Month: September 2017

Holiday Inn Resort Lake George On Canada Street Has New Owner In Vincent Crocitto

September 13, 2017

The Holiday Inn Resort Lake George lobby as seen from outside. New owner Vincent Crocitto says he plans on doing small improvements each year, but does not plan on any major construction.
Courtesy Holiday Inn Resort Lake George

By Liz Witbeck

The Holiday Inn Resort Lake George, at 2229 Canada St. in Lake George, recently changed ownership.

Vincent Crocitto, the new owner, has a long history of owning hotel and motel properties in the area.

“Why wouldn’t I buy it? It’s beautiful,” he said. “It’s one of the most prominent properties in Lake George. It’s a dream to own it.”

There are only a few Holiday Inn hotels that have received the designation as a resort. In order to receive this status, a hotel must provide full-service amenities and offer a high level of customer service.

At the Holiday Inn Resort Lake George, which has 129 rooms, there are both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There is also a whirlpool and a sauna area.

It has a fitness center, with a full lineup of gym equipment, for guests looking to exercise while on vacation. Outdoors, there are basketball courts, a miniature golf course and a shuffleboard setup.

Balance In A Person’s Diet Goes A Long Way Toward People Being Fit And In Good Health

September 13, 2017

Capital Area PT, Mount Royal Plaza in Queensbury, employs exercise, education, consultation and hands-on therapy adapted to help patients regain or maintain healthy lifestyles.
Courtesy CAPT

By Susan E. Campbell

If area fitness and nutrition professionals could offer one word of advice for optimal health, it’s “balance.”

“Have a balanced diet,” said Katie Leahy, MS, RDN, LD, the outpatient dietitian at Glens Falls Hospital Regional Diabetes and Nutrition Center. “And keep it simple.”

“Some think less is more,” said Leahy. “I recommend three smaller, nutrition-rich meals a day.”

She said in an effort to lose weight, people often deprive themselves of carbohydrates, fruit or dairy as they follow some of today’s popular diet programs. When going it alone, they typically lack the right proportions of food for the intake they need.

“Fat intake need not mean weight gain. We need healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds and eggs, and all the nutritional benefits of each group,” said Leahy. “People today lack a healthy diet. Proper nutrition promotes healthy benefits overall, not just weight loss.”

The center serves outpatients of all ages who may have diabetes or a variety of disease-related and other conditions, such as kidney disease, celiac disease, bariatric surgery and pregnancy.

Leahy said the term “pre-diabetes” has been phased out among dieticians “because you either have diabetes or you don’t.”

Electrophisiologist Joins Glens Falls Hospital Adding New Treatment For Heart Problems

September 13, 2017

Dr. Henry Tan, an electrophysiologist, has joined Adirondack Cardiology.
Courtesy Glens Falls Hospital

Glens Falls Hospital has recruited what it says is the region’s first electrophysiologist to the hospital’s cardiology practice, bringing new diagnostic and treatment options to people with heart rhythm abnormalities across the hospital’s five-county service area.

Dr. Henry Tan, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist, has joined Adirondack Cardiology from Albany Medical Center. Electrophysiology is a cardiology sub-specialty focused on diagnosing and treating heart rhythm conditions known as arrhythmias. Dr. Tan is the only electrophysiologist between Albany and Plattsburgh, according to the hospital.

“There was a real need for an electrophysiologist in our service area and we are thrilled to have recruited Dr. Tan to our practice,” said Patti Hammond, vice president, physician practice management. “Now people with a wide variety of heart rhythm problems can be diagnosed and treated at Glens Falls Hospital rather than having to travel to Albany.”

Arrhythmias are changes in the normal sequence of electrical impulses in the heart, caused by the presence of abnormal cells. This results in the heart beating too fast, too slowly or erratically. There are many types of arrhythmia, and three primary treatment options depending on the nature of the condition: medication; implantation of a pacemaker or defibrillator; or catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure in which an electrode catheter is guided to the heart, and heat is precisely applied to destroy the tiny cluster of abnormal cells.

Business Report: How To Choose A Health Plan

September 13, 2017

Jason Bowman, employee benefits consultant, Capital Financial Group Inc.
Courtesy Glens Falls National Bank

By Jason Bowman

If you are like most people who find choosing a health plan confusing and stressful, rest assured that a little homework can help make the decision process easier.

