Glens Falls Business Journal - December 2023

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DECEMBER 2023

Comprehensive Strategic Promotional Planning Area Ski Resorts Tout Significant Improvements Could Boost the Economy of Washington Co. To Attract Slope-Bound Vacationers To Region

Budget Officer, Brian Campbell and County Administrator, Melissa Fitch addressed local business and civic leaders during a presentation hosted by the ARCC at Sandy Hill Arts Center.

BY PAUL POST Washington County has a great deal of untapped tourism potential that could boost the local economy with more comprehensive, strategic promotional planning.

That’s what officials told local business and civic leaders during a presentation hosted by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce at Sandy Hill Arts Center’s fifth-floor event space in Hudson Falls.

“Tourism may look a little different for us, but it exists and it’s definitely impacting the county,” said Laura Oswald, county director of economic development, planning and tourism. But a recently-obtained grant will fund a separate, new full-time tourism director’s position that’s expected to be filled in the coming weeks.

Washington County doesn’t have a worldclass race track, performing arts center, theme park or popular summer resort town like Saratoga and Warren counties. There isn’t a single hotel and there are less than 100 motel units.

But Washington County Fair, which attracts more than 100,000 people annually, is the state’s third largest, and Hick’s Orchard in Granville draws thousands of patrons from throughout the region each weekend in autumn.

Likewise, countless people pass through towns such as Fort Ann, Whitehall, Greenwich, Cambridge and Salem en route to Vermont ski resorts in winter, and communities throughout the county host a variety of special events and festivals each summer. With better promotion, travelers would be encouraged to stop, see what’s available and spend more time and money at local shops, restaurants

and businesses.

“Tourism metrics are typically measured by heads in beds, how many people check into hotels,” Oswald said. “Then you can create metrics that tell you, for every one person they probably stop at a gas station or go to a restaurant so you can estimate your economy.”

Because it has so little lodging, such information is hard to come by in Washington County. “What we do have is a significantly growing presence of short-term rentals,” she said.

County Administrator Melissa Fitch said Airbnb rentals generate considerable revenue for the county.

County Budget Officer and Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell said roughly 20 percent of the county’s 29,000 housing units are shortterm rentals now.

“Some of these places would never have been saved, fixed up or rejuvenated,” he said.

“They’re buildings that would have just disappeared. Now they’re back to where they’re livable for people who want to rent them for a weekend. Eventually, they may go back on the market if their owners can make more money flipping than renting.”

Similar to tourism, Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Henke, of Argyle, said a great deal of unnoticed home-based business has popped up in recent years, generating selfemployment and tax revenue for the county.

“We did a survey recently and I don’t think there’s a single street in Argyle that doesn’t have at least two home-based businesses,” he said.

Mostly rural, small-town Washington County doesn’t project the same image of Continued On Page 15

Warren and Washington Counties Have Plans to Develop Industrial Park Near Canal Lock 8

BY PAUL POST Armed with nearly $5.7 million in state and federal funds, Warren and Washington counties plan to develop an industrial park near Champlain Canal Lock 8 in Fort Edward.

General Electric Company used the 82-acre site as a dewatering facility for its massive Hudson River PCB dredging project.

When work was done, the property now called Canalside Energy Park was taken over by the Counties of Warren and Washington Industrial Development Agency.

In November, the IDA was awarded $4,739,000 from the Fast NY Program that will be used to install sewer and upgrade water service in an

effort to attract new industry. Another $950,000 in congressional member funding has been obtained from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

IDA Chairman and Hampton Supervisor David O’Brien said the property would be wellsuited for some type of agricultural processing facility, or a green energy company involved with solar, battery or wind turbine manufacturing.

It’s hoped that construction on new water and sewer infrastructure can be begin next spring or summer. Such work would likely take about a year to complete, he said.

The site has tri-modal access via rail, roadway and the Champlain Canal.

State-of-the-art snowmaking equipment is an integral part of West Mountain’s upgrades designed to attract winter vacationers to the slopes.

BY PAUL POST Co-owners Spencer and Sara Montgomery, and financial backers, have spent nearly $20 million on capital upgrades since purchasing West Mountain 10 years ago.

In preparation for this winter they’ve added a $500,000 Winch Cat to the large fleet of grooming machines and covered base lodge floors with safe, clean carpeting.

But the biggest investment is in personnel with a new food and beverage director, rental shop manager, snow sports person, full-time ski tuner and a larger, more skilled snowmaking crew.

“It feels like we’re getting some really good professional people in here,” Spencer Montgomery said. “Hiring has been really tough the past three years. Now we’ve got a good overnight snowmaking crew. Really robust, hardworking guys. That makes all the difference because nights are when you get all your production. Someone always has to be watching the pumps, pressure and guns.”

“Hiring and mild weather were very challenging last year,” he said. “We got through it and this year feels good.

We’re looking forward to an awesome season.”

The Queensbury resort plans a Dec. 16 opening to get all the kinks out and be ready for Christmas week.

One of West Mountain’s biggest economic impacts is a $2 million annual payroll. It employs 350 people at peak times and has a full-time, year-round staff of 30.

“We try to provide hourly and salaried full-time positions now so we don’t lose people in the off-season and then have to try to find good people again,” Montgomery said.

The center sells about 100,000 lift tickets, but a recent study estimates that another 150,000 people such as parents watching ski races, and guests at West Mountain’s summer attractions (ropes course, children’s camp), come on the property each year. The racing program is led by Thomas Vonn, who coached his wife Lindsey to an Olympic gold medal, and former World Cup racer Steve Lathrop.

While anticipating a strong winter season, the MontContinued On Page 13

The Stewart’s Holiday Match Program Runs Through Christmas Day at All Area Locations The 37th annual Stewart’s Holiday Match Campaign kicked off on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Christmas Day at all shop locations. The program supports nonprofit organizations benefiting children. To date, the program has raised over $36 million for children’s charities.

Last year, customers donated over $1 million to the program, doubling to more than $2 million with the Stewart’s match. The funds were able to support 1,939 local children’s organizations across the 32 counties where Stewart’s Shops are located.

“Sharing is a central focus of everything we do at Stewart’s. Holiday Match takes those efforts to another level by supporting children in the communities that we serve,” said Stewart’s Shops Director of Corporate Philanthropy Jennifer Frame.

Local organizations benefiting children are encouraged to apply for funding online beginning Thanksgiving Day. The deadline for submission is January 31, 2024. All groups applying must be locally based, benefit children, and be a qualified charitable 501c3 organization.

Stewart’s Shops thanks its customers, shop partners and media partners for their support each year. Stewart’s Holiday Match is a 501c3 foundation; all donations are tax deductible. Stewart’s gladly

Stewart’s Holiday Match program is currently underway to benefit nonprofit organizations. accepts funds from groups or businesses, but only matches individual donations. For information go to https://www.stewartsshops.com

2 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

Beyond The Classroom: Dr. Borgos-Hatin’s Impact On Business And Education

Personnel Briefs •

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NBT Bank welcomed Lidia De Jesus as Affordable Housing Originator and Dale Josephson as Secondary Market and Construction Risk Manager. De Jesus and Josephson are based at NBT’s Capital Region Financial Center on Wolf Road in Albany.

In her new role, De Jesus acts as a primary contact for nonprofit housing partners who manage grant programs and educational seminars for first-time homebuyers. She is also responsible for originating residential mortgage loans, with an emphasis on affordable housing products.

De Jesus previously held roles as a branch manager and loan officer. She will graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Empire State University in 2024. Active in her community, she serves as a board member with the Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library.

In his new role, Josephson manages interest rate risk through daily pricing and loan sales execution to various secondary mortgage market and private investors. He also evaluates residential construction loan risk and manages the home builder contract and vetting process for the bank.

Josephson has more than six years of experience as a secondary market specialist. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, Culverhouse College of Commerce. Active in his community, he has volunteered with Men Go Red for the American Heart Association. *

*

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Fenimore Asset Management, an independent, Capital Region-based investment advisory firm and manager of the FAM Funds family of mutual funds, announces that business leader Gary Dake has joined its board of directors.

Mr. Dake is President of Stewart’s Shops Cor-

poration. Stewart’s is a large, privately owned, and vertically integrated chain of convenience stores and gas stations with more than 355 shops in New York and Vermont. Mr. Dake is an accomplished and acclaimed leader who heads a team of more than 5,000 partners (employees). These partners own more than 40% of the company through their Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Employed at Stewart’s since 1985, he holds a BA in Economics from St. Lawrence University.

“Gary is a well-respected and admired leader both within his company and throughout the Capital Region community,” said Tom Putnam, Founder and Executive Chairman of Fenimore Asset Management. “His integrity, expertise, success, and entrepreneurial spirit should benefit our investors over the long term.”

In addition to his extensive business career, Mr. Dake is very active as a community leader and Stewart’s Shops is dedicated to community giving and support. Between the company, Dake family foundations, and Stewart’s “Holiday Match Program,” millions of dollars have been donated to thousands of local charities. Mr. Dake is also the founder of the Dake Foundation for Children. The nonprofit was established “to provide opportunities for children with disabilities to enjoy more independence, inclusion, and fun.”

Founded in 1974, Fenimore Asset Management is an independent, nationally recognized investment manager with more than $4.12 billion in assets under management (as of September 30, 2023) through its Cobleskill and Albany offices. The firm’s team focuses on indepth research, investing in the stocks of carefully selected quality businesses, and providing its investors with highly personalized investment services. Fenimore offers both individually managed portfolios and a family of mutual funds (FAM Funds) that can be used for retirement and other long-term investment planning.

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BY ANN DONNELLY New York’s State University Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Kelli BorgosHatin as SUNY Distinguished Professor.

Dr. Borgos-Hatin has been a Business Professor at SUNY Adirondack for over 23 years, starting when the college was known as Adirondack Community College, and has taught and mentored hundreds of students during that time. While building the next generation of business leaders is a great passion, she is also an entrepreneur highly regarded entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Borgos-Hatin had also worked in event catering and saw frequent issues with staffing the bar, so in 2011, she founded Mixaritas, mobile bartending services, with Jenn Berry-Youngs, who had been a student in Borgos-Hatin’s Hospitality Management Classes. Since then, the business has seen great success, leading to another business opportunity for Borgos-Hatin. Many event guests asked to purchase the f lavored simple syrups she uses in her cocktails.

In 2019, Borgos-Hatin launched MixaFusion, making syrups with pure cane sugar and natural ingredients with no added preservatives, powders, or extracts.

In addition to the syrups, Mixa-Fusion makes and sells hot cocoa bombs in various f lavors and scented hand sanitizer that they started producing when there was a significant demand early on during the pandemic.

