Harness racing has returned to Saratoga Casino Hotel for its 81st season.

 The winter/spring schedule began Feb. 5 and features Saturday, Sunday and Monday racing. First race post time is 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon on Sundays and Mondays.

The summer live racing schedule will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights with a post time of 6:45 p.m. Racing runs through mid-December. 

“We’re very excited to start our 81st season of live harness racing here at the historic spa oval,” said John Matarazzo, director of racing. “We want to thank our loyal fans for all their support and our horsemen for all their hard work during challenging times due to the pandemic. We’re looking forward to a great 2022 with 150 exciting live racing programs.”

“This year, horsemen will be competing for over $15 million in purses, averaging $100,000  in purses per program, so we’re expecting some great racing,” said Peter Iovino, race secretary. “We’ve also increased the purse of our signature race, the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace, to $250,000. We’re confident this race will attract a field of top pacers.”

Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo G. Calbone will retire later this year, ending a 16-year tenure that transformed both the hospital and healthcare in the region.

 “Every family in Saratoga County has access to better healthcare because of what Angelo and his team have built,” said Michael J. Toohey, Saratoga Hospital board of trustees chairperson in lauding the impact of the CEO and his team. “They have expanded and improved services, invested in facilities, technology and talent, and elevated the quality of care and reputation of this hospital.”

 Equally important, Toohey added, “They have laid the foundation for Saratoga County residents to continue to benefit from excellent healthcare for years to come.”

 Calbone intends to step down by the end of the summer, fulfilling a long-standing promise to his family that he would retire at age 65. He informed the board of trustees in January to provide ample time to name his successor, who will be recruited via a nationwide search that will include internal and external candidates.

For Calbone, it has been a labor of love and, above all, a team effort.

 “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this community with this team,” he said. “Some of my most vivid memories will be of the courage and commitment they have displayed during the worst public health crisis in recent history.

 “When our community needed them most, our team stepped up—and continues to rise to the occasion,” Calbone added. “They are the driving force behind all our accomplishments. They are Saratoga Hospital.”

 Calbone took the helm at Saratoga Hospital in September 2006. Under his leadership, the hospital has expanded significantly, reflecting his vision of improving the region’s health, in part, by bringing services closer to those in the community. Saratoga Hospital now provides care on three campuses—in Saratoga Springs, Malta and Wilton—and at over 20 locations across the county.

Tara Anne Pleat, of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC, is the 2022 chair of the board of directors of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. 

Pleat assumed the role on Jan. 1, 2022, succeeding Skip Carlson, vice president of external affairs, Saratoga Casino Hotel, who becomes the immediate past chair.

“After two years of shifting pandemic protocols and restrictions on business operations, hope abounds that 2022 is the year when the business community can focus on recovery and growth instead of survival,” said Pleat. “As chair of the Chamber’s 2022 Board of Directors, and as part of our expansive community recovery efforts, my goal is to bring back some of the Chamber’s most influential programming, including Leadership Saratoga and reimagined county-wide job fairs to support local employers challenged by the labor shortage. 

“The Chamber will continue to support the entire community in the hope that those who are able will support the Chamber in return. We believe our community has been,  and always will be,Stronger Together.”

The chair elect for 2022 is Amy Smith, of Saratoga Arms Hotel, who will become the chair in 2023. The 2022 vice chair is Chad Kiesow of Stewart’s Shops. The treasurer and secretary is Randy Metevier of Applied Materials.

New members elected to serve a three-year terms on the board, running through Dec. 31, 2024, include Heath Ames, Cantina; Sue Commanda, Hudson River Community Credit Union; and Eric Hennessey, UHY Advisors. Other members serving three-year terms include Melissa Johnson, Target Distribution; and John Rogan, Saratoga Eagle.

Members elected to serve a one-year term beginning  running through Dec. 31 include Libby Coreno, Bonacio Construction; Chris Lyons, AIM Services; and Jo Anne Hume, Life Works.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

BARE Blends is a new eatery in Saratoga Springs offering dishes like Beach Bum Bowl and Chunky Monkey, smoothies, juices and more.

Sisters Sue Collett and Kim Mackey opened the 18 Congress St. location last month and are already developing a following.

BARE Blends is a new franchise and they are proud to be one of the first ones in the area.  Other Capital District locations include Albany, Clifton Park, and Latham. 

“We see customers of all ages, people who are health focused and just want delicious food.  It makes us so happy to see school-aged customers come in often to get their bowls,” said Mackey.

The made-to-order bowls, smoothies and juices often include “superfoods,” which are nutrient-dense ingredients meant to be a major health boost, all while being plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.  The menu includes protein drinks, sweet and savory waffle toasts, salads, a kids menu and a “bark bowl” for dogs. There is also an assortment of grab-and-go retail items like granola and ingredients that can be used to make a custom BARE Blends juice cleanse. All packaging is considered to be environmentally safe and sustainable.

