Month: February 2018

By Maureen Werther

Hacker Boat company in Silver Bay, manufacturer of the mahogany Hacker-Craft boats, has signed a contract with a Thailand dealer, Classic Boats Lifestyle Ltd. that gives the local company a strong tie in the Asian market and boosts production.

Classic Boats Lifestyle Ltd. now has exclusive rights to sell the hand-crafted boats to resort owners, corporate clients and wealthy individuals throughout Southeast Asia.

George Badcock, owner of Hacker, said the agreement means that an additional 30 or more boats will be built over the next three years, a number that he anticipates will grow steadily as demand increases in the Asian market.

According to Badcock, the company is currently building approximately eight to 10 boats annually. “So, we believe this year, based on orders, we will build between 11 and 13 boats  for Thailand and other customers.”

In anticipation of the increased work, Hacker has already hired six new employees since the first of the year, including one “rigger”—a technician who installs boat engines—and five woodworkers and varnishers.

Badcock said some of the workers are local, others have returned to the area, and still others travel 30-50 miles to work at Hacker. At this point, the company employs more than 30 people full time.

By R.J. DeLuke

The Glens Falls Civic Center had been a big part of the community over the years and the area was proud of its hockey team—and supportive.

But the center itself was losing money, about $600,000 a year, according to Jeff Mead, general manager of the facility, which in 2017 became Cool Insuring Arena.

The facility has other uses besides hockey, including being a concert and event venue, hosting high school sports tournaments and more.

The Adirondack Civic Center Coalition, a group of local business and community leaders, bought the facility in January 2015 and soon after, hired Mead, who had ties to the community, having  played hockey at Glens Falls High School. He was serving as general manager/director of operations for the Blue Sky Sports Center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas.

The hockey team and the Cool Insuring Arena are two separate businesses. Mead is overseeing both. Both are doing better now.  The end of 2017 saw the arena finishing in the black, a large turnaround.

By Liz Witbeck

The City of Glens Falls is in the process of purchasing the building that formerly housed  Off Track Betting, at 51-57 South St.

Funds for the sale will come from the $10 million grant the city received as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The city plans to use part of the money to turn the building into a community center that will host the Saturday Farmers Market, as well as other events.

The project is called “The Market on South Street.”

“Once we received the award, we had to take on a plan for what we were going to do. We sent out surveys and what we found was there was a great deal of enthusiasm and support for this community building in the downtown,” said EDC Warren County President Ed Bartholomew.

The Farmers Market currently held on South Street is a popular event in the city. Local producers come from all over Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties to sell their items. Bartholomew said each week anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 people may be in attendance at the market.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the 29th J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award will be presented to Dr. Jim Morrissey and his wife Kay Morrissey.

The award will be given at a dinner event on Saturday, March 3, at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing. A cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m.

Also, Holly DeKleine of StreamLined Graphics will receive the ARCC Ambassador of the Year honor.  This is the second year in a row that DeKleine has been honored with this award.

The ambassadors play an instrumental role in welcoming new members, reaching out to long term supporters, encouraging engagement, sharing information, supporting the events we host, celebrating ribbon cuttings, encouraging businesses to join the ARCC and more.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s fiscal year 2019 budget includes a proposal to create a license for farm meaderies, a new license similar to those already available to farm wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries.

Mead, commonly referred to as “honey wine” is an alcoholic beverage that is created by fermenting honey with water, which can be infused with fruits, spices, herbs and flowers.

“New York is the number one producer of honey in the Northeast, and by increasing opportunities for farms to produce mead, our thriving craft beverage manufacturing sector will continue to grow,” Cuomo said. “The creation of the farm meadery license will help strengthen these two great New York industries, and further add to our tourism economy, fueling growth in every corner of this great state.”

The farm meadery license will authorize the establishment and licensure of farm meaderies for the manufacture and sale of mead made from New York state produced honey. The provision also allows farm meaderies to produce “braggot,” a malt beverage made from honey, in addition to malt, hops, fruits, spices, herbs and other agricultural products.

In order to obtain a farm meadery license, the mead or braggot must be made exclusively from honey produced in New York state and no more than 250,000 gallons may be produced annually. Farm meaderies will be allowed to sell by the glass, offer tastings of, and sell to go not only mead and braggot, but also any state farm-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits.

Freedom Boat Club has signed an alliance agreement with  Jeanneau, a French boatmaking group,  to cooperatively develop Freedom Boat Club franchises among its European  dealer network.

According to Freedom Boat Club President and CEO John Giglio, the FBC franchise model is now being offered to Jeanneau retailers in Europe who have the opportunity to develop FBC locations in their local market using Jeanneau outboard-powered boats.

Local Freedom Boat Club Lake George members will now have the opportunity to enjoy  boating on multiple continents, something club owners Matt and Rebecca O’Hara are excited to offer area residents.

The Adirondack Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, announced the full season ticket plan and new jerseys for the 2018-19 season.

Officials said all seats at Cool Insuring Arena will continue to be priced the same, at $13 per game for season ticket holders. Season tickets in all sections will cost $540 per seat ($468, plus sales tax and a Cool Insuring Arena facility fee).

Twelve-month payment plans are now available, costing less than $50 per seat, per month if signed up by March 31, the team said. Youth season tickets will also remain untouched at $385 for the season package.

All 2017-18 full- and partial-season ticket holders can renew their seats by calling 518-480-3355, ext. 1, or by visiting the Thunder offices during regular business hours.

Fans can also renew their seats at any remaining Thunder home game by visiting the season ticket table in the main lobby. Any prospective new season ticket holders can also sign up for next season with seating locations available on a first-come/first-served basis.