Month: August 2026

Lake George Tourism Gains Momentum With New Stage, Busy Event Calendar

August 18, 2026

A new performance stage at Shepard Park in Lake George is making it possible to attract a higher level of talent in addition to popular local bands.
Courtesy Paul Post

By Paul Post

Good weather, fun attractions and a new state-of-the-art performance stage are contributing to a strong Lake George tourism season, with big things still to come heading into early autumn.

“We’ve had a really healthy, event-driven summer,” said Gina Mintzer, Lake George Chamber of Commerce executive director. “There’s new people coming here in addition to regular vacation folks who have been coming for generations, and we’ve seen a big uptick in bus tours. You might see a little lighter traffic on a Monday or Tuesday as people are making shorter stays, but then it’s full steam ahead Wednesday through the rest of the week.”

From Aug. 5-9, Lake George hosted Wolfsgart, the premier European automotive festival, previously held in Burlington. Participants brought new and classic cars alike and used numerous local venues, including The Ed on South Street in Glens Falls, marking the first time Lake George has partnered with that facility for an event.

“They stayed in hotels and motels, camped, used short-term vacation rentals and were in Shepard Park, Wood Park, and went to Northway Brewery in Queensbury and Bandstand Brew Works in Warrensburg, so they were all over,” Mintzer said.

Siena Poll Finds Online Sports Gambling Viewed Negatively Across New York State

August 18, 2026

Thirty-nine percent of New York state residents say online sports gambling is bad for New York, while 22% say it is good for the state and 31% are in the middle, according to a Siena Poll released Wednesday.

One in four New Yorkers said they placed a bet of any size on a sporting event in the last year. Among bettors, 84% used online sportsbooks, 54% bet with friends or family, 41% bet with casinos and 24% bet with bookies.

Residents were closely divided on whether online sportsbooks should be allowed to advertise during televised sporting events, with 44% in favor and 43% opposed. Fifty-two percent said commentators discussing potential bets and odds during live games is bad for sports.

Views varied by age. Half of residents 50 and older said online sportsbooks should not be allowed to advertise during televised sporting events, compared with 36% of those under 50. Sixty-two percent of those 50 and older said live betting commentary is bad for sports, while 44% of residents under 50 said the same.

Among residents under 50, 27% said online sports gambling is good for New York, 33% said it is bad and 34% were in the middle. Among those 50 and older, 46% said it is bad for the state, 29% were in the middle and 16% said it is good.

“We are seeing a generational gap in those who participate in and support sports betting,” Associate Director of Data Management Travis Brodbeck said. “Not only are many young New Yorkers placing bets of their own, but they also view the issues surrounding sports betting through a different lens than older residents.”

Renovated South Street Building Adds Retail, Dining And Beauty Businesses

August 18, 2026

Five businesses now fill renovated South Street storefronts in downtown Glens Falls area.
Glens Falls Business Journal

By Ann Donnelly

A historic stretch of South Street is buzzing with new life following a major renovation project by developer Chris Patten. The newly restored building at 46-56 South St. is now home to five distinct local businesses, representing a significant milestone in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Glens Falls.

From a vintage-inspired general store and a high-visibility hair salon to a boutique clothing merchant, an upcoming neighborhood tavern and an upscale wine and whiskey bar, these storefronts are bringing diverse offerings and foot traffic to a block that was vacant for years.

Katy’s Wine & Whiskey Bar (46 South St.)

Since its July 11 opening, Katy’s Wine and Whiskey Bar at 46 South St. has seen strong community support and a high volume of repeat business. Co-owner Katy Foster, who operates the establishment with Bill Dingman and executive chef Colin Miner, expressed gratitude for the local reception.

“The amount of repeat customers we’ve welcomed in just one month has been truly heartwarming,” Foster said. She also praised the staff’s dedication during the launch phase, noting that they have already become a close-knit group while working through the initial kinks of a new dinner service.

Foster admitted she never anticipated operating on this block but has embraced the area’s rapid development. “Downtown Glens Falls is a true gem, and with the amount of new housing happening right here on South Street, it really feels like its own little mini city within a city,” she said. She credited her husband, developer Chris Patten, for his role in transforming the neighborhood.

