How to ditch those pesky AI recaps
PLUS: Pet adoption, love potion and fixing Sunday evening couch inertia.
Anyone else feeling AI fatigue?
Over the weekend, I finally turned off those annoying “recaps” that started popping up on my Gmail and text messages. (For Gmail: gear/settings —> smart features. For iPhone texts: settings —> messages —> summarize messages OFF.)
Then I disabled everything “Apple Intelligence & Siri” while I was at it.
Huge relief: I feel in control of my own phone again.
AI is here to stay, of course, and it’s been an extremely valuable coworker as I embark on this wild Dispatch startup ride. (Guess who 🙋♀️ has a first birthday coming up?)
But I don’t need it to summarize an email from my mom.
Or write a Dispatch.
And you deserve to get your community’s news and events from an actual neighbor — one with a soul, the occasional typo, and a passion for Saratoga.
Thank you for being here.
— Abby
🚨 Two more hours to sign up to join us Wednesday for Dinner Club! Take a quick quiz Cosmopolitan magazine style, and sit back. We’ll text you everything you need to know — you just show up to dinner and make new friends. I’ll be at Bibulous after to meet you. See you there!
Holy two-peat
The Saratoga Central Catholic Saints are Class C state baseball champs — again. I hear they arrived home Saturday night by bus, escorted by local police and fire departments. Congrats, guys!
You had me at ‘elixir’
The drama! The comedy! The Italian! And local celeb Tom Denny to explain it all.
Everyone’s favorite retired Skidmore professor and music department chair will talk everything Elixir of Love this Wednesday at noon at the downtown library. Donizetti’s comedic opera about a peasant (and his love potion) trying to win over his crush will be performed at UPH by Opera Saratoga June 21 to June 27.
For more info on Tom’s talk, head to sspl.libcal.com.
‘Off menu’ first of its kind on Phila Street
Starting tomorrow, the bar at Standard Fare will open early for a summer happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. — think $10 Tiny Tinis, $4 PBRs, $8 wines and budget-friendly snacks.
And last night at a super-fun celeb wine tasting featuring vino from SJP, Mary J. Blige and John Legend, the hotspot’s owners made another big announcement:
Sunday nights will now be a prix fixe sitch called “Off Menu.”
For these special evenings, Chef Joseph Michaud will create a five-course seasonal tasting menu ($98 per person, plus tax, tip and bevs). The first three will be June 28, July 12 and July 26.
"We couldn't be more excited," says co-owner Clark Gale. "Watching Joe experiment in the kitchen is, in itself, a culinary event — and now we have the pleasure of sharing it with our guests. There's nothing else like it."
For make you reservation, visit standardfaresaratoga.com.
Cuteness incoming
The Saratoga County Animal Shelter has about 50 dogs and cats looking for their forever home, and you can meet them Saturday at the shelter’s open house. No appointment necessary, but it helps to fill out the adopter application ahead of time — and if you rent your home, bring proof of landlord approval.
Friends of the Saratoga County Animal Shelter will host a bake sale (and do face painting), and Sasquatch Soft Serve Ice Cream Truck will be on hand. The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit will hold a demo at 1 p.m., followed by a performance by the Witch Walk of SOSA.
The open house goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 6010 County Farm Road in Ballston Spa; for more info visit saratogacountyanimalshelter.com.
📰 IN BRIEF
A six-story, mixed-use luxury condos projects has been proposed, reports Albany Business Review.
Baeza and Sovereignty’s final pre-Stephen Foster workouts at the Oklahoma has trainer Bill Mott in good spirits before heading to Churchill Downs for the big race on June 27, says Daily Racing Form.
Saturday’s Flag Parade was a patriotic good time as seen in photos published in the Daily Gazette.
Community-building
After Friday’s story on the local filmmakers — including Spencer Sherry — who are headed to Hollywood with Ryan Jenkins’ short film, Sherry was recognized at the Beekman Street Art Fair by a budding young filmmaker. The teenager had been pumped to read that locals will be able to see the film on July 10. “It’s near my birthday,” he told Sherry, “so it feels like a gift.”
To attend the local premiere, visit eventbrite.com.
I was also thrilled to hear today that some of you will now have booths at Shelley Pettit’s paranormal event August 15. The all-day immersion into New York’s paranormal culture still has some slots open. Write to her if you fall under one of these categories: paranormal investigator, haunted attraction, psychic, tarot reader, crystal and jewelry vendor, horror artist, author, gothic and fantasy creator, taxidermy and oddities vendor, spiritual wellness businesses, candle-maker and apothecary vendor.
Email Shelley at: hauntedinny@gmail.com.
📌 ICYMI…
Saratoga film 🎬 goes Hollywood
ISO psychics, tarot readers, crystal vendors, artists. 🗓️ Weekly events calendar June 11-17
The Spa 🏇 saved the best for last: 17 reasons I love Saratoga, Belmont edition
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Local, real, never corporate.
— Abby
