Jake Van Ness

2231 Articles

Multi-Year Renovation On Queen Boat Co. Building In Dunham’s Bay Is Complete

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The centerpiece of the renovation project at Queen Boat Co. on Lake George is the over-the-water deck overlooking Dunhams Bay.
Courtesy Queen Boat Co.

With the transition to solar power, Queen Boat Co. in Lake George has completed a multi-year renovation that began when owners Rebecca and Matt O’Hara purchased the former Dunhams Bay Boat Co. in the fall of 2018. 

After taking ownership, they relocated their Freedom Boat Club franchise and embarked on a three-year overhaul of the marina and site.

Before tackling the marina building renovation, the new owners completed environmental upgrades including the excavation of an underground fuel tank and the development of a new wastewater system. 

In the spring of 2020, Adirondocks was hired to replace over 250 linear feet of aged docks. When those projects were completed, renovation began on the site and building. 

Phinney Design Group in Saratoga Springs was tasked with modernizing the marina, combining Adirondack and nautical-inspired aesthetics, while upgrading the amenities available to guests. Construction was completed by BBL Construction Services. The centerpiece of the project is an over-the-water deck overlooking Dunhams Bay.

“We are very excited to now offer one of the most amenity-rich marinas in the region. From upgraded wifi to new bathrooms we have made the day-to-day experience better for our boaters,” said Rebecca O’Hara. “And now, with the over-the-water roof deck, we have a space that will allow us to connect and grow our community of boaters with a range of special events like brewery tastings, sunrise yoga classes, fishing seminars and much more.”

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Johnsburg Wastewater Project Gets Funds From Regional Economic Development Unit

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New York state has awarded over $81 million through its Regional Economic Development Council initiative to support 97 priority projects across  the state. 

This year, $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development was made available on a continuous and competitive basis to support the immediate needs of applicants. Additionally, projects within each region are eligible for a share of $75 million in Excelsior Jobs Program Tax Credits to help attract and grow business in their region.

In Warren County, one project received funding.

“The pandemic toll touched every corner of the state and every sector of New York’s economy, and as a result we must ensure that our recovery does the same,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “As we move forward from the pandemic we are using the rolling grant process to build New York state back better by supporting shovel-ready projects with the potential to accelerate new investments and catalyze economic growth in every community.”

“Through a collaborative, bottom up, and regional approach to economic development, these projects were chosen for their innovation, impact on their communities and potential for positive change coming out of the pandemic,” said Lt, Gov. Brian Benjamin. “Whether it is workforce development, tourism, green investments or domestic manufacturing, we are moving forward to foster a strong and prosperous economy in New York state.”

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Dog Boarding And Day Care Business Open At Baldwin Corners, Washington County

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Mountain View K9 Retreat has wooden kennels for one to several dogs, if they come from the same family. There is also a large indoor play area.
Courtesy Mountain View K9 Retreat

By Susan Elise Campbell

Laurie Bell has started a business that takes advantage of her love of animals and 32 acres of her family home at 61 Baldwin Corners on the border of Fort Ann and Kingsbury.

Faced with changes in her life and the opportunity to start a new career, the idea for Mountain View K-9 Retreat originally came from Bell’s daughters.

“We are animal people,” she said. “My daughters suggested dog boarding and day care and the property is zoned for just about any use.”

While one daughter, Caitlin, works toward her RN degree, daughter Courtney is involved in the new venture.

The Bells believe pets are beloved members of a family and photo portraits are on their roster of services for boarders and non-boarders.

She said her daughter also pursued a marketing degree, and those skills are being used to advertise the business on social media. Bell is also studying to be a dog trainer so that the business can add training to its offerings.

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Bluebird Auto In South Glens Falls Has A Supply Of Cars, Trucks And SUVs

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Bluebird Auto, 134 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls, has a selection of cars, trucks and SUVs. Bill Maher opened the business on a site that used to be a hot dog restaurant.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Bill Maher, owner of Bluebird Auto, 134 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls, said he, his wife Tina, and his father William, have one goal: to sell quality pre-owned vehicles. 

Maher, who also runs Compton’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, said he has always worked in some capacity in the auto industry. With the help of his wife, he decided it was time to open up his own business. 

“I was always working for others in the car business. My wife said, ‘Why don’t you try this on your own? So here we are. The people in the South Glens Falls community could not be nicer people. So easy to talk to. We are so happy to be doing business here,” said Maher.

