Fun in Saratoga

Saratoga news links March 25, 2008

Feud over water project - Times Union

Region's home prices rise despite slowdown - Times Union

Saratoga Springs Schools discuss budget - Times Union

Shelters of Saratoga fundraiser Thursday - Saratogian

Saratoga Springs Police take on Racino duty - Post Star

Towns to join forces on AMD planning - Gazette

Saratoga news links March 23, 2008

Changing the face of the Spa City - Saratogian

Variety of opportunities wait at local job fair - Saratogian

Joe Bruno: Granny law will help protect seniors - Saratogian commentary from Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno

Red Carpet - Photos-City-Mine blog

Sap sweetening cash flows - Times Union

Farmers take advantage of good maple season - Gazette

KuntslerCast # 4 - Parking Garages - James Howard Kuntsler Podcast

Paper Trail - Imaginative bold wall covering invoke historic Saratoga - Gazette

Saturday pick-me-up

Sure its 21 degrees outside. But the maple syrup is flowing and guess what's coming soon????

Saratoga news links March 22, 2008

OK my "vacation" took longer than I expected.  I can't promise I will continue these entries indefinitely, that little thing called life may trump my daily blogging efforts.  I can do a quick entry in about 20 minutes linking the four local daily newspapers, more involved entries including blogs, Google and Technorati Searches and other feeds I regularly get can take more than an hour.  That's a lot of time cumulative, and I started these as an experiment.  I learned a lot about blog visibility, having Google take notice etc.  Well for now I will continue these.  Thank you for your emails and comments supporting this blog.

No Doubt about it - Siena drops hammer on Vanderbilt - Times Union

Spa slaying suspect faces judge - Times Union

Spend part of summer vacation in Congress - Times Union

Market for condominiums blossomed in '07 - Times Union

Running in Place - YMCA comments on Saratoga Seen blog

Live Nation, SPAC talks under way - Saratogian

AMD project approved as 'Empire Zone' - Saratogian

Summer Season at SPAC a(nother) season in hell - Saratoga Snippets blog

New Travers sponsor on board - Gazette

Roundabout eyed at busy intersection in Saratoga Springs - Gazette

SPAC unveils summer promotions - Gazette

Developers drawn to condo projects - Gazette

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - Win, place, or soak - Washington Post

I am taking a vacation from blogging

OK folks I am going to take about a ten day hiatus from blogging. I hate to do this but this is a lot of work and is a lengthy obligation each day for me. I will enjoy the break and I will return to posting on or about March 13th.  Thank you for your interest - my traffic has gone way up lately so obviously there is an interest in these newslinks out there. Take care.

The good....

OK, first the good:  I have some Saratoga Restaurants that I would like to recommend.  You will notice on the last news posting (Saratoga News links for March 3rd) that I linked a Times Union review for Longfellow's Restaurant, as well as a blog link from a farm that sells products to Beekman Street Bistro.  I have gone to both of those restaurants in the past two months with my girlfriend and we liked both of them. 

I have a friend who is very knowledgable about restaurants and she raves about Beekman Street Bistro. I agree and can't wait to go back and would have to rate it as my favorite Saratoga Restaurant.  I have posted two pictures below from our dinners that night - and trust me the food tasted as good as it looked.  I won't be posting pictures of myself and my girlfriend sitting there, like my friend Gabe Anderson from Blogmaster G does with his wife.  I don't think my girlfriend is quite ready for that yet.  Maybe you can help me convince her to take the plunge Gabe.

 

Finally, Saturday evening I drove back from Buffalo and we were looking for a casual place to get a light meal at about 9:45PM. We had never eaten at Circus Cafe before, so we went there.  Well if you haven't been there expect a very colorful, lively, upbeat, and loud atmosphere.  The soup and salads we ordered were excellent and the waiter was very attentive.  While we were there the karaoke started and let's just say it's an eclectic mix of customers that seemed to be enjoying their Saturday night out.  If you're looking for a decent light casual meal later in the evening and you don't mind a lot of music and noise then Circus Cafe may just work for you.

   

....and the not so good

In a posting from March 2nd, I-Saratoga's "Horation Alger" comments on the departure of Jim Kinney from the Saratogian.  I-Saratoga concludes the post by predicting "In other words, get ready for another dip in Saratogian quality."

Yeesh!

I don't know if I can take another dip.  With that in mind, I need to vent on here about The Saratogian's puff-piece "Raising the bar", which was in the Sunday March 2nd edition and "reports" about all the wonderful things the Bonacio's are doing for the Spa City.