Early in her career, Borgos-Hatin worked with two strong businesswomen from the region who she cites as role models: Maureen Monahan Chase of Monahan Chase Caterers and Catherine Fisher, who owned a Carvel Ice Cream franchise. Her parents were also significant inf luences: her mother, JoAnn Borgos, showed her how to manage a busy yet happy household successfully, and her father, Stephen Borgos, who was Professor of Business Emeritus at Adirondack Community College (SUNY Adirondack), working there from 1966-2001.

As a child, Borgos-Hatin would accompany her father to the school, sit in on classes, and help him in the office, so it was no surprise when she decided to attend and received her first degree there, an Associate of Science in Business, in 1992. She then went to Sienna College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management in 1994.

After Sienna, Borgos-Hatin started as a Manager Trainee at Stewart’s Shops.

She also worked in product development and became a trainer, traveling all over the state, which sparked her passion for teaching. By this time, she had married and had two children, so she decided to take a position with less travel, Office Manager at the Lake George office of property developers, Michael’s Group, where she worked

Dr. Borgos-Hatin appointed SUNY Distinguished Professor after 23 years at ACC. from 1997 to 2000. She had been interested in property at a young age, earning her real estate license at 18. Still, when the Travel & Tourism professor role opened at Adirondack Community College in 2000, it led her to where she is today.

At first, she started teaching travel agent skills, but as careers in travel and tourism changed, so did the program at the college.

The department moved to Hospitality & Tourism and then Hospitality Management.

While teaching at the college, BorgosHatin takes on hospitality and marketing consulting and advisory roles for several organizations and has built an extensive and robust network of connections that she uses to help her students. She brings people, key in the industry, to speak and share their expertise with the students. She also uses her connections to find internship and employment opportunities for students and graduates. “It’s not just what you know; it is who you know, and I try to get a number of ‘whos’ in the classroom,” says BorgosHatin.

Her vast experience enables Borgos-Hatin to teach her students through real-life case studies. She also teaches and models her formula for success: hard work, service, hospitality/customer service, time management, and connections.

Borgos-Hatin had always been committed to her continuing education. In 2005, she received an MBA from Walden University; in 2016, she received a Doctor of Education from Capella University. She earned these degrees while teaching, running businesses, and managing a thriving family.

Borgos-Hatin advises women in business: “One, don’t be afraid of failure. Two, don’t back down.”

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 3

Queensbury Gym Owner Has Unique Approach Warren County Seeks Input From Businesses to Guiding Clients Toward Health and Fitness to Better Pair Youth With Employers in Area

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time in physical therapy or yoga,” Holderman explained.

The schedule is based on the individual rather than just catering to the masses.

Unlike many other gyms, you must work with a coach whenever you are in The Gym. “That way, you have direction and accountability, an understanding of how to do it independently, like a training wheel,” said Holderman.

Holderman feels that people can be over-reliant on coaches. “People need to be accountable for themselves. You will fail every time if you don’t have a powerful reason—giving people consistency and finding their reason, not just because they want to get fit or look like someone in a magazine. They should consider why they want to come in. What is the reason that will motivate them, make them jump up and down, and be super excited? When was the last time they felt comfortable with themselves, and how they want to return there?” he said.

The Gym provides an environment in which to surround yourself with like-minded people; people who want to get better and make each other better; people with courage, energy, and enthusiasm. “Where your greatest accomplishments will be celebrated,” Holderman concluded.

The Gym is located at 578 Aviation Mall Road (near the Peter Harris entrance) in Queensbury.

Visit http://www.thegym518.com for more information.

SA

Editor Note: Individual pictured was listed as Ryan in error.

Correction will be published in an upcoming issue.

Those seeking more information can call 518-743-0925 or email Andrea Kinderman at kindermana@warrencountyny. gov.

FO

Ryan Holderman, owner of The Gym in Aviation Mall in Queensbury works out.

The Warren County Department of Workforce Development is seeking assistance from Warren County business partners to help meet the needs of local youth.

The goal of this new effort is to increase the number of youth engaged with businesses so young people are able to gain valuable work experience and connect with business mentors.

A brief online survey has been created to increase business participation in Warren County programs that help prepare youth for the workforce and make it easier for businesses to connect with young people.

The Department of Workforce Development already offers many engaging programs for youth, including but not limited to a career mentor program, internship placement, Summer Youth Employment Program, high school job fairs, GED class, business field trips and training programs.

Workforce Development staff are seeking additional help from businesses to bridge the gap between youth and local industries and/or careers.

Said Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County Director of Workforce Development, “The most inf luential force in a young person’s life is a caring adult. Put that caring adult and youth together in the workplace and you have a recipe for success. The aging workforce is sharing their knowledge and resources with the younger generation, and youth are learning about local career opportunities while gaining valuable mentors. We hope to collect a list of businesses eager to engage with local youth in ways that are mutually beneficial.”

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BY ANN DONNELY Ryan Holderman, owner of The Gym in Aviation Mall in Queensbury, was always an athlete in high school and college. After college, in 2009, he moved to New York City, where he completed a program for personal trainers and worked as a trainer and manager in some large “corporate” gyms.

In 2014, Holderman decided to return to the Glens Falls area. “I came home and realized I wanted to open a gym,” he said.

His first gym, in the Midtown Shopping Center in South Glens Falls, was 3,000 square feet. After three years, he expanded to the Queensbury Plaza in a space measuring 6,000 square feet and ran the business there, as much as was allowed, through the pandemic.

In July 2023, The Gym relocated to its current site in Aviation Mall in space that was formerly TJ Maxx. “It’s a larger space. The mall, for me, was a big space to take on. Four times the biggest space I had before, so now we have so many other fitness sectors,” Holderman said.

In addition to the areas with equipment for training, there are areas for yoga, batting cages, indoor cycling, physical therapy, massage therapy, and more.

There are five to seven coaches, including two to three cycling instructors, a physical therapist, and a yoga instructor. People cannot just come in as an individual and work out on their own.

The Gym provides private training, semi-private training, group training, and kids’ camps for 8-12 year olds.

“We are a balls, bands, and bungees kind of place. I don’t believe in machines. Our big thing is biomechanics, studying your body and how it moves. If your body moves the same way, it won’t be like mine or somebody else’s,” Holderman noted.

Ninety-six percent of the members are women between 25 and 75 years old. They also work with people with special conditions, such as COPD, undergoing chemotherapy, and preand post-natal.

“We hold a meet-and-greet with each prospective member to sit down and talk about injuries, nutrition, goals, what their workout history is like, and get to know them. From there, we do a movement assessment and teach them basic movement patterns like squats, lunges, sit-ups, etc., to see their fitness level,” Holderman explained. Clients then receive a free 30-minute workout.

“We cater the workout or process for each person rather than saying, ‘This is what you are going to do, or it’s your only option.’ Maybe 30 minutes one-on-one with a coach twice per week. Maybe it’s in a group. Maybe spend some

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4 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

NEXT ISSUE

SPECIAL SECTION •

Health / Fitness Economic Trends Tax / Business Planning Publication Date: January 17, 2024

Office / Human Resources Employment Legal / Accounting Construction Planning Publication Date: February 14, 2024

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(518) 581-0600 Fax: (518) 430-3020

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Business Report Keeping Compliant: 4 Changes to 2024 Payroll

BY MARTIN PATRICK, SPHR, SHRM-SCP As we approach the start of the new year, key updates to the way you manage your business payroll are on the horizon. Here’s a closer look at four of these changes and how they will affect both employers and employees.

1. Salary Threshold for Certain Wage Protections: On March 13, 2024, the salary threshold for certain wage protections will increase from $900 to $1,300 per week.

Right now, employers are exempt from some requirements when employing workers in executive, administrative, or professional capacities and whose earnings exceed $900 per week.

These include paying clerical or other workers “not less frequently than semi-monthly;” obtaining the advance, written consent of employees before paying wages via direct deposit; and being guilty of a misdemeanor for failing to provide benefits or wage supplements within 30 days after they are due.

The exemption from these requirements will now apply to employees with earnings that exceed $1,3000 per week.

Employers should review their current payroll practices and make any adjustments to help ensure compliance. For example, an employer could increase employee compensation to meet the new threshold or ensure that employees below the threshold are no longer exempt from these employer obligations.

2. Paid Family Leave Contributions: New York State employers are required to provide paid family leave (PFL) to covered employees. Paid leave can be taken for various family or medical reasons. The program is paid for by employees through an additional payroll deduction. Or employers can pay the cost on their employees’ behalf.

Beginning January 1, 2024, the employee contribution rate will decrease to 0.373 percent of gross wages. The annual maximum contribution will be $333.25. Employees utilizing PFL benefits will continue to receive 67 percent of their average weekly wage, up to a cap of 67 percent of the New York State Average Weekly Wage (NYSAWW) of $1,718.15 meaning the maximum weekly benefit for 2024 will increase to $1,151.16. Employees earning less than the NYSAWW will contribute less than the annual cap of $333.25, consistent with their actual wages.

3. Minimum Wage Increases: The minimum wage rate will be on the rise once again across the state. For New York State (outside of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County), the minimum wage will increase from $14.20/hour to $15/hour on January 1, 2024. In 2025, this rate increases to $15.50/hour and then to $16/hour in 2026.

Starting in 2027, annual minimum wage increases will be based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), keeping pace with inflation and regional living costs.

Employers who pay at or close to minimum wage should evaluate regular and overtime pay

Martin Patrick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is HR Consultant Practice Leader at GTM HR Consulting, Inc. rates to make sure they meet the new rates for 2024.

4. Wage Theft Claims: Governor Hochul recently signed legislation that will go into effect March 13, 2024, limiting the exemption status and expanding the number of employees who can bring claims for wage theft.

With this amendment, employees who make less than $1,300 per week (about $67,600 per year) can bring wage theft claims in court or before the New York State Department of Labor. Previously, only employees who made $900 per week or less could bring such claims before the labor department.

Governor Hochul also signed the Wage Theft Accountability Act, which includes “wage theft” in the definition of larceny. The nonpayment or underpayment of wages will be considered a felony offense.

The aim of these pieces of legislation is to protect employees and their wages. However, employers could now face criminal penalties for noncompliance.

Claims for wage theft include unpaid wages, illegal deductions, unpaid wage supplements, minimum wage, and overtime pay.

Clerical and other non-exempt workers must be paid not less frequently than semi-monthly.

Employers must obtain advance written consent before paying wages via direct deposit.

If an employer is found liable for wage theft, potential penalties can range from $500 to $20,000 per offense, depending on the severity of the violation.

New York employers may now have a larger group of employees who can bring wage theft claims and should work with their human resources department to make any necessary changes to payroll procedures before the law goes into effect. For example, employers should obtain written consent for direct deposit from this new group of non-exempt employees.