When Maher is not at Compton’s he is at Bluebird. When he can’t be there, his father works the lot. 

“My dad is there almost all the time, running the place, taking care of the buying and selling,” said Maher.

Bluebird’s Saratoga location used to be a hot dog restaurant.

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Zobel Kitchens Receives A ‘Best Kitchen Design’ Award At CRBRA Event In Albany

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Arthur Zobel, owner/designer of Zobel & Co. Kitchens, accepts the Best Kitchen Design $120,000-plus award from the Capitol Region Builders and Remodelers Association.
Randall Perry Photography

Zobel & Co. Kitchens, a custom kitchen design firm, received the Best Kitchen Design $120,000-plus award from the Capitol Region Builders and Remodelers Association (CRBRA) at the annual Best of Building Awards Night, held in November in Albany.   

The project recognized in the award was a renovation of an 1800s historic Victorian Farmhouse in Schuylerville.  

Typical of old houses, the existing kitchen was in a small room with limited storage, according to the company. By removing a long wall, owner/designer Arthur Zobel was able to create a large kitchen, complete with an expansive island, wine refrigerator, speed oven, wall oven, integrated refrigerator, dining area, and a hutch.

“Kitchens truly are the heart of the home. It’s the room we spend the most time in, the room where we want family and friends to gather, where we work, laugh and create”, said Zobel. “Transforming a kitchen to fit a family’s lifestyle and personality is something I thoroughly enjoy doing.”

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Hudson Headwaters Mobile Health Center Brings Services To Lake Luzerne, Whitehall

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The Hudson Headwaters Mobile Health Center began seeing patients in Lake Luzerne in December and will be in Whitehall in January.

The Hudson Headwaters Mobile Health Center will begin seeing patients in Lake Luzerne in December and Whitehall in January.

The mobile RV-type vehicle will be parked at the Lake Luzerne Town Hall at 539 Lake Ave. on alternate Thursdays beginning on Dec. 2 and at the Whitehall Recreation Center at 28 Williams St. on alternate Fridays starting on Jan. 14.

Hudson Headwaters launched its mobile health program in June with the first site in Salem — where it continues to see patients on Mondays and Tuesdays. A full calendar with site locations and times is available at hhhn.org/mobilehealth.

The Mobile Health Center will be on site for special community outreach days in Lake Luzerne this Wednesday and Thursday and in Whitehall on Dec. 9, 10, 17 and Jan. 7.

Hudson Headwaters CEO Dr. Tucker Slingerland said the Mobile Health Center is a mission-driven initiative to help expand health care access throughout the region.

“Like so many plans and projects at Hudson Headwaters, the dream of having a mobile health center started with a conversation about what we could do to bring primary care to rural patients struggling to get care and has evolved into what is now a reality — the ability to provide high-quality personalized care to patients in Salem and now to Whitehall and Lake Luzerne with more locations to come,” he said in a news release.

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Flight Wine Bar Presents An Aviation Theme With Signature Culinary Dishes

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John Homkey and Melissa Brennan opened Flight Wine Bar and Restaurant at 11 South St. in Glens Falls. The restaurant features a 10-seat bar and a fashionable dining room.
Courtesy Flight Wine Bar and Restaurant

By Ginny Brandreth

Flight Wine Bar and Restaurant is a new restaurant at 11 South St. in Glens Falls.

The restaurant offers an elegant culinary experience in a fashionable, mid-century modern atmosphere. From the décor to the flight attendant uniforms, to the menu, the restaurant has an aviation theme.

Owners John Homkey and Melissa Brennan have been wanting to bring a new twist to the area’s restaurant scene for years.  Flight Wine Bar got its start when the pandemic was just beginning, giving the owners time to fully develop their vision. The result is a restaurant they say is thriving as it takes guests on a new culinary adventure.

“Several years ago, I was traveling in Portugal and noticed how the locals savored life. How they took their time to enjoy food, drink, and culture. I decided then that I wanted to bring this experience home,” said Brennan.

“I had always wanted to have a bar and restaurant and knew it would be best to find a business partner,” Homkey said.  “I quickly fell in love with Melissa’s vision and the thought  building this business together was a big bonus.”

“As we started designing our restaurant, we knew we want to focus on the theme of travel’, said Brennan.  “At Flight, our guests are treated to different cultures through international cuisine, wines and beers in a way that mirrors a dinner in a foreign country”.

