Glens Falls Business Journal - December 2022

Restaurant, Deli, Market At Park & Elm Add To Growing Appeal Of Downtown Glens Falls

BY PAUL POST

Glens Falls was a shadow of the proud, prosperous community people called “Hometown USA” when Ben Miller left home to pursue a music career.

Vacant storefronts lined Glen Street, attractions were far and few between, and dysfunctional traffic patterns made trips downtown a nightmare.

When visiting home, however, Miller saw a steady resurgence that has blossomed, making Glens Falls one of upstate New York’s more vibrant small cities.

“It was really within the last five years that things really started to explode and more and more, every time I came home I saw Glens Falls as a place where I could see myself some day,” he said. “There’s been a huge amount of work done by the business community to

make Glens Falls a place where people want to live and have the amenities they’re looking for.”

Building on this positive momentum, Miller has opened a fine dining restaurant, deli and grocery mart called Park & Elm, which fills a void while revitalizing an historic building that turns 100 years old in 2023.

His mother, business owner and preservationist Elizabeth Mille, purchased 126 Glen St. for $845,000. A former Saratoga Springs teacher, she is the owner of Doty Machine Works in Fort Edward and Miller Mechanical in Glens Falls. She has invested millions of dollars to renovate several historic properties in the city including Park Theater and 15 Park St.

Her son is seizing on the opportunities the

World University Games In Lake Placid Will Have Major Economic Impact On The Region

BY PAUL POST

The largest athletic competition in Lake Placid history has been a dramatic game-changer for a fledgling Glens Falls firm that produced colorful graphics for the event.

It’s one small example of the estimated $4.6 million economic impact the Jan. 12-22 World University Games will have on the North Country, from Clarkson University where some hockey games will be played, to Gore Mountain in North Creek, which is hosting free-style skiing and snowboarding competition.

About 2,500 athletes and coaches from 50 countries will take part, much more than the 1,072 competitors from 37 countries at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

In 2020, Glens Falls-based Sidekick Creative won the contract to produce the Games’ logo.

“That was my custom illustration,” said Will Fowler, co-owner with Kara Greenslade of the five-year-old business. “After that we had a really good working relationship with Adirondack Sports Council and the Games’ organizing committee. They had a lot of marketing needs so we dove right into other stuff.”

Now, every Olympic venue is adorned with big, splashy designs Sidekick Creative produced, which depict the sport taking place there such as hockey

and figure skating at the Olympic Center, and biathlon and Nordic skiing at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Sidekick Creative created the graphics and

West Mountain And Gore Ski Centers Anticipate Strong Season Based on Early Sales

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

With ski season officially underway, staffs at Gore Mountain and West Mountain are gearing up for what is likely to be another very busy winter. Last season, Gore had a recordbreaking year for both revenue and season pass sales.

According to Gore’s general manager James “Bone” Bayse, pass sales for the 2022-2023 season have been strong.

“I’m not sure that we will break last year’s record because it was so high, but we will be very close. At the moment, we are tracking that way.”

Meanwhile at West Mountain in Queensbury, “Last winter was a good, solid, profitable year,” said co-owner Spencer Montgomery. “Coming into this year, revenue-wise which includes season passes, we are up about 20 percent over

last year. We pre-sell school programs, and that has been really strong this year. We’re on a fiscal year that starts May 1 and we’re probably pushing a 30 percent increase in sales for the same period last year.”

During the off season at Gore, an additional 230 snow guns were added to the snowmaking fleet. Some of these guns will be used on the new trail that was cut into Burnt Ridge Mountain.

This 60-foot-wide, intermediate-rated trail with grooming and snowmaking capabilities is called Backwoods. It will enter near the top of the Burnt Ridge Quad and run alongside the Barkeater Glades, ending just uphill of the Roaring Brook Bridge at the bottom of the Pipeline.

Others snow guns will be used on the inter-

Queensbury Hotel Lobby Has Life-Sized Gingerbread House On Display For Holidays

The Queensbury Hotel has added a new twist to its holiday decor.

The hotel now has a life-sized gingerbread house standing 11 feet high and 14 feet wide in its lobby.

The Queensbury is known for having decorations each holiday season. The hotel typically features decorative window boxes and wreaths on its exterior and festive trees, garland and poinsettias throughout their grand lobby.

“This year, we set out to do even more,” said Tyler Herrick, general manager of the hotel and president of Spruce Hospitality Group. “We have more trees, more lights, more garland and even the addition of toy soldiers to greet you when you arrive. But the gingerbread display is definitely the largest addition and has been our biggest undertaking”

Adam Savage, director of culinary for Spruce Hospitality, took the lead on designing the gingerbread house. He and his team have worked for months to plan and prepare for the display.

“The house is made of over 987 pounds of homemade gingerbread, 223 pounds of icing and 152 pounds of assorted candy,” said

Savage. “The actual production and building of the display took well over 200 hours.” The candy for the display was sourced

The World University Games are coming to Lake Placid from January 12 to 22. Paul Post

This gingerbread house can be seen in the lobby of the Queensbury Hotel.

Park & Elm celebrated its grand opening Friday, December 9. The restaurant is open WednesdaySaturday, 5-9 p.m. The new deli and marketplace are open Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Courtesy of Park Street Hospitality

West Mountain installed a radio-frequency identification system that will help with the staffing shortages by reducing the need for ticket takers. The anticipated opening is Dec. 24.

Dr. Derin Taylor Becomes Curator Of Modern And Contemporary Art At The Hyde

Dr. Derin Tanyol, a 19th through 21st century art specialist, has been named curator of modern and contemporary art at The Hyde museum.

She will oversee the contemporary exhibition programming and modern art collections.

Tanyol has spent 15 years in the museum, gallery, and arts administration field. She has curated or produced more than 60 exhibitions, including contributions to exhibitions at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz.

Her breadth of experience extends beyond contemporary art to include 19th century American and European painting and printmaking, art of the Woodstock art colony, and the American arts and crafts movement, museum officials said.

“Derin plays an important role in how The Hyde Collection defines the art of our time when museums around the world are rethinking collections and making way for more women and people of color,” said Norman Dascher Jr., the Hyde Collection CEO. “It is our responsibility to build an institution and a curatorial program of equity and inclusion and celebrate and share our rich modern and contemporary collection.”

In August of 2016, The Hyde Collection announced it received its largest donation since Charlotte Pruyn Hyde bequeathed her home and artwork to establish the museum in 1952. The Feibes & Schmitt gift doubled The Hyde’s Modern and Contemporary art holdings, positioning the Museum as a regional hub for postwar art. A new gallery devoted to modern and contemporary art, aptly named the Feibes & Schmitt Gallery, opened in June 2017.

For more than four decades, the late Werner Feibes and James Schmitt amassed a world-class art collection that aligned with their tastes and interest in non-objective art, pop art, abstract art, and minimalism.

“Between the creation of the new modern and contemporary curatorial line at The Hyde and the museum’s visionary Reimagine initiative, The Hyde is charging forward with making the museum experience more inclusive and relevant,” said Tanyol. “I look forward to working with the staff

and board to create shows that will highlight the superlative collections at The Hyde and introduce audiences to some of the most important artists working today.”

She joins The Hyde after many years as director of exhibitions and programs at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. This multidisciplinary arts organization hosts exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, classes, and performances. She curated or produced eight exhibitions annually of contemporary and historic art, including three outdoor sculpture shows on Byrdcliffe’s historic grounds.

She has published on 19th and 20th century French and American art and lectured at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the New York State Museum, the Frick Collection, and many public conferences.

Tanyol received a Fulbright Scholarship, a Samuel H. Kress Foundation Fellowship, and a Bourse Chateaubriand for two years of research in Paris.

Tanyol received her Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University.

•

Personnel Briefs

The Lake George Association appointed Danielle Brown of Queensbury to the newly created position of development manager.

In her new role, Brown will work closely with director of development Tyra MacGuffie to establish and execute the LGA’s donor recruitment and retention program for all levels of philanthropic giving. This includes identifying prospective donors; working with existing donors to identify personally meaningful giving opportunities; coordinating donor communications and events; and developing sponsorship opportunities for the LGA’s many water quality education and protection programs and events.

Brown brings more than 15 years of development and communications experience to her new position. She joins the LGA after three years as director of alumni relations and annual giving at SUNY Adirondack. Prior to that, she spent four years as the college’s marketing and communications coordinator, overseeing email and social media marketing, public relations, and community event sponsorships. She also formerly served as marketing coordinator for Adirondack

Winery and the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from SUNY Cortland.

She has served in a wide variety of volunteer roles in the region and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Glens Falls Symphony.

* * *

Upstate Agency

LLC part of the Arrow Family of Companies, recently welcomed Matthew S. Ellis as senior commercial lines account manager.

Ellis is responsible for servicing a dedicated book of existing clients, which includes processing service-related needs and marketing renewals, as well as developing new business.

Ellis brings more than 10 years of local commercial lines insurance experience as an account manager and in commercial lines marketing. He is a licensed property and casualty agent and broker and is a designated certified insurance service representative.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The College of Saint Rose and lives in Schuylerville.

Development Group Will Rent 15 Townhome Units It Is Developing In Queensbury

BY ANDREA HARWOOD

The Hayes Group, parent company to the Cool Beans coffee shop conglomerate and Hayes Construction, is building 26 townhomes off of 15 Luzerne Road in Queensbury.

Michael Hayes, partner, said the company is almost ready to start renting units.

The development, named Saint James Place, is comprised of 13 duplexes, all three-story structures.

“It’s intended to be built like a neighborhood,” said Hayes. “It’s a private, one-way drive with no thru traffic, so kids can play safely in the area. We’ve been approached by people who want to buy them as a townhome for themselves, but we’re going to retain them as rentals.”

The units will be large three-bedroom apartments at around 1,800 square feet, with granite

countertops and upgraded kitchens and baths. Hayes describes the apartments as “more on the luxurious side.”

“They’re intended to be a more affordable alternative to a house, while still being as comfortable,” said Hayes. “The location is ideal for commuters, being so close to the Northway and all the services right within a quarter of a mile.”

