The $2 you planned to spend on an exacta at Saratoga Race Course might go to parking if you visit downtown this summer.
With revenues running low, the city has requested bids for its first paid parking program in nearly 40 years. Several companies are expected to propose plans for installing and managing a private parking system in parts of the city by Feb. 17, when the bids will be publicly opened, Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins said.
Ivins has requested two options: Paid parking for existing garages and lots or a broader plan that would also include side streets downtown -- but not Broadway.
"The average price is $1.50 an hour," Ivins said Monday in announcing a new bid deadline. He was set to open proposals Thursday but pushed that back at the request of vendors who needed more time to put proposals together.
Ivins needs new revenue to balance this year's city budget. He budgeted $1.35 million in parking fees and has said that he wants meters in the ground by May. Four other City Council members tacitly supported the budget by not proposing different measures.
But even Ivins admits that it's not certain if paid parking has City Council support. The plan would need to be approved by at least three of the council's five members. Many downtown merchants oppose it.
Charles Wait, president of the Adirondack Trust Co., was one of several community leaders who participated in a committee chaired by Ivins that studied paid parking. Charging for spots downtown would send shoppers elsewhere, create store vacancies and lower real estate values and tax revenues, he said.
"That's a tax, and a tax is an impediment and blockade, the last thing any area needs during a recession, especially small business owners," Wait said. There could be some support for charging for parking in existing lots outside downtown, he said.
The city eliminated parking meters from its streets about three decades ago, which helped fill storefronts and lift the area economy, according to Joseph Dalton, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, who opposes paid parking.
Presently, many spaces in parking lots, garages and on the city's streets offer free two-hour parking, with fines for those who exceed time limits.
But other destination locations like Lake George have collected for parking since the 1950s without a noticeable decline in business. Lake George meters charge 25 cents for 15 minutes. Parking generated $465,791 in net revenue for the village in 2008.
Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth said he would wait until bids are opened before deciding on paid parking, which a majority of the City Council would have to approve.
"Of course, revenue is so important for the city in today's economic times," he said, "but we have to do what's right for the city by looking at all ways of raising revenue."
2010年2月9日星期二
2010年2月8日星期一
Hot Stone Massage
Beautiful spa ads may have you believe that hot stone therapy is a gimmick for producing artistic photographs, implying it’s not a serious massage experience. The truth is, a massage utilizing stones can be incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating, more so than traditional massage.
How Does it Work?
Much like the spa pictures you see of people with dark, flat stones along their spine, the stones are warmed and then placed on the body while the therapist actively uses additional stones as an extension of their hand while they massage you. The placement of the stones can be aligned with chakras, meridians, and zones depending on the therapist’s training which can help increase the flow of energy through your body, as well as allow for a deeper relaxation of the muscles compared to traditional massage. Hot stone can also be an effective remedy for stress and anxiety.
When to Get a Hot Stone Massage?
The idea of a hot stone massage might only appeal to you in the winter, but the benefits should be enjoyed year-round. If your energy is low, if your stress levels are high, or if other forms of massage can’t get your muscles to release, hot stones in the hands of a caring therapist can work miracles.
How to Have a Great Experience
The effectiveness of a stone massage can vary with the skill of each therapist. They are longer and usually more expensive (due to additional preparation and cleanup), so it’s worth your while to find a therapist who specializes in them. Start with a referral, and before you invest in a hot stone massage, consider booking a Swedish or other similar massage first if the therapist is new to you. Ask how long a they have been performing hot stone and what their philosophy is around it. During the session, communicate with your therapist if the stones are too warm or the pressure is uncomfortable – a good therapist will always listen and respond to your needs.
2010年2月7日星期日
Spoil Me Spa opens in Hastings
Sheila Hanson is hoping her new business can be Hastings’ one-stop-shop for all things spa-related.
From the usual hair and nails, to facials, waxing, massages, purses, jewelry and lingerie, Spoil Me Spa, at 1250 S. Frontage Road, next to MGM Liquor, has a little bit of everything. They also carry the Scentsy line of candles and Body Magic body wraps.
Hanson, a Hastings native, said she always liked doing nails, and recently went to school and got certified to do it professionally. When she was planning to open a business, friends of hers who specialized in cosmetology, massage and retail asked if they could join up with her, and thus, Spoil Me Spa was born.
There are four cosmetologists there, two masseuses, and Hanson, who specializes in nails.
Hanson’s cousin owns Little New York in River Falls, Wis., and Ellsworth, Wis., and she said she knows a lot of people from Hastings drive to those stores for purses and accessories. Now, merchandise from the Little New York stores can be found in Hastings at Spoil Me Spa.
Walk-ins are welcome and you can call for appointments, too. Hanson is also hoping to specialize in private spa parties.
