BALLSTON ROCKS!

By Ann Hauprich
Saratoga Business Journal
May 2008

The following story about the Ballston Rocks promotional campaign, accompanied by a perky sidebar about former Coffee Planet proprietor and past BSBPA President Cliff Baum, was written by Ann Hauprich for publication in the May 2008 edition of the Saratoga Business Journal. Both pieces are being reprinted by Ballston Spa Living in May 2020 in the spirit of preserving the past for present and future generations.

Folks will literally be able to rock around the clock in Ballston Spa this summer as 100 decorated Adirondack rocking chairs are displayed on sidewalks, porches and a variety of other welcoming settings in the village’s business district.

In kicking off its Ballston Rocks promotional campaign on the weekend of May 24 and 25, the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA) hopes to start a trend that will keep the historic community rocking long into the future.

Cradled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, Ballston Spa was a beehive of activity last year when activities commemorating the 200th anniversary abounded. “The challenge we faced was how to keep the momentum going when the Bicentennial drew to a close at the end of 2007,” said BSBPA spokesperson Ellen Mottola. “We knew we had to find something that would appeal both to those who enjoy strolling along Victorian era sidewalks and those who want to enjoy livelier activities like concerts in the park and movies under the stars. Ballston Rocks promises to offer a wonderful combination of the old and the new.”

If all goes according to plan, Ballston Rocks will also attract residents and visitors of all ages to the heart of the community throughout June, July and August when tourist season in neighboring Saratoga Springs is at its peak.

With such world-class attractions as The Spa City’s thoroughbred racecourse and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center just a stone’s throw away, Ballston Spa movers and shakers felt the time had come to horse around with some creative ideas of their own.

Inspired by the success of the painted ponies promotional campaign that has proven to be a winner in Saratoga Springs in recent years, the 275-member BSBPA reacted enthusiastically to a proposal that the village try a similar concept with a different theme that was consistent with such slogans as “Our future is in our past.”

While those with village ties were overwhelmingly smitten with “Horses, Saratoga Style” – a tour of locally made whimsical, creative sculptured horses that were first spotted along downtown Saratoga streets during 2002’s racing season. Specially decorated horses involved in that and subsequent promotional projects have been displayed in Saratoga’s business district throughout the summer months before being auctioned off to raise money for worthy causes around Labor Day.

It wouldn’t have made much horse sense to use an equine theme in Ballston Spa, however, the notion of rockers set village leaders in motion.

According to BSBPA President Cliff Baum, preliminary response to the Ballston Rocks campaign has exceeded all expectations. “We were originally thinking of selling 50 or 60 rockers at $100 each, but the demand was so great, we raised the number of rocking chairs for sale to 75 and then finally capped it AT 100,” said Baum, who is also proprietor of the Coffee Planet at the corner of Malta and Milton Avenues. (See sidebar.)

It is inside of the popular Internet cafe that the village’s very first Ballston Rocks chair – autographed by BSBPA members — went on display before Easter to raise awareness of the campaign.

That chair will start getting company on May 16 and 17 when entries in the Ballston Rocks campaign are set to be collected.

“The other 99 chairs are now in the hands of artists – some professional, some amateur – who are creating designs that are sure to reflect the diversity of this vibrant multigenerational community,” said Mottola, adding that she expects the decorated chairs to run the gamut from the nostalgic to the whimsical to the futuristic.

As an example, Lincoln Building owners Donna Morris-Calvey and Doug Calvey purchased two rocking chairs that are being professionally painted by Mottola’s artist daughter Amy. One will feature images from Fairy Tales while the other will showcase a theme with animals in their natural surroundings. Mottola, meanwhile, has commissioned Amy to create what she calls a Family Chair that will likely include favorite characters from books Amy and her siblings Michael and Megan enjoyed as children.

At press time she did not yet know how the dozens of other rockers would look upon completion, but was sure they would cover a broad spectrum of artistic styles, subjects and materials. The rockers were snapped up not only by businesses and professionals, but also by private residents, schools and organizations like 4-H, Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. Adding to the artistic possibilities is the fact that while many of the Adirondack rockers arrived with either a natural or plain white finish, others had already been painted using colors ranging from bright yellow and Flamingo Pink to red, blue and at least two different shades of green.

“While most of the chairs will fall into the category of usable art – meaning people will be welcome to sit down and relax in them as they enjoy the community – a few will likely have to be kept in display windows, just for show,” noted Mottola.

The reason: at least one artist plans to incorporate glass beading into her design!

Spearheading the Ballston Rocks campaign are BSBPA Marketing Committee Chairman Steve Springer along with committee members Cliff Baum, Dan DeFabio, Ellie Dillon, Tina Mangino-Coffey and Jim Whittredge.

While much of the planning work is now behind them, it would be premature for the committee to retire to their rocking chairs. Among the tasks yet to be completed are those of numbering and affixing brass plates with the names of owners to each rocker before it is moved to its designated resting place in the village. A detailed guide map is also in the works that will enable residents and visitors to locate each of the rockers.