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Personnel Briefs: December 2021

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Caelynn Prylo, SUNY Adirondack’s assistant dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Innovation, was installed as president of the Continuing Education Association of New York (CEANY) at the organization’s annual conference and 50th anniversary celebration. 

Prylo has been a member of the CEANY Board of Directors since 2014, serving on and leading several committees, and acting as chair of the conference in 2018. 

Prylo’s team in SUNY Adirondack’s Continuing Education and Workforce Innovation earned CEANY’s James C. Hall 2021 Exemplary Marking Program Award for its enrollment and communications initiative throughout the 2020-21 academic year. The team surpassed its enrollment goal by creating new student communications, piloting marketing techniques and developing new multimedia content to promote enrollment in Continuing Education courses. 

Prylo is also a board member of Saratoga Warren Washington Regional Workforce Development Board, coaches youth soccer and acts as judge for Odyssey of the Mind. She earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Vermont and a master’s degree from University at Albany.  

She has worked at SUNY Adirondack since 2014, bringing more than 18 years of progressive responsibility in higher education.

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Upstate Agency LLC in South Glens Falls, part of the Arrow Family of Companies, recently appointed Christopher Spofford as senior risk advisor.

The Albany-based Spofford has more than 25 years of insurance and risk experience in property and casualty, employee benefits and strategic planning. He provides customized solutions that address his clients’ unique needs and safeguard their long-term profitability.

Prior to joining the Upstate Agency, Spofford was vice president with a privately-held, national broker. He achieved the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and the Certified School of Risk Management (CSRM) designations from the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research. 

He also attained his Associate In Claims (AIC) designation from The Institutes – Risk & Insurance Knowledge Group.

Spofford earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Plattsburgh and currently lives in Guilderland.

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Business Report: Investments – Time To Be Merry Or Wary?

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Rick Schwerd, VP, senior Investment officer, Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co.

By Rick Schwerd

The end of the year is always a good time to take stock of your investments and look ahead. Last year at this time, it was easy to be bullish on the stock market. Vaccine distribution was just starting, the country was continuing to reopen and unprecedented stimulus was being injected into the economy.

As we head into 2022, there is still a lot to be positive about, such as robust company earnings and a very healthy consumer base. However, concerns about the Omicron variant, global supply chain issues, labor shortages and inflation are tempering enthusiasm.  

Stock markets had another good year. The Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500, an index of 500 of the largest companies in the U.S., is up approximately 20 percent year-to-date, as of early December. Small-cap stocks, mid-cap stocks and most international markets have also shown strong gains this year. As expected, short-term interest rates have remained near zero as the Federal Reserve continues its accommodative fiscal policy. Intermediate and long-term rates have risen as the economy has improved, but in a measured way.

As we look forward, there is plenty to be positive about. The U.S. consumer is doing very well, which is vital since consumer spending accounts for nearly 70 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The unemployment rate has fallen from 6.7 percent at the start of the year to 4.2 percent in November. Wages and salaries are up approximately 10 percent year-over-year. U.S. consumers have accumulated more than $2 trillion in excess savings and consumer net worth has surged about 30 percent since the start of the pandemic. These factors provide confidence that strong retail sales of goods and services will continue into 2022.  

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People Who Save For Retirement At An Early Age Will Benefit Greatly In The Long Term

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Mark Wells is the co-founder of Three Buckets Wealth Management.
Courtesy Three Buckets Wealth Management

By Christine Graf

According to the Federal Reserve, only 36 percent of Americans are adequately saving for retirement.  The National Institute on Retirement Security estimates that almost 40 million U.S. households have no retirement savings.

Certified Financial Planner Mark Wells, co-founder of Three Buckets Wealth Management, recommends that everyone have three to five months of living expenses in their savings accounts. A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Three Buckets has offices in Glens Falls, Latham, and Tucson, Arizona.

“If you don’t have disability insurance through your employer, it should be closer to six months of living expenses,” said Wells.

He recommends making maximum contributions to employer matched 401K programs in order to take advantage of “free money.” He also recommends Roth IRA’s to many of his clients including recent college graduates who are in lower tax brackets than they will be later in their careers.

“What we have been doing with a lot of our clients is a Roth conversion which is essentially realizing the tax or converting pre-tax assets like a 401K or IRA to a Roth IRA so that you realize the tax in that year. But that amount going forward is tax free, and the earnings are also tax free. It’s tax free to the owner of the account but also tax free to the beneficiary when they receive it down the road. In your early years when income is lower than it will be in the future, making a Roth contribution is a wise idea.”

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