Jake Van Ness, Author at Glens Falls Business Journal

Jake Van Ness

2231 Articles

Adirondack Thunder In Playoffs Again, Tickets Are On Sale For Series With Manchester

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019

The Adirondack Thunder will face the Manchester Monarchs in the ECHL playoffs. Courtesy Adirondack Thunder

The Adirondack Thunder has made the ECHL playoffs for the third year in a row and the team has announced the schedule for Round 1 of the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The playoffs, presented by SmileDirectClub, will begin on Friday, April 12, at Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls. Adirondack will take on the Manchester Monarchs in Round 1 as the Thunder finished in second place in the ECHL’s North Division while the Monarchs came in directly behind them in third.

The Thunder and Monarchs will play a best of seven series in a 2-3-2 format, beginning with Games 1 and 2 at Cool Insuring Arena on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13, with both games dropping the puck at 7 p.m. The series will then shift to SNHU Arena in New Hampshire for Games 3, 4 and 5, occurringon April 17, 19 and 20.

Business Report: Succeed Anyway!

April 11, 2019May 22, 2019

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

All entrepreneurs share one secret. Whether you have just started your company — or are running one you started a while ago. The secret is in the mantra, ‘Succeed Anyway”.

They understand that we all live in an imperfect world. And, that life is not fair. They may not even have a clear picture of their goal. Yet, they keep moving forward. That separates them from the pack.

The entrepreneur does the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Their focus is on two aspects. Strengths and opportunities. Not their weaknesses, they merely want to be aware of them and mitigate them. Not the threats. They cannot do much about threats.

Elizabeth Miller Will Receive This Year’s Juckett Award At ARCC Event In March

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Elizabeth Miller, president, Miller Mechanical Services Inc. and Doty Machine Works.
Courtesy ARCC

Elizabeth Miller, president of Miller Mechanical Services Inc. and Doty Machine Works is the winner of the 30th annual J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award.
The Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce (ARCC) will present the award at the event cheduled for 6-11 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Sagamore Resort, 110 Sagamore Road, Bolton Landing.
A cocktail hour runs 6-7 p.m., followed by dinner and a program 7-11 p.m.
A former school teacher, Miller took on the role of CEO at Miller Mechanical in 2007 after the passing of her husband, Myles Miller. She purchased Doty Machine Works in 2014 as an investment in business.
In 2014, Miller purchased the Park Theater building on Park Street in Glens Falls. Her motivation behind renovating the building was not based on her return on investment but on what the investment could do for downtown Glens Falls, Chamber officials said.
Miller is a member of the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition and its secretary. She was integral in bringing key members of the business community together in forming the group to keep the now Cool Insuring Arena and the Adirondack Thunder in local ownership.
She serves on the boards of Glens Falls National Bank, Arrow Financial Corp., and SUNY Adirondack Foundation, St. Mary’s–St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School.

Glens Falls Will Host Some International Women’s Hockey Events Coming In August

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Tyler Herrick announces the arrival of the Aurora Games in Glens Falls in August.
Courtesy Queensbury Hotel

The Queensbury Hotel and Cool Insuring Arena are partnering with the international Aurora Games women’s sports competition to bring a component of the Albany-based event to Glens Falls this summer.
The Aurora Games are a first-of-its-kind, all-female sports competition and festival featuring world-class athletes competing on teams representing the Americas and the world in tennis, gymnastics, basketball, ice hockey, figure skating and beach volleyball.
The competition will take place Aug. 20-25 at the Times Union Center. Some events will take place in Glens Falls.
Aurora Games Founder Jerry Solomon and Tyler Herrick, general manager of The Queensbury Hotel, announce details in January of what they are calling Aurora Games Women’s Hockey Week in Glens Falls.

Northern Insuring Agency Moves Its Local Office From Whitehall To Glens Falls

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Northern Insuring Agency Inc. recently relocated from Whitehall to Glens Falls.

By Christine Graf
Northern Insuring Agency Inc. recently relocated their Whitehall office to Glens Falls. The 720-square-foot office is located at 136 Glen St. and was previously occupied by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik relocated her Glens Falls office to 5 Warren St. in January.
Founded in 1933 in Au Sable Forks, Northern Insuring Agency is a local, family-owned, independent insurance agency. They offer business, personal, and employee benefit insurance.
“We call it a three-legged stool. We are best known for business insurance, but it is very important to have three divisions so that people can do their one-stop shopping, as we say,” said company president and CEO, Deena Giltz McCullough.
According to McCullough, the decision to move came not long after the successful relocation of their Massena office. That move took place in early 2018.