When it comes to insurance, unfamiliarity can lead to choices that may not suit you best. But the good news is you get a “do-over” annually during open enrollment.

A good place to start is understanding common health insurance-related terms, such as the “metal” levels of bronze, silver, gold and platinum. It kind of sounds like the Olympics, minus all the excitement.

The idea behind these descriptions is to give you, as the prospective insured, an idea of how costs will be shared between you and your insurer. You will receive the same standard health services regardless of the level, but your cost-share will vary depending on which level you select.

Bronze level means 60 percent is the insurance carrier’s share, 40 percent is your share. Silver level is 70 percent/30 percent; gold level, 80 percent/20 percent; and platinum, 90 percent/10 percent.

To keep it simple, a bronze plan, in most cases will have the same exact network of healthcare providers and prescription drug coverage as that of a platinum plan. The noticeable difference among all levels will be the premiums and the cost of services at time of usage. Simply stated, pay less in premiums and you’ll pay more out-of-pocket at the time of service.

Non-Traditional Types Of Employee Benefits Are Being Used More Often By Employers

September 13, 2017

Gail Hamel is the owner of Hamel Resources LLC in Lake George.
Courtesy Hamel Resources LLC

By Susan E. Campbell

When companies cut back on traditional employee benefits, such as the 15-year trend in vanishing pension plans, decisions may not be based exclusively on economics.

Many of the non-traditional types of benefits now appearing in the workplace are in response to changes in the age, lifestyles and preferences of today’s employees.

There are not enough Generation X-ers to take the place of baby boomers as they retire and leave the work force. Boomer children will. About 60 percent of the workforce in 2020 is expected to be made up of millennials, or Generation Y, those born in the two decades before 2000.

Now in their 20s to late 30s, millennials have different priorities from their parents or even the generation that preceded theirs, said Gail Hamel, owner of Hamel Resources LLC in Lake George.

“In general, younger people today aren’t thinking about retirement,” said Hamel. “They live in the moment because of the world in which they were raised.”

Another major traditional benefit, health coverage, continues to experience cutbacks in the employer-paid portion compared to the percentage covered for baby boomers.

“But no one knows where health care will be even months from now,” said Hamel. “Gen Y is more concerned with just getting a career started.”

Business Report: Workplace Wellness Plans

September 13, 2017

Suzanne Smith is a senior counsel of Bond, Schoeneck & King.
Courtesy Bond, Schoeneck & King

By Suzanne Smith

With so much uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers may be in a holding pattern with respect to their health insurance plan design. And, this is understandable.

While waiting to see what healthcare changes are coming under President Trump’s administration, employers will generally want to maintain the status quo.

But, with the increasing costs of health insurance premiums, co-pays, and deductibles as well as the increase in the cost of prescription drugs, employers may be wondering what they can do to help employees with their healthcare circumstances.

One strategy that many employers are considering is a workplace wellness program. The theory is that if a wellness program helps employees improve their health, then the wellness program may help employees control their health care spending.

A workplace wellness program is a plan designed to promote health or prevent disease. Generally, the wellness program will be incorporated into your employer group medical plan and offered to the medical plan participants or integrated into your employee assistance program (EAP) and offered to all employees.

Many wellness programs offer some kind of reward to encourage employees to participate or achieve a particular health goal. However, a reward system is not a required component of a wellness program, and many programs do not offer any reward whatsoever.

Business Report: Words That Kill Your Business

September 13, 2017

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC, Queensbury.
Courtesy Lighthouse Advisors

by Michael Cruz

The worst words we ever hear in business are – “That’s the way we have always done it.” Hearing it makes my skin crawl. That unflinching, unapologetic sentence covers up a very serious problem in your business.

It shows that you have a culture of complacency. Your people are not thinking. They are not looking for better ways to accomplish tasks. For businesses to grow, we need to find new and better ways to do things. This is called efficiency. It is how we generate profits to pay better, hire more people and produce more.

More often than not, the issue lies with management. First, we don’t hire well. We need to hire people that look for ways to improve their job. During the hiring process, you should look for people who have innovated in the past. The simple question you should ask is, “Can you give me an example when you improved the process at your last job?”.