The rental rates will be between $1,495 and $1,695 a month, which constitutes just below market rate in today’s rental environment.

“We’re striving to have quality long-term tenants, not just turn a buck,” said Hayes. “We don’t want to gauge anybody. We want good people and we want them to stay with us.”

Most of the apartments will be ready to rent by late fall, he said, with the remainder being available by the spring of 2023.

Dr. Derin Tanyol is curator of modern and contemporary art at The Hyde museum.

Courtesy The Hyde

Sulla Terra Bakery & Bistro Combines Old Diner Experience With Modern Flavors

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

A new eatery in Warrensburg has brought a taste of home back to 3915 Main St.

Eight months after opening at a different site, Sulla Terra Bakery & Bistro moved from “a tiny place down the street” to where Bill’s Diner had been a long-time local favorite, according to owner April Fiorentino.

“The diner had been out of commission for three years but wasn’t for sale when I opened the bakery,” said Fiorentino.

But her shop grew so quickly that she brought on a business partner and co-owner, Courtney Sprague, at the time of relocation and subsequent expansion from bakery to bistro.

Fiorentino is a former state worker who went on to work for a dental office. Later she became manager of Lizzie Keays Restaurant in Warrensburg when she “didn’t want to be in an office anymore” and stayed there for 10 years, she said.

It took some time to renovate the new space, but the family and friends who helped were eager “to reuse and refresh the space that has meant a lot to people who are still here,” she said.

They removed paneling and found tongue and groove underneath, which Fiorentino said “along with our family & close friends, we sanded, painted, and put the tongue & grove up as ship lap.”

“The old diner had folding tables at one time and a little window to put food through from the kitchen,” she said. “Now there is a big window and instead of the old counter, we have a high table in the middle of the bistro.”

“Old gentlemen, farmers and loggers used to sit on stools around a big table,” said Fiorentino. “Now we have a memorial wall over in one corner with a stool that is originally from the counter.”

Someone donated an old tin roof that has

become a tin ceiling, she said. There are historic and “typical diner pictures” hanging on the walls.

Sulla terra means “down to earth” in the Italian language, Fiorentino said. “I liked the name Down to Earth Apothecary Café but thought it too long.”

The concept for the food came from Fiorentino assessing what kind of menu items patrons couldn’t already find locally.

“I didn’t want to do a sandwich others were doing, so I did my research and came up with sandwiches that played on those other items,” she said. “People like my flavors, so much so I have influenced others to open shops and have very similar flavor profiles and concepts.”

“There is nothing typical about our menu,” said Fiorentino. “Like the quiche is a deep dish quiche.”

“Customers say the Italian sandwiches and Cuban sandwiches are the best they ever had,” she said. “There is a pastrami melt and sausage and gravy with our special twists. And some customers tell us we’re not charging enough.”

Sulla Terra is open five days a week, closed Wednesdays and Sundays, and only open until 5 p.m. to encourage ordering food to-go.

“I do the majority of the cooking with Courtney, and we are trying to hire more help,” Fiorentino said. “When you’re working 16 hours a day you need some time to relax with family and energize. That’s our biggest challenge.”

Evenings they do not put out a dinner menu but have themes instead. Monday is Mexican night and Tuesday is burger night. Throwback Thursday nods to the old Bill’s Diner menu, Fiorentino said. Friday is reserved for prime rib, seafood and homemade pasta. Saturday offers such in-house smoked items as brisket and smoky mac and cheese.

More information is available on FaceBook where online ordering will soon be available.

Lehigh Hanson Cement Co. Will Shut Down Its Glens Falls Operations In Phases In 2023

Lehigh Hanson Inc. has decided to halt cement production at its Glens Falls plant. Company officials said operations will be shut down in a phased manner in 2023.

The Glens Falls plant currently operates with 85 full-time employees. The company said in November it is committed to providing financial and job search assistance to minimize the impact on its employees.

“The decision to halt production at a plant is always difficult,” said Alex Car, president of Lehigh Hanson’s Northeast Region. “We are thankful for the dedication and efforts of our Glens Falls workforce over the years and we will work to minimize the impacts to our employees and the community as much as possible.”

The Lehigh Cement plant in Glens Falls has been operating since 1893. As a result of changes to the competitive landscape within the global cement industry, it has become increasingly difficult for relatively small and aging plants like

The decision to halt production at the facility is in line with the company’s ongoing efforts to optimize its asset base and decrease the complexity of its operations, he said. With the company’s new state-of-the-art and energyefficient cement plant in Mitchell, Ind., coming online next year, additional cement capacity in the company’s network will be re-directed to the New England area.

Lehigh Hanson has also recently invested in upgrades to its Cementon, N.Y., cement distribution terminal in Greene County.

“We are committed to continuing to supply our customers in the New England Region,” said Car. “We have the available capacity to meet the current and future needs of our customers even after the Glens Falls plant halts production.”

Lehigh Cement Company LLC is a part of Lehigh Hanson, Inc. based in Irving, Texas.

the Glens Falls facility to cost-effectively manufacture its products, said Car.

April Fiorentino, left, and Courtney Sprague co-own Sulla Terra Bakery & Bistro in Warrensburg. It occupies the spot where Bill’s Diner a long-time local favorite place to eat, was located.

The Lehigh Cement Co. is shutting down its Glens Falls facility, phasing out operations in 2023. The company said it will provide financial and job search assistance to employees.

Courtesy of Lehigh Cement Co.

Lake George Regional Chamber Of Commerce Gives S.T.A.R. Awards To Four

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce announced its annual honorees as it continues to celebrate its 70th anniversary, commemorating a legacy of service.

The S.T.A.R. (Supporting Tourism Around the Region) Award was created in 2006 to recognize organizations or individuals who help grow the tourism economy, which is vital for supporting jobs and offsetting the tax burden of residents.

This year’s S.T.A.R. Award honorees are the Fort William Henry Corp. and Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough.

In 2017, the Chamber created the Sapphire Award to honor a “gem” in the community whose efforts directly benefit the hospitality industry in a profound way. The Adirondack Pub & Brewery team and owner John Carr are the recipients of this year’s Sapphire Award.

In honor of the Chamber’s 70th anniversary, the

The awards were presented at the Chamber’s 70th Anniversary gala celebration on Nov. 4 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Lake George. The event sold out with nearly 200 people registered to attend.

The Fort William Henry was recognized for its longevity as well as recent investments in its property, including plans to transform the historic Carriage House into a weddings, meetings and arts venue, scheduled to open in May. The property is also the host site for many events that impact the region, including the Americade, Adirondack Nationals car show, Lake George Music Festival among others.

“The 165-plus year history of this institution is one of perseverance and succeeding against the odds. It is difficult to imagine this community being what it is today without the FWH as an anchor,” said Ryan Moore, CEO of Behan Communications. Moore, former Warren County administrator and 2021 S.T.A.R. award winner, presented the award to the hotel.

Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough’s continued efforts on behalf of the tourism industry through his years as town supervisor have helped grow the economic impact around the region, the Chamber said.

Strough has been in his current elected position for five terms. Previously, he was elected to five town councilman terms for Queensbury Ward 3 from 2004-2013.

He has served on several local boards and committees in the community, including the SUNY Adirondack board, the Warren County EDC board, and many lake preservation committees and boards. He developed, designed, and built the Rush Pond Way and Half Way Brook hike/bike trail systems and oversees the direction and implementation of many major infrastructure projects for Queensbury.

He continues to spearhead and develop many initiatives including solar, fiber optics, lake and land preservation, and various economic development projects.

“Outdoor recreation is what we’re all about. John is as strong an advocate for outdoor recreation that you’ll find in local government, and it shows,” said Moore.

The Adirondack Pub & Brewery team has demonstrated community service for two decades, including serving dinners at the Caldwell Presbyterian Church and fundraising for Big Brothers-Big Sisters, and the Rotary and Lions clubs, they are always happy to provide their time, talent and products. During the pandemic, the staff, all remained employed. When the Pub wasn’t open, they were assigned to prep meals for seniors a few days a week in addition to other areas in the community that needed “hands-on” assistance.

Molella has been employed by the Chamber for 45 years. In her many years of dedication to the Chamber and the region’s tourism industry she has worked in a variety of roles to help support the region’s tourism economy.

“Chris’s legacy will be what’s here tonight. Today’s Chamber of Commerce — loaded with talent, ready to go, ready to support Lake George, the entire county and the entire region,” lake George Mayor Robert Blais said.

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB, Inc. strives to drive tourism to the region year-round while fostering a vibrant business community.

Chamber also created a Platinum Award for this year to recognize office manager Christine Dowd Molella who will retire at the end of the year following 45 years of service.

Fort William Henry CEO Kathy Flacke Muncil and President Sam Luciano, right, accept the S.T.A.R.. Award with Ryan Moore, CEO of Behan Communications.

County Administrator and 2021 S.T.A.R. Award winner.

Zobel & Co. Kitchens Gets Two Awards From Area Builders And Remodelers Association

New Restaurant Concept Will Feature Board Games For Its Customers To Play

Zobel & Co. Kitchens of Glens Falls, a custom kitchen design firm, received the Best Kitchen Design $80,000-$119,000 and Best Kitchen Design $120,000-plus awards from the Capital Region Builders and Remodelers Association (CRBRA) .

The awards were presented at the annual Best of Building awards night in November at the Canfield Casino, Saratoga Springs.

The first project recognized was a Malta kitchen that features rich walnut cabinetry, Calacatta Arno Quartz slab back splash and counter tops, and a stunning Vermont Verde Antique countertop on the island. The new kitchen features generous amounts of light, storage and organization, floating shelves, and a closet converted into a pantry.

The second project awarded to Zobel & Co. Kitchens is a Saratoga kitchen that combines the working side of a kitchen with a large six-person dine-in island and completed with a large wet bar area featuring wine storage and a beverage refrigerator. White cabinetry defines the cook-

ing and eating area, while smokey grey cabinets showcases the bar. The design incorporates the family’s desire to entertain comfortably while having ample room for food prep and cooking.

“CRBRA provides an unbiased, true judging of projects so these awards mean a great deal to us.” said Arthur Zobel. “We are among many talented design firms in our region, and we are honored when a homeowner chooses us to help them bring their vision to life.”

