'Why I’m contributing to the Saratoga Dispatch'
PLUS: 'La bohème,' explained and the lovely origin story behind the new Curtis Preserve.
Why I’m contributing to the Saratoga Dispatch
The Dispatch’s newest writer, Kathleen Willcox, on the state of daily news and why she’s all in on Substack.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Where do you get your news? When I started out at a local newspaper in Westchester County called the Lewisboro Ledger, everyone in town got their local news there.
This was back way back in 2000. Flash forward, and the number of U.S. newspapers has declined precipitously. Since 2005, more than 3,200 newspapers have folded, and continue to, at a clip of about two a week. The State of the Local News Project estimates that by end of this year, the U.S. will have lost one third of its print newspapers over two decades.
The local newspaper, for generations, has been an integral part of the American cultural, social and political landscape. (Where else can you read about the champion high school basketball latest victory, gawk at photographs from the recent charity gala, and learn about the leading candidates for District Attorney?)
Increasingly, that’s Substack. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t discover a major author sharing deep and existential thoughts here, a favorite chef dishing up new recipes that I can’t wait to try, and dozens of established and would-be-journalists-if-the-news-business-were-still-viable dropping stories both local and global, trite and deep.
Which is a long way of saying, that when I’m not on the road covering wine, food, and culture for a range of publications, I’m going to pop in here to share news and views from my home base, Saratoga Springs. Local news matters. What’s going on down the street — in schools, restaurants, breweries, factories, car shops — matters.
See you here at the Saratoga Dispatch, at my own drinks- and luxury-focused Substack, Good + Tasty, and hopefully at schools, restaurants, breweries, factories and car shops.
‘La bohème’ — think ‘Rent’ but in Paris — arrives Dec. 5
Opera Saratoga takes on the timeless masterpiece with all-ages appeal — even for those who don’t know their Wagner from their Bellini.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — What can a tragic opera about the poverty, illness and misery of young artists in 1830s Paris tell us about life today?
Well, as it turns out, everything. (At least in the all-important life departments of love, ambition and youthful idealism).
This classic opera by Giocomo Puccini, which follows the story of a bohemian poet and his lover — and that of their friends — has universal, timeless themes that will resonate with audience members of all ages today, even if they don’t know their Wagner from their Bellini.
“Bohème is incredible for beginners because it is structurally a masterpiece,” says Mary Birnbaum, general and artistic director of Opera Saratoga, which is putting on a concert version of La bohème Dec. 5 at UPH. “The way Puccini paints the images on stage is amazing. And it’s the story of being young and in love, which is universally relevant.”
Birnbaum explains that the story should be familiar to anyone who has seen the musical or movie Rent.
“It’s about bohemian artists living in a garret in Paris’ Latin Quarter,” Birnbaum says. “They’re starving on Christmas Eve, and go to a bar. They leave behind the mopey poet Rodolfo who wants to finish his writing.”
But as fate would have it, Rodolfo gets a knock on the door from his beautiful neighbor, Mimi, who needs him to light her candle because it’s dark in her apartment. The meet-cute-in-poverty moment leads to a love connection, but not one without complications.
And speaking of complications, Rodolfo’s artist friends — Marcello and his lover, Musetta — have the kind of tempestuous relationship generally confined to “reality” television love plots à la Temptation Island.
Add to this cocktail a heady blend of fatal tuberculosis, extreme poverty and the idealism of youth, and you have a show that in Birnbaum’s hands is as fast-paced as it is exciting.
The cast is as compelling as the plot, with a number of stars on the rise, including Shelèn Hughes, who is playing the role of Musetta. Hughes is a Bolivian-American soprano who most recently sang the role of the sorceress Morgana in Handel’s Alcina at Opera Frankfurt. Kayla Rae Stein, appearing as Mimi, most recently appeared in the same role in Aspen under the guidance of Renée Fleming.
Daniel O’Hearn, who performs Rodolfo, recently graduated from one of the top young artists programs in the world, the Lindemann program at the Metropolitan Opera.
Tickets are on sale now, and going fast. The show goes on December 5 at 7 pm. Runtime is 80 minutes, and tickets start at $25.
Check out Kathleen Willcox’s next-level wine Substack, Good + Tasty!
IN PICTURES
Hewison Aviation was welcomed to the Saratoga County Airport at a recent ribbon cutting celebration with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The business offers flight training services by experienced instructors. More information is available at hewisonaviation.com.
The new Curtis Preserve you’ve been hearing about: all the details
Saratoga PLAN’s new trail entices with all the woodsy Adirondack goodness — and the loveliest origin story.
Saratoga County now has a new trail for adventurers to explore with the opening of Saratoga PLAN’s new Curtis Preserve in Corinth.
The 127-acre property follows the historic “Blue Line” that defines the Adirondack Park with mixed forest and flowing brook providing critical wildlife habitat and serving as an important link for regional wildlife connectivity.
The preserve was made possible through the generosity of Patricia LeClair and her family. She and her neighbor Mary Curtis shared a love of the woods that connected their properties and often walked together. After the Curtises passed, LeClair inherited their land and later chose to donate it to Saratoga PLAN to ensure its permanent protection.
“I walked those woods for many years,” LeClair says. “I hope that people will enjoy them as much as I did.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce was held on Oct. 23 to celebrate LeClair’s gift to the community. More than 30 people attended, including her daughters Pam and Tari, Senator James Tedisco, Assemblyman Matt Simpson, Town of Corinth Supervisor Eric Butler, as well as PLAN staff, supporters and community members.
“My mother’s gift of land is not surprising considering how she raised my sister and me,” Tari shared at the ceremony. “We grew up exploring farms, fields and woods, and learning to love nature. We want to thank Saratoga PLAN staff and supporters for their conservation efforts across the region.”
Community involvement played an important role in shaping the Curtis Preserve. Locals provided feedback through surveys that helped guide decisions about public access, and volunteers — including employees from Regeneron during the company’s Day for Doing Good — helped build and mark trails.
Support for this project came from the Saratoga County Trails & Open Space Committee through the Farmland Protection and Open Space Grant Program, which funded $32,900 to cover transactional costs, as well as the Nature Conservancy’s Climate Resilience Grant Program that contributed $25,000 toward future stewardship needs of the property.
Learn more and download a trail map at saratogaplan.org.
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TGIF, everybody!
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Welcome to the Dispatch Kathleen Willcox!!