Month: June 2026

By Paul Post

Golden Tempo’s dramatic come-from-behind Belmont Stakes victory set the stage for what promises to be an exciting summer season at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, made history by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby and the first to win multiple Triple Crown races.

DeVaux has already mapped out a schedule targeting the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 29, which should no doubt bring huge throngs to the Spa.

“I think the timing is perfect for Golden Tempo to run in the Travers,” said longtime fan Mike Campanile of Long Island. “He is only getting better and the two-plus months between races is perfect. Then it’s almost exactly two months to the Breeders’ Cup. I hope he stays sound.”

Campanile, along with family and friends, is among the legions of visitors who help make Saratoga Race Course one of the Capital Region’s most significant economic engines.

Each day of racing generates an estimated $9 million economic impact. So the benefit from this year’s 51-day schedule is almost half a billion dollars.

Such activity includes direct spending and broader ripple effects, giving a huge boost to local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and retail stores.

By Rod Bacon

“Three generations of flavor, tradition, and heart.”

For Marisa Parillo Rahman, this tagline encapsulates everything she loves about the family-owned Saratoga Springs company she has been running since November 2024, after her father, Marc Parillo, died.

When Rahman assumed leadership of the business, she had plans to significantly expand its market and upgrade its facility to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards.

“We’re one hundred percent at code with the city, state, and federal government,” she said. “The equipment required to make the sausage has been upgraded and we’re in the process of making improvements to the building.”

Latham Roofing & Siding installed a new roof, the bathroom and office have been renovated, new appliances have been purchased, electrical service has been upgraded, and some interior painting has been done. Future plans call for the repair of a large walk-in freezer that will allow for the storage of large quantities of product.

Ernie LaBounty, a longtime employee of Marc Parillo’s, has been named manager to oversee day-to-day operations. He is responsible for all aspects of making the sausage, as well as running the pop-up grills held in the company’s parking lot each Friday and Saturday through the summer. He also greets walk-in customers when Rahman is not available.

By Susan Elise Campbell

“Things are about to get hotter in Texas,” said Tim Bibens, owner of Whalen’s Horseradish Products, the iconic, local specialty food company now in its 101st year.

In a first for the company, 10 Central Market grocery stores in the Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio areas began stocking Whalen’s brand of handcrafted horseradish condiments in their refrigerator sections at the beginning of June.

Distribution has been regional since Bibens and his wife, Holly, purchased the company from his cousin 14 years ago. Gourmet food shops, trade shows, craft fairs and farmers markets around New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont have continued to be successful outlets to taste and purchase Whalen’s sauces, cheeses, mustards, pickles and other products, where the horseradish they prepare by a proprietary method is the star ingredient.

One of the early changes the Bibenses made when they relocated from the Rochester area to operate the company was moving the business from Milton to Galway. This enabled them in June 2014 to open a stand-alone retail shop on a busy road, Whalen’s Root Cellar at 1710 Route 29.

“We were also motivated to consolidate production, shipping, and receiving for our retail operation into a single space,” he said. “Galway is my Mom’s hometown, so it’s a good sign that we are here.”

By Rod Bacon

A well-respected Saratoga Springs restaurateur is creating his second restaurant in the Spa City.

Ronnie Solevo, who has owned Solevo’s Kitchen + Social on Phila Street for eight years, plans to open The Pearl this fall.

“The Pearl is a reference to my New England roots growing up in southern Connecticut on the shoreline,” Solevo said.

While The Pearl’s menu is still being developed, Solevo said the restaurant is installing an ice display raw bar that will feature live shucking in front of patrons. There will be daily changing seafood selections, as well as meat options and choices for vegetarians and vegans.

“We have incredible access to purveyors in Boston, New York and southern New England, where seafood could come out of the water in the middle of the night and make it onto your plate a few hours later,” he said.

Solevo purchased the business and furnishings of the former Scallion’s on Lake Avenue from owners Eric and Liz Swoyer. Renovations are underway by Ballston Lake-based Carter-Lamansky Construction. Kennedy Taylor, owner of Studio K in Saratoga Springs, is leading the design team.

He noted that if the building is listed for sale, he is interested in purchasing it.

Upgrades include new electrical and plumbing systems, as well as cosmetic improvements, which he is not divulging at this time.

By Carol Ann Conover

Cassie Pinn opened an indoor children’s play facility in Clifton Park not to follow a business trend, but to fill a need she had seen for years while raising seven children and running a home day care.

Magic Meadows, a 3,000-square-foot imaginative play facility, opened in late January or early February in a former dance studio next to Ravenswood Restaurant. Pinn is the only staff member on the floor, and the vision is unmistakably her own.

“It was hard to find a place that wasn’t overwhelming, that wasn’t overstimulating, where kids could just go and actually play — not just run around, but interact with each other, have that imaginative play,” Pinn said.

The facility centers on a miniature interactive town. Children can ride pedal cars along a road to a diner, grocery store, veterinary clinic, schoolhouse, camping area, construction zone and working boat where they can pretend to fish. A mail truck and mailboxes at each “house” let children play letter carrier. A fenced toddler area serves children under 2, while a second room — the “jungle room” — has a foam pit, obstacle course and open space for children who need to move.

By Rod Bacon

The technologies used by dental professionals have steadily improved over the years, offering a less stressful experience for patients while helping dentists and hygienists provide the best care possible.

One technology that has only recently been widely accepted in the dental field is artificial intelligence, or AI. While AI was first described in 1950, several limitations in early models prevented widespread acceptance and application to medicine. In the early 2000s, many of these limitations were overcome by the advent of deep learning. Today, artificial intelligence is used in dentistry primarily for radiographic analysis, orthodontic treatment planning, clinical documentation and practice management. Programs such as Pearl, Overjet and VidealHealth are becoming increasingly popular in the diagnosis and treatment of oral health issues.

In 2024, Gregory P. Dodd, DDS, FAGD, owner of Family Dentistry based in Saratoga Springs, attended the annual Yankee Dental Conference in Boston. When he returned, he integrated Pearl Dental AI into his practice, where dentists in all nine of his locations use the technology.

In addition to offices on Church Street and Maple Avenue in Saratoga Springs, the practice offers a range of services in Clifton Park, Queensbury, South Glens Falls, Lake George, Greenwich, East Greenbush, and Gloversville.

“The program helps to read radiographs,” said Alex Ruckert, DDS, one of 15 dentists in the practice. “Instead of looking at a black-and-white image there are digital sensors that can be pulled up on a computer and then they can change colors so patients can see the parts of a tooth and understand the issue and how to correct it. It makes diagnosis much easier and communication with patients more focused.”

Saratoga Hospital has been recognized as one of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals for 2026 by Newsweek and Statista. The designation highlights maternity care across the United States.

The annual ranking recognizes 460 hospitals nationwide. Selection is based on an evaluation of hospital quality metrics, patient experience data, and recommendations from healthcare professionals with expertise in maternity care, including neonatal and perinatal physicians, nurses and midwives.

“As access to maternity care becomes more limited across the country, it is more important than ever to ensure that families have dependable, compassionate care close to home,” said Jill VanKuren, President of Saratoga Hospital. “Being recognized as one of the best maternity hospitals in the nation reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to our patients and our community. We are incredibly proud of the compassionate, expert care our staff provide every day.”

The hospital said its maternity program offers a personalized, supportive experience focused on safety and innovation.