The Best in Building Awards recognizes CRBRA members for their excellence and innovation in residential building, remodeling, design, marketing and more. The entries are judged by industry experts from out of state. The judges review the entries based on the criteria provided and are not able to see the company that submitted each entry and are able to be completely objective in their scoring.

Zobel & Co. Kitchens is located at 11 Broad Street, Glens Falls, in the Union Square Building. Its website is www.zobelandco.com.

BY JILL NAGY

Th is winter, on cold, dark evenings, Mark and Kristen Shaw hope people will fi nd their way to Go Play with Your Food, a tavern that will featured old fashioned board games.

They plan to open in January.

The couple has collected over 500 board games, ranging from classics like Monopoly and chess to the more esoteric ones. Meanwhile, they are renovating a building at 126 Glen St. to house the enterprise.

The tavern will offer a selection of sandwiches, flatbread pizza, salads and “family fun food,” Mark Shaw said. There will also be beer, mead, and wines—no hard liquor.

He said the emphasis will be on the games,

not the food. They are not trying to compete with Glens Falls restaurants. The choices of food and drink also reflects the desire to create a family-oriented facility.

The Shaws got the idea for the board game tavern when they were wintering in Raleigh, N.C. They visited a similar place in Raleigh and were soon hooked.

“We liked it. Our kids loved it,” he said. They found themselves going back every couple of weeks.

Mark Shaw is president of Stored Technology Solutions (StoredTech), an IT consulting fi rm located in Queensbury.

Further information can be found at www. goplaywithyourfood.com.

Arthur Zobel, president of Zobel & Co. Kitchens, holds the two awards his company received from the Capital Region Builders and Remodelers Association at an event in Saratoga.

Courtesy Zobel & Co. Kitchens

Go Play with Your Food is planned to open in January at 126 Glen Street. The building is being renovated by Elizabeth Miller, who purchased the property earlier this year.

transaction has created.

“When I was living abroad I missed these types of stores where you can go and pick up groceries for the evening so you can make a nice dinner after work, or you can pick up a great sandwich at lunchtime,” he said. “We really want to provide a pretty full spectrum, whether you want a date night out in the dining room, or your morning coffee and a pastry and hopefully everything in between.”

“We’re really hoping it will be a little something for everyone,” he said. “We want to have things as simple paper towels and dish soap, but we also want to provide some gourmet products you may not see in the big-box stores around here. We’re offering a lot of the same meats, cut to order at the butcher counter, that we use for the dining room menu.”

The convenient, 19 Park St. location is within walking distance for downtown visitors and businesspeople, and the hundreds of employees at nearby Glens Falls Hospital.

The deli and market began welcoming patrons on Nov. 19 and the restaurant opened on Friday, Dec. 9. It replaces the popular eatery called Doc’s, located across the street in the Park Theater building, which Elizabeth Miller brought back to life with a grand revitalization project several years ago.

The former Doc’s space will continue to host private events.

“We’ve got dozens of special events, like corporate Christmas parties, taking place there in December,” Miller said.

The new Park & Elm Street restaurant will have many of the same menu highlights people enjoyed at Doc’s “with a few tricks up our sleeve we’re excited to share,” Miller said. “It’s the same team. We’ve got a great bartender (Ethan McKee) and executive chef (Matthew J. Delos). I manage the restaurant’s wine program. We’ve all been looking forward to this new dining room for almost two years now.”

The retail market and deli is open from 7

a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Hot lunch foods will stop being served at 4 p.m., but “grab-and-go” items will be available until closing.

“I live at 14 Hudson,” Miller said. “There’s not really even a place to pick up a six-pack of beer downtown unless I want to walk to Stewart’s. All of those things are some of the needs I wanted to fi ll with this project. The more I started to talk with my management team we felt we could really add something to the fabric of Glens Falls.”

The 85-seat restaurant opens at 5 p.m. with fi nal seatings at 9 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday. Starting next spring, an enclosed three-season patio area will have 65 more outdoor seats.

Plans call for keeping both the deli-market and restaurant open an additional day, about six months from now, Miller said.

Park & Elm also has 10 new second- and third-floor apartments over the restaurant and market. They are expected to be fi lled by the end of December, Miller said.

Retrofitting the old building, while both preserving and enhancing its character, was no easy task, especially with supply chain and material shortage issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The job was done by Queensbury-based Cifone Construction Co., which also worked on the Park Theater building.

“Th is was a huge challenge,” Miller said. “There were five separate, narrow businesses on the ground floor. We had to completely re-imagine what this space would look like.

There were columns and pillars to work around and utilize. Th is was an electrical warehouse at one time, so we have classical elements like exposed brick, industrial-type lighting and the new tin ceiling looks similar to what was here.

“It would have been way cheaper to knock the whole thing down and start from scratch, but we wouldn’t have this historic building to keep the character of Glens Falls.”

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

2000 Business Of The Year

Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce 9 Broad St. Glens Falls, NY 12803 (518) 581-0600 • Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com Editorial: RJDeLuke@glensfallsbusinessjournal.com Advertising: HarryW@glensfallsbusinessjournal.com

Owner Of JMF Publishing Is New Owner Of Discovery Map Of Lake George

Discovery Map International, a provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions, cities and towns throughout North America, recently announced John Farrell as the new owner of Discovery Map of Lake George.

Farrell, the owner of JMF Publishing, purchased the map from Greg Cluver in the fall.

Farrell has owned and operated JMF Publishing for more than 30 years. He runs it with his wife of 38 years, Margaret. The company publishes a wide range of tourism publications tailored toward upstate New York, including Upstate Summer magazine, Adirondack Paddling, Adirondack Hiking, Adirondack Fishing, 1000 Islands—Tug Hill Craft Beverage Map, Great Lakes Seaway Trail Journey magazine and the official guides and maps to more than 30 New York state parks.

“Over the years we had picked up Discovery Maps and always thought they were well done and informative. Seeing that they were exactly the type of business we were already running, we looked into becoming a franchise owner,” Farrell said. “After considering a start-up franchise and evaluating three franchises that were for sale we decided that Lake George was the best opportunity and that produced a touch of irony. Way back in 1994 the Lake George area was where JMF Publishing was fi rmly established with advertising sales and production of the official maps and guides for New York state campgrounds in region.”

Discovery Map produces colorful, handdrawn maps that have become a favorite of travelers for navigating local dining, attractions, businesses, cultural experiences and tourist destinations. Discovery Map of Lake George includes sites and destinations ranging from Prospect Mountain to restaurants, shopping venues and various other activities.

The maps are typically found on display in local stores, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions. In addition to the printed map, DiscoveryMap.com offers curated content for visitors and those planning a trip. The interactive map on the website is to scale, thus can be used for turn-by-turn directions, as well as to access detailed information about areas of interest, places to eat, lodging and other noteworthy sites.

“As much as we rely on our smartphones, people still prefer printed-out maps,” said Farrell. “Although Discovery Map has a great

website and online presence, the maps are truly like works of art and reveal the character of an area. Lake George has plenty of that to go along with the natural beauty of the lake, historic sites like the Fort William McHenry Museum, hiking trails and theme parks like Lake George Theme Park.”

Local businesses interested in placing an ad in the upcoming Discovery Map of Lake George, to be published in winter 2023, can call (315) 922-8969 or email johnf@discoverymap. com.

“I am looking forward to taking the Discovery Map of Lake George into its next incarnation by building its online presence and adding more advertisers to the print version while keeping it a valuable and informative tourism resource,” he said.

Discovery Maps International is headquartered in Waitsfield, Vt. Discovery Map, has more than 120 maps across the U.S. and Canada. It is the charge of the franchise owner to sell advertising on the map and the map online version, the WebMap, available at discoverymap.com. The typical franchise owner will publish a printed map once per year.

For more information on the Discovery Map franchise opportunity, visit discoverymapfranchise.com/.

Glens

Glens Falls Business Journal has been founded to promote business in Warren and Washington counties and to provide a forum that will increase the awareness of issues and activities that are of interest to the business community. Subscription price is $25.00 per year. Third class postage paid at Glens Falls, New York.

Rights to editorial content and layouts of advertising placed with Glens Falls Business Journal which are the creative effort of its contractors, and printing materials supplied by Glens Falls Business Journal are the property of Glens Falls Business Journal and may not be reproduced by photographic or similar methods, or otherwise, without the specific authorization of Glens Falls Business Journal.

John Farrell, owner of JMF Publishing and Discovery Map of Lake George.

partner firms, Adirondack Sign Co. of Saratoga Springs and Bokland Custom Visuals of Albany, printed and installed them.

In addition, Sidekick Creative designed the handsome medals that winning athletes will wear. In the process, the firm has grown from three to five full-time employees, with more hires quite likely.

“We’ve also made connections with a number of other potential clients, so the impact will go far beyond the Games with the networks we’ve built,” Fowler said.

With male and female competitors age 17 to 25, World University Games is the largest winter multisport collegiate athletic event anywhere on the globe. This marks the first time the winter Games have been held in the U.S. since 1972 when Lake Placid last hosted them. In 1993, Buffalo played host to the summer edition.

The Lake George Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau said the Games are expected to generate about 3,700 hotel room nights, including some right in Lake George for activity taking place at Gore Mountain.

“It factors in not only athletes, but potential spectators who might be drawn here,” said Amanda Metzger, chamber marketing director. “It is an incredible opportunity to showcase North Creek and Gore and we look forward to welcoming these top athletes and helping spread the word about businesses that are open and all there is to do après-ski.”

The Games coincide with the already busy Martin Luther King Jr. holiday week, when many schools are on winter break.

“It is definitely benefiting the local area, North Creek and surrounding towns,” said Julia Johnson, Gore Mountain marketing director.

All athletes competing at Gore Mountain will be housed and fed at a Lake George lodging establishment, which cannot be named for security reasons, Johnson said.

Tom Wysocki of the Fort William Henry Hotel said it’s hoped the Games will generate more midweek overnight stays, adding to the brisk weekend business the hotel already gets from Ice Castles, the large wintry attraction that drew tens of thousands

of visitors to Lake George last January and February.

