Saratoga Thoughts April 7, 2012

OK I haven't done one of these in a couple of weeks so here we go:

• I see the Harness track will open back up on April 11th.  That is doubly good news - the fact that the equine disease strangles is apparently contained means the Oklahoma Track can open on time the weekend of April 14-15. 
• Hey the Megabus is here!  Great prices, useless schedule.  It leaves Saratoga at 7pm and arrives in NYC at 10:30, and leaves NYC at 8:30am and arrives in the Spa City at noon.  Huh?  The Saratogian has an article here.
• It looks like the prep work is beginning (in other words an ugly fence has gone up) on the building that is going up next to the Bread Basket on Spring Street. 

• Speaking of The Bread Basket, I am trying to eat healthy but yesterday I had a bear claw from there.  Geez that was freakin' delicious.  Gigantic too. I guess that's why they call them "bear" claws and not....squirrel paws.
• Restaurant updates:  PJ Davis advises me he is hoping to open the new PJ's Barbecue (new name:  "PJ's Bar-B-QSA") in early May.  Elizabeth's Table should be opening up soon.  I assume Russo's is getting close as well.  We're at least a month out from David Zecchini's new Broadway Spanish tapas restaurant Boca Bistro.  The new Arby's that is going into the old Grey Gelding location should be finished by late June.
• I love our library but I hate hate hate the new tables on the second floor.  The old ones were roomy, sturdy, and comfortable, but these little replacements look like they are for third graders.
• I was kidding above on the Arby's in the Grey Gelding.
• I saw on Tom Dimopoulos' Facebook page that his position was eliminated from the Post-Star.  In other words he was let go.  That sucks - first of all because he is a great reporter and a class act, and second of all does that mean the Post Star is giving up on Saratoga news?  Perhaps - the Saratoga Snippets blog hasn't been updated in a month - and that was an entry by Dimopoulos.
• Click here to find out about the Nacre Spring dance performance at Universal Preservation Hall
• Man that addition on the Wilton YMCA is huge - it appears to be about the size of the original building.
• I had a note to write something about SPAC, but I don't remember what it was.  If anyone has any SPAC news or thoughts, feel free to comment and help a blogger out.
• If you need to make last minute Easter plans - Maestro's, The Wishing Well, and Capriccio Saratoga are a few of the restaurants that will be open - but there are several others as well.

OK that's about it folks.  Have a great Easter!

Comments

[Ben Schuyler]

Tom Dimopoulos position being eliminated is not a good thing. He is a nice human being and a talented reporter/writer. It is also not good for the community to lose a daily newspaper. I do not think the Post Star is a bad paper but I know that in its core - Washington and Warren County that it is not well thought of. The locals like the Chronicle and Mirror.

[Kyle York]

The loss of Tom is crushing for genuine newshounds. He was part of the best regional newsteam... today's scene is now a whole bunch worse for the Post-Star and the Folks-Here.

[Rob]

The Post-Star has been in decline for some time and Ken Tingley still believes they are on par with the NY Times rather than simply a local newspaper. I believe there were a number of cuts in the newsroom at the paper, not just Dimopoulos.

And nice one on the Arby's. I was in Saratoga this weekend visiting family and was surprised nothing seemed to be going on in that space. We did have a nice dinner at Wheatfield's and some beers at DA's though. Still the best jukebox ever!

[Dan]

Yes Rob I guess there were at least a few more people let go from the Post-Star. I imagine something may happen at the old Grey Gelding by summer, but I guess now is the time for it to start happening or it won't be ready by then. You'd think landlords would work with places rather than insisting on high rent only to see the place go empty. How many months of no rent did this owner go through so far? Same with where the Cupcake Lab used to be - it's been empty ever since it closed and will likely remain that way for a long time. Do these landlords feel any stewardship to make downtown vibrant or is it all about the almighty buck?

[Tom]

You had me on the Arby's post. Good thing I kept reading. Was about to post this awful news on FB.