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On Saturday May 12th I had the extreme pleasure of being a guest at the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation annual dinner. The event was held at the Saratoga Polo Club. It had to be their first outdoor event of the year and everything was outstanding! The Room (tent) was filled with Saratoga Springs dignitaries and preservation junkies.
Attendees included: the Honorable Mayor Valerie Keehn and Husband Dave, Julie and Bob Stokes—Julie is one of the forefathers of preservation in this town and Bob of course is a Red Sox fan. Supervisor Joanne Yepsen; Charlie Wheeler—Charlie is the new Facilities Manager of Saratoga Race Course--lets hope he can bring the spirit of preservation to whomever is running the race course in the future; Jim & Elizabeth Rossi—Jim is the Owner of Saratoga Polo. Jim and Elizabeth oversaw one of the most extensive and impressive renovoations of their home on N. Broadway. Rumor has it the kids didn’t know life without workers in the house until they entered Junior High School.; The delightful Carrie Woerner, Director of the preservation foundation; The lovely & very talented designer Susy Shafer, owner of the most photographed home in Saratoga. Bob and Heidi West—Bob is the owner of Old Saratoga Restoration which theses days seem to have more signs up in town than Roohan Realty. Dieter and Michelle Funiciello of the Circular Manor B&B—another superb example of restoration; and Tom Frost, husband of Carol Tarantino. Honorees for the evening were Gene Corsale and Rich Martin. Rich “chaching, chaching” Martin of Northern Dean was honored for a long and storied career in restoration of historic buildings. Julie Stokes gave a wonderful introduction speech which actually bordered on a roast. She told some great stories about the excellent work Rich has done in town over some 30 years. If you haven’t met Rich you may know him from the segments on home improvement he does for Channel 9. Rich is a really colorful guy and his acceptance speech was like a best of Rich Martin one liners. His best line was a response to Julie’s jokes. He said “unlike most people who collect antiques Julie marries them”. Ouch. I was surprised to learn that the venerable builder with a Texas drawl and cowboy boots is in fact from NJ—go figure. I’ve got to believe there is a similar award in the future for Bob West of Old Saratoga. Last Monday’s Saratogian showed 10 houses that received awards from the Preservation Foundation. If my count is correct Bob and his crew did some work on at least 6 of the award winners. Nice work Old Saratoga! The food at the Saratoga Polo Club was fantastic. The meal opened with a perfectly done Ceasar Salad followed by choice of entrée. I had Ahi Tuna which was superb, perfectly prepared, and clearly made from the best fish available. The service was good too which is impressive for such a large crowd. Hopefully it’s a sign of whats to come at the Polo Club this summer. About the Happy Rambler: The Happy Rambler loves Saratoga! So much to do, so many great people to meet and hang out with. I am always open for suggestions of restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, experiences that make Sarataga Springs the greatest place to live. Please email me at
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with comments, cracks, criticisms and of course suggestions on where I should to next. |
