Vibe Check: The Rotary Club's 100th Anniversary Gala
Featuring little-known historical facts from everyone's favorite Saratoga teacher. PLUS: Cocktails & Clairvoyance, the fate of Gaffney's and rallying behind a longtime Saratoga bartender.
When I told my boyfriend that we had tickets to the Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs’ 100th anniversary gala, he asked me what the Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs was. I admitted that I wasn’t really sure.
But the next day, I found myself chatting with a man I’d never met before at the ribbon-cutting for SoBro Conservancy’s new shed. “What’s your involvement in all this?” I asked him.
“I’m with the Rotary Club,” he said. “We purchased the materials for the shed.”
Of course, buying lumber for a BOCES class to build a shed for a local nonprofit is but a small fraction of the work the Rotary Club has done in recent memory alone, I’d soon learn. In the last five years, the Saratoga Springs chapter has awarded major gifts to Wellspring, the Senior Center and the Children’s Museum, all of which relocated to new buildings, and volunteered for the Salvation Army, Franklin Community Center, Rebuilding Together, Sustainable Saratoga and Habitat for Humanity. It’s given more than $600,000 in post-secondary education and vocational training scholarships to Saratoga area students since 1997, raised money for ShelterBoxes sent to international conflict zones, and even donated two water buffaloes to a community in Southeast Asia.
Not knowing any of this yet, I responded to the man, who turned out to be Rotary Club President Bill Bergan. “Oh, I’m going to your gala this weekend!”
“It’s not every day the Rotary Club celebrates its centennial,” Bill said, dryly. “I’ve heard it’s every 100 years.”
And celebrate we did. Last Saturday, the Canfield Casino hosted dozens of Saratoga Springs Rotarians, their family and friends, politicians and at least one member of the Saratoga Springs Lions Club—Saratogian Bruce Clements—whom keynote speaker and former Saratoga Springs Rotarian Dave Patterson made sure to call out. “The first project of the first Rotary Club was the installation of public toilets in Chicago,” Dave said. “Would a Lion know that, Bruce?” Playing up the friendly rivalry between two of the largest service-oriented organizations in the country, Dave also pointed out that Saratoga Springs’ Rotary Club was founded a whole year before its Lions Club.
Before Dave took the stage, proclamations were made, club awards were given out, glasses were raised, and Bill presented the Saratoga Springs Library with the Rotary’s centennial gift: a check for $50,000 that will go toward the library’s reconfiguration. We guests also had a chance to mingle over a silent auction, beer by Whitman Brewing, music by the Déjà Vu Jazz Ensemble and dinner by Wandering Food Dude. At our table, I met Clifton Park residents Simone and Glen, who by the end of the evening had invited us to their annual Jamaican barbecue later this summer. Glen admitted that part of the reason he’d wanted to attend the event was to see Dave, whom he’d had as a teacher in high school. “He’s a trip,” he said.
Dave’s history lesson began with the days of John Morrissey, who after founding Saratoga Race Course opened what would come to be called the Canfield Casino “because he needed a place to take people’s money at night.” Legend has it, the well-heeled customers could pick a trout from the fish pond behind the restaurant, and workers would parade the fish through the restaurant to the kitchen, where they would promptly put it in a pipe leading back to the pond. Then they’d serve the customer the trout they already had prepared.
Dave jumped ahead to the 20th century, when the Rotary Club was founded, and shortly thereafter became “Rotary International” when Winnipeg formed a chapter. In the Saratoga chapter’s founding year, Dave continued, The Charleston was all the rage, and Frank Sinatra’s “It Had to Be You” was the most popular song. Kleenex were invented, and a Ford Model T went for $260. “Craig, remember that first year?” he said, jokingly, to one of the older Rotarians in the audience. The first meeting of the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club took place in the building that’s now Roohan Realty on Broadway.
Since then, Dave continued, the Rotary Club has presented 50 Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Shows, hosted field days and bridge tournaments, published its own newspaper, and even conducted meetings as singalongs (“Bill, this must be brought back.”) As he wrapped up his speech, Dave, for once, got serious…kind of. “None of us know what the future holds,” he said. “If we did, we’d bet the Belmont. But we stand on the shoulders of some great people, and the club is in good hands. What Rotary really is is each of you.”
—Natalie
Quote of the Week
“The only thing I know that adds up to 100 years is the New York State budget negotiations.”
—Senator Jim Tedisco at the Rotary’s 100th Anniversary Gala
A Spirited Good Time
When evidential medium Christine Seebold-Walrath asked the crowd at Saratoga Living’s 4th annual Cocktails & Clairvoyance group medium reading who had been before, only a few of us raised our hands. It was an auspicious start. You never know what spirit is going to say or do, but with a room full of new faces, it was guaranteed to be a unique night. But first: cocktail hour. The day had been a tropical 89 degrees, but the evening was spectacular. Guests brought their plates of food and glasses of wine outside to relax on the lawn of the Gideon Putnam, which resumes operations this weekend.