Updates and information provided by GTM Payroll Services are not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel for legal advice.

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 5

90th Anniversary of North Creek Snow Train The Sienna Statewide Poll of Holiday Spending Represents Historic Milestone in Winter Sports Plans Shows Mixed Results Among New Yorkers

The 90th Anniversary Celebration of the North Creek Snow Train Marks a Historic Milestone in Adirondack Winter Sports.

This season marks the 90th anniversary of the Snow Train that brought skiers to North Creek, kickstarting generations of winter tourism in the area. Business owners, historians, and ski enthusiasts are commemorating this historic event.

The North Creek Snow Train’s inaugural voyage in 1934 transported 378 skiers from Schenectady to North Creek, kick starting the region’s winter sports tourisim attractions. This year, in collaboration with the Town of Johnsburg, Gore Mountain, The Tannery Pond Community Center, The North Creek Depot Museum, The Johnsburg Historical Society, Revolution Rail Co., Cunningham’s Ski Barn, ski enthusiasts, esteemed historians, artists, devoted residents, and local business owners, the area unites to honor the rich legacy of this remarkable train.

Throughout the 2023-2024 snow season an array of curated events will illuminate the vibrant history and cultural significance of the North Creek Snow Train. These events include walking history tours of the train station and North Creek Ski Bowl, screenings of vintage films, presentations, concerts, artwork exhibitions, fun races, and commemorative giveaways, among other activities. Barkeater Chocolates is making a Snow Train chocolate bar and Upper Hudson Coffee is branding the Roosevelt Roast with the Snow Train logo.

The full schedule of events is currently in development, with additional information forthcoming.

All winter aficionados and history enthusiasts are encouraged to explore the comprehensive schedule of events and immerse themselves in this remarkable

journey through time. Discover the story of how the North Creek Snow Train became an indelible part of the “Ride Up- Slide Down” era of Adirondack history and the catalyst for generations of winter enjoyment at Gore Mountain.

The origins of skiing in the Adirondacks trace back to as early as 1903, with skiing gaining popularity through the 1920s and early 1930s. The 1932 Winter Olympics held in nearby Lake Placid ignited a fervor for winter sports throughout the region, prompting Vincent Schaefer of Schenectady to organize efforts to bring Snow Trains to North Creek. His group lobbied various railroad companies to establish trips to potential ski areas, including North Creek and the burgeoning Ski Bowl. The Olympics inspired leaders of the American Legion in North Creek who built several ski trails on Gore for skiers who came on the Snow Train.

On March 4, 1934, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company inaugurated the first-ever Snow Train, carrying nearly 400 skiers from Schenectady to North Creek.

This affordable round-trip adventure, priced at $1.50 (equivalent to $34.70 today), was met with tremendous enthusiasm, transforming North Creek into a cherished skiing destination. By 1936, Snow Trains were departing from Albany and New York City, ushering in an era of increased tourism that significantly bolstered the local economy during the Great Depression.

Though the Snow Train era eventually concluded during World War II, its impact on the history of skiing remains indelible.

For more information, visit GoreMountain.com.

Forty-eight percent of New Yorkers plan to spend less than $500 on gifts during this holiday season, according to a new statewide survey of consumers released December 7 by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI). Sixteen percent of all state residents, including a third of those making $100,000 or more, will spend more than $1,000 this season. Over half, 51 percent, will conduct either between 50 percent-75 percent (29 percent) or between 75 percent-100 percent (22 percent) of their holiday shopping online this year. Over half, 54 percent, will buy gift cards for some on their holiday list.

While 23 percent of state residents say that their finances are improved from this time a year ago, 44 percent say that their finances are unchanged, and nearly a third, 31 percent, say that they are worse off.

Half of all New Yorkers say that all of their holiday spending combined, food, gifts and any other holiday spending will have a somewhat (34 percent) or very (15 percent) serious impact on their financial condition. One in five New Yorkers say that they will pay the bills for holiday spending over a period of time that could extend well into 2024.

“Nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers, regardless of how hard the spending will hit their wallet, are excited about the coming season. But, with one-third already feeling economic headwinds, half say ‘I’ll spend on food, gifts, decorations and parties but it’s gonna hurt’,” said SCRI Director, Don Levy. “Among New Yorkers making 50K or less, over 40 percent are worse off today financially than a year ago, nearly half hope to spend less than last year, and 62 percent say even with watching their spending, the holiday bills will hurt.”

A quarter of New Yorkers say that they believe in Santa Claus, down from 39 percent a year ago and tied for the all time low in this Siena survey with 2020, the pandemic year. Seventy-three percent plan to put up a Christmas tree in their home but by over two-to-one, 69 percent-31 percent, they prefer artificial to real. Half, 50 percent, say that they are hoping for snow for the winter holidays while 29 percent prefer not to shovel and 21 percent will take whatever comes.

• 37 perecent will be giving homemade gifts; 27 percent will be buying experience gifts such as concert or sporting event tickets or spa gift certificates.

• 30 percent will be traveling to visit family or friends for the holidays. Of those, 79 percent will be traveling by car, 37 perecent by plane and 24 percent by train; 43 percent will be traveling outside of New York within the U.S. • 33 percent will spend more on holiday food this year than they did last year. 76 percent are buying food for a holiday dinner or party. Only 11 percent of New Yorkers will neither host nor attend a holiday party or dinner; 37 percent will attend parties, 20 percent will host and 31 percent will both host and attend.

• Of those that say holiday spending will have a somewhat or very serious impact on their financial condition, 62 percent are excited about the holiday season, but 35 percent are less excited than they were last year. Half of these New Yorkers hope to spend less than last year as 48 percent say that they are already worse off financially this year than last and 26 percent know that they will carry holiday spending as debt well into next year.

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Saratoga Race Course Slated to Host Belmont Stakes to Allow for Belmont Park Construction

The area will see a significant economic impact when the Belmont Stakes comes to the Saratoga Race Course this summer to allow for construction at Belmont Park.

BY PAUL POST Spa City merchants say track season is like having a second Christmas time because of all the extra business it generates.

Now they’re gearing up for yet another huge windfall with the announcement that Saratoga Race Course will host the June 6-9 Belmont Stakes Festival, which is expected to have a direct $37 million economic impact and generate untold future tourism by creating worldwide media exposure for one of thoroughbred racing’s most historic events.

The third leg of racing’s Triple Crown is moving upstate because of ongoing construction and renovations at Belmont Park in Queens. “That it gives us the opportunity to really showcase our area to people who have never been here before,” said Deanna Devitt, president of the 200-member Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association.

And excitement surrounding the Belmont Festival is expected to generate momentum and boost attendance for the regular, 40-day racecourse season that begins on Thursday, July 11.

“Just very, very excited for this opportunity. We can’t wait,” said Marianne Barker of Impressions of Saratoga, a popular Broadway gift and souvenir shop.

Local business leaders have already begun meeting to make sure Saratoga gets the biggest bang for its buck from this unprecedented opportunity, which Saratoga Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus has likened to the Super Bowl.

“Economically, the reality is that people spend money where they stay and because we cannot accommodate everyone in Saratoga Springs, we will have people staying and spending money in Malta, Clifton Park, Moreau, Glens Falls, Albany, Lake George and Schenectady,” Shimkus said.

The Belmont Stakes attendance record of 120,139 was set in 2004 when Marylou Whitney’s horse, Birdstone, upset Smarty Jones. Birdstone was trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito whose horse, Da’Tara, won the 2008 Belmont, too.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes will have a $2 millin purse, but its length will be reduced from 1.5 miles to 1-¼ miles because of the Saratoga track’s smaller size, and crowds will be capped at 50,000 people.

Rachel Boggan, of Saratoga Arms Hotel, said, “We’ve been fielding interest about these dates for quite some time, had a list of some guests who’ve been ready and waiting in the wings for the official announcement.”

On Travers Stakes Weekend, in late August, many people stay downtown on Friday and Sunday, but spend all day Saturday at the track, Shimkus said.

“It’s our job to try to keep people downtown,” Devitt said. “We’re working on trying to get watch parties and different activities during the actual races. A group of us are going to brainstorm, working as a united front on media exposure here in town and countywide, to showcase everything the best we can. We have a lot of planning to do in a short amount of time. It’s going to be awe-

some.”

Devitt said that she and Shimkus, Saratoga Economic Development Corp. President Greg Connors and Discover Saratoga (Convention and Tourism Bureau) President Darryl Leggieri will be working with New York Racing Association to plan for and promote the Belmont Festival.

In addition to local businesses, the festival could shine media exposure on the Saratoga area’s arts, cultural and historic attractions, open spaces and state parks, furthering enhancing future tourism, Shimkus said.

“No doubt, more people will watch the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on television and online versus in-person, so we’re working to make sure that media from around the world showcases our community so people watching at home, wherever that is,decide they want to visit Saratoga one day in person,” he said.

In 2023, Saratoga Race Course had an average daily attendance of about 27,000. The four-day Belmont festival is expected to feature more than 40 races including 23 stakes races with purses totaling $9.7 million.

New York-bred Tiz The Law, owned by Saratoga Springs-based Sackatoga Stable, won the 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers.

Managing Partner Jack Knowlton said crowds on Thursday, Friday and Sunday of the festival will be much larger in Saratoga than they would be at Belmont Park.

“It’s going to be a huge national and international story for four days,” he said.

“People all over the country are going to be betting Saratoga, just like they do in the summertime. There will likely be some European horses in turf races and you might see a Japanese horse in the Belmont.”

Sackatoga Stable has 10 horses, each one owned by a syndicate of multiple investors totaling 114 different people. “Hopefully the condition book will work so we can have our people come and have their horses participate in this four-day racing festival,” Knowlton said. “Saratoga is really the big time for Sackatoga and our partners from all over the country to come in and see their horses. We’ll be able to do a couple of social events around this four-day meet. It’s a big boost for racing.”

Prior to the Belmont festival, the regular Belmont spring and early-summer meet will be held at Aqueduct Race Track and return there after the festival. The Belmont fall meet will again be shifted to Aqueduct in 2024 while construction of a new Belmont Park continues.

Normally, trainers that race in Florida during the winter ship horses north to Belmont in April and May for the spring and early-summer meet there. This year, some trainers might ship directly to Saratoga and keep horses here longer, which would benefit local farms and businesses that provide feed and hay.

“It should be the best summer of all time for businesses in Saratoga Springs,” said Patrick McKenna, NYRA vice president for communications.

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 7

Mr. Bill’s Carhop will Be Jumpin’ Year Round With Takeout and Delivery Service

Mr. Bill’s Carhop in South Glens Falls is staying open this winter for the first time ever under new owners Mike and Beatrice Greenough.