Plaza Draws New Investment With 7 Brew, Burlington Stores and Mi Rancho Alegre

August 18, 2026

7 Brew employees and supporters gather at the new Queensbury Plaza drive-thru, where the business raised $26,600 in customer donations for Double H Ranch during its soft opening in late July.
Courtesy Double H Ranch

By Paul Post

The drive-thru beverage brand 7 Brew recently opened its newest store at Queensbury Plaza.

The Arkansas-based company, founded in 2017, is one of the country’s fastest-growing chains, offering coffee, shakes, smoothies, teas, fizzy sodas, lemonade and energy drinks at more than 800 locations in 38 states.

It emphasizes fast service from small, prefabricated drive-thru stands rather than conventional coffee shops with indoor seating.

To attract local customers, the Queensbury store gave away hundreds of free cold drinks, such as flavored lemonade and iced mocha, following its soft opening in late July. An official grand opening with a full menu took place Monday, Aug. 10, and the site will hold Swag Day on Saturday, Aug. 15, giving away free T-shirts from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. while supplies last.

During its soft opening, the store raised $26,600 dollars in customer donations to benefit Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, a year-round camp for children with serious illnesses.

Warren County Tourism Worker Celebration Strengthens Retention And Community

August 18, 2026

Warren County hospitality, tourism and retail workers gather aboard the Lac du Saint Sacrement during the 2025 Summer Workforce Celebration, which drew 350 workers from over 70 local businesses.
Courtesy Warren County Tourism

Warren County’s summer workforce celebration earned an award from the New York State Tourism Industry Association.

Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County’s Director of Workforce Development, was honored for Excellence in Transformational Stewardship in the Workforce Development category. The award recognizes her creation of the Summer Workforce Celebration, a thank-you and awards event for hospitality, tourism and retail workers held each September since 2022.

Last September’s celebration brought together more than 350 workers from over 70 Warren County businesses for a free ride and dinner aboard the Lake George Steamboat Co.’s Lac du Saint Sacrement tour boat. NYSTIA leaders cited the event’s impact on community and worker retention.

Ochsendorf will receive the award in September at the 2026 NYS Tourism Excellence Summit in Corning, New York.

Jointa Lime Celebrates 175 Years With Focus On Growth, Innovation And Next Century

August 18, 2026

Jointa Lime Company celebrated its 175th anniversary at The Hyde Collection with state officials and company leaders, including John Davidson and D.A. Collins Companies president Dave Collins.
Courtesy Paul Post

By Paul Post

One of Warren County’s oldest companies is celebrating its 175th anniversary while looking ahead to its bicentennial as it continues to grow and find new markets.

More than 100 employees, customers and community leaders recently honored Glens Falls-based Jointa Lime Company at a gala reception at The Hyde Collection.

The event included a documentary on the company’s history and a certificate from Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner recognizing its inclusion in the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry.

“Reaching 200 years is not even a question, in my mind,” said David Collins, D.A. Collins Companies president. “It’s something we’re committed to and focused on. Rest on our laurels? If we did that the future would be questionable, but we reinvest constantly in our people and processes. We continue to explore best practices, cutting edge technology and how we can implement them in the future.”

“We look at opportunities to expand the business, not just for the sake of growth, but to expand smartly,” he said. “We look for the next steps are going to carry us into the next 25 years and beyond.”

Employees Want More Than A Desk, They Want A Workplace Worth The Commute

August 18, 2026

Dorothy Rogers-Bullis, owner of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga.

By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis

For years, we designed offices around the work. Today, we have to design them around the people doing the work.

That may sound like a subtle change, but it is reshaping the workplace in very real ways. Employees have experienced a different way of working. They know they can answer emails, write reports, join a video call and complete focused tasks from almost anywhere. So if we are asking people to come into an office, the office has to offer something they cannot get sitting alone at a kitchen table.

The workplace now has to earn the commute.

I do not believe that means making every office look like a living room or filling it with trendy furniture. It means thinking much more carefully about what people need during the course of a workday and giving them choices. One person may need quiet, concentrated space at 9 a.m., a collaborative project area at 11 a.m., a private room for a video call after lunch, and an informal place to meet with two coworkers later in the afternoon. A well-designed office should support all of those activities.

For many years, workplace planning followed a predictable formula: private offices around the perimeter, workstations in the center and conference rooms down the hall. That model was built largely around hierarchy and assigned space. Today’s workplace needs to be built around movement, interaction and function.

