Column as I see ’em – thoughts and commentary from Saratoga Report founder and publisher Dan De Federicis

And heeeeeeeere we go:

• • I understand all the construction at the Van Dam has caused the closure of Starbucks until at least summer.  I don’t hate Starbucks but it’s the last place I’d go for coffee downtown, so even though I have an office close by this won’t affect me and it probably won’t affect you.
  • Just a little ways down Broadway from Starbucks a new restaurant/bar is going in the old Stadium location. The place has been gutted and is being rebuilt on the inside. I understand they will put the bar in the middle of the room and that the owners of Druthers are involved to some degree, but I haven’t been able to get a return call to find out more.  If anyone knows more please email me dan@saratoga-report.com.
  • Further north on Broadway:  I hope Compton’s outlasts me.  I’ll be sad someday when the place closes down and becomes some sort of boutique.  It’s just pretty neat to order some old-fashioned breakfast food at a decent price and old-style diner placemats with the ads on them.  I miss the pay phone.
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  • Good lord!  Horse racing had a bad 48 hours last week.  First, on Sunday December 5 jockey Irad Ortiz was suspended for 30 days for two “Careless Riding” incidents in the previous two days.  Then the next day we heard that embattled Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit collapsed and died of a heart attack after a morning workout.  That was just terribly sad news, but it also angered those of us that are convinced so many horses are being drugged and essentially killed.  Medina Spirit’s death had the anti-horse racing advocates, plus a few newspaper columnists, screaming for the end of horse racing.  Those of us who are horse racing fans could only wince.  If we don’t clean up this sport ourselves, it will simply go the way of Greyhound Racing and the circus.  Stop rearranging those deck chairs while continuing reports about increased handle please!  This sport needs to be cleaned up or it simply will be gone, and that will harm all of Saratoga whether you’re a horse racing fan or not.
    • Back to one of Irad Ortiz’s alleged careless riding incidents, link to this video from the December 3rd race and scroll to about 40 seconds to see the offense.  One might argue that Ortiz’s actions were more than careless.  Fortunately jockey Omar Hernandez Moren, who fell off the horse, was not seriously injured.  Did I mention this sport needs to be cleaned up?
    • From the serious to the minor:  Anyone disagree with me that it’s time that NYRA, the city, or whatever entity is responsible, to update these signs around town pointing people to the track?  They’re dated and faded (sounds like something Muhammad Ali would say describing an opponent.) and it’s time for shiny and colorful new ones.
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  • There are two deadly and really horrific incidents that occurred in the Capital Region in the last 3 years that you are no doubt familiar with that I would like to mention. They did not take place in Saratoga County, however it gives me pause when I think about the fact that both occurrences have key connections to the Saratoga Springs area.  The first one is the horrible October 2018 limousine crash in Schoharie County, which killed an astounding 20 people. The limo involved was owned by a company from Wilton. The Saratoga Springs Mavis location on South Broadway reportedly performed maintenance and an inspection on it on several occasions earlier in 2018, and a former Mavis manager has asserted the owner was billed for services not performed, according to a 2020 article in the Daily Gazette.  The second horrible incident was the 2019 grisly murder of deli worker Allyzibeth Lamont by the deli owner and a coworker at the shop in Johnstown.  The owner, Georgios Kakavelos, once ran the Saratoga Diner and had plans to return here to open a business.  These two savages, who are now both serving prison terms, then dumped Lamont’s body in a shallow grave near Northway Exit 13.  As a father, I shudder for the families of both the limo crash victims and Ms. Lamont.  These aren’t recent occurrences but they will remain in my head, and presumably many of yours, for a long time.

• • Shifting to more lighthearted news, the 2022 SPAC concert lineup is rounding out nicely.  Some of the venue’s 2022 Live Nation shows have been scheduled since this past spring when several artists postponed their 2021 shows. I’m not sure I’ll make it to the REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy show August 17, but those 3 bands were huge in my teenage years and I would recognize every last one of their hits.  Many of the other Live Nation Shows are bands/artists that reached their heights in the 1970’s and 80’s, and even a few artists like Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Robert Plant (led Zeppelin), who started in the 1960s(!).  My point is that even though I barely recognize OAR and have no idea about the band Dispatch (both playing SPAC August 21), I am very familiar with most of the arts center’s other Live Nation Acts.  So either I am not as old and out of it as I thought I was, or SPAC’s concert lineup skews towards the geezer set.  Guessing the latter.

OK folks, I had some more but that will have to wait until next week.   Have a great weekend!