Economic Forecasters Give Differing Cautious Views Of The Economy Heading Into 2019

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Kenneth Entenmann of NBT Bank speaks at the EDC Warren County annual breakfast.

By R.J. DeLuke
The president and CEO of the Business Council of New York gave cautious views of the state and national economy moving into 2019 at the annual economic outlook breakfast held by EDC Warren County on Jan. 31 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.
“We’re headed into some very difficult times,” said Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council, citing policies enacted by the state Legislature.
She noted that the pace of change in the technological world has accelerated dramatically, and the disru

Personnel Briefs – February 2019

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. announced the promotion of Marc Yrsha to senior vice president.
Yrsha, of Queensbury, will lead the bank’s corporate development team as part of the retail banking group. In his new role, he will oversee marketing, business services and community engagement for the Arrow family of companies. He will continue to manage business development and small business lending.
Yrsha joined the bank in 2015 and was most recently vice president, director of business development and small business.
Yrsha is a graduate of Castleton University in Vermont and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Adirondack Class of 2013. He is on the board of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce and he is a member of the Council of Business Advisors for The FUND for Lake George. He is also an active member of the Adirondack Youth Hockey Association.

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The Chazen Companies announced that Elizabeth Bartosik and Johnathan A. Gell have received their engineer in training (EIT) designation.
EIT is a professional designation from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) to designate a person certified by the state as having completed a minimum of three years of post-secondary school with an accredited engineering program and has passed the NCEES six-hour Fundamentals of Engineering examination. Receiving an EIT designation is one step toward professional engineer licensure.
Bartosik works in Chazen’s Land Development group and has a broad background and experience, and supports a wide range of projects. Recently, she has been able to successfully complete applications for renewal of the Part 360 solid waste management facility permits for two transfer stations.

Mexican Restaurant ‘Mi Rancho’ Opens In Main Street Building In South Glens Falls

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Jose Magdalena and his wife, Maria, operate Mi Rancho, a Mexican restaurant at 23 Main St. in South Glens Falls. It was formerly Cirelli’s Osteria.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
For people looking for authentic Mexican food, Jose Magdalena says to look no further than South Glens Falls.
Magdalena, owner of Mi Rancho, said his restaurant serves cuisine that is a taste of Mexico in upstate New York.
Located at 23 Main St., formerly Cirelli’s Osteria, Mi Rancho is a place that Magdalena thought the area was missing.
“We know how to make real Mexican food,” said Magdalena.

Queensbury Man Opens Sawyer Family Chiropractic Office At 123 Quaker Road

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

Jeff Sawyer has opened Sawyer Family Chiropractic on Quacker Road in Queensbury. Sawyer He says he is excited to share his passion for wellness with the community.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Lifelong Queensbury resident Dr. Jeff Sawyer is passionate about being a chiropractor. Now with his own practice, Sawyer Family Chiropractic, Sawyer said he is excited to share that passion with the community.
The 123 Quaker Road office opened in January. Sawyer designed it to be a state-of-the-art facility with treatment rooms that allow for the natural treatment for discomforts and symptoms, including neck pain, pregnancy pain, central nervous system diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, auto-accident pain and general wellness regardless of age, said Sawyer.
“The practice strives to promote a family atmosphere that focuses on optimizing health for each and every patient. As a chiropractor, my primary goal is to help patients avoid more costly interventions, such as prescription medications and unnecessary surgeries,” said Sawyer.
Sawyer is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College. He serves as the team chiropractor for the local Adirondack Thunder ECHL hockey team. He regularly attends seminars and training to keep up-to-date with new techniques of care.

New Way Lunch, Famous For Its Hotdogs, Will Celebrate 100 Years In Business This Summer

February 14, 2019February 15, 2019

New Way Lunch in Glens Falls will mark 100 years of serving up hotdogs this coming August. The restaurant is known for these hotdogs, known locally as “dirty dogs.”
Courtesy New Way Lunch

New Way Lunch in Glens Falls is a diner that will mark 100 years of serving up hotdogs this coming August.
Founded by Greek immigrant John Floro in August of 1919, the restaurant has remained a staple in Upstate New York, having survived through many highs and lows throughout history.
In 2019, New Way Lunch remains a family-run business. John Floro’s grandson, Peter Gazetos, and his wife Susan took over the business in 1990.