When it was time to open the doors, the crowds were ready. As were the spirits of loved ones on the other side: The first few minutes brought an older gentleman who wore the same pants every day, and a hilarious life-of-the-party mother-in-law. “She sees her husband’s dirty dishes stacked in the sink. Tell him he’s in trouble!” There were more somber messages from relatives who didn’t get to say goodbye, or wanted their families to know that they were OK. And most of all, there was healing.
The “evidential” in her title references Christine’s knack for detail, ideal for proving any first-time skeptics that their loved ones are indeed still around. “I see a bicycle,” Christine said, when reading messages from a 6-month-old baby who wanted his mom to know that he’s still near her. “There’s a bicycle on his tombstone,” said the mom. “Double entwined hearts?” “Our picture frame with his photos.” “Do you have a mice problem?” “YES!” “He’s still here.” There were other grieving moms, grieving grandkids, and two grieving siblings. “I see three brothers in the family buried together,” Christine said, “and all but one died of a heart problem.” “Yes, their ashes are all together and one died in a car accident.” “That heart condition runs in the family. They want you to make sure that all the men in the family get checked young—at 17. And this might sound strange, but their symbol is the hawk.” I gasped a little. I happen to know this family and later counted five times in my text messages that they have had crazy stories involving hawks.
When the reading was over, the beautiful Frank Gallo centerpieces went home with whomever at the table had the nearest birthday. “My birthday is next week!” exclaimed someone at my table. “And tonight was a birthday present!” A beautiful evening of laughter, healing and hope? Sounds like a great gift to me.
—Abby
Hello, Fellow
This month, Palette and the Saratoga Regional YMCA teamed up to offer five deserving individuals the opportunity to fuel their entrepreneurial or professional journeys while simultaneously taking care of their bodies. The first-of-its-kind fellowship program will give those selected one-year free memberships to both Palette and the Y. “This collab is a great opportunity for solopreneurs, small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and remote professionals,” says Palette’s Marcella Hammer. “These individuals will receive unparalleled support to elevate their business acumen while prioritizing their mental, physical and spiritual wellness.” Applications are open now through May 31; you can nominate yourself or someone you know. In order to qualify, you must reside in Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Renesselaer, Schenectady or Albany county.
Haute Property
In case you missed it, Cady Hill, the home of the late Marylou Whitney, is on the market. Located on more than 120 acres off Geyser Road in Saratoga, the property dates back to the 1700s, when it was a stagecoach shop (rumor has it, George Washington even stayed there). In addition to a four-story estate (boasting seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and two half baths), the property features manicured rose gardens, four fountains, three gazebos, a gate house, a heated nine-car garage, a pool house with a heated pool, a tennis court and a chapel with an organ. Listed by Julie & Co., Cady Hill could be yours for $16 million.
Bar Grab
If an idyllic 120-acre estate isn’t your cup of tea, you can get one of the highest-trafficked corners in downtown Saratoga for a fraction of the price. Gaffney’s, the bar and restaurant located on the corner of Caroline and Putnam streets that fell from grace and was forced to shut down temporarily following a string of violent incidents in 2022, is facing potential foreclosure due to alleged failure to pay the mortgage for March, April and May as well as $273,704 in real property taxes. The property—not the business—has been listed for sale for $4.6 million, and Saratogians were quick to call on Barstool President and Saratoga super fan Dave Portnoy to step up and buy it. According to his social media, he’s considering it, or, at the very least, leading locals on.
Money Shots
Here are just a handful of the pics photographer Ethan Thompson snapped at last Thursday’s Shaken & Stirred fundraiser for Universal Preservation Hall. (If you missed it, be sure to read our Vibe Check recap of the night!) Don’t see yours? The rest will be shared in print in “The Races!” issue, out mid-July.
Industry Backers
This week, Saratoga’s bar/restaurant industry—and many customers it serves—rallied behind one of its own. Taya Matthews, a staple in Saratoga’s bar scene who recently launched a pop-up program at Lucy’s Bar, announced on social media that doctors had found a pituitary macroadenoma, a slow-growing noncancerous tumor in her brain that recently caused vision impairment in her left eye. (In true Taya fashion, she’s already named the tumor “Pituitaya.”) While her doctors are confident they’ll be able to remove it, Taya’s friends have created a GoFundMe to get her through the surgery’s two-month recovery, during which she won’t be able to work. In a few short days, they’ve already raised more than $20,000 that will help pay for medical bills and cover the costs of living while she’s out of work. You can contribute to the cause here.
ICYMI
Behind the Scenes: Summer 2024 Issue