“What we really want to do is host spa parties,” she said. “We have different packages where a group can come in and get their hair done, get their nails done, get a facial and a massage.”
The spa will also offer “Princess Packages” for younger groups of girls to get their nails and hair done.
Weekly specials will also be on the menu, like cheap haircuts on certain days for men or women. Hanson said they want people to know they do men’s haircuts, too. Those specials can be found on the spa’s Facebook page.
From the usual hair and nails, to facials, waxing, massages, purses, jewelry and lingerie, Spoil Me Spa, at 1250 S. Frontage Road, next to MGM Liquor, has a little bit of everything. They also carry the Scentsy line of candles and Body Magic body wraps.
Hanson, a Hastings native, said she always liked doing nails, and recently went to school and got certified to do it professionally. When she was planning to open a business, friends of hers who specialized in cosmetology, massage and retail asked if they could join up with her, and thus, Spoil Me Spa was born.
There are four cosmetologists there, two masseuses, and Hanson, who specializes in nails.
Hanson’s cousin owns Little New York in River Falls, Wis., and Ellsworth, Wis., and she said she knows a lot of people from Hastings drive to those stores for purses and accessories. Now, merchandise from the Little New York stores can be found in Hastings at Spoil Me Spa.
Walk-ins are welcome and you can call for appointments, too. Hanson is also hoping to specialize in private spa parties.
“What we really want to do is host spa parties,” she said. “We have different packages where a group can come in and get their hair done, get their nails done, get a facial and a massage.”
The spa will also offer “Princess Packages” for younger groups of girls to get their nails and hair done.
Weekly specials will also be on the menu, like cheap haircuts on certain days for men or women. Hanson said they want people to know they do men’s haircuts, too. Those specials can be found on the spa’s Facebook page.
2010年2月4日星期四
Destination Japan Announces the Tokyo Anime Freedom Tour 2010 is Now Confirmed and will be Going
H.I.S' most popular annual tour to Japan is confirmed and going this year too! Tokyo Anime Freedom 2010 from March 21 to March 29, 2010 - 9 days 7 nights in Tokyo.
Destination Japan's Tokyo Anime Freedom Tour was created for people who are crazy about Anime, Manga, and Video games AND want to see Japan. The Tokyo Anime Freedom 9 day and 7 night tour includes admission to the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010 and Ghibli Museum, a Tokyo sightseeing tour, and a shopping day in Tokyo escorted by one of our staff, strolling in popular areas like Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya and taking local trains. The tour also includes two full free days. It has a good proportion of escorted tours and independent tours for the independent traveler who likes adventure and still has someone available to help them with their trip. An experienced, bilingual tour guide will be available to help negotiate the city and give advice. Destination Japan calls the tour a "one-of-a-kind experience on a tour with flexibility you won't find with any other tour service." You can sign up for tours until the reservation
deadline of Feb-19.
Destination Japan's Tokyo Anime Freedom Tour was created for people who are crazy about Anime, Manga, and Video games AND want to see Japan. The Tokyo Anime Freedom 9 day and 7 night tour includes admission to the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010 and Ghibli Museum, a Tokyo sightseeing tour, and a shopping day in Tokyo escorted by one of our staff, strolling in popular areas like Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya and taking local trains. The tour also includes two full free days. It has a good proportion of escorted tours and independent tours for the independent traveler who likes adventure and still has someone available to help them with their trip. An experienced, bilingual tour guide will be available to help negotiate the city and give advice. Destination Japan calls the tour a "one-of-a-kind experience on a tour with flexibility you won't find with any other tour service." You can sign up for tours until the reservation
deadline of Feb-19.
2010年2月3日星期三
Massage, rolfing help ease pain
Also, spinal manipulation and Rolfing, apart from the Alexander technique and the Feldenkrais method can have great effect. The January issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource discusses these methods in detail.
Massage
It involves applying pressure to the body’s soft tissues by rubbing, kneading or rolling. In deep tissue massage, the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue are manipulated. Another approach focuses on trigger points, where in muscle ‘knots’ that are painful are pressed.
Spinal manipulation
This therapy is a treatment for restricted spinal mobility. It ensures that the spinal movement is restored. A controlled force or thrust is applied to a joint of the spine. Also, known as spinal adjustment it can provide long-term or short-term relief.
Rolfing
Rolfing manipulates the fascia, the protective tissue surrounding the muscles. The practitioner uses hands, knuckles, thumbs, elbows and knees to manipulate the patient’s tissues aiming to improve posture and realign the body.
Alexander technique and Feldenkrais method
These therapies use touch and direction to help the patient become more aware of movement. An Alexander session might begin with the patient seated in a chair. The practitioner helps the patient adjust head, neck and spine positions. With Feldenkrais, the patient may be lying down, sitting on a chair or standing. Researchers feel the Alexander technique can provide long-term relief for back pain.