BY PAUL POST The name is the same, but Mr. Bill’s Carhop has a new year-round takeout and delivery service under owners Beatrice and Mike Greenough, who purchased the popular South Glens Falls eatery on August 31.

They’re giving the business a complete makeover, from new menu offerings to a newlypaved parking lot and a safer, more welcoming children’s playground. In place of large redand-white umbrellas out front, plans call for a covered pavilion to keep customers dry when it rains, and hosting twice-monthly car and bike shows along with Elvis-type live entertainment next summer.

“I really want to make this a fun place in South Glens Falls to go,” Beatrice said.

The venture is right in tune with her entrepreneurial husband’s mindset.

Paul Post photo

“I love the 50s theme,” Mike said. “There will be music playing all the time. We’re going to neon the heck out of this place. As long as lights aren’t flashing you can have as many as you want. I’ve always been a people person. That’s why I’m in business.”

Sweethearts since high school, the couple grew up and live in Hudson Falls where they’ve owned and run Greenough Paving Company for the past 23 years.

“Three kids, seven grandchildren later here we are,” Beatrice said.

Along the way they’ve also owned an auto repair shop, auto sales business, an oil company and the former Smart Wash car wash sites, which they’ve since sold to Tidal Wave, in South Glens Falls and Queensbury.

“Mike tried multiple things and always went back to the paving company,” Beatrice said. “I

guess that’s our calling.”

But after years of managing the office and handling paperwork she wanted to step out on her own and try something different; leaving the paving firm’s office work in the hands of her capable daughter, Krystal Knapp.

This summer, Beatrice learned that Mr. Bill’s was for sale and quickly closed on the $650,000 purchase, from former owners Jerry and Bonnie LaBarr. The drive-in restaurant started out years ago as an A&W store, became Zookie’s (Zookie dogs are still on the menu) and was renamed Mr. Bill’s when Bill Smith bought it. The LaBarrs purchased it in 2014.

The Greenoughs’ seasonal paving business takes off in winter, giving Mike plenty of time to help his wife get Mr. Bill’s going with new equipment such as clamshell griddles that make sure food is always prepared consistently and served up hot.

They’re investing nearly a quarter-million dollars worth of upgrades in addition to the purchase price.

“Everything will just be a push of a button,” Beatrice said. “Burgers take 90 seconds to cook.

You can do six at a time. We only use a blend of fresh ground chuck and brisket paddies, not frozen.”

New menu items include sausage, pepper and onion; pulled pork; and wings will be coming soon as well.

The main reason for staying open in winter is to provide year-round work for valuable employees such as front-end manager Debbie Hayes. Finding and keeping good help is quite difficult these days, especially for a seasonal business such as this one.

“If I can just pay the bills the first winter, I’m

good,” Beatrice said. “That’s my goal.”

The Greenoughs normally spend winters at their Cape Coral home in Florida when the paving business comes to a halt.

“The new clamshell griddles will get here at the end of November,” Beatrice said. “We want to make sure they’re installed properly and everybody’s trained. So we figured we might as well stay here for Christmas with the grandkids and kids.”

There’s no outdoor seating in winter, but customers can call ahead or place orders online (mrbillsny.net), go to the takeout window and eat in their cars. Mr. Bill’s also makes deliveries with Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Before buying Mr. Bill’s, Beatrice considered purchasing Starky’s Grill on Burgoyne Avenue in Hudson Falls, a deal that never materialized.

But she did a great deal of research about the restaurant business, which helped prepare her as the new co-owner, with Mike, of Mr. Bill’s.

“I’m still learning, but we’re just entrepreneurs,” Beatrice said. “It’s just who we are. We dive in and figure it out. I’ve done a lot of reading. I know what cost to have on each plate that goes out of here.”

Eventually, they might even add drivethrough service, which became extremely popular with fast-food restaurant patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You don’t see people eating inside much anymore,” Beatrice said. “Cars are backed up out to the highway.”

But one of Mr. Bill’s main attractions is its outdoor seating, which will return next spring when warm weather arrives.

Mr. Bill’s is open from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday to Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

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8 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTION

Cyber/Tech

Forget the Gym Membership—It’s time to Newlogiq Provides Cutting-Edge AI Solutions Commit to Cybersecurity For The New Year to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses in Region

BY REG HARNISH It’s that time of year when many of us start evaluating the past year and what goals we want to aspire to in the next. And although cybersecurity might not have as much allure as a six-pack (depending on who you ask), it’s crucial for your business’s well-being.

With an estimated $3.1B in losses and rising from cybercrime--whether from financial fraud, ransomware, or breach-- it’s important to understand the sheer scope of the challenge. Although small businesses are increasingly adopting and investing in cybersecurity, 62% of small businesses are affected by cybercrime because the reality is that the bad guys are getting better faster than we are.

Embarking on a cybersecurity strategy can seem daunting, but at the core, we believe that cybersecurity success comes from doing the absolute minimum necessary to achieve your business mission. At a high level that means understanding how cybersecurity is affecting and contributing to your mission, and proactively and methodically thinking about how to apply controls (whether HIPAA, PCI, or other industry regulations) to: Protect your intellectual property Combat cybercrime Minimize disruption and loss Protect against reputational issues To understand how cybersecurity can best contribute to your mission, follow these 8 recommendations: 1. Understand Your Goals Establishing the right goals is about understanding your business: a. What is the mission? (Protecting intellectual property? Patient data, etc.?) b. What does your risk tolerance look like, including your business culture? c. Regulatory mandates (HIPAA, NIST 171, PCI, etc.) are important, but what is the right defensible goal for your business?

2. Do a Risk Assessment When considering risk in cybersecurity, it’s all about the risks to your data. Do you have a remote or hybrid workforce, or process a lot of financial transactions? Do you send and receive sensitive data? Identify the areas of greatest data risk in your business.

3. Build an Incident Response Plan Even with a strong cybersecurity strategy in place, breaches can and will happen. Prepare for breaches with a strategic plan for detection, response, and recovery. When an incident occurs you want to be in a position

Reg Harnish is CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity. of defensibility – did you put in reasonable protections and respond effectively – and resilience – how did the breach impact your business? We recommend yearly Incident Response Tabletops. Incidents can be chaotic and emotional, and drills simulating financial fraud, breach of regulated data, or loss or theft of a device in a safe environment can prepare your team like few things can.

4. Conduct Employee Awareness Training Empowering your team to recognize and prevent cyber threats, like phishing attacks, is the single biggest way to minimize your chance of experiencing cyber incidents.

Cybersecurity awareness programs should be frequent. That’s because we know that short continuous drips of training, testing, and skills assessment are much more effective than a single annual training. Training every month combined with the expectation that it’s part of an employee’s job description is a powerful and effective combination.

5. Get a Cyber Insurance Policy For the same reasons I discussed needing an incident response plan, and why we get fire insurance, getting cyber insurance is crucial to mitigating potential financial losses and aiding in incident response. The cyber insurance industry is changing quickly as cybercrime needs change, and it’s important to work with an insurance company that focuses on cyber insurance.

6. Reinforce your Financial Processes When you evaluate the resilience of your Continued On Page 9

BY CHRISTINE GRAF After spending more than a decade at the helm of Jolt Consulting Group, Jeff Oskin sold the IT consultancy fi rm in February 2022. By that time, his company had grown exponentially and had a staff of 50 employees.

“I grew that company both organically and through acquisitions,” he said. “We did IT consulting, specifically sales force implementation consulting work for service-oriented organizations.”

While operating Jolt, Oskin also began working as an executive coach, establishing a peer advisory group for executives in the Capital Region.

“Many of the most well-known executives in the Capital District are in that group,” said Oskin.

After selling Jolt Consultancy, he established Newlogiq, a business that provides cutting-edge AI consulting solutions to small and mid-sized businesses.

“I wanted to continue this entrepreneurial bent,” he said. “When I was contemplating my next move, I ultimately landed on going to market with a consulting company that sat at the intersection of three things: people, process, and technology.”

“From the people side, it’s helping organizations through executive coaching and leadership development—helping that next generation leader to develop skills to help them elevate their capabilities so as to improve the overall health of the company they work for.”

When referring to process, Oskin said he has long been a believer that technology should support business process.

“I believe AI—artificial intelligence—is a huge opportunity moving forward for organizations to leverage technology to simplify, automate, and streamline business processes.”

Oskin received his certification as an AI expert from Blockchain, a large non-profit that sets the standards for the blockchain industry.

“Blockchain itself is a type of technology, and Blockchain.org is a kind of a regulatory body from which AI has evolved,” he said.

Th rough his work at Newlogiq, Oskin helps companies streamline their processes through the use of AI and other technologies.

“Largely, my focus has been bringing AI capabilities to small and mid-size businesses in the region,” he said. “My goal is to ultimately build a center of excellence here in the Capital District area that businesses can rely

Jeff Oskin has launched Newlogiq to offer AI solutions to area businesses. on to help develop their talent and/or their process and technology infrastructure. I think this is something that is sorely lacking in our region.”

Oskin is fi nalizing negotiations to lease a facility in Clifton Park. It is there that he plans to establish his corporate center.

He continues to operate peer advisory groups and plans to launch five leadership groups in the new year. Oskin also offers executive coaching to individuals.

On the AI side of his consultancy, he offers corporate educational workshops. He has been busy presenting these workshops to companies throughout the Capital Region.

“I educate organizations on what is possible,” he said. “We also help organizations identify and ultimately implement AI applications specific to their business.

Newlogiq also works with companies through a retainer-based model.

“We can work in-house as an extension of their team by leading projects or doing whatever it is that they might need assistance with,” said Oskin.

He acknowledged that many people are leery of or even afraid of utilizing AI in their businesses.

“People who are scared are scared because they don’t understand it, so part of my effort is to educate people on what AI is and how it works. Once you demystify how it works, people become inherently much more comfortable with it.”

Continued On Page 9

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 9

Mahoney Alarms Provides the Full Range of Residential, Commercial, Industrial Services

Many of the 49 employees of Mahoney Alarms Inc have been with the company for more than 20 years, making it a true family enterprise.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF World War II veteran Raymond Mahoney, Sr., was working as a Glens Falls City fireman when he founded Mahoney Alarms in the 1950s. On his days off, he operated the alarm business out of his basement. Nearly 70 years later, his son, Kevin Mahoney, serves as president of the company which is headquartered at 15 Cooper Street in Glens Falls.

Mahoney can’t say for sure exactly when he started working for his father at the family business. He remembers riding his bicycle to repair telephone pole alarm boxes when he was a teenager.