Led by ESPN, World University Games will be broadcast to millions of viewers around the planet, which should do a great deal to promote North Country tourism long after athletes go home.

The state has invested $500 million the past few years to upgrade the 43-year-old Olympic venues and bring them up to current international standards.

About $80 million was spent at Mt. Van Hoevenberg alone, highlighted by a sparkling new base lodge.

“Lake Placid is making a significant contribution that’s being recognized internationally as a great model and standard for other places in that we generate revenue, jobs and opportunities for people,” said Kris Cheney-Seymour, Mt. Van Hoevenberg manager.

A completely new, environmentally-friendly refrigeration system has been installed at the Olympic Center for its three indoor ice arenas and outdoor speed skating oval. At the Ski Jumping Complex, the landing hill has been modified to accommodate modern jumping techniques and equipment.

Also, a gondola built for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games has been retrofitted with a new engine and cars, a new chairlift services beginner terrain and new automated tower guns, which adjust based on humidity and temperature conditions, make a great deal more snow, which is critical during this era of climate change marked by volatile weather shifts.

“It’s all part of the lead-up to the World University Games, but something that’s also going to carry on for the skier experience here at least another 20 years,” said Andrew Weibrecht, a two-time Olympic medalist and Lake Placid native.

Only small sections of both Whiteface and Gore mountains will be set aside for racing, meaning daily visitors will still have a full complement of trails to enjoy for skiing and snowboarding. At Gore, only four of its 120 trails will be used for competition, which includes ski- and boardercross, big air, snowboard slalom and slopestyle with rails, jibs and jumps.

“The only difference is that there will be a security checkpoint and some designated parking for athletes,”

Bone Broth Made By Pastor Is A Speciality At The Dix Avenue Diner In Queensbury

BY JILL NAGY

Bone broth is the specialty of the house at the Dix Avenue Diner in Queensbury.

The diner, at 487 Dix Ave., shares space with the New Beginnings Community Church. The church’s pastor, Randy Gross, also operates the diner and brews the bone broth.

Gross boils meat bones—chicken, turkey, beef, or pork—with a mixture of spices until it reaches a jelly-like consistency. The result, he said, is a product low in calories, high in protein, and packed with vitamins and minerals.

He described the spices as anti-inflammatory and said that they gain added potency from cooking in the hot fat. They include turmeric, cardamon, ginger, garlic and cumin.

The Indian influence is not coincidental. Gross said part of his inspiration came from the experience of a doctor whose digestive tract changed when he lived in India for a time and the changes resulted in improved health.

The diner opened in April 2019 never closed. During the lockdown, food and broth were sold to-go.

The pastor said he was motivated by the number of his congregants dying of chronic diseases. Some of them were “like family to me,” he said. He undertook 10 years of research, he recalled, and came up with bone broth.

The Dix Avenue Diner also offers a standard diner menu. Breakfast is a big thing, Gross said, featuring farm-fresh eggs from backyard flocks. A small staff does the cooking and serving. Gross sometimes does some cooking on the line but his main contribution is preparing the bone broth and counseling on how to use it.

The church congregation its small; 35 to 40 on an average Sunday.

The diner is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The telephone number is 518-792-4462.

Customers can eat the hot broth in the diner or take it home by the bottle.

The logo for the World University Games coming to Lake Placid in January was produced by Glens Falls-based Sidekick Creative. The games are expected to be a boon to the area economy.

Paul Post

From left, Shelly Holcomb, Gretchen Stranahan, Pastor Randy Gross, Abbie Stranahan and Katie Russell of Dix Avenue Diner pose inside the Queensbury eatery.

Courtesy Dix Avenue Diner

Nonprofit

Knitt LLC Helps Companies Analyze Charitable Giving, Helps Nonprofits Prosper

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

Knitt LLC, a subscription-based service that connects donor businesses with a specific mission and appropriate nonprofit organizations, formally hit the philanthropic world at the end of October.

The soft launch follows two years of development, three months of beta testing, and a short time building up the funds for founder Lisa Munter to kick off the service regionally.

The service helps plan, make and track charitable donations.

“While the platform is designed to be scaled worldwide, we in the Capital District, Saratoga and the Adirondacks are the first on this journey because this is the area where we live, work and play,” said Munter. “Knitt is a different way to handle philanthropy and it is going to take some time to grow it.”

Munter said “when you launch a service into the world there are a lot of questions about what the infant business is going to be.”

But feedback from the two dozen-plus companies and nonprofit organizations who were first to try out the Knitt platform enabled her staff and team of software developers to make refinements and introduce features that will add value for both sides of the client base, Munter said.

“Knitt should be a win for both,” she said. “The donor should receive just as much benefit as the charitable organization receiving the gift.”

What Munter calls “the match-dot-com portion” of Knitt “connects warm leads” between likely donors and likely nonprofits while filtering out unlikely partners. Once “knitted,” it is up to the charity to nurture the relationship and sustain giving, she said.

Munter’s concept for what she believes is a unique service came in part out of her own experience in philanthropy. A former special education teacher, she has served on boards of directors locally and understands the trials of raising awareness for and maintaining connections with charitable organizations in any economy.

On the business side, she experienced her husband’s company, Munter Enterprises, inundated with requests for donations year after year, and conceived Knitt to streamline the charitable giving for companies.

“You can put a charitable gift into your budget but if giving is only reactionary, the next thing you realize is it’s six months in and you’ve gone through your budget,” said Munter. “Now you have to either say ‘no’ or go over budget. But Knitt allows users to

see in live time where they are in their giving goals while showing the types of organizations they are giving to.”

One of the features of the Knitt platform is that businesses can be sure that the groups they may be looking to partner with are bonafide nonprofit organizations. To be on the platform as a subscriber, all organizations are vetted.

Knitt is also a time-saving tool to identify organizations with specific causes that the owners of the donor business or their employees are passionate about.

For example, a company or its employees with a backstory that attaches them to children’s causes wants to “know at the end of the year when they’re looking through their Excel spreadsheet” that their gifts aligned closely with their intent, she said.

“Some donors think they are giving to children’s causes and then realize $50,000 went to food insecurity and only $5,000 to kids,” she said. “Is that what they wanted their giving to look like?”

Especially in uncertain economies, “donors are trying to be more purposeful and mindful in their giving,” Munter said. Knitt streamlines the process by helping donor businesses distill the hundreds of nonprofit organizations in the Capital Region down to “a curated list” of those with shared missions.

When first subscribing to Knitt, donors fill out a profile and check the main categories of organizations they want to support. Within those are

On Page 9

Habitat For Humanity Changes Its Model To Build Condominium Units In Queensbury

BY ANDREA HARWOOD

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties is working hard to expand the traditional one- and twofamily homes model they’ve been utilizing for years.

Its new project is called Fairfield, a 25-unit, mixed-income development project intended to do that.

The property is located on Baybridge, off of Bay Road near SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, at Fairfield Properties.

“Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to start moving beyond our standard operating model of single family residences. We want to support as many humans as possible. To do that, we need to think beyond one or two homes a year,” said executive director Adam Feldman.

The condo project is intended to create more home-buying opportunities to more low- to moderate-income families in the area. Standard condominium models of separate ownership of individual units and joint ownership of common areas, such as stairways and yard spaces ,will be followed. Owners receive a deed in the same fashion as purchasing a single-family property.

This is not the first time a Habitat for Humanity affi liate has executed a project like this. Habitat for Humanity Sarasota in Florida successfully created a 72-unit mixed-income condominium development intended for home ownership in 2002.

The development of the Fairfield property will create owner-occupied units between $175,000 and $350,000, all varying in floor plan and square footage. Roughly 30 percent of the units will be sold to low- to moderate-income Habitat for Humanity partner families.

The mixed-income housing model is specifically designed to create a living environment of diversity and inclusion. Studies reveal that the model raises the standard of living for all inhabitants of the community, said Feldman.

Instead of utilizing primarily volunteers to build this particular condominium project, the Fairfield development will utilize professional contractors for the sake of time, funds and skill set. Volunteers will still have ample opportunity to give of their time at other build sites.

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties has a goal to

utilize the economy of scale in its approach to home ownership. The 25-unit condominium project will be a quicker, more efficient and more affordable per unit approach than building one single family home at a time, Feldman said.

The influencing factor to changing the traditional approach is the current affordable housing crisis, said Feldman. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find starter homes in the area, which makes it difficult for the workforce population to find affordable housing in proximity to their place of employment.

In turn, the availability of workers in places such as cafes, eating establishments and healthcare facilities is decreased, said Feldman. Places of business are forced to decrease their hours of operation, which impacts the business, the workers and the community, said Feldman.

“The workforce is exiting our community because there is nowhere for them to live where they can afford and COVID only made things worse,” said Feldman.

“Habitat has been pondering away for the past three or four years on how to support as many people as possible in our community,” said Feldman. “We took ideas of scale from the for-profit market and applied them to the nonprofit market to support the workforce in our community.”

Habitat for Humanity is also partnering with the WAIT House, the local homeless youth shelter serving homeless individuals up to age 24 years old. The partnership will result in providing transitional rental housing to young families exiting the WAIT House and working toward getting on their feet. The collaboration will allow both nonprofits to serve multiple families at a time and utilize the economy of scale to human services.

Habitat for Humanity wants to build additional mixed-income condominium projects similar to the Fairfield property in the Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties area. It is looking for additional building and development partners and municipalities who are interested in building condominium developments. Minimum density for collaboration would be -12 units, with no maximum to speak of.

Builders, contractors and other interested partners should contact Feldman at executivedirector@glensfallshabitat.org.

Lisa Munter, left, operates Knitt LLC, and Catherine Hover of the Palette Community.

Hiring A Grant Writer

BY SABRINA HOUSER

Many nonprofits rely heavily on securing grants to fund the programs and initiatives that serve our communities. Grant writing services for nonprofit organizations are often handled by staff that have many other responsibilities as well.

One strategy for success that is often overlooked or dismissed as too expensive is to contract with a grant writer or grant consultant. A grant writing consultant can work with existing staff to maximize the chances of success.