Massage
It involves applying pressure to the body’s soft tissues by rubbing, kneading or rolling. In deep tissue massage, the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue are manipulated. Another approach focuses on trigger points, where in muscle ‘knots’ that are painful are pressed.
Spinal manipulation
This therapy is a treatment for restricted spinal mobility. It ensures that the spinal movement is restored. A controlled force or thrust is applied to a joint of the spine. Also, known as spinal adjustment it can provide long-term or short-term relief.
Rolfing
Rolfing manipulates the fascia, the protective tissue surrounding the muscles. The practitioner uses hands, knuckles, thumbs, elbows and knees to manipulate the patient’s tissues aiming to improve posture and realign the body.
Alexander technique and Feldenkrais method
These therapies use touch and direction to help the patient become more aware of movement. An Alexander session might begin with the patient seated in a chair. The practitioner helps the patient adjust head, neck and spine positions. With Feldenkrais, the patient may be lying down, sitting on a chair or standing. Researchers feel the Alexander technique can provide long-term relief for back pain.
2010年2月2日星期二
Fit to be tried: Thai Massage
IT says something about our emerging multicultural society that here I am, laid out on the floor of a small north Dublin salon, with a beautiful woman from Mauritius pushing her bare feet hard into my thighs in an ancient ritual hailing from Thailand.
But between us, the combination of Irish, Mauritian and Thai influences work well to achieve a mix of relaxation, stretching and exercise that challenges your flexibility and improves your blood flow.
Thai massage is different to what you might expect from the traditional Western oil-and-rub experience.
For a start, there's no oil, and no rubbing or kneading and you soon discover why the literal translation for this treatment means 'Thai yoga'.
The therapy uses weight and leverage to move and stretch your body -- front, side, back and sitting.
"People are a bit dubious at first because it's very different, but they usually enjoy it and find it improves their ability to stretch and therefore relax," says Sherina, my petite Mauritian dynamo, who has been practising her craft for over seven years.
Sherina sticks to traditional Thai massage on a specially designed mat placed on the ground, and doesn't compromise by Westernising the process.
For example, she employs her feet to do much of the work as in this massage it's normal to walk on clients' backs.
But Sherina is so deft, you can only tell the difference between her use of feet and hands by sneaking a peek from your comfy position on the floor.
The treatment starts off with a pleasant salt rub on your feet. Then it's time to don loose cotton pyjamas and the real work begins. The treatment works along the body's meridians (energy lines), says Sherina.
She uses a combination of acupressure, joint manipulations, stretches and adjustments to release knots and tension and free blockages.
And you do plenty of the work as she helps you stretch and bend.
Some of the moves are quite tough -- like a challenging yoga class. Sherina gets you to lie on your stomach face down while she grasps your hands and you hold on tight to her small wrists while she pulls you up into an arched bow shape.
Another move involves lying on your back, arms outstretched, as each leg is stretched over to the opposite side of your body across your tummy, shoulders remaining flat.
Hamstrings are also stretched right out, as well as hips.
The whole body gets elongated through a set of exercises and Sherina helps you achieve positions it would be tough to manage solo.
As someone who suffers from a sore shoulder I would have probably liked a bit more done to this area, but to be fair deep tissue work is not the aim of Thai massage.
The treatment, known in Thailand as 'movement education', gets your blood flowing and is very detoxifying.
Although Thai massage therapists here say people were dubious at first, this treatment -- part stretch, part relax, part workout -- is, not surprisingly, a hit, and Sherina is booked out for the rest of the week.
In Thailand the benefits of this treatment are well established, and the government has even set up an official massage division as part of the Department of Health.
Since our own Government can do nothing to massage our finances into shape, maybe we should follow suit.
It's enough to make you want to head for sunny Thailand -- purely in the interests of research of course.
But between us, the combination of Irish, Mauritian and Thai influences work well to achieve a mix of relaxation, stretching and exercise that challenges your flexibility and improves your blood flow.
Thai massage is different to what you might expect from the traditional Western oil-and-rub experience.
For a start, there's no oil, and no rubbing or kneading and you soon discover why the literal translation for this treatment means 'Thai yoga'.
The therapy uses weight and leverage to move and stretch your body -- front, side, back and sitting.
"People are a bit dubious at first because it's very different, but they usually enjoy it and find it improves their ability to stretch and therefore relax," says Sherina, my petite Mauritian dynamo, who has been practising her craft for over seven years.
Sherina sticks to traditional Thai massage on a specially designed mat placed on the ground, and doesn't compromise by Westernising the process.
For example, she employs her feet to do much of the work as in this massage it's normal to walk on clients' backs.