Mahoney Alarms is a true family business, and its staff of 49 employees includes Mahoney’s sister, Colleen McGuirk, his cousin, Benjamin Chapman, and his son, Kyle Mahoney.

“It’s a family business, and it’s treated as a family business,” said Mahoney. “We have very, very long-term employees, and they are as much of a family member as my own family.”

“The bulk of our long-term employees have been here for at least 20 years. This is a tremendous advantage for customers because you have a consistent flow of information.”

The majority of the company’s suppliers are also family businesses, and unlike most of its competitors, Mahoney Alarms maintains a large, well-equipped stockroom.

“If you have a problem with an alarm at your house, you want it taken care of when the problem happens, not in 2 weeks when the part comes in,” said Mahoney.

The company also has its own central station for monitoring alarms. It is manned by company employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

“Most companies send their information to a general central station,” he said. “Because we have our own central station, you are talking to the people who take care of your alarms any time there is an issue.”

According to Mahoney, his company also has its own in-house engineering and technology support staff.

“With most alarm companies, you don’t have that benefit. When a technician goes out and gets stuck with something, he has no place to go. He has to wait for someone from the manufacturer call him back. It’s a tremendous advantage for us. We are a real service-based company.”

Mahoney Alarms installs residential, commercial, and industrial alarm systems. The company’s business is split evenly between the three sectors.

“We do top to bottom,” said Mahoney. “We design, we sell, we service, we install, and we maintain monitoring. The bulk of our customers have been with us for years and years and years. Our customers have become our friends.”

Each one of the systems they install is custom designed to meet the specific needs of each customer.

“Each home and each office is different, so you design each and every one to be special to you,” he said. “Everything we do is built to the specific and unique needs of the customer.

There are a million things you can put into your house to watch it.”

For example, he said customers can incorporate access control into their systems. With access control, doors are not operated with keys. Instead, they are opened with key fobs or other types of sensors.

“We do systems that have hundreds of doors or systems that do one or two doors. Businesses love it.”

Homeowners who spend weeks or months away from home during the winter can choose to incorporate water and temperature sensors into their systems. Water sensors are installed into floors to detect leaks, and temperature sensors are used to detect dangerously low temperatures.

“Think of the damage that can happen to a home if your furnace has a problem” said Mahoney. “If you are away for a few weeks and have a furnace problem, your house is going to be a block of ice when you get home. And, now you are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to your home.”

Mahoney Alarms also offers security systems, fire systems, carbon monoxide detection, and medical pendant systems for the elderly or infirmed.

“People think of alarm systems as security systems, but they are truly home systems.

Alarm systems can keep an eye on so many things for you. It’s total peace of mind,” he said.

When it comes to alarm system technology, Mahoney said systems are becoming more reliable, more intuitive, and more efficient.

“Our products are unique, and we use cutting edge technology. Every year, things get a little better. Some of these technologies are coming so fast that instead of having a life cycle of what used to be 5 years, the life cycle can now be 6 months. It’s exciting to see the new things that are coming out.”

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Cybersecurity

Continued From Page 8 financial processes, it’s important to review both the technology you’re using, such as Multi-factor authentication and alerts on email rule changes, as well as your people processes. Strong employee training and testing, a Culture of Security focused on protecting your data, and procedural measures that inherently reduce risk, like segregation of duties, are critical to preventing breaches.

For example, a vendor calls and wants to update their ACH routing number. What processes will you use to ensure that is a legitimate request?

7. Use Grit Cybersecurity isn’t about going toe to toe with bad actors from a technological standpoint, it comes down to building a ‘Culture of Security’ in your organization that fosters a collective commitment to cybersecurity, making it a fundamental part

of every role.

8. Find a Good Cybersecurity Partner There are thousands of cybersecurity tools out there to buy, and just as many IT and cybersecurity services companies saying they can help you. Find a cybersecurity partner that works specifically with small businesses, understands cybersecurity is only 1/3 technology, and focuses on what I started with – what is the absolute minimum necessary to achieve your business mission.

Anything else is overkill.

Ensuring a more secure organization is all about the fundamentals. It’s also important to ask for guidance and help where you need it. When writing your 2024 resolutions, I hope you consider the cyber resilience of your business as an important goal worth creating a plan.

Newlogiq

Continued From Page 8 “I then launch into showing about 20 different applications that are used throughout different aspects of business—from marketing to HR to operations to customer service.

I show them the possibilities that are out there.”

One of these applications is Jasper AI, an application used to help companies write marketing material.

“Jasper is all about writing marketing content,” said Oskin. “It’s an application you pay for, and it can write anything you want from press releases to blog posts to Google ads to job postings.”

Although the use of Jasper and other AI application can result in cost savings for businesses, Oskin points to other benefits.

“There are huge opportunities for efficiency improvements in an organization—allowing people who are doing

mundane, repetitive tasks to elevate their capability to provide more value to customers.

There is also an opportunity to monetize AI services for revenue purposes. That’s really where the biggest opportunity for AI in the market is.”

For example, Oskin said that a car wash business could profit by harnessing customer data that they accumulated over time.

“If the company has years and years worth of data that is relevant to their customer base, they can build and incorporate a machine learning AI algorithm on top of that data to predict pattern of customers.

They could sell that trend data to other car wash companies.”

Because AI is constantly evolving, Newlogiq continuously researches, tests, and refines its AI solutions. For more information, visit newlogiq.com.

10 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

SPECIAL SECTION

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Nonprofit

The Saratoga Builders Association Donates the Showcase of Homes Proceeds to Local Charities •

Habitat for Humanity and Building Together Saratoga were the recipients of the proceeds of the Showcase of Homes sponsored by the Saratoga Builders Association.

The Saratoga Builders Association prented proceeds totaling $70,000 from the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. The Saratoga Builders Association announced that the total contribution to local charities from this area’s premiere new home tour event is now over $1.5 million.

The 2023 edition of the Saratoga Showcase of Homes had nine homes from 11 builders on tour this year - Belmonte Builders (2), DeGraff Bloom Custom Homes, DSG Construction & Remodeling, Kodiak Construction (2), R & M Homes, Whitbeck Construction, and Witt Construction. R & M Homes won the People’s Choice Award for Executive Home and Witt Construction won the People’s Choice Award for Luxury Home. This year’s event attracted over 2,500 visitors to these new homes, which

were on display over two weekends. In what has become an autumn tradition in the area, the Saratoga Builders Association is dedicated to this long running show being an integral part of the fabric in the fall season.

This annual community event is made possible with the generous support of over 75 corporate and media sponsors. The 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes, celebrating 27 years of exceptional homes, was held on October 7-8 and 14-15. Two of the homes were located outside Saratoga County and the proceeds benefited two local charities - Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. For more details on the homes, builders, award winners, and virtual tours of every home, please visit the interactive website at www.saratogashowcaseofhomes. com.

Business Report

Action Plan Key to Nonprofit Strategic Plan •

BY SABRINA HOUSER Where is your organization’s strategic plan and how are you using it in your day-to-day operations? You know the strategic plan we’re referring to: the 3-5 year plan that took many, many person hours to develop, refine and write.

The one that brought together staff, board, and stakeholders to articulate a common vision and a path forward toward that vision.

Is it sitting on a shelf in your office in a nicely tabbed binder never to be seen again until you need space on the shelf for something else?

This, unfortunately, is the fate of many strategic plans. It is something of an in-joke in the nonprofit sector that the fate of most strategic plans, despite the effort that went into their creation, is to gather dust on a shelf in the office until it is time to develop a new strategic plan to replace it.

When done with purpose, strategic planning is an invigorating, energizing and community building process. It is an inherently motivating and hopeful activity to connect goals and objectives to a shared vision for your organization.

Everyone involved feels a sense of accomplishment and shared purpose when the plan is complete.

The truth is that your strategic plan is not an end product: it is a starting point. It is the beginning of your organization’s journey toward the shared vision that has been created.

Unfortunately, because staff, Board and the Strategic Planning committee feel their work is finished after the strategic plan is written, the implementation of the completed plan is often left as solely the Executive Director’s responsibility. With no clear plan for implementation, this feels overwhelming. Lack of clarity about authority and coordination of communication and accountability are a death knell for even the most well-developed strategic plan.

Is it any wonder that many strategic plans go on the shelf?

The solution is to develop an action plan as the final step in the strategic planning process.

Once your strategic plan is written, and goals have been agreed upon and adopted, that next step is to build an action plan.

How To Build and Action Plan 1. Break each goal down into actionable steps.

2. Identify the measurable outcome of each step. The acronym SMART is useful here.

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound.

3. Identify who/what group is responsible for

Sabrina Houser is the owner of Capital CFO+ in Saratoga Springs. each step. This ensures someone is accountable for each initiative or measure, so nothing falls to the wayside.

4. Place a deadline for completion of each step.

Here is an example of a broad goal and three potential action steps: Goal: All Board members are engaged in fundraising Action Item: Revise existing Board training to include fundraising responsibilities Responsible: Development Committee Timeline: End of Q3 2024 Action Item: Create Individual board member annual fundraising plan template Responsible: Development Committee Chair, Executive Director Timeline: End of Q2 2024 Action Item: Each Board Member complete individual annual plan Responsible: Board Members, Board Chair, Executive Director Timeline: End of Q4 2024 Your action plan should be clear and laid out in a manner that makes it easy to identify who is responsible for each action item and the associated timeline for each. Excel or Google Sheets are an excellent format for your action plan.

There are many templates available online, as well.

An additional best practice is to integrate Continued On Page 11

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 11

Southern Adirondack Independent Living Has Programs to Fill the Needs of Disabled Clients

Among its many equipment offerings, Southern Adirondack Independent Living has a beach wheelchair that allows challenged individuals to enjoy time in the sun and sand.

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL From its main campus in Queensbury, Southern Adirondack Independent Living is making programs and services accessible to residents of 17 counties across New York. SAIL’s main goal is to help the elderly and those with disabilities remain safely in their homes and avoid skilled nursing care or institutional placement. While this non-profit has built on that objective for 35 years, executive director Tyler Whitney said the needs of the community are ever-changing, and especially so with a growing senior population in the post-COVID world.

“We have come a very long way in letting people know about what we can do for people with disabilities or those looking for services for their families,” Whitney said. “Before COVID people would say to me, ‘You’re the best kept secret.’ But that was like a sword in my heart because we want people to come to us. We are here to help.”

Over recent years the team at SAIL has done much to broaden awareness and build their brand, hiring Cam Cardinale as director of community relations. Whitney said Cardinale’s role is to engage with stakeholders, both community members and partner agencies, to show how SAIL ties into different facets of the community, such as recreation, tourism, independent living, health insurance and more.

“People coming to our center don’t know the extent of what we do until they meet us,” said Cardinale.