First of all, I don't have a negative opinion about the Bonacios;  I may eventually get there as I become more informed, but I am not against someone just because they are big and successful.  Hell, I'm not even against puff-pieces profiling big and successful people, but hey, Saratogian, would you strive for just a little balance?  Consider the following:

The word "popular" is used to describe the Bonacios' condominium projects five times in the article.  There is not even one question asked in the article that would address concerns surrounding the Bonacios' projects, or condominium projects in general in this city.  We just got statements from the Bonacios and other undocumented assertions that these developments are great for the city. 

• Will we have too many condos in the Spa City?  Will they all sell?  Never asked, just positive statements from the Bonacios as to how wonderful sales are going and their web site "is getting 980 hits each month from 15 different countries". 
• Should one developer be in control of such a large portion of new buildings in one small city?  Never asked. 
• Bonacio stated that only 40% of the owners will live full time in the residential units.  Assuming that is accurate (I wonder if it is lower), shouldn't those of us that want a vibrant city be concerned that 60% of these units will be empty except for August and perhaps a few other times in the year?  Never asked.
• What about the issues of the high prices of these condos (reported as ranging from $388,500 to $750,000), as well as the prices of their new development Park Place (on the site of the old YMCA) and how these prices affect affordability for others?  Never asked.

You get the idea.  I was shocked to see a total of five pictures included with this article.  Isn't that a lot for one article?  Article, or advertisement?  BTW Can they catch the inaccuracies?  Consider this sentence:  "For customers, an agreement with the nearby Price Chopper will provide 280 spaces to be used as valet parking, Bonacio said."  280 spaces?  Wow, I guess I know why they need to close the store and knock the building down.  I've been in the Price Chopper lot - that number has to be way off - how did I catch it but the reporter (or the editors) didn't?  Finally, it's Chianti, not Chianti's.  Or more appropriately:  Chianti il Ristorante.  Some consider Chianti as Saratoga Springs' best restaurant, so can't we expect our local newspaper to get it right?  OK, I've vented enough, and I'm feeling like Andy Rooney. Let me know what you think.   

   

Saratoga news links March 3, 2008

STAR comes with good intentions, major flaws - Saratogian editorial

Caffe Lena wins best small venue - Saratogian

Making horse cents - Saratogian

Kinney's gone - Saratogian City Desk blog

City Hall Mis communication - Saratogian City Desk blog

Popular Longfellows has familiar appeal - Albany Times Union restaurant review

Cooking classes continue in Gansevoort - Albany Times Union Table Hopping blog

Preservation Campaign gets boost - Gazette

Weekend Wrap-up - All Along the Watchtower blog

Weekend recap: Movies, snow, taxes, running - Blogmaster G

CB Sports closing its final two stores - Gazette

Flying Pigs farm - The Cheesemonger's Wife blog with reference to Beekman Street Bistro

NYRA seeks another extension - Daily Racing Form

Tedisco, Spitzer resolve member item dispute - Gazette

Blogroll

Please note that I have added a new blog (new to me anyway) on the blogroll down the right side. The Save the Victoria Pool society blog posts entries and articles relating to the Victoria Pool and other things associated with the Saratoga Spa State Park.  I update the blogroll periodically by adding new ones and deleting those that have not had activity in months.  Here's a picture relevant to this entry that should get you thinking about warmer weather.

Saratoga Springs news links March 2, 2008

Raising the bar - Saratogian article on Franklin Square condominiums

10 years later, hope and hurt continue - Saratogian

P.L.A.N. works to preserve Saratoga - Saratogian

911 loss slows fire response - Saratogian

Emergency Calls getting through, Mayor says - Capital News 9 with video

Week in Review - Times Union

Capital Region cranks up music April 12 - Times Union

So far, area safe at home - Post Star article on subprime mortgage foreclosures' affect on region

Inside 03 02 county lobbying state dk - Post Star article on Saratoga County Supervisors lobbying in Albany for lower property taxes and an end to unfunded mandates.

Annual Home show brings the decorative to life - Post Star

A different view - Post Star Saratoga Snippets blog

Chicken Little - Post Star Saratoga Snippets blog

Wide Open Spaces - Post Star Saratoga Snippets blog

AMD backers forsee ripple effect - Gazette

ECI plans a new care program - Salisbury MD Daily Times article about inmates caring for retired racehorses - with a Saratoga connection

Bumpy road to their dream house - Gazette article about unscrupulous contractors etc.

B.E.S.T. to run Dental Clinic at Saratoga - Bloodhorse.com

Special prosecutor for McClagan case - Capital News 9 with video