The Charles R. Wood Foundation is currently accepting grant applications from IRS approved 501(c)3 organizations whose projects or programs assist children, healthcare or the arts in the Lake George region and surrounding areas.

Eligible applicants are invited to visit www.charlesrwoodfoundation.com to submit an online application by April 1 for consideration at the spring meeting of trustees.

The next subsequent deadline will be Sept. 1 for consideration at the fall meeting.

Over the past five years the foundation has awarded over $7.8 million.

“We are so pleased to be able to invest in such worthwhile projects. From the smallest soup kitchens to the larger capital projects, we are committed to investing in children, healthcare and the arts in our geographical focus area”, said Charlene Wood, foundation chairperson.

Charles R. Wood established the foundation that bears his name in 1978 to provide assistance in areas of special need in the region. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations with an emphasis on programs for children, healthcare and the arts.

Saratoga Raceway’s 77th season of harness racing is underway.

“We’re very excited to welcome fans back for the 77th year of harness racing,” said John Matarazzo, director of racing operations at Saratoga Casino Hotel. “A strong lineup of stakes and marquee races will allow us to continue our tradition of exciting and quality racing here at the historic Spa Oval.”

As always, parking and admission are free.

Track officials said a top highlight of the racing season will be the 10th annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace, which will feature one dash for $260,000 on July 21.

Also set to attract top talent to Saratoga Raceway are the eight divisions of the New York Sire Stakes program that will be contested throughout the summer, culminating in the Excelsior Finals on Sept. 23. Collectively, horsemen will be competing for over $15 million in purses.

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.