“Let’s say they need an aide in the house and want to look into our waiver program, by which the state authorizes SAIL to divert Medicaid dollars to home care,” Whitney said. “If they don’t have Medicaid, it could be up to six months to get them on the program.”

There are 600 people on waiver right now, according to Whitney, and the waiver program is one of 13 different programs SAIL operates.

The others revolve around such areas as health insurance, assessing options and applying for insurance; advocacy, accessing social services, disability programs, transportation and housing, and other programs as needed; and transitions, helping individuals review options for community living and long-term care.

There are 12 staff dedicated year round to helping clients enroll in Medicare, Medicaid and evaluate the features and benefits of different Medicare Advantage plans.

Especially in the last 15 years has SAIL added aging-in-place specialists to the staff and helped companies make their place of business more accessible to the aged, vision impaired and those with low mobility.

All programs and services are without cost.

Much of the counseling provided could cost

hundred of dollars through the private home care sector.

One of the agency’s most well known services is the equipment loan program, where people can come in and borrow medical equipment.

“Most people go to SAIL to get their walkers or wheelchairs, but we have so many other devices available for loan for recreational activities as well, such as a beautiful beach wheelchair,” said Whitney.

But there are other types of equipment on loan, too. Whitney said SAIL has devices available to help someone to school or get back to work or to continue working. These include technical equipment such as readers, translators, enlarged keyboards, ergonomic supplies, large monitors and monitor stands, to name a few examples.

Whitney said people in the community don’t know SAIL is essentially in the employment industry because programs and services are helping people with disabilities become employed or keep them in their jobs.

“Sometimes disabilities happen later in life,” he said. “We are one bad car accident away from being in a wheelchair. Trying to figure out life after that can be hard.”

For children with disabilities at a young age,

SAIL has an early intervention room at the Queensbury center.

“A lot of that service has to do with sensory material,” said Whitney. “We had a representative from a school district here who said the items from SAIL were ‘a game changer’ for their students.”

This meant that students in the district who had otherwise had behavioral issues were getting the kind of stimulation they needed to be calm and learn, he said.

SAIL has a staff of 45 working from locations in Queensbury, Plattsburgh and the Wilton Mall.

Equipment is on loan from the Queensbury and Wilton centers.

Whitney said that there are so many ways SAIL helps the community, it is not easy to know how to best utilize its services. That is why he said, “Just call us. Tell us what your problem is, what you are facing, and we will help you understand all the support services available to you.”

SAIL serves such a large geographic area, at times they need rooms or offices for staff to meet with community members or to hold an event.

Any business willing to donate space is encouraged to reach out by calling Cam Cardinale at (518) 792-3537 or visiting www.sailhelps.org.

Action Plan

Continued From Page 10 your action plan into the agenda for each Board meeting.

We are a firm believer in the consent agenda.

A consent agenda is an opportunity to collapse much of what we use our time in meetings into a very brief approval process. Minutes, financials, reports, and the like can all be approved at the same time with little or no discussion.

Prioritize the first part of the meeting for strategic matters. Rather than an Executive Director Report, create an ED and Executive Team Report on Strategic Priorities and align it to Strategic Plan deliverables. Check in on prog-

ress of action items in your strategic plan action plan. This keeps the goals and objectives of your strategic plan top of mind, promotes accountability, and ensures that barriers to completion are identified, and solutions or adjustments discussed.

These two things: an action plan and integrating your action plan into regular Board meetings can help ensure that your strategic plan becomes the driver for organizational growth and increased impact that it was meant to be, rather than a dusty volume on an office shelf.

TOGETHER WE WILL BUILD A PATH TO MORE SALES BY: Creating Your Sales Plan Finding Your Best Customers Growing Your Sales

Contact Alan VanTassel to schedule a free assessment.

About Me I bring 30+ years of sales leadership expertise and an immense passion for helping small to mid-sized businesses grow profitable revenue. I’ve worked with hundreds of businesses across many industries and have a tremendous appreciation for the ‘realworld” life of a business owner. As an Outsourced VP of Sales, I provide hands-on sales leadership expertise on a part-time (fractional) interim basis to help your company achieve sustainable revenue growth.

avantassel@salesxceleration.com

518-232-8000

Fractional Work: The New Norm in Business Fractional, independent employment is becoming the new normal.

In fact, according to SBA, one-third of small businesses currently outsource at least one business operation.

Salesforce names "Outsourcing the Sales Function" as the #4 trend upending sales today.

90 %

of small businesses plan to outsource business tasks in 2022, up from 80% in 2021

45%

of employers worldwide have trouble finding employees with the skills needed to drive their business forward Information collected by GigX, Salesforce, SBA, and Clutch

12 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

SPECIAL SECTION

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Retirement Planning

•

Business Report Know the Key Benefits of a Roth IRA

BY JOHN GABLE As you save for retirement, you’ll want to take full advantage of the investment vehicles available to you — and one of the best is a Roth IRA. But what sets it apart from other accounts?

Th ree key factors distinguish the Roth IRA: • Tax-free earnings – When you invest in a Roth IRA, your earnings can grow tax free, provided you don’t begin taking withdrawals until you’re 59½ and you’ve had your account at least five years. If you don’t meet these criteria, withdrawals of earnings will be subject to taxes and a possible 10 percent penalty.

• No penalties on withdrawals of contributions – You fund a Roth IRA with after-tax dollars, which means you can withdraw your contributions — not the earnings — at any time for any reason, without facing taxes or penalties. So, you could use some of your Roth IRA money for non-retirement purposes, such as helping pay for a child’s college education.

• No required withdrawals at age 73 – With a traditional IRA or a 401(k), you must start taking withdrawals — called required minimum distributions, or RMDs — once you reach 73. But this rule doesn’t apply to a Roth IRA — you can keep it intact as long as you like. You may need to tap into it for some of your retirement income, but if you don’t use it all, the remainder could benefit your beneficiaries.

A Roth IRA does share one similarity to a traditional IRA: It can be funded with virtually any type of investment, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs) and so on.

However, unlike a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA does have income limits.

For the 2023 tax year, if your modified adjusted gross income was less than $138,000 (for a single fi ler) or $218,000 (married fi ling jointly), you can put in the full amount of $6,500 and an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution if you’re 50 or older. The amounts you can contribute will gradually decline at higher income levels and are phased out entirely at $153,000 for single fi lers and $228,000 if you’re married and fi le jointly.

• •

John Gable is a financial advisor with Edward Jones Financial in Warrensburg Courtesy Edward Jones Financial

These income ranges will likely change for the 2024 tax year, so you’ll want to consult with your tax advisor for details.

Still, even if you’ve contributed to a traditional IRA or a 401(k) for many years, you may have a chance to eventually “convert” some, or all, of these funds to a Roth IRA and gain its benefits. It’s not hard to do this conversion — it involves minimal paperwork from your traditional IRA or 401(k) provider — but it does come with tax issues. Any money that’s converted from a traditional IRA or 401(k) to a Roth IRA will be treated as ordinary taxable income. Th is can trigger a large tax bill, so, unless you have the money available from other accounts to pay the taxes, the conversion may or may not make sense for you. But you don’t have to convert all the funds at once. By spreading the conversion over several years, you could reduce the effect of a large tax hit in any single year. You may want to consult with your tax advisor before converting any funds to a Roth IRA. If you can fi nd a way to contribute to a Roth IRA, either directly or through a conversion, consider it carefully — you’ll fi nd a lot of upsides to this investment account.

Northern Insuring Agency, Inc.

MEET OUR TEAM!

Business Report Long-term Care and Care Giver Considerations

BRIAN M. JOHNSON, MBA, CLTC It’s no secret that Long-Term Care services such as In-Home Care, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing can be financially devastating. Depending on the need, these costs can easily surpass $10,000$15,000 per month. The high cost means that not everyone will be able to get professional care. In those cases, who will provide care and what does that mean for those care providers?

Today’s care environment is both a challenge for giving and receiving care. Whether by necessity or preference – care is often provided by loved ones (informal, unlicensed) at home.

According to “Long-Term Care in America: Americans want to age at home” and a 2020 study by AARP, 88 percent of Americans would prefer to receive ongoing living assistance as they stay at home, 70 percent of people who provide care do so out of necessity, and 21 percent of Americans are currently caregivers. As the Baby Boom generation ages, these numbers are only going to increase.

According to “Caregiving in the U.S., AARP, 2020,” 36 percent of caregivers report high emotional stress and more than half of caregivers report financial strain from caregiving. This includes an end or pause to saving for their own future, taking on more debt, using personal savings and paying bills late or sometimes not paying them at all. In a 2018 report by the Harvard Business School, it’s estimated that if a caregiver is of working age, there is a 32 percent chance he or she will have to leave the workforce all together due to their caregiving responsibilities. If a caregiver remains employed, his or her work often suffers as they are typically tired, stressed and not able to fully concentrate on their job.

So what are our solutions? There’s no “silver bullet” here, but there are tools that can help Americans finance their potential need for care so they’re not a burden to those they love.

Medicare and Medicaid Pros: It’s a government funded program.

Cons: The system is difficult to navigate and getting more restrictive. Medicare generally only covers acute care on a short-term basis (less than 100-days). Medicaid typically pays for care in a nursing home and requires an individual to financially qualify.

Personal Savings / Retirement Assets Pros: If care is never needed, assets remain intact, creating a legacy for heirs.

Cons: If care is needed younger in life, there are steep penalties for accessing tax-deferred

Br ian John s on , direc tor, bu siness development at Advisors Insurance Brokers. retirement accounts early. This can disrupt retirement plans or greatly impact a spouse’s standard of living if assets are needed to pay for care.

Insurance (Long-Term Care and Hybrid) Pros: These policies often have robust benefits to pay for Long-Term Care services and will typically last longer than using one’s personal assets.

Cons: There are few companies offering such coverage, premiums are often cost prohibitive for most Americans, premiums in many cases are not guaranteed, and qualifying medically for coverage can be difficult.

Home Healthcare Plans Pros: These policies are a new innovation in planning and act more of a subscription-based plan like AAA. There’s no medical underwriting, premiums are much more affordable than Long-Term Care insurance and offer subscribers up to a maximum of 10,000 hours of home healthcare.

Cons: These policies only pay for home healthcare. If assisted living or nursing home is needed, these plans do not pay.

So where do you go from here? Many of us have experienced the impacts of care firsthand.

Whether it’s seeing the financial cost of care for a family member or witnessing the strain put on a friend caring for a loved one – the care crisis is all around us. The question is: what will we do about it? There are options, but one size does not fit all. To start, call our office and ask for our free planning guide. The telephone number is 518-688-8154.

