weddings taking place in Saratoga Springs.

“Around the late ‘90s is when ‘destination wedding’ became a term and a practice,” says Light, a Chatham resident who runs Lisa Light International Events & Design. “The trend started in Hawaii, and then Jamaica captured it because they saw it as a money-maker and marketed it well.”

Though she plans weddings around the globe, Light said the Hudson Valley recently became the number one destination wedding location in the United States, and Saratoga Springs has grown exponentially more popular in the past decade.

“People in all four corners of our country have heard of Saratoga Springs because it’s renowned in a ‘Great Gatsby’ sense,” says Light. “The mineral baths, race track, and natural beauty already make it a romantic destination.”

Area wedding experts agree that the Spa City’s make-up is a compelling formula: whirlwind weekends that start with a rehearsal dinner at a downtown restaurant, ceremony and reception at an elegant venue such as the Canfield Casino or Hall of Springs, and a Sunday brunch at the Gideon Putnam. In between there’s fun to be had: museum stops, rounds of golf in the State Park, hikes in the Adirondacks, spa treatments, or shopping up a storm along Broadway.

So solid is the trend for Saratoga-based destination weddings, the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau recently created the position of Destination Wedding and Social Market Specialist, appointing industry veteran Tom Ellis in May.

Even before taking the position, Saratoga had already won him over. His own wedding five years ago took place on Sacandaga Lake, with a honeymoon at the Batcheller Mansion Inn. “Saratoga is a very romantic place…I drank the Kool-Aid for this town a long time ago,” he says with a laugh. “We’re hoping to make Saratoga Springs synonymous with Newport, the Napa Valley, and Savannah in terms of romantic locations for a destination wedding.”

“A lot of people tell us they want a place people can get to in a day,” says Ellis, who spent more than two decades doing event planning in New York and Los Angeles. “Flying has become much more expensive and problematic. It’s a big reason why upstate New York has become a destination in general.” He adds that most clients are from nearby metropolitan areas such as New York, New Jersey and Boston, but inquiries come from as far as California.

Susan Baker, vice president of sales and marketing at Mazzone Hospitality, says that Saratoga-based destination weddings once were comprised only of brides or grooms who had a personal connection, such as vacationing in the historic city or attending Skidmore College. “Lately we’ve seen clients with no prior connection to the region choose Saratoga Springs as a destination because they love what it offers,” she says. “And it’s a close drive or Amtrak ride from several metropolitan areas.”

Krissy Nelligan, a hairstylist and make-up artist who works at Vanity Salon & Boutique, began doing destination weddings a decade ago. “That’s when they first started in Saratoga, but in the last five years, they’ve really increased.”

THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF POPULARITY

The Spa City’s universal appeal, enviable location, and relative newness to the destination wedding market has placed it in high demand. Light says the biggest challenge lies in demand exceeding venue availability. “Saratoga is the only location I’ve encountered where the wait list is a year or more. People who book destination weddings don’t want a hotel ballroom. They want private estates, barns, places with character. The Hall of Springs, National Museum of Dance, Canfield Casino, and Batcheller Mansion Inn are all wonderful, but Saratoga needs more similar venues.”

With spring and summer weddings booked at full throttle, the experts agree that reserving in the off-season or on a weekday is a great idea, particularly if you want to plan the event within the span of a year or less.

“If people want some of the more popular venues in town, we’ll sometimes suggest a New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day wedding,” says Ellis. “It’s all on the table now.”

Though on the surface it seems like a destination wedding involves an inordinate amount of planning and money, experts say it’s borne of a desire for a milestone moment not to be over in a flash. “They spend all this time and money planning an event; it’s over in a day, and they’ve barely had time to say hello to friends and family they rarely get to see,” says Light. “With destination weddings, both sides of a family can get to know each other over a weekend, and it’s fun.”

“Destination weddings are often more enjoyable because of the intimate size,” says Baker, who estimates 20 percent of Mazzone’s wedding business is destination weddings. “The average is 80 to 100 people.”

COSTS AND EFFECTS

For better or for worse, experts say there’s no clear-cut rule as to who pays for destination-incurred expenses such as transportation and hotels, which makes Saratoga an attractive option for many. “There are people with the means to cover the travel expenses of their guests, but most don’t,” says Ellis.

“For a five-hour travel period you can be in Cancun, but it will cost you $1,700 to get there. It’s much more affordable to jump in the car instead.”

Many caterers and hotels offer price breaks for weddings booked off-season or on a weekday. “We usually offer about a 15 percent discount for weddings booked off-peak and a 20 percent discount for weddings booked mid-week,” says Baker.

Ironically, some couples choose a destination wedding as a cost-cutting strategy, says Light. “Couples have told me that if they choose a location in proximity to a hometown, they may have 300 people show, whereas with a destination wedding, the guest list is often 100 people or fewer.”

“Destination weddings are lavish, but not as lavish as, say, staying home and doing Tiffany gifts for the bridal party,” says Ellis. “Weddings, especially destination weddings, are signature moments; there’s a weight to them. People want a magical time that transcends their everyday life.”

Fortunately, the lavish-factor can be adjusted. “It’s a numbers game; the best way to save is keep the guest list down,” says Light. “If you invite 100 people to a $100-a head reception, that’s already $10,000, and doesn’t include the dress, flowers, photography, and music. The average wedding for 150 is $30,000, and that’s a tight budget.”

Ellis said his aim is to make constructing a destination wedding less overwhelming for a couple. “I’m the first point of contact. I don’t provide wedding planning but help in the first steps of it,” he says. “I’ll take couples to site visits and introduce them to the parties involved.” He notes that saratoganyweddings.com and discoversaratoga.org have comprehensive lists of venues, caterers, photographers, florists, disc jockeys, bands, make-up artists, and other vendors involved in the production and design of weddings.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau President Todd Garofano said that based on feedback he has received from members in recent years, the destination market in Saratoga is lucrative and growing.

“Nationwide it’s a $10 billion-dollar industry and climbing. But in order to fully realize our potential, we had to develop a marketing plan,” Garofano says. “Tom brings more than 20 years’ experience with weddings and special events. We’re thrilled with the results we’re seeing.”

This past fall, Baker attended the Wedding Salon show in New York, a major industry event where Saratoga Springs was represented in the destination line-up for the first time, competing head-to-head with cruise lines and global resorts such as Aruba and Cancun. “Destination weddings are great for the area economy,” she says, “because people are staying the weekend and not just driving away after the wedding reception.”

“Saratoga’s no longer dead after Labor Day,” says Ellis. “It has always been a destination, and now it’s becoming a place for destination weddings.”

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