Month: March 2020

Open Door Mission Expands New Clothing Pantry, Food Pantry, Barber Shop, Bathrooms

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

The Open Door Mission in Glens Falls expanded its space recently, including the addition of this food pantry available to people in need.
Andrea Harwood Palmer

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
The Open Door Mission in Glens Falls recently unveiled expanded space— a clothing pantry, food pantry, barber shop, three new bathrooms, showers and a storage area.
It was built through partnership with area organizations such as CDCHP, Hannaford Supermarket, Habitat for Humanity, Hilltop Construction, Fenimore Asset Management, the Glens Falls Foundation, AJA Architectures, electrician Brian Hayward, area churches, and the UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 773 of Glens Falls.
The shelter offers emergency Code Blue shelter to people when temperatures drop in winter months.
Hannaford Supermarket donated funds as well as materials and 100 cases of food to stock the food pantry, in December when the food pantry first opened. The pantry served 218 families in February.

Freedom Boat Club Lake George Helps Child’s Museum Develop A Boating, Fishing Exhibit

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Freedom Boat Club Lake George has partnered with the Children’s Museum at Saratoga on a new boating and fishing exhibit.
The Saratoga Lake – Let’s Go Boating exhibit will be an interactive, kid-friendly, and colorfully immersive exhibit. It is designed to help young children utilize play as a means to enhance their social and emotional development, as well as learn how to communicate, observe and problem solve with one another as they navigate their way through the exhibit, officials said.
The Saratoga Lake exhibit joins long-time museum favorites like the theater, trolley, firetruck, diner, grocery store and bandstand, as well as another brand new exhibit, the barn.

Financial Advisors Urge People Not To Panic As Coronavirus Causes A Stock Market Stir

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Ryan Bouchey, CFP and vice president at Bouchey Financial Group.
Courtesy Bouchey Financial Group

By Jill Nagy
Some investors may be panicking, but at least two local brokers are keeping their cool, advising a wait-and-see approach to managing assets.
“Focus on the big picture and don’t react to every headline that comes up,” said Ryan Bouchey, CFP and a vice president at Bouchey Financial Group, on the first day of the market decline in response to news of the coronavirus, which has caused the stock market to plunge.
“It’s still a strong economy and most clients are fairly optimistic,” said Steve Kyne CFP and partner at Sterling Manor Financial. His independent financial planning company has been around since 2006. There have been ups and downs, he said, “We’ve weathered our share.”
Bouchey urged people “not to be too greedy” and to try to protect against unexpected risks.

NBT Bank Implements Several Digital Initiatives Across Multiple Business Lines

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

NBT Bancorp Inc. has executed on digital initiatives based on a technology road map with the objective of delivering features and functionality customers want and need, company officials said.
This road map includes the 2020 implementation of several digital initiatives across multiple business lines that will continue to transform the experience NBT delivers to its customers and employees.
“All of our customers expect ever-increasing flexibility, accessibility and speed to manage their finances,” said NBT President and CEO John H. Watt Jr. “Strong adoption of our mobile and online banking services and recognitions like our high ranking on the Forbes 2019 World’s Best Banks list and the 2019 Greenwich Awards in Small Business Banking and Middle Market Banking indicate our customer-first approach to NBT’s digital evolution is being well received.

Homestead Funding Office In Glens Falls Is Growing At The Close Of Its Second Year

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

In 2017, Maureen Ginter-Grabowski and John Homkey opened a Homestead branch.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
The Glens Falls branch of Homestead Funding is finishing it’s second year in strong fashion and building its team of in-house loan officers.
Maureen Ginter-Grabowski is the branch manager and senior loan officer of the branch, located at 3 Warren Street, Suite #3A.
John Homkey is a licensed loan originator, and opened the Glens Falls branch with Ginter-Grabowski in 2017.

Charles V. Wait Jr. Named President, CEO At Adirondack Trust Co. Succeeding von Schenk

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Charles V. Wait Jr. became the new president and CEO at Adirondack Trust Co.
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

Charles V. Wait, Adirondack Trust Co.’s chairman of the board of directors, announced a senior leadership appointment and an officer promotion within the bank’s management team.
Charles V. Wait Charles V. Wait Jr., has become the organization’s new president and CEO, an appointment that was approved by the board of directors, effective Feb. 12. Wait Jr. succeeds Stephan R. von Schenk, who acted as company president since 2014 and CEO since 2017.

Washington County Local Development Corp. Reviewing 10 New Loan Applications In 2020

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Deanna Derway, executive director. Washington County Local Development Corp.

By Susan E. Campbell
The Washington County Local Development Corp. (WCLDC) closed the year more quietly than in the recent past. But already in 2020, there are 10 new applications for loans in contrast to the five new loans that ultimately closed in 2019, according to Deanna Derway, president and executive director.
“Loans were made to a variety of different and unique companies, officially crossing the $18 million mark for total funding lent since the Corporation began in 1985,” said Derway, who has been with the WCLDC since mid-2008 and has headed it up since 2013. “That is a significant amount of funding across businesses in Washington County.”
January through March is the state reporting season for WCLDC, along with any other entity with public funding, and Derway has been busy with spreadsheets.
“Compared to the past four years, activity in 2019 was a little quieter,” she said. “We have nearly $700,000 to loan right now.”

Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Can Win Grants From Glens Falls Development Corp.

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Ed Bartholomew, president and CEO, EDC Warren County.
Courtesy EDC Warren County

By Rachel Phillips
Small business owners and hopeful entrepreneurs located in Glens Falls have the opportunity to win up to $40,000 to help fund their businesses.
The Retail and Small Business Development Competition will award a total of $280,000 in funding to the winners.
Current or aspiring business owners located within the Glens Falls Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) area have a chance to build or expand their businesses as part of the effort to encourage economic growth in the city.
The Greater Glens Falls Local Development Corporation (LDC) is heading the competition, and will be responsible for picking the winners out of the pool of applicants. The competition, based on other similar types of competitions that have seen success around the country, was the idea of city officials, including Mayor Daniel Hall.

CEG President: Quality Of Life In Warren, Washington Counties Is A Selling Point

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

Andrew Kennedy, president and CEO of the Center for Economic Growth.
Courtesy CEG

By Christine Graf
For more than 30 years, Albany’s Center for Economic Growth(CEG) has been marketing the eight-county Capital Region as a great place for companies to do business.
CEG, a non-profit regional economic and business development organization, is the primary point of contact for businesses looking to expand or establish operations in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, or Washington counties. They receive funding from local businesses, government grants, and fee for service.
“The Capital Region has a population of over one million people, and that puts us in competitive league with other major cities throughout the country,” said President and CEO Andrew Kennedy. “That’s something that is important for businesses when they are considering their relocation efforts. We work to raise visibility of the general population, the strength of our economy, the health of our economy, and the opportunities we see with development sites.

Groups Collaborate To Help Expand The Focus On Tourism In Washington County

March 13, 2020March 16, 2020

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Washington County is the focus of a new collaborative tourism initiative in the region.
Jesse Tyree from black dog Designs in Glens Falls, Andrew Meader from 8 of Eight Strategies in Glens Falls and Jessica Ziehm from Cornell Cooperative Extension gathered at RS Taylor & Sons Brewery in Salem recently to announce a long-term strategic initiative.
Mannix Marketing in Glens Falls and Lakes to Locks in Crown Point are also a part of the effort.
A key part of the effort is the website www.washingtoncounty.fun. A calendar of events allows Washington County businesses to promote themselves and draw visitors to their location. An editorial calendar goes in-depth regarding things happening in the area.