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Monday - Friday: 7:00AM - 6:00PM Melissa Davidson Senior Sales Executive

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•

3093 State Route 4 Hudson Falls, NY

518-747-6344

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 13

•

Business Report Be Retirement Ready in 2024

BY DAVE KOPYC Eventually in life we must face the reality of building out our own personal retirement plan for the golden years. We live in a society today where most of us will not have a pension benefit from our employer and we will have to take our life’s savings to create a paycheck once we lose the employer’s weekly or biweekly payment we receive in our working years.

For some of you that are reading this article it will send a chill up your spine with anxiety to think that this daunting task can be handled with great concern and respect for you, the individual that is receiving the payment and it is specific to you and your individual needs. The cookie cutter approach where you are grouped into an investment or specific type of investment program can cause you to lose some of the personal touch that you may have had during your accumulation years.

Retirement income distribution is probably the most important decision you will make in your pre- and post-retirement years. There have been many different strategies and concepts to accomplish retirement income in my 42 years of being in the financial services industry, and every strategy has pros and cons and should be specific to you and your family - no matter what the strategy may be. It is critical that 100 percent of your hard-earned assets do not go into any investment program. Diversification is your friend and low cost and flexibility follow closely behind.

For many years we have had very little opportunity in yields that are sufficient to pay your bills and protect your principal. That is not the case now and we have investments that exceed 5 percent as I write this article, and having money market accounts that are approximately the same rate with liquidity and flexibility to get to the assets. Risk assets was a choice that was selected by a lot of individuals because of the financial markets and the circumstances we were in with the Federal Reserve and the prolonged low interest rate environment. Most individuals that wanted safety and guarantees had very few choices, so they gravitated to risk assets. That is not the situation today and you need to be aware of the opportunities that exist.

I have seen many individuals that allocated retirement assets into investments that were not suitable for them for risk that they wanted for their retirement years. There should be a careful understanding that these hard-earned assets need to last a lifetime which for some of us could be three to four decades. Many investment banking firms are now developing programs that will address lifetime income and will be available to participants in 401k programs during your accumulation years. I am a major advocate for baseline income for all individuals that reach retirement to pay for their basic expenses, so you have comfort and very little stress in the golden years of your life.

Once you have allocated your retirement assets into your baseline income, we look to allocate assets for growth and purchasing power, so dollars today have the same purchasing power over the

Area Ski Resorts Continued From Page 1

•

Dave Kopyc is President at Retirement Planning Group, LLC next two to three decades. This article will not address these concepts but in future articles, I will discuss them in greater detail.

I’ve been fortunate to work in the financial services business for 42 years and to say it has changed is an understatement. Most of the firms today have teams that work together to facilitate the needs and complexity of not only investment management, but also estate and asset protection during your retirement years. It is estimated that the “Boomer” generation will transfer the greatest wealth in the history of mankind, estimated to be more than 70 trillion dollars. Women are poised to inherit a large portion of this wealth, and it is imperative that they feel comfortable with their advisor and legal team that will help facilitate the ultimate destination of this wealth transfer. A lot of this wealth is in qualified assets such as IRA, 401K, and 403B plans which are complicated assets at death and need considerable amount of attention for legacy planning purposes. These assets also need to be considered when your advisor discusses wealth transfer that will ultimately come to them.

If you are young and just getting started building out your retirement plan, it is important to find someone to help you through this everchanging landscape. I am a major advocate of working with an independent financial advisor who works through an open architecture platform that has no bias to any one investment or insurance product. Not everyone is suited to risk assets and some individuals have a hard time riding the roller coaster of volatility in the markets.

It is imperative to ask questions and make sure the team you select has the capabilities to meet your personal investment needs and provides you guidance through all stages of your life.

We are at the end of 2023, and we tend to make new year’s resolutions. My suggestion is to stop procrastinating and find a team of professionals to help you achieve your goals for the future and make 2024 the year that you get it completed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Washington County New Business Registrations NOVEMBER

Action Services Enterprise 194 Coach Rd. Argyle, NY 12809

DCD Services 176 Hicks Rd. Granville, NY 12832

Naveen Mohan MBA EA 451 River Rd. Eagle Bridge, NY 12057

Bald Mountain Farm 222 Cottrell Rd. Greenwich, NY 12834

Sawyer Douglas Construction 12 Thornwood Dr. Fort Edward, NY 12828

Hundred Acre Wood 3343 State Route 40 Greenwich, NY 12834

Bobcatdave’s Handy Man Services 88 Dodge Hill Rd. Granville, NY 12832

The Bryant Group 114 Oak St. Hudson Falls, NY 12839

gomerys are eagerly awaiting development of a roughly $200 million project that would make West Mountain one of upstate New York’s only true ski-and-stay resorts.

Plans call for a 60-80 room hotel in a village-type setting with a full-service ski store, grocery market, spa, athletic club, coffee shop and restaurant surrounding a new high-speed chairlift, all located near the existing Northwest base lodge. Additional phases working up the mountain would include condominiums, timeshares and custom-built, single-family homes.

The Montgomerys hope to submit a 250-page Planned Recreational Development proposal to the town board in January. Ultimate approval must come from the town planning board following extensive review.

“The earliest groundbreaking would be fall of 2024,” Montgomery said. “We’d probably start with the hotel and conference center. It’s complex because there’s a lot of moving parts. Some people from Glens Falls and Queensbury, such as empty-nesters, will want to downsize, get a nice condo and live in a resort-style development. It’s a real lifestyle type of thing. Then there’s the tourism element where people buy a condo or timeshare they can rent out when not using it.”

The business model hinges on being able to siphon off even a small percent of the many downstate residents who pass through Warren County en route to Vermont ski resorts each winter. By having a hotel, guests could unpack their bags and ski without ever having to leave the property.

“You can have a full resort experience similar to Stratton Village,” Montgomery said.

Gore Mountain in North Creek opened Thanksgiving Weekend and with more than a foot of fresh snow had over a dozen trails open to the top of Bear Mountain where the gondola unloads, heading into mid-December. Summit trails will open as the season progresses.

Gore, with four peaks and seven separate areas, has the most terrain of any ski center in the state. A new conveyor-load quad near the base is twice as long as the Bear Cub Poma Lift it replaces, allowing people to access more trails. “It’s great for beginners, first-timers and folks getting back on the mountain for a quick little warm-up run,” Marketing Manager Julia Johnson said.

In addition, Gore has also upgraded many of its tower snowmaking guns.

“We add more every year,” she said. “They’re high efficiency, low energy guns that put out a lot more snow, a lot faster. They’re state-of-the -art so they can be turned on automatically and simultaneously. Crews can turn on a whole trail all at once. And they go directly into pipes, there are no hoses so crews don’t have to connect

everything. They just spin out the towers and they’re ready to go.”

Looking ahead, a spring groundbreaking is expected for the North Creek Ski Bowl Lodge, a new Hudson chairlift, and zip coaster. The lift is projected to be available for the 2024-25 ski season and the completion of the lodge is slated for 2025.

The new lodge, which replaces the historic lodge destroyed by fire in 1999, will be an 18,300-square-foot facility with a restaurant and two levels of patios with slopeside views. The lodge is positioned to become a popular destination for additional summer activities.

The innovative zip coaster will be a unique attraction that combines the features of a zipline and rail system.

A recent economic impact study said Gore Mountain generated $31.3 million in direct spending in fiscal year 2022-2023.

“The Ski Bowl project will provide a year-round boost to the business community of North Creek,” Johnsburg Supervisor Mark Smith said.

This winter, Gore is marking the 90th anniversary of the first-ever Snow Train that carried 378 skiers from Schenectady to North Creek in March 1934, ushering in a whole new era of winter tourism. Business owners, historians and ski enthusiasts are commemorating this historic event with a variety of season-long events such as walking history tours, screenings of vintage films, presentations, concerts, artwork exhibitions, fun races and commemorative giveaways.

For information and an event listing go to: www. tannerypond.org.

At Whiteface, crews have installed a new detachable quad lift from the Bear Den Learning Center to a point just beyond the Legacy Lodge at mid-station. It will help skiers and riders at the Bear Den access additional beginner and intermediate terrain while also providing access to upper mountain lifts and advanced terrain.

This innovative lift, named The Notch, is the only one of its kind in the East. Because it’s actually two lifts in one that operate together seamlessly, riders can unload onto the Boreen trail or continue farther upward to access other trails and the Legacy Lodge.

This summer, crews added 150 new high-efficiency snow guns to the mountain’s powerful snowmaking system, which last year allowed Whiteface to have summitto-base skiing for the first time ever on opening day.

Two new Pisten Bully 600W cats have been added to the grooming fleet and a power line on the Victoria trail has been buried to remove it from view and keep it from being a potential obstacle to grooming equipment.

14 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

Glens Falls Area Restaurants

Glens Falls and surrounding towns have a variety of casual dining opportunities for every taste, budget and occasion. Find a Glens Falls NY restaurant from the list below.

Park & Elm Glens Falls, NY

Park & Elm is a multi-concept eatery with a gourmet market, delicatessen, and fine dining restaurant located in walkable downtown Glens Falls. Enjoy an elevated dining experience, grab a breakfast or lunch to go, or shop the market for local goods.

Fenimore’s Pub

Glens Falls, NY Fenimore’s Pub in the heart of downtown Glens Falls is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Park 26

Glens Falls, NY Park 26 is an innovative restaurant that offers locally-inspired, modern American cuisine that’s perfect for a date night, business dinner or family celebration. Located inside The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

O’Toole’s Restaurant Pub

Queensbury, NY Whether you’re looking for a relaxed meal or a night of fun and excitement, you’ll want to come to O’Toole’s. We’ve got the best food,

drinks and entertainment in the area! Come on in and experience dining at it’s best. We look forward to seeing you.

like chicken wings, burgers, and salads. Their menu also includes specialty appetizers, sandwiches, and plenty of craft beer options on tap.

Jack’s American Bistro

The Log Jam

Queensbury, NY Jack’s American Bistro was the culmination of a lifetime spent in the restaurant business.

After several months of planning in June 2004 the doors were open to a new dining experience in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area.

Lake George, NY An authentic log cabin serving lunch and dinner daily. Featuring signature sandwiches at lunch and succulent prime rib, juicy hand cut steaks, live lobsters, fresh seafood, chicken,and more at dinner. All entrees include our bountiful salad bar.

Davidson Brothers Restaurant

Mint

Glens Falls, NY Located in downtown Glens Falls, Davidson Brothers Restaurant & Brewery is a hotspot for craft beer and food in a laid-back atmosphere.

Glens Falls, NY Enjoy seasonally fresh fare and exquisite cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere at Mint in Glens Falls. The upscale yet casual restaurant works with around 50 local farms and businesses to be able to use fresh, thoughtfully raised, in-season ingredients.