Judging of the rockers will take place on Memorial Day weekend at which time rockers may either be retained by their sponsors or donated to the BSBPA for an auction to be held around Labor Day. Proceeds will be used to support local activities such as Concerts in the Park and the Ballston Spa Film Festival.

“When my family moved here two decades ago, people said Ballston Spa was a dying village, a Sleepy Hollow,” mused Mottola. “These days, there’s a wellspring of pride in the community . . . those who haven’t been here for a while really should come this summer and discover all of the reasons why Ballston Rocks!”

To learn more, visit www.ballston.org or call 885-2772.

The following perky sidebar about former Coffee Planet proprietor and past BSBPA President Cliff Baum was written by Ann Hauprich for publication in the May 2008 edition of the Saratotoga Business Journal.

Whether seeking to escape the daily grind with friends or brewing ideas in the company of business associates, BSBPA President Cliff Baum’s Coffee Planet has earned a reputation as an out-of-this-world destination that offers a perfect blend of hometown hospitality and professional perks.

With the works of local artists and photographers displayed on the festively painted walls and children quietly reading or playing board games near adults who are taking advantage of the café’s free wireless Internet service, the ambiance is the best of both worlds. For some sipping serenely while savoring their surroundings inside of the historic landmark known for more than a century as The Lincoln Building, it appears to be the center of the universe!

“A couple who was trying to make up their minds whether to move to Ballston Spa or a neighboring community actually told me they picked this village because of The Coffee Planet. They liked the idea that the café – like the entire village – is family-friendly,” beams Baum.

In addition to stocking gourmet coffees and a full espresso bar, the destination at the corner of Malta and Milton Avenues offers a global assortment of teas as well as cold beverages ranging from smoothies to domestic and imported beers to wine. The food menu, meanwhile, tempts with offerings to suit virtually every taste and budget from bagels, biscotti, croissants, muffins and scones to savory soups, sandwiches and wraps. Desserts range from colossal cookies to heavenly brownies and sinfully delicious éclairs.

What Baum and the BSBPA membership do NOT wish to see is a village resembling Manchester, Vermont. “Our goal is to fill the community with independently owned businesses as opposed to chain store outlets.”

Baum adds that the village government and the BSBPA share a vision of how they’d like the downtown business district to look in the future. It includes streetscapes that cater to local shoppers and diners as well as attracting tourists who are interested in visiting art galleries and museums.

The fact that Washington Street, just a stone’s throw from The Coffee Planet, is gaining a reputation as an art district brings a twinkle to Baum’s eyes. In addition to The Museum Glassworks (a teaching facility overseen by the National Bottle Museum on Milton Avenue), Washington Street is now also the home of The Strolling Village Artisans and Stitches – a boutique designed with quilting enthusiasts in mind. “An Art Alley is also in the process of forming there; it’s in the drawing stages now, but promises to become a destination down the road.”

Originally from Albany, Baum ran a floor covering business in Guilderland for 33 years before contemplating a career change around the turn-of-the-millennium. As fate would have it, the then fledgling Coffee Planet came on the market.

“My wife (Patty Martell-Baum, proprietor of Rosie Bloom Again on Milton Avenue) and I had enjoyed stopping there for lunch and dinner and I could see the business had great potential given its prime location in a village that was in the midst of a Renaissance. There’s always a risk when you go into a business, but I considered this a low risk and one I was happy to take,” muses Baum, who officially became the new proprietor at the start of 2003.

At the time The Coffee Planet was roughly half its current size as Donna and Pete Martin were operating Village Photo in the section of The Lincoln Building that’s directly across from the municipal parking lot on Malta Avenue. The couple subsequently relocated to a part of The Lincoln Building that faces Milton Avenue (Route 50), providing Baum with an extra seating area for patrons.

“We went from having just eight tables for seating to about 17 tables – more than double what was here when the business first opened in 2001,” he says.

In addition to stocking gourmet coffees and a full espresso bar, the destination at the intersection of Malta and Milton Avenues in Ballston Spa offers a global assortment of teas as well as cold beverages ranging from smoothies to domestic and imported beers to wine. The food menu, meanwhile, tempts with offerings to suit virtually every taste and budget from bagels, biscotti, croissants, muffins and scones to savory soups, sandwiches and wraps. Desserts range from colossal cookies to heavenly brownies and sinfully delicious éclairs.

Among the other additions Baum is proud of making are those of a book swapping station and live acoustic music in the evenings – most notably on First Fridays.

“Everything here is family-friendly. Although we sell wine and beer, we do not have a liquor license. This is not a bar, but it’s a place where the parents can relax with a glass of wine while the kids enjoy a cup of cocoa or a glass of juice.”

Ever community-minded, Baum donates the 10 per cent consignment fees he takes in from the sale of music CDs and works of art to the BSBPA which, in turn, invests the funds in programs and projects that further enrich the village.