A nonprofit grant consultant reviews the organization’s mission and finds grants that fit the mission. An outsourced grant consultant will also work with staff to make current grant applications align with funding requirements. A consultant can review, edit, and make suggestions to increase the  chances of submitting a successful grant application.

Grant management for nonprofits requires skill, time, and experience. Every grant comes with funder expectations for reporting, tracking of expenditures and program outcomes. Restrictions may also be placed on what the funds may be expended on. Tracking and reporting expenditures, properly allocating funds to allowed expenses, as well as measuring and evaluating program outcomes fall under the purview of grant management.

One of the critical functions of a nonprofit grant consultant is in strategizing funding support for specific initiatives and programs. A grant consultant’s experience with Federal, State, and private or corporate foundations can be an invaluable asset to a nonprofit that is struggling to secure grant funding or would like to increase their grant success rate.

It takes a well written, compelling grant application that is closely aligned with a funder’s social investment priorities to stand out from the many, many grant applications that funders receive each year. A grant consultant can be the difference between an application that is merely adequate and one that rises to the top and is awarded funding.

To write a competitive application for funding, a grant writer must understand the organization’s programs, goals, and mission. The grant writing process requires skillful management of narrative, word count, budget information, as well as close adherence to funder guidelines.

Grant makers’ decisions are based on the strength of the written grant application and supporting documents. A strong, well-written application that adheres to the funder’s application guidelines is imperative. Also critical is matching agency mission with a funder’s philanthropic priorities.

This is the piece that many organizations miss. Submitting grant applications in a scattershot approach wastes time and resources and is rarely successful. Knowing this, a grant consultant can be a valuable addition to your grant writing strategy.

For any grant, application deadlines are critical. It is a rare funder that does not require report-

ing on grant expenditures and program or project outcomes. Funders want to know that their investment has had an impact. As mentioned, financial reports are required in conjunction with program goals. How did you do? Did you meet your goals and the program goals? How have you managed the funds, and was the program successful? What are the outcomes? How did you measure it?

Often, the grant consultant plays a role at various stages of the grant process. A grant consultant may advise, review, or create the financial goals of the nonprofit; communicate with the organization’s legal and accounting firms if the information is needed during the grant writing process; do strategic planning to include goal development and stakeholder engagement; do outreach and communication to develop the organization’s community presence and increase engagement through messaging and activities.

For these reasons, a grants consultant may be a solid investment as part of your organization’s overall fund development strategy.

The best way to find a good grant writer is by word of mouth. Use your network of fellow nonprofit executives or board members to find a grant writer that has been helpful. Networking organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce and BNI are also great places to start.

You can go to websites for professional membership organizations that grant writers often join.

One of the best ways to learn about a writer’s experience is by asking for examples and references. Grant writers should have a portfolio that includes different types of grants they have written and their success rates

Just as a small business owner cannot successfully wear multiple hats, a nonprofit executive director is also challenged with competing priorities and roles. The value and importance of securing grants requires time, attention, and, most important, skill and experience.

SAIL Organization Moves Its Saratoga County Branch To Space At The Wilton Mall

BY JILL NAGY

Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL), which originated in Glens Falls and has a Queensbury office, has relocated its Saratoga County office to the Wilton Mall.

The new Wilton location replaces offices in Ballston Spa where the organization was located for 15 years. The agency also has offices in Saratoga, Queensbury and Plattsburgh.

“People with disabilities are figuring out their next step,” said Tyler Whitney, deputy executive director. “A lot of people don’t know what they need when they come here.”

The organization assists with housing, arranging in-home medical and nursing services, finding appropriate health insurance, free medical equipment loans, preparing Medicare and Medicaid applications, connecting with other community services, and other services that can help people with disabilities achieve the greatest level of independence possible. Primarily a source of advice and counseling, SAIL does not provide direct services but, Whitney said, they work closely with the providers that do.

The organization serves a 15-county swathe of upstate New York. “We begin in Columbia/ Greene and work our way up,” Whitney said. It is a nonprofit organization, supported by state and federal grants and donations.

Knitt LLC

Continued From Page 8

sub-categories to select from, which Munter said is taken from IRS business categories.

“Do we have every single sub-category represented? We don’t,” she said. “But the good news is since we launched in October we had a couple nonprofits email me saying, ‘We would really like to see if you can add certain categories that we would fall under,’ enabling them to make more connections with appropriate donors.

After clicking on all the checkboxes and with the entities and subcategories selected, there is a foundation for starting to make matches.

“Now they have a Knitt profile page or a splash page with their logo, important bullet points, information that links to the website, social media links and more,” Munter said.

“If the donor is interested it can send, or accept, a Knitt request,” said Munter. “If a donor wants to do a deeper dive before accepting a Knitt request from a nonprofit, those details are right there on the organization’s profile page.”

“That’s the warm leads connection, no different than when we are at a function and someone introduces us,” she said. “Then if we want to continue that journey together we’ll set up another meeting. But you don’t have to go to a networking event and you don’t even have to be in the same zip code or

Whitney said the new office is “accessible and innovative,” centrally located in the heart of Saratoga County. Availability of public transportation was a big piece of the decision to relocate to Wilton, she added. The new location provides 4,500 square feet of space. It received a “top to bottom renovation” between the time SAIL decided in mid-summer to move and their actual relocation in early October.

“The new space provides a warm environment in which our staff can continue to assist our community members on their journey toward independent living,” Whitney said. “We find that repurposing a location once used for retail is a trailblazing idea that can bring new life to shopping centers,” she added.

SAIL serves between 5,000 and 8,000 clients a year in its three offices. They have about 40 employees, five or six of them detailed to Saratoga.

Founded as Glens Falls Independent Living Center in 1988, SAIL opened offices in Saratoga in 1994 and Plattsburgh in 2013. The organization was renamed in 2007 to better reflect its commitment to providing services throughout the North Country, Glens Falls and Saratoga regions.

More information about SAIL and its services is available on their website at sailhelps.org, or by telephoning 518-792-3537.

spend hours in the hamster wheel of the unknown to make a connection. It’s all there in front of you on Knitt.”

A new implemented feature is the instant donation receipt, another time-consuming task that Knitt alleviates, Munter said.

Munter said she wants to curate Knitt during the soft launch stage to better represent the people who are using it. She is especially working to build the donor side of the client base by letting “businesses that donate to multiple organizations know how Knitt gives them more insight and analytics and information than they would get from a spreadsheet.”

But Knitt is only going to be as good as the people using it, Munter said. As she and her team work to reach critical mass, new features are in development.

“There is a much bigger vision for Knitt, so keep joining us on our journey,” she said. “In time Knitt will remove the barriers of regional communities and users will be able to discover partners nationwide that fit their requirements for philanthropy.”

Munter said there will soon be signs on the doors of local businesses with the Knitt logo and QR code “that tells solicitors that all of our philanthropy goes through Knitt. So if you subscribe to Knitt and we match up, we are open to a conversation.”

“Just give it a try,” Munter said. “You have more to gain than you have to lose.”

Visit getknitt.com for more information.

Sabrina Houser is the owner of Capital CFO+ in Saratoga Springs.

Courtesy Capital CFO

Cyber/Tech

Small Businesses Must Be Aware Of Ransomware And Problems It Can Cause

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

In 2021, an estimated 37 percent businesses were the target of ransomware—a type of malicious soft ware designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

The price tag for these worldwide attacks was a staggering $20 billion. The dollar amount is expected to reach $265 billion by 2031, experts say.

In order to combat ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has partnered with members of the private sector. Th rough a program called InfraGard, they work together to protect the country’s critical infrastructure.

Craig Stephenson, senior cybersecurity analyst at Tech II Business Services in Saratoga Springs, is a member of InfraGard. Tech II provides managed information technology services to small and medium sized businesses.

According to Stephenson, cyberattacks represent a clear and present danger to all companies regardless of size.

“We are being inundated on a daily basis by bad actors from around the world. They are trying to steal the intellectual property from businesses or trying to get money from them. The FBI put together an unclassified video, and it’s an eye opener on how China is specifically and systematically trying to attack the United States in regards to stealing intellectual property.”

When it comes to ransomware, Stephenson said what he calls the “human fi rewall” is to blame for most attacks.

“The way that most ransomware is getting into systems is when someone is clicking on an email they aren’t supposed to.”

He said it is vital for companies to educate their employees on how to avoid falling victim to ransomware. One way that Tech II Business Services works to educate their clients is through the use of phishing campaigns. By sending out bogus phishing emails, they are able to determine if any employees within an organization click on what is designed to resemble a suspicious link.

“What this does is that it trains employees,” said Stephenson. “One of the things that small businesses need to understand is that they are

required by New York state law—the SHIELD Act—to do this type of training for their employees on an annual basis.”

As part of the SHIELD Act, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards must be adopted by any person or business that maintains private information.

Bryan Brayton, director of managed services at Layer Eight, agrees that employee training is essential. His company provides managed informational technology services to small and medium sized businesses in the Capital Region and North Country.

“At the end of the day, the most vulnerable portion of the business IT infrastructure is the user,” said Brayton. “One of the most important things that small businesses can do is to educate their employees and have formal cybersecurity training programs. When you hear about these ransomware attacks or breaches, in rare cases it is an actual hack or vulnerability. Normally what happens is that a user was tricked into clicking on an infected attachment or going to web site that is harvesting their credentials.”

Once an attack occurs, companies that do

$50 Million Available In NYS For Firms Developing Cyber Safety Programs

New York state has opened applications for $50 million to strengthen safety and security measures at nonprofit, community-based organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission.

The funding is the greatest amount ever available through the program, state officials said. Nonprofit organizations that have previously received grants may now apply for new security projects, and for the first time, cybersecurity projects will be considered for funding.

The state also announced $46 million in federal funding for 240 nonprofit organizations across the state facing an increased risk of terrorist attack. This critical funding will assist in strengthening the security of their facilities, as well as enhance overall preparedness.

“Hate has no place in New York, and we will continue to support organizations that are most vulnerable to vicious and violent attacks,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “With this new round of unprecedented funding, these at-risk facilities will be able to fund safety precautions, including cybersecurity projects, to protect vulnerable people from those who would lash out against them due to their ideology, belief or mission.”