Morgan & Co. Restaurant

Glens Falls, NY Experience fine American dining in downtown Glens Falls at Morgan & Co. Every dish offers a unique and innovative twist on original recipes. Morgan & Co. also caters events from weddings to reunions and more!

Bogey’s Pub & Grill

Queensbury, NY Bogey’s Pub & Grill at Bay Meadows Golf Course, in Queensbury NY, is not just for hungry golfers! The Grille offers fine Queensbury dining at casual prices!

The Grateful Den

Glens Falls, NY The Grateful Den offers a different take on traditional pub grub, as well as classic favorites

An elevated dining experience in downtown Glens Falls...

BOOK YOUR RESERVATION

Courtesy of GlensFalls.com

730 Upper Glen Street Queensbury NY

parkandelm.com | 518-480-3220 19 Park St., Glens Falls, NY 12801

Wednesday thru Saturday 4:30 - 9pm Reservations recommended Kiss: French

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SECOND COURSE: (Choose One Per Person) • Soup or Salad

THIRD COURSE: (Choose One Per Person) • Prime Rib with Potato & Vegetable • Veal Parmigiana Over Angel Hair Pasta • Chicken Parmigiana Over Angel Hair Pasta • Shrimp Scampi Over Angel Hair Pasta • Stuffed Filet of Sole Twin Filets with Crabmeat & Scallop Stuffing... Topped with Lobster Sauce with Potato & Vegetable

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(518) 792-3534 • Open Year Round • docksiderrestaurant.com

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023 • 15

Economy of Washington Co. Continued From Page 1 affluence as neighboring Saratoga and Warren counties. But Campbell said the county, thanks to pandemic-related stimulus money and skyrocketing sales tax revenue, has never been in better financial shape.

The county received more than $11 million as its share of American Rescue Plan Act funding, a $1.9 trillion federal program designed to help state and local governments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitch said the county used most of this for much-needed capital projects.

“Supervisors tell me all the time that we’re a poor county,” Campbell said. “We’re not a poor county. Even though times have been tough, we came out of COVID almost unscathed. The amount of money that’s poured in is phenomenal.”

He said sales tax, mostly from online shopping, has increased $10 million from $20 million to $30 million during the past five years.

“That’s huge,” he said.

During COVID, when people couldn’t leave home, residents shopped online instead. Many people also decided to use the Internet rather than drive to Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs or Clifton Park when gas prices were close to $4 per gallon.

Now, online shopping has permanently changed many peoples’ buying habits, keeping considerable extra sales tax revenue in the county.

“We’re really in good shape,” Campbell said.

“It’s just trying not to spend it faster than you bring it in, just like your own budget at home.”

In November, the county adopted a $132 million budget for 2024.

However, Campbell said the county has direct control over less than 20 percent of this, as most is allocated to mandated state programs such as Medicaid, which costs $230,000 per week.

“It’s not just big things, it’s continual little things popping in,” Henke said.

For example, the state Labor Department now requires all employers, large and small, to provide a private room and unpaid break time for breastfeeding mothers to pump breast milk at work. “There are certain specifications and we had to find a place to build a room,” Henke said. “There’s no money in the budget for that. Mandates take away from other things we could be doing.”

“Our budget’s good for about four months from January 1 to April 1 because then the state budget comes out and ruins everything you did,” Campbell said. “This is like the calm before the storm. The state mandates everything they want you to do that you’d never do if they didn’t mandate it. Citizens are the most important part of the budget because they have to pay taxes. They just want to know that it’s going for something they need or they’re interested in. It’s not always that way because of mandates.”

“It’s becoming more of a challenge every year,” Fitch said.

Looking ahead, Campbell said Washington County is well positioned for new housing growth when GlobalFoundries moves forward with plans for a second, large semiconductor plant at Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta. Construction is expected to begin in the next few years creating thousands of new jobs.

“They’re running out of places to build houses (in Saratoga County) and people like to live rurally, they really do,” he said.

Once home to small farms and some centuries-old houses, Hebron now has a number of million-dollar estates, indicating a major shift in local demographics.

“It’s a quality of life issue,” Campbell said.

“That’s what we try to do when we make budgets, is protect the quality of life. It’s hard to keep that if things are growing out of control or they aren’t growing at all. There’s a happy medium we’re trying to get to.”

•

Available Commercial & Residential Properties We’d like to promote your commercial or residential property. Call us, 581-0600.

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Lamplight Inn Bed & Breakfast Lake George New York

Price: $1,395,000 Don’t miss out on this outstanding opportunity to own and operate this stunning Bed and Breakfast, with strong financials, close to Lake George and Saratoga Springs in the picturesque town of Lake Luzerne, New York.

The 7 suite 1890 building plus 5 suite Carriage House are fully appointed with beautiful amenities and private owners quarters. The current owners have operated the Inn for 39 years and are retiring.

Call Mitch to schedule a tour! 617-610-7774 • mitch@muroffhospitality.com

45 Eureka Avenue | Saratoga Springs, NY $1,500,000 9-15 Broad Street, Glens Falls For Sale - $2,350,000 Union Square - 48,000 SF restored mixed use building with 85 parking spaces. Home to multiple businesses and unfinished space with approvals for 6 apartments to be built.

A must see!

JoAnn Potrzuski Cassidy Lic. Assoc. RE Broker c: 518.470.3281 Valerie M. Napoli Lic. RE Salesperson c: 518.248.4191

JulieCoRealty.com | o: 518.350.7653

This 3 bed / 2.5 bath French Provencal estate has a timeless European aesthetic, set on a babbling brook at the end of a cul-de- sac approx. One mile from downtown Saratoga Springs. Amenities will delight: arched doorways & windows, a classic Lacanche range with copper hood, butler’s pantry, prep sink, breakfast nook with banquet, central air, surround sound, wine cooler, low-maintenance hardscaping, a 2-car garage & full basement.

A primary suite with wood-burning fireplace; kitchen with the marbletopped island & access to the terraced patio, steps to the Spring Run & a 3-season room enveloped by the sights & sounds of the nature conservancy!

Mara King | 518.527.4003 Christine Hogan Barton | 518.477.0732 Associate RE Broker, GRI Associate RE Broker

16 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 2023

View Of The Courtyard, One OF Six Visual And Sound Displays At Winter’s Dream Attraction

Winter’s Dream, at the Fort William Henry Resort, features light and sound installations designed

by Moment Factory of Montreal.

BY PAUL POST There was a major concern after last year’s mild, rainy winter that Ice Castles wouldn’t return to Lake George.

In 2022, the frosty attraction had drawn tens of thousands of visitors, helping boost year-round tourism.

In February, shortly before retiring, former Mayor Bob Blais called together a meeting of local business leaders with a goal of finding a new way to bring people to Lake George during the cold-weather months. They formed a new group called Warren County Coalition.

The result of their efforts is Winter’s Dream, an outdoor multi-sensory experience at Fort William Henry museum that

helps people enjoy the beauty of winter in a colorful new way with lights, sound, music and video projection.

“There are several words you can use to describe Winter’s Dream. Mystical, immersive, beautiful, thought-provoking, but as you’ll soon see Winter’s Dream is nothing short of magical,” said Mayor Ray Perry, Blais’s successor. “This will forever change the way people think of Lake George as well as the way they think of winter. Adults and children alike, when they think of winter, they’ll think of Lake George.”

Winter’s Dream is one of two large attractions officials are counting on to bring visitors to the region. The other is

Winter Realms at Charles R. Wood Park Festival Commons, created by the same company that brought Ice Castles to Lake George. Its primary features are a 90-foot by 60-foot outdoor skating rink, an illuminated 60-foot-tall Christmas tree, Mystic Light Walk, huge ice carvings by worldchampion sculptors, a fairy village, 90 live locally-sourced Christmas trees, a 15-foot snowman and hundreds of thousands of colorful lights. Additional ice sculptures will be created throughout the season.

Both attractions expect to remain open through March.

Winter’s Dream, at Fort William Henry, is comprised of five separate installations -- one in each of the structure’s four second-story bastions and one in the ground-f loor parade ground.

Full Moons is an array of huge polemounted globes surrounded by colorful, rising steam. Frozen Lakes features hundreds of tiny lights with sound effects that replicate the “music” made by shifting ice.

At Winter Woods, guests are invited to wander through tall lights resembling a sparkling forest of luminous trees. First Snow’s hundreds of laser lights recreate a light snowfall, with gently falling f lakes people are invited to capture.

Cabin of Dreams, illuminated by a swirling snowstorm, is an interactive display. Kids and adults alike take turns tossing “balls of yarn” (plastic balls) at the structure. With each hit, a large colorful quilt suddenly appears on cabin walls.

Winter’s Dream is a self-guided, walking experience so visitors may take their time to fully enjoy each part of it.

The attraction was created by Montrealbased Moment Factory, which since 2001 has masterminded more than 500 unique projects around the world with clients such as the NBA, Disney, Universal Studios, rock stars and major international airports.

“Our mission is to bring people together,” said Christian L’Heureux, the firm’s general manager of signature experiences. “We are thrilled to be here.” Behan

Communications President Mark Behan welcomed more than 200 people to a Dec. 7 sneak preview party of the attraction, which opened the next night. Warren County has supported the project with $3 million in occupancy tax funds.

Winter’s Dream is expected to have a five-year run at Fort William Henry.

“Lake George as a community is taking the unprecedented step of establishing a true, year-round tourism season, becoming a major destination at all times of the year,” Behan said. “This is a long-sought goal. Mark this date down. You were here at the beginning for Tourism 365.”

Holiday Inn owner and Coalition President Vincent Crocitto II said, “We are thrilled to bring people together to experience the enchantment and fun of a Lake George winter. The excitement is palpable as ticket sales continue throughout the Northeast and even spanning continents.

There was a ticket sale all the way from Africa.”

Winter’s Dream and Winter Realms complement many other activities the area has to offer such as Lake George Winter Carnival, held each weekend in February, in addition to several hotel ice bars, a wide variety of restaurants and recreational opportunities such as skiing, hiking, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Winter’s Dream is open six days per week (closed Tuesday) through March 31. Opening times will vary throughout the season based on changing sunset times. It will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day and Jan. 2, 2024.

For tickets, which can only be purchased online, and further information go to: www.lakegeorge.wintersdream.com.

Winter Realms is scheduled to be open from 4-10 p.m. Thursday to Sunday (closed Monday to Wednesday) through March 3.

However, it will be open daily from 4-10 p.m. from Dec. 14 to Jan. 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15); and winter school break (Feb. 19-23). For tickets and information go to: www.winterrealms.com.

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