One of the biggest changes we are seeing is the growth of smaller, more flexible spaces. Not every conversation needs a 12-person conference room. Employees need touchdown areas, two- and four-person meeting rooms, project rooms, phone rooms, comfortable collaboration areas and places where a quick conversation can happen naturally. Those spaces make the office more useful, but they also create something much harder to replicate remotely: human connection.

New York Fire & Security Expands Protection Through Access, Camera Systems

August 18, 2026

A New York Fire & Security technician services an alarm control panel for a local client.
Courtesy New York Fire & Security

By Rod Bacon

According to FBI crime data, burglary, defined as unlawful entry into a structure with the intent to commit a crime, has historically accounted for between 1.1 million and 1.4 million reported incidents per year in the United States. Commercial properties, including retail establishments, offices, warehouses and service businesses, account for approximately 35% to 40% of that total, suggesting roughly 385,000 to 560,000 commercial burglaries occur annually in the U.S.

Statistics compiled by the Office of Justice Programs, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, show that commercial buildings without security systems are 4 to 4.5 times more likely to be burglarized than those with active alarms or surveillance.

Glens Falls-based New York Fire & Security has been helping entrepreneurs prevent theft from and damage to their buildings since 1946. The company provides state-of-the-art systems that address any type of security breach or fire hazard to a business.

“Security has a common theme, whether it’s for an office, warehouse, or retail business,” said Vice President Seawn Eggleston. “It’s about protecting property and the people in the building.”

When he does an initial assessment for a client, the vulnerability he most often encounters is door access. He said there have to be protocols in place to control who is entering and exiting a building. A very effective solution is installing a door access system consisting of card readers. A digital card can be assigned to an employee’s cell phone so they don’t have to have a physical card. That allows them access because they have credentials. The credentials can be customized to allow them access to only certain parts of the building or entry only at certain times. If an employee leaves the company, the privilege can be easily canceled. For vendors or regular visitors to the business, the cards can be tailored to allow access only during certain times or through certain doors. In all cases, a trackable record of people accessing the building is created.

West Mountain Developers Target 2027 Groundbreaking For Destination Resort

August 18, 2026

An aerial view shows West Mountain Ski Area in Queensbury, where developers plan The Woods at West Mountain, a $170 million to $190 million year-round resort targeted for a 2027 groundbreaking.
Courtesy West Mountain

By Rod Bacon

After five years of planning, design work and permitting — and 14 years of vision and conceptualization since the Montgomerys took ownership in 2013 — The Woods at West Mountain is on the cusp of becoming a reality.

“It has always been the plan/solution for the ensured history of West Mountain,” said Spencer Montgomery, an owner and operator of West Mountain Ski Area with his wife, Sara Montgomery, and two partners.

After the Queensbury Planning Board approved a zoning change for the ski area to Planned Resort Development, or PRD, in December 2025, things shifted into high gear.

While the concept plan for the project has been in place for five years, those who will implement it held a two-day kickoff “envisioning” seminar last month at the ski area.

“We had taken the conceptual sketch of the plan and engineering to the town and got it approved,” said Spencer. “Now we’re creating the final site plan, which involves showing them where each building and other elements of the project are going to go.”

Regional Investment Pipeline Keeps Economic Development Outlook Strong For 2027

August 18, 2026August 18, 2026

By Paul Post

Economic development officials are quite optimistic looking ahead to 2027 as significant private and public investment remains strong throughout the region.

In Warren County, health care, tourism and the arts are extremely high priorities.

Hudson Headwaters Health Network and Glens Falls Hospital together employ almost 4,000 people.

“We’re supporting a number of efforts, but perhaps the most meaningful is one to support the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which is the funding mechanism that supports rural health care development not only Warren County, but throughout northern New York,” said Jim Siplon, Warren County Economic Development Corporation president.

A federal initiative created in 1992, 340B requires drug makers to sell outpatient medications, such as blood pressure pills, at reduced prices to health care organizations that quite often serve low-income, uninsured or vulnerable patients. The savings allow these medical providers to stretch tight budgets and provide more services in underserved areas.

“Most of Hudson Headwater’s 26 facilities were built on the back of 340B,” Siplon said. “So making sure it’s protected and sustained is a huge effort on our part.”

On another front, several multiyear funding efforts are having a transformational impact in various parts of Warren County.

Work is nearing completion on a major overhaul of South Street in Glens Falls, thanks largely to a state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city received a decade ago. A separate DRI grant is having a major impact in Lake George, where a new high-tech performance space recently opened at Shepard Park.