The second way management fails is by creating a culture of ‘no mistakes are tolerated’. Think about the last time an employee confessed to a mistake. Was your initial response ‘Why did you do that’? Often, I see companies driving toward a mistake-free workplace. Innovation requires us to fail occasionally. Of course, we don’t want to make mistakes. But trying new ways will inevitably lead to trying some things that do not work. If we punish people for trying new things, they simply will not try to improve.

Mold Problems In Homes And Businesses Can Be Alleviated By Qualified Professionals

September 13, 2017

Bio Armor in Ballston Spa addresses a mold situation in an attic space.
Courtesy Bio Armor

By Jennifer Farnsworth

One thing homeowners don’t want to hear is, “you have mold.”

Area professionals can provide help with a series of steps to remove mold from a home.

“The most important thing for a homeowner or business owner to first understand is that there are steps to mold remediation,” said Mario Gonzalez, of Bio Armor in Ballston Spa.

He said before the mold can be removed, a “mold assessor” has to first meet with the homeowner to determine if there is mold and how it can be removed.

“The most important things to know is that once you find it, you have to determine the reason, fix it, remove the mold and cleanup and then monitor it,” said Bob Serafini of Quick Response Restoration in Round Lake. “Have proper ventilation, use dehumidifiers if necessary and work with a trusted professional.”

Serafini said many times people don’t realize they even have mold issues until they go to sell their home and an inspector discovers the problem.

Once this is determined, the property owner is given a report. They can then contact a mold remediation specialist to take care of the problem. Gonzalez said the assessor’s report protects the homeowner and the company removing the mold, ensuring there is no discrepancy regarding the severity of the problem.

Designers Say People Like Silver, Bronze And Gold Tones In Their Homes; Dark Wood Floors

September 13, 2017

These are fabrics available at Victoria’s Corner located in the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls. The interior design company has fabrics in stock and can also customize.
Courtesy Victoria’s Corner

By Maureen Werther

Fall is a busy time of year for architectural and interior design showcases and magazines, which are full of new and upcoming trends in home design and décor.

Now is the time to see what’s new, what’s hot and what’s “not” in the world of interior design. Many people don’t want, or can’t afford, to completely redecorate an entire home every few years. Sometimes, all it takes is adding accent pieces in new colors and materials to update a home’s look, or renovating one room to give the kind of space a person is looking for.

“People are using more mixes of metals, like silver, bronze and gold tones, instead of having the same tones throughout the house,” said Shelly Walker, an interior designer for nearly 20 years and owner of Finishing Touches Home Décor, Ballard Road in Wilton. She added that she is seeing a lot of bronze, mixed with black and gold.

In terms of architectural style, Walker said that an open floor plan is still hugely popular.

She said that the architectural trend of blending farmhouse rustic with contemporary and industrial design is still extremely popular, particularly with millennials, who are quickly becoming the largest category of home buyers.

Business Report: What Does Security Mean

September 13, 2017September 13, 2017

Richard Ruzzo, managing partner, COO, Shepherd Communication and Security.
Courtesy Shepherd Communication and Security.

By Richard Ruzzo

When I hear that phrase from a new customer, I know from more than 13 years of experience in the communications and security business that it often means very different things to different people.

The term, “security,” has become a catchword encompassing a range of different issues and challenges being faced by the homeowner or business owner today.

As an expert in access control, surveillance, perimeter alarm systems, and “smart” home/office solutions, it’s my job to ask the right questions and drill down to what that potential customer really needs to make his/her home or business safe and secure.

For most people, “security” usually means cameras, which really means surveillance. Cameras are a great way to protect your business against costly things like shrinkage (employee or customer theft), low employee productivity, or unnecessary and sometimes nefarious insurance claims for trips and falls at your business or home.

Those issues usually occur inside the business or home. But, what about things that happen outside of your office building or home? For some customers, “security” may mean monitoring and protecting against what’s going on outside of the office or home. Has someone been spending too much time “aimlessly” wandering around your business perimeter or residence? Are they looking for patterns in your comings and goings? Are they, in fact, “casing” your home or business for future unlawful entry?