Mackey said she and her sister knew Annie Berder, who started BARE Blends with her business partner. They fell in love with BARE philosophy. Mackey said having lived in Saratoga for 23 years, they felt confident that it would be a great addition to the downtown area.

“We chose this location because it is within walking distance to Broadway and it has a parking lot which is a hard thing to find in downtown Saratoga,” said Mackey.

By Susan Elise Campbell

A brand new company is tapping into the market for locally crafted beer at 11-13 Washington St. in Ballston Spa, a building owned by the Elliott Family, who are business owners and long-time residents of the community.

Speckled Pig Brewing Co. will be the first in the village to not only serve their own beer on tap, but also to craft their products on site, according to R.J. Elliott, who is managing the project for the brewery’s five owners.

“Nearly two years ago my parents and I purchased a rundown building that we had eyed for many years,” said Elliott, a business analyst and recent graduate of the New York University master’s program in industrial engineering.

The Elliott Family paid $180,000 for a building that the owner George Hannahs used at one time for a storefront beauty salon and for storage over the decades..

Randy Elliott, R.J.’s father, is a local contractor and his construction company is responsible for the build-out. His mother is  Kelly Delaney Elliott, a long-time real estate agent, owns her own brokerage, Elliott Property Services LLC in Ballston Spa.

While the three Elliotts own the building, the brewery has two other co-owners, Larry and Mary Jo Heid.

“I met Kelly while looking for property in Ballston Spa,” Larry Heid said. “I had  started a home brewery with my son five years ago and was at a stage in my life when I was looking for something different.”

The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce announced that Saratoga County Restaurant Week: Save Our Locals Edition will run from Thursday, Feb. 17, to Thursday, Feb. 24 at various restaurants in the area.

“We saw an outpouring of community support with Save Our Locals $20.21, and we wanted to take the opportunity to continue the momentum by reminding our residents that saving our locals doesn’t end now that it’s 2022,” said Todd Shimkus, Chamber president.

Similar to years past, participating restaurants will offer special menus for the week, which patrons will have a chance to enjoy with both takeout and dine-in options. In Save Our Locals fashion, patrons can submit their receipts from participating restaurants throughout the week for a chance to win one of a variety of gift cards.

“Driscoll Foods is thrilled to sponsor Saratoga County’s Restaurant Week: Save Our Locals Edition,” said Steven Donnelly, division vice president, Driscoll Foods. “Our locally owned restaurants are an integral part of Saratoga’s thriving community, and we wish to do all we can to support them in what are still difficult times for the industry. I look forward to seeing the menus these talented chefs come up with and enjoying a great meal with family and friends.”

“Saratoga Eagle is a family-run business whose headquarters started right here in Saratoga Springs,” said John Rogan, general manager, Saratoga Eagle. “Saratoga County was built on small, family-owned, local businesses, and we want to make sure that tradition continues! It’s exciting to have the opportunity to be part of this event, and, as a sponsor, Saratoga Eagle is proud to contribute with Kona Brewing so we can spread liquid aloha and warm thoughts to everyone!”

The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has been spearheading the annual event for the last five years. Most recently, during the height of COVID-19, the Chamber reimagined Restaurant Week as Takeout Month, transforming the traditional event into a month-long opportunity for residents to support local restaurants across the county while also remaining socially distant and staying safe with take-out options.

By Paul Post

Athletes from across the country are converging on Gore Mountain this month, setting the stage for one of the world’s largest sports spectacles a year from now.

The Holeshot Cross Tour (held Feb. 5-11) and USASA Futures Tour ( held Feb. 11-18) give the nation’s top junior freestyle skiers and snowboarders a chance to earn points in their quest to race professionally.

“These are two types of events, ski cross and slope style, we’ll be hosting for next year’s World University Games as well as big air,” said Stephanie Backes, Gore Mountain marketing director. “It’s putting Gore on the map for this caliber of competition and exposing us to people from around the country who have never been here before. It definitely helps lodging and restaurant business.”

World University Games are surpassed in size only by the Olympics, with about 1,600 athletes from 50 nations expected for next year’s competition based in Lake Placid. But Gore will host all freestyle skiing and boarding events, further enhancing its already prominent role as an economic engine in Warren County’s winter tourism industry.

Gore hosted 217,000 guests last winter, up significantly from the 189,000 who visited in 2019/20. Backes attributed this to the COVID-19 pandemic that sparked a major rise in all types of outdoor activity as many other forms of entertainment weren’t available.

In addition, the pandemic gave people working from home more opportunities to take time off. Last year, Gore saw a huge rise in midweek, non-holiday period visits, which have leveled off a bit this winter, but are still higher than pre-COVID attendance.

Through Jan. 31, the state-owned center had welcomed 101,000 visitors this year, with more than two full months to go.