Officials said the announcement came as hate and bias incidents persist throughout New York and federal authorities have warned of security threats in neighboring states targeting faithbased institutions. Hate crimes adversely and disproportionately affect entire communities, not just the intended targets.

While the number of hate crimes reported to police in the state represents a small fraction of total crime, these incidents traumatize and instill fear in the greater community. New York state tracks these incidents separately from other crimes so trends can be monitored, and steps can be taken to prevent them from occurring in the first place, officials said.

Provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through its Nonprofit Security Grant Program, $46 million in federal funds are being allocated to New York through two separate awards—$38.8 million for organizations within the New York City Metro Area and $7.2 million for organizations throughout the rest of the State.

The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services manages these programs in close coordination with local stakeholders. The 240 nonprofit organizations that are receiving

federal funding are allowed to use those grants for plans detailing security risk management, continuity of operations, and incident response; physical security enhancement equipment, and inspection and screening systems; active shooter training, and security training for employees, members or the congregation; response exercises; and contracted security personnel.

Administered by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the state-funded Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program is seeking proposals for the $50 million, which is anticipated to support approximately 1,000 projects across the state.

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said the top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe and the funds “will help protect our nonprofit institutions from those driven by hateful extremism. We look forward to continuing to work with our nonprofit partners to ensure New York remains a safe place to provide services and conduct business.”

Created in 2017, the program provides funding to strengthen security measures and prevent hate crimes against nonprofit community and civic centers, cultural museums, day care centers, and other nonprofit organizations that may be vulnerable because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission.

The funding can be used to support exterior or interior security improvements, including but not limited to lighting, locks, alarms, panic buttons, fencing, barriers, access controls, shatter-resistant glass and blast-resistant fi lm, public address systems, and for the first time, measures to strengthen cybersecurity. Funds can also cover costs associated with security training. To date, a total of $83.1 million has been awarded to more than 600 nonprofit organizations to support approximately 1,700 projects.

DCJS will accept applications for up to $50,000 per project. Each eligible organization may submit up to three applications for a maximum of $150,000. An eligible organization also may submit a separate application for up to $50,000 to fund a cybersecurity project.

Applications must be submitted to DCJS by Tuesday, Jan. 31. Visit the Grants/Funding page of the DCJS website for eligibility requirements, instructions, guidelines and additional information.

Craig Stephenson, senior cybersecurity analyst at Tech II Business Services.

Courtesy Tech II

Local Company’s Technology Allows People

To Make Digital Purchases Using Ring Finger

BankWise Technology, a Saratoga Springs developer of advanced custom programming for banks, announced that it has provided the system development, integration, and support for the nation’s first wearable payment ring launched by the award-winning digital bank Quontic.

The Quontic Pay Ring is an innovative payment technology that allows Quontic customers wearing the ring to conveniently wave their hand near a contactless terminal to make retail purchases. Officials said the process is like tapping a credit or debit card and can be used worldwide at any payment terminal that accepts contactless payments.

The launch of this product required significant development effort to integrate the systems, streamline the operational processes and implement the safeguards necessary to both deliver the rings and to ensure their usefulness once deployed, according to BankWise. It provided the code and systems to manage key components of the product including customer authentication, ring ordering, sizing and fulfillment, ring activation, inventory management, integration with the bank’s core system, and customer communication updates via email or SMS on the pay ring’s order status.

“We are honored to be part of Quon-

tic’s newest and very innovative product launch and for it to be the first of its kind in the U.S.,” said Sergei Morgoslepov, co-president and chief technology officer of BankWise. “We were brought into this complex project to help design, implement, and manage a middleware solution that allows Quontic to offer this payment device to their customers.

“Our team thoroughly reviewed the project’s scope and then designed a middleware solution to address all requirements, from order and inventory management to integration with its core system.”

Quontic’s Chief Technology Officer Felix Todd said his company had been working with BankWise Technology on multiple projects and “knew that they had the technical experience and expertise to help us get this product to market. They have an intimate knowledge of what our projects require, and we knew that their programming skills and knowledge in the banking sector would fit well into this product’s design, development, and rollout.

“We are pleased with this collaboration and to be the first in the U.S. to bring this innovative, wearable payment technology to market.”

To learn more about the Quontic Pay Ring, visit www.quontic.com/pay-ring.

SUNY Adirondack, SUNY Plattsburgh Starting Computer Security Degree Program

SUNY Adirondack and SUNY Plattsburgh have an agreement to create a bachelor’s degree program in computer security at the college’s shared Queensbury campus.

The completion program will begin in the fall 2023 semester, offering a two-year study option for graduates of SUNY Adirondack’s associate degree programs in information technology: cybersecurity and information technology: information security, or transfer students with a similar background.

“We are eager to welcome students into our new bachelor degree completion program in computer security, one of the only computer security majors among the SUNY comprehensive colleges,” said Emma Bartscherer, director of SUNY Plattsburgh’s branch campus at SUNY Adirondack. “With the added benefit of a concentration in threat analysis, students will graduate with a competitive advantage and many career prospects.”

“True to our motto, ‘You don’t have to leave to go far,’ SUNY Plattsburgh’s branch campus serves students in the region as the only fouryear school with a presence in Warren County, Bartscherer said.

Computer security is the latest 2+2 agreement between SUNY Adirondack and SUNY Plattsburgh. The two colleges also offer joint in-person degree programs in psychology and criminal justice, and online in business administration and RN to B.S. in nursing.

“SUNY Adirondack is excited to team with SUNY Plattsburgh to offer our IT graduates a chance to further their studies in this highdemand field,” said Kristine D. Duff y, Ed.D., president of SUNY Adirondack. “We know there is great need for experts in cybersecurity, in our region and beyond, so it’s critical those interested have access to a high-quality, affordable education to protect against online threats, attacks and breaches.”

After completing a 60-credit IT associate degree program at SUNY Adirondack, students can seamlessly transfer to SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury, where they will take classes such as data modeling and analysis, information visualization, virtualization studio and operating systems, among others.

“Students who enter this major can expect tailored advising and personalized support; interactive, small class sizes; and in-person teaching with dedicated faculty in Queensbury,” said Michelle Howland, assistant director of SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury.

To apply to SUNY Adirondack’s IT associate degree programs, visit www.sunyacc.edu/ apply. To apply to SUNY Plattsburgh, visit plattsburgh.edu/apply.

To learn more, visit SUNY Plattsburgh’s branch office in Bryan Hall on SUNY Adirondack’s campus; email branchcampus@ plattsburgh.edu, or call or text 518-792-5425.

BY ERIC SCARINGE

Recently, the office of the Illinois state treasurer was tasked with handling one of the most bizarre and complicated unclaimed estate cases ever recorded in U.S. history.

Chicago resident Joseph Stancak passed away in 2016, secretly leaving behind $11 million in his estate. Fast forward to October 2022, 119 of Stancak’s relatives have now received a portion of his wealth more than five years later.

With no siblings, children of his own, or nephews and nieces, his lineage had to be traced by going all the way back to his parents before coming back to these relatives who are located in multiple states and even countries. That is a life-changing amount of money, and there is not much information on how he accumulated the wealth, but there is an important lesson to be learned here.

The best time to begin estate planning is as soon as possible. It basically starts with going through “what if” scenarios, some financial housekeeping and then bringing in professionals to finalize the process.

The biggest error you can make is thinking that estate planning is only for those worth tens of millions of dollars and doesn’t apply to your family. Anyone with assets owned in their own names may be subjecting their heirs to a long and expensive probate court process to simply inherit their assets.

Here are steps you can take to start the process:

• Prepare a personal net worth statement and include columns for ownership such as husband, wife, joint.

• Review amounts of death benefits and beneficiaries of life insurance policies.

• Review pension plans, 401K and IRAs and the beneficiaries of those items.

• Communicate a desired plan for assets with your spouse if you were to pass.

• Get it in writing. Meet with a CPA and an attorney to calculate the effects of your planning and have your wishes drafted into

a trust document.

• Select trustees responsible for your estate after your passing. Be sure to select several alternatives.

• If you have young children, decide who will become their guardians if both of you were to pass.

• Transfer assets that are not jointly held with the next generation into your new trusts.

In urging you to begin estate planning as soon as possible, we do so with the knowledge that the current estate tax exemption has been set at $12,920,000 and the annual gift exemption will be $17,000 per person for 2023.

It’s not a guarantee that those amounts will not decrease at some point. With a dynamic political environment, the tools available to your family now to minimize tax liability may not be available tomorrow.

If your family net worth is above the available exemption, there are many strategies to consider implementing to transfer growth outside of your estate today, as well as others to reduce or eliminate your exposure to estate taxes upon your demise.

Planning Ahead, Making Informed Decisions Are Vital To Amassing Funds For Retirement

BY PAUL POST

John Shartrand helps clients contemplating retirement prepare for their own personal Fourth of July or Financial Independence Day.

Deciding when to leave is never easy, especially for business owners during uncertain economic times.

“As we deal with a huge amount of money in motion and supply chain challenges creating rates of infl ation we have not experienced since the 1970s, the question you might be asking is, ‘How can I possibly retire in 2023?’ ” said Shartrand, chief investment officer at CAP COM Financial Services. “If you are just starting to think about retiring now, we may tell you it’s not the right time. But if you have been planning to retire, we are picking a date.”

Steve Bouchey, president and CEO of Bouchey Financial Group, said there two things every business person needs to do. “One: fully fund a pension plan, somehow, some way because retirement depends on their ability to save enough money to be prepared. The other thing is having disability insurance because if you become disabled who’s going to pay the bills? Bills will still come in.”

There are three main concepts and strategies to consider, Shartrand said.

First, as business professionals or owners, clients are urged to target their Financial Independence Day, even if they plan to stay on to help the next generation. “We develop an income plan together,” Shartrand said. “We work with our clients to transition from balance sheet-focused to income statementfocused.”

Next, defense and controllables are considered.

“We strengthen our balance sheet by paying down debt and accumulating safe investments,” he said. “We expect a bear market in retirement, so we plan. You may be in a position when you retire where withdrawing from your investments may not be necessary.”