But Sherina is so deft, you can only tell the difference between her use of feet and hands by sneaking a peek from your comfy position on the floor.
The treatment starts off with a pleasant salt rub on your feet. Then it's time to don loose cotton pyjamas and the real work begins. The treatment works along the body's meridians (energy lines), says Sherina.
She uses a combination of acupressure, joint manipulations, stretches and adjustments to release knots and tension and free blockages.
And you do plenty of the work as she helps you stretch and bend.
Some of the moves are quite tough -- like a challenging yoga class. Sherina gets you to lie on your stomach face down while she grasps your hands and you hold on tight to her small wrists while she pulls you up into an arched bow shape.
Another move involves lying on your back, arms outstretched, as each leg is stretched over to the opposite side of your body across your tummy, shoulders remaining flat.
Hamstrings are also stretched right out, as well as hips.
The whole body gets elongated through a set of exercises and Sherina helps you achieve positions it would be tough to manage solo.
As someone who suffers from a sore shoulder I would have probably liked a bit more done to this area, but to be fair deep tissue work is not the aim of Thai massage.
The treatment, known in Thailand as 'movement education', gets your blood flowing and is very detoxifying.
Although Thai massage therapists here say people were dubious at first, this treatment -- part stretch, part relax, part workout -- is, not surprisingly, a hit, and Sherina is booked out for the rest of the week.
In Thailand the benefits of this treatment are well established, and the government has even set up an official massage division as part of the Department of Health.
Since our own Government can do nothing to massage our finances into shape, maybe we should follow suit.
It's enough to make you want to head for sunny Thailand -- purely in the interests of research of course.
2010年2月1日星期一
Ixtapan Spa Offers Affordable Relaxation
If you are looking for pampering with a capital P, then head to Mexico, to stay at one of the most affordable spas around. NY1’s Valarie D’Elia filed the following Travel with Val report.
Ixtapan Spa, Hotel and Golf Resort is located 65 miles southwest of Mexico City in the 75 degree year-round rapture of the surrounding Sierra Madre mountains.
At 5400 feet above sea level, this 220- room resort is heralded as one of the cheapest in the world, and you'll be able to figure that out once you do the math, with or without a tape measure.
What's great about this place is the sheer number of spa treatments they throw in. Take the weeklong trip for instance, and you will get 21 spa treatments, including massages and facials, averaging 50 minutes each. On a month-long stay, it's more than 100.
No matter how long you stay, your visit will also include all meals and most beverages, several pilates, yoga and fitness classes, as well as free golf and tennis lessons.
Week long, all-inclusive stays from now through March 27th are discounted by 15 percent – so a seven-night Spa Classic package is $999 per person, based on double occupancy. Single occupancy is $1,182.00.
If you have more time to burn, you can get 10 percent off monthly rates through March 27th, costing $3,340 based on double occupancy, $4,178 for single occupancy.
The monthly package includes round-trip airport transfers, which otherwise cost $340, for up to four people from Mexico City. Transfer from Toluca is $170. There is also a local bus from Mexico City airport.
There are a few extras you will pay for, including laundry, alcoholic drinks, soda, taxes and gratuities.
You can fly to Mexico City non-stop from New York, which is a two-hour transfer to the spa, or connect with an overnight in Houston and fly into Toluca, which is a 90-minute transfer.
Ixtapan Spa, Hotel and Golf Resort is located 65 miles southwest of Mexico City in the 75 degree year-round rapture of the surrounding Sierra Madre mountains.
At 5400 feet above sea level, this 220- room resort is heralded as one of the cheapest in the world, and you'll be able to figure that out once you do the math, with or without a tape measure.
What's great about this place is the sheer number of spa treatments they throw in. Take the weeklong trip for instance, and you will get 21 spa treatments, including massages and facials, averaging 50 minutes each. On a month-long stay, it's more than 100.
No matter how long you stay, your visit will also include all meals and most beverages, several pilates, yoga and fitness classes, as well as free golf and tennis lessons.
Week long, all-inclusive stays from now through March 27th are discounted by 15 percent – so a seven-night Spa Classic package is $999 per person, based on double occupancy. Single occupancy is $1,182.00.
If you have more time to burn, you can get 10 percent off monthly rates through March 27th, costing $3,340 based on double occupancy, $4,178 for single occupancy.
The monthly package includes round-trip airport transfers, which otherwise cost $340, for up to four people from Mexico City. Transfer from Toluca is $170. There is also a local bus from Mexico City airport.
There are a few extras you will pay for, including laundry, alcoholic drinks, soda, taxes and gratuities.
You can fly to Mexico City non-stop from New York, which is a two-hour transfer to the spa, or connect with an overnight in Houston and fly into Toluca, which is a 90-minute transfer.
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