Lastly, prudent asset allocation is used to develop investment strategies designed for retirement. “We should treat our investments like an individual pension fund,” Shartrand said. “Unlike a pension check, we must generate the pension check from the assets you have accumulated in your investments and/ or investments in your business.”

He said high infl ation with volatility is a person’s friend during the accumulation phase of retirement planning. “Time and

volatility give you an opportunity to accumulate assets and investment at various prices and the time may allow them to bounce back and grow over time.”

But infl ation and volatility is a foe during a retiree’s income phase.

“As we position our assets to produce a check we want stability,” Shartrand said. “Volatility has a direct impact on the amount of income we can draw now and how long our check will last. It’s called sequence of return risk. High infl ation over a long retirement erodes your stand of living in retirement. Th ink about your property taxes 25 years ago versus today.”

“Ultimately, you need to build a plan and a model with fi nancial independence in mind, knowing you will face sequence of return and longevity risk,” he said.

Bouchey said, “the sooner you get started the better off you are. If you want to become a millionaire at age 65, if you’re 30 years old, you only have to put away about $260 per month. Th at’s earning 10 percent a year, year in and year out. If you wait until 50, you have to put away bout $2,500 per month. So the sooner you get started the better.”

For whatever reason, some people feel they can’t afford putting money into a retirement plan. “But the simplest way to look at it is—make believe you get a pink slip today at work,” Bouchey said. “You’re devastated. No job, no income. Then tomorrow they hire you back at 90 percent of your salary. You’ll jump at taking that job. It’s the same as forcing yourself to put 10-15 percent into a retirement plan.”

Setting up a retirement fund is quite easy for self-employed business owners with no employees, using a Simplified Employee Pension plan or 401K Sole Proprietor Plan.

“You can put over $50,000 away that gets taken off your taxable income,” Bouchey said.

“With a Simplified Employee Pension you can contribute up to 25 percent of net earnings from self-employment up to a maximum of $66,000.”

Th is can be done at just about any fi nancial institution from commercial banks to investment fi rms.

Self-employed, one-person business owners that do a great deal of cash transactions should be especially prudent about setting up a retirement plan, Bouchey said.

“Cash may be king, but when it comes to retirement plans and Social Security you need to have reported income,” Bouchey said.

Business owners with employees may still

Eric Scaringe, is a principal

BY CARISSA A. CONLEY, CPA

This year has seen a lot of legislative proposals and a lot of speculation, but not too many new changes to employer-sponsored retirement plans. The most recent set of changes came from the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) of 2019.

Congress has been working on what’s being tagged as the SECURE Act 2.0, but nothing has yet to make it through. From the 2019 legislation, these are the updates that could affect your retirement plan and employees.

• The age at which Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) must begin is now 72, instead of age 70 ½.

• Long-term part-time employees will be eligible to participate in employer retirement plans after three years of employment. Since this provision went into effect 2021, the earliest their participation can begin is 2024.

• Inherited retirement accounts must now be fully distributed within 10 years and can no longer be stretched out over the beneficiary’s life expectancy. (There are certain exceptions to this for surviving spouses, minor children, disabled taxpayers, or beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the participant).

• New parents can withdraw up to $5,000 from eligible retirement plans without incurring the normal early withdrawal 10% penalty – if this is not incorporated into your plan, the employees can still take advantage of this on their personal tax return.

Keep in mind, if you sponsor a 401k, you must ensure the plan is amended to include the required changes from the SECURE Act. Make sure to check that your plan administrator is taking care of this now.

Encouraging taxpayers to invest in retirement is still a hot item in Congress and there are certain topics that keep surfacing which would impact your company plan. Auto-enrollment seems to be included in every bill introduced – this would require employers to automatically enroll its eligible employees in the plan. The auto enrollment would likely start with a 3 percent contribution and increase annually.

One of the latest proposals required the increases to continue until it reached 10 percent of the employee’s income. All proposals have allowed for employees to opt-out of the enrollment or adjust the withholding percentage.

Other recent proposals include establishing emergency savings accounts for employees in which unused funds would be rolled into the 401k plan, allowing penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts for emergency expenses, allowing Roth match contributions, and further increasing eligibility for part-time workers.

While the rules seem to be getting more and more complicated, offering a qualified retirement plan is a valuable benefit to your employees, and increases employment longevity. It allows them to contribute to their retirement on a pre-tax basis, or if preferred, make Roth contributions that they may otherwise not be qualified to make.

Employer contributions made to the plan, through a match provision or profit-profit sharing element, provide employees with pre-tax compensation. All contributions made for your employees

is a tax deduction against your business income, as is all the costs associated with administering and maintaining the plan. In addition, in the first few years after you establish the plan, you may qualify for the federal Retirement Plans Startup Costs Tax Credit which could reduce your tax by up to $5,000 for three years.

For 2023, the amount employees can contribute to eligible retirement plans have been increased significantly for inflation. These include an increase to $22,500 or $30,000 for those 50 and over for contributions to a 401k and an increase to $15,500 for employee contributions to SIMPLE plans.

By sponsoring a company plan, you provide your employees the ability to save for retirement at much quicker rate than they could individually, since IRAs only allow for contributions up to $6,500 or $7,500 for those 50 and older.

As alluded to earlier, certain taxpayers may be ineligible to contribute to a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs have lower income thresholds than traditional IRAs, which limit the ability of higher-income earners to contribute. It also disallows contributions to Roth accounts for those filing Married Separately. Currently, tax law does allow for taxpayers to make what is called a back-door contribution to a Roth IRA, but that could result in a large tax liability and is frequently botched, resulting in unexpected tax results.

To provide an additional benefit to your employees, consider designing your 401k plan to allow Roth contributions. This would provide your employees with the ability to contribute after-tax monies to their retirement that they may not otherwise have.

Even if they could contribute to a Roth IRA, this would allow for a much larger contribution. Adding the Roth element to your plan during initial design would not increase your plan costs, nor would the maintenance of the Roth accounts. However, you would need to have your plan administrator amend your plan if it does not currently allow for Roth contributions. It would be a good time to do this now while your plan is currently being amended for the SECURE Act changes so that your costs would be minimal. Unfortunately, SIMPLE plans do not allow for Roth contributions.

Now is a good time to sit down with your plan administrator or experienced professional who can help you with your businesses’ specific plan needs.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its Quarterly Classroom on the topic of Best Practices for Maintaining a Positive Work Environment to Retain Staff on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

The event will run from 10-11 a.m. at Crandall Public Library, downstairs, 251 Glen St., Glens Falls.

The cost is $30 for ARCC members; $40 for non-members.

Advanced registration is required.

Panelists will offer guidance and bring clarity to the internal actions that can be undertaken by businesses to address the current labor market challenges and how creating a positive work environment will help to attract and retain quality staff. Attendees will be presented with best methods, tools and good case examples from the region.

Panelists are Liza Ochsendorf, director, Warren County Department of Workforce Development; Patrick Welton, general manager, Lake George Escape Outdoor Resort; Kathy Flacke Muncil, CEO, Fort William Henry Corp.; and Jim Marco, vice president of human resources, Glens Falls Hospital.

For more information, contact Carol Ann Conover at the ARCC at Carol Ann Conover at caconover@adirondackchamber.org. * * *

The Southern Adirondack real estate market saw higher prices, lower inventory and fewer home sales in October compared to last year. Homes are spending over a month on the market on average, according to the Southern Adirondack Realtors.

New listings in the region decreased 15.9 percent in October compared to last year, from 504 to 424. The inventory of homes for sale dropped 27.2 percent, from 1,265 to 921, and pending sales decreased 12.6 percent, from 396 to 346. Closed sales were down 22.7 percent, from 525 to 406. Sellers received 99.6 percent of their list price in October, compared to 100.1 percent in October 2021.

The group said median sales price increased 14.5 percent, from $301,000 to $344,548. Homes spent an average of 37 days on the market last month, compared to 30 days in October last year. The months supply of inventory decreased 17.9 percent, from 2.8 to 2.3.

Nationally, existing home sales declined for the eighth consecutive month. * * *

The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council ’s (LARAC) Holiday Shop is open for the season through Christmas Eve at the 7 Lapham Place gallery.

The Holiday Shop features handmade items from more than 50 regional artists, including Eric Melito’s One on 1 Designs; Dave and Terry Campbell’s Mapleland Farms; Jessica Landry’s A Sense of Wonder Studio; Bryn Reynolds’ Dark Mountain Arts; and Katherine LaMere Fortman’s Indigo Hare, among many others.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended hours until 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the arts.

set up pension plans, but workers must also be taken into consideration. The most popular plans are those in which the employer matches a certain percent of money as an incentive for workers to put money away.

“You can’t just put money away for yourself without offering to put money away for your employees,” Bouchey said.

One of the most important decisions retiring business owners have to make is whether they plan to cease operations, sell the fi rm or stay on as a consultant. If selling, do you want a large lump-sum payment or have it spread out?

“Spreading it over time is usually better for the tax side of things,” said Cory Laird, a certified fi nancial planner at Saratoga Springs-based Minich MacGregor Wealth Management. “Because of how our tax system works, if you get a big lump sum, typically, it can put you into higher tax brackets, making the income more and more taxed at higher and higher rates. Federal capital gain tax rates, for example, can go from 0 to 15, to as high as 23.8 percent just at federal levels.

“Plus, New York treats capital gains as ordinary income, which might be 4-8 percent higher. If we are talking about ordinary income tax rates, they are even higher than capital gain rates,” he said.

“On the other hand, to delay receiving the entire payout on your business, you increase the risk that the buyer doesn’t pay all that is due, for one reason or another. For example, you might lose three years worth of payments if they go out of business. So it’s really a balance between trying to save on taxes, and do you trust whoever’s buying the business.

These two risks can compete with each other.”

Laird said some owners want to stay involved with their business after selling it. “It’s your baby, your parting ways, but you also want it to succeed. You know the business better than anybody else, which can help smooth the transition.”

But this could reduce the amount of Social Security money a person gets.

Everyone’s situation is different, but planning ahead and making well-informed decisions is vital in all cases.

Carissa Conley, CPA, co-managing partner, Bucknam & Conley CPAs. Courtesy Bucknam

Holly

Five Cocktail Recommendations To Bring Extra Zest To The Holiday Season Festivities

BY ANDREW MEADER, LAKE GEORGE WINE OUTLET

Seasonal drinks around the Holidays are steeped in tradition. We all stock up on eggnog and mulled wine and it is the time to break out the peppermint martini. Th is year, we want you to try something new.

Here are five cocktails that you may not have heard of that will make you a hit at any holiday party. Post pictures of these cocktails and you will become Instagram famous with friends.

White Christmas Margarita

Who says you can only have margaritas in the summer? Th is twist on tequila’s favorite partner in a glass will be sure to get you into the holiday spirit. The coconut flavors will have you dreaming of what the holidays are like on a tropical island or in Mexico.

Recipe:

1½ ounce silver tequila

½ ounce triple sec

½ ounce coconut rum

½ ounce lime juice

1 ounce light coconut milk

Garnish with cranberries and fresh sprigs of rosemary.

Christmas Kentucky Buck

Bourbon continues to grow in popularity and this spin on the brown gold is nothing shy of cheery. Th is drink might be named after the bluegrass state, but for this whiskey to be a bourbon, it does not have to come from Kentucky.

Recipe:

2 ounces of bourbon (we suggest New Riff Bourbon)

1 ounce of lemon juice

1 ounce of simple syrup

2 ounces of cranberry juice

2 ounces of club soda

Serve over ice, garnish with cranberries.

The Blitzen Cocktail

While arguably the second most popular of Santa’s reindeer, it is a little known fact that Blitzen loves his tequila. A simple drink that balances the strength of tequila with the sweet orange that grand marnier brings.

Recipe:

1 ounce of cranberry

1 ounce of tequila

½ ounce of Grand Marnier

Serve over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

The Grinch

Everybody has a Grinch and their family, but this drink will make any Scrooge “all toasty inside.” Th is cocktail is sure to impress your guests by the color alone!

Recipe:

1 ½ ounces sour apple liqueur

1 ounce vodka

3 ounces of lemon lime soda

Red sugar and lime wedge for rim. Garnish with a candy cane.

Jack Frost

While he may be nipping at your nose, few know that Jack Frost is a delicious cocktail for the Holidays. Th is drink looks like it came straight out of the “Frozen” movie.

Recipe:

1 ounce vodka or light rum

1 ounce blue curacao

1 ounce cream of coconut

2 ounces pineapple juice

Serve over ice in a stemless wine glass. Shaved coconut for the rim. If you are going for looks, be sure to make this in a blender with ice to make it really sparkle.

For these and other suggestions to make your holidays bright, stop into the Lake George Wine Outlet located in the Log Jam Outlets off Northway Exit 20.

Andrew Meader, store manager at Lake George Wine Outlet.

Courtesy Lake George Wine Outlet

F R O M Y O U R F R I E N D S A T

T H E G L E N S F A L L S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

West Mountain and Gore

In January 2022, officials at Gore unveiled plans for a $30 million expansion of the Ski Bowl. Their proposal includes construction of an 18,300-square-foot year-round base lodge.

“As far as our Ski Bowl expansion, we are still working through permitting processes,” said Bayse. “Ideally, we will be able to hook up to the town (North Creek) sewer, but that is a town project and they are multiple years away from that. We’re hoping that we are able to fi nd a solution to be able to move forward with the Ski Bowl project.”

In October, the hamlet of North Creek approved the community’s fi rst public sewer system. The project is expected to span multiple years and cost $7.6 million.

In addition to working on the Ski Bowl proposal, Gore is preparing to host the World University Games in January. In what will be the largest event ever to take place on the mountain, intercollegiate athletes from all over the world will compete there. The majority of the games are being hosted at Lake Placid, and Gore is hosting the freestyle events only.

“It is a huge event for Gore,” said Bayse. “It’s an international event that will be televised, and some of the days of competition will be ESPN Live broadcasts.”

Although Gore faced a staffi ng shortage last year, Bayse is hopeful that they will be fully staffed for this year’s ski season. The mountain has 70 full-time employees but needs a total of 550 employees in order to be fully staffed during the winter. They were more than 100 employees short last season.

“We don’t have all the staff that we need, but we are in better shape this year than we were last year,” said Bayse. “We’re seeing improvement there, and more people are willing to come back to work.”

At West Mountain, they are also grappling with staffi ng shortages. The mountain has 30 full-time employees but needs an additional 350 employees during ski season.

“Hiring has defi nitely been a challenge,” said Montgomery. “Ski areas are in very employment-intense industry. Staffi ng is one of our biggest challenges.”

According to Montgomery, a resort-wide RFID (radio-frequency identification) system that was installed at the mountain during the

off season will help with the staffi ng shortage by reducing the need for ticket takers. The $400,000 system uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify cards that skiers wear in their jackets.

RFID cards will work across the resort and can be used for accessing ski lifts as well as purchasing food or renting equipment. The cards can be purchased ahead of time and will be dispensed by an on-site dispensing machine. The same card can be used for the entire season and can be recharged online.

“It will really be seamless for the public. There will be fewer lines,” said Montgomery.

The RFID system will be especially beneficial to those purchasing timed tickets. Timed tickets will not begin until a skier passes through an RFID ticket-reading gantry for the fi rst time. In the past, timed tickets started from the moment of purchase at the ticket counter. In addition to the 4- and 8-hour tickets that were sold in previous years, West is reintroducing the 2-hour tickets for non-holiday week days and evenings.

“Bringing back the 2-hour ticket will be big for us,” said Montgomery. “We’ve also added some new lessons, and we hired Thomas Vonn last year. We have a really strong race program.”

Vonn is an elite alpine racing coach and former member of the U.S. ski team. Since hiring him as the Alpine FIS and program director, West Mountain has established a boarding academy on the mountain.

“That was a big add for us to have a boarding academy,” said Montgomery. “It plays into the long-term goals of our race program.”

The addition of the FIS program and boarding academy, as well as an off-season ropes course and summer camps, have contributed to what it shaping up to be a profitable fiscal year.

According to Montgomery, he and his team continue to move forward with their previously announced plans for a ski-and-stay development project on the northwest side of the mountain.

“We’ve done a lot of work on that conceptualizing and getting the plans ready for that. But that’s still a way down the road. Best case scenario for breaking ground would be next fall.”

The website for gore is goremountain.com and for West Mountain, westmountain.com.

Ransomware

From

not maintain regular data backups are more likely to pay the ransom.

“The advice is never to pay the ransom, but at the end of the day, if you need to get your data back, you are probably going to pay the ransom,” said Brayton.

Although none of Layer Eight’s clients have fallen victim to ransomware attacks, Brayton said several local companies have retained their services after being attacked.

In addition to training employees, businesses should have adequate endpoint protection as well as next generation fi rewalls. Soft ware and hardware should also be kept up to date.

“That includes all of the latest operating system and application patches. All of that can mostly be automated and should be done at least weekly,” he said.

Password management is another area that companies as well as individuals should pay attention to. Brayton cautions against using the same password for multiple sites or saving passwords in an Excel spreadsheet. Instead, he recommends using a secure password manager that can be accessed through a multi-factor authentication (MFA).

MFA is an authentication method that requires the user to provide more than one verification method in order to gain access to a computer application or online account. Stephenson recommends using MFA on every application that a person uses whether it is for business or personal use.

Because of the SHIELD Act, it is essential that business owners understand their legal responsibility when it comes to cybersecurity. The laws are designed to protect the customer, not the business owner.

“Your retail stores and small mom and pop businesses weren’t covered by the cybersecurity legislation in New York state until the SHIELD Act was expanded in March of 2020. Every business in the state is now covered by a minimal set of laws related to cybersecurity protection. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, you should be reaching out to a managed service provider. It doesn’t matter who it is. Just do it,” said Brayton.

Companies that are cutting costs by opting not to contract a managed service provider may end up paying in the long run. More than 60 percent of small businesses are forced to close within six months of experiencing a significant data loss. In 2019, the average cost to a small or medium sized business to recover from a security breach was $129,000.

When it comes to protecting personal data, Brayton advises people to pay attention to their online accounts.

“We’re seeing a trend that someone will end up with your user name and password to your IRA or other retirement account,” he said. “They will get access to your retirement accounts and start setting up loans to pay out to themselves. Unless you are paying attention to your 401K, you have no idea that loan even happened.”

Stephenson said it is also important to stay up to date on the new ways in which cyber criminals are targeting victims.

“You need to continually educate yourself to what is going on in the world in regards to how these people are trying to steal your money, and your identity. They are going to go to any lengths to get it. They have no scruples or morals.”

Gingerbread House

by The Candy Space, located in the French Mountain Common Outlets and a sister-company of The Queensbury. The Queensbury Hotel also partnered with the Upstate Modern Railroaders of South Glens Falls, who provided train sets for the display.

“We wanted to have the gingerbread

house in place and finished by this first weekend of December to coincide with all of the holiday events taking place around town like Hometown Holidays, Adirondack Christkindlmarkt and the LARAC Holiday Festival,” said Stephanie Howard, marketing coordinator for Spruce Hospitality.

“These events will draw some nice crowds to Glens Falls and we hope everyone will stop by The Queensbury as they are visiting and exploring downtown. Grab a bite to eat in Fenimore’s or enjoy Ray Alexander on

the piano and soak in the holiday spirit.”

The Queensbury Hotel will host two holiday open houses on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. The events will allow attendees to view the gingerbread display and will include a visit from Santa.

Families will have the opportunity to take their own photos in front of the fireplace with him. The hotel will offer complimentary cookies, refreshments and children’s crafts and a play area will be provided by ADK Tiny Tots.

In addition to the Holiday Open House events, the public is welcome to visit the hotel lobby and public spaces at any time during December to view the decorations and gingerbread display.

“I can’t wait for our community to visit and see everything we have done this holiday season. Our team has worked really hard this last month to bring everything together so that everyone can come and enjoy it. That is what it’s all about,” said Ed Moore, owner of the hotel.

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