Jake Van Ness

2440 Articles

Dr. Jim Morrissey And Wife, Kay, To Receive Walter J. Juckett Community Service Award

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Dr. Jim Morrissey and his wife Kay Morrissey, will receive the Juckett Award.
Courtesy ARCC

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the 29th J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award will be presented to Dr. Jim Morrissey and his wife Kay Morrissey.

The award will be given at a dinner event on Saturday, March 3, at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing. A cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m.

Also, Holly DeKleine of StreamLined Graphics will receive the ARCC Ambassador of the Year honor.  This is the second year in a row that DeKleine has been honored with this award.

The ambassadors play an instrumental role in welcoming new members, reaching out to long term supporters, encouraging engagement, sharing information, supporting the events we host, celebrating ribbon cuttings, encouraging businesses to join the ARCC and more.

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Personnel Briefs – February 2018

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NBT Bank has promoted Marc Monahan to vice president. He now serves as a team leader on NBT Bank’s management team based in Glen Falls.

Monahan has more than a decade of banking experience. He joined the NBT Bank team in 2010 as a branch manager and advanced to the position of market manager. In 2015, he became a business banking officer.

Monahan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Oswego. He is a board member of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, member of the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition Board, President of the Glen Falls Civic Center Foundation, and a member of the Glen Falls Hospital Foundation Board.

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Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte CPAs, PC, announced that Karen Foster, its manager of pension operations with over 30 years of experience in retirement plan management and client services administration, will lead the Retirement Plan Services division as the new director.

A former benefit plan consultant and record-keeper, she joined TBC in 2007. She is a graduate of University at Albany, holding both a master’s and a bachelor’s degrees in economics. She is an American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) credentialed Qualified 401(k) administrator.

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ILoveKickboxing.com Franchise Comes To Queensbury With Individualized Programs

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This is the equipment inside of ILoveKickboxing.com in Queensbury, part of the franchise that uses these standing punching bags as a basis for group and individualized fitness programs.
Photo by Jesse Winters

By Liz Witbeck

People looking to get in shape and achieve their weight loss goals have another area option—ILoveKickboxing.com in Queensbury.

ILoveKickboxing.com is a franchise that started in 2009. Since then, the company has spread across the United States and Canada.

“I have always loved everything to do with fitness and was looking for a franchise opportunity that met my passions and goals to help people change their lives,” said Dana Moraci, a Long Island native who moved to the area 12 years ago.

Moraci and her husband were members of the Clifton Park branch of ILoveKickboxing. When she found out about the opportunity to have franchise, she seized the moment.

“I enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle and I wanted to share my passions and change the way people thought of fitness,” she said.

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Farms That Create Mead Beverages Will Get NYS Help Through New Licensing Process

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Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s fiscal year 2019 budget includes a proposal to create a license for farm meaderies, a new license similar to those already available to farm wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries.

Mead, commonly referred to as “honey wine” is an alcoholic beverage that is created by fermenting honey with water, which can be infused with fruits, spices, herbs and flowers.

“New York is the number one producer of honey in the Northeast, and by increasing opportunities for farms to produce mead, our thriving craft beverage manufacturing sector will continue to grow,” Cuomo said. “The creation of the farm meadery license will help strengthen these two great New York industries, and further add to our tourism economy, fueling growth in every corner of this great state.”

The farm meadery license will authorize the establishment and licensure of farm meaderies for the manufacture and sale of mead made from New York state produced honey. The provision also allows farm meaderies to produce “braggot,” a malt beverage made from honey, in addition to malt, hops, fruits, spices, herbs and other agricultural products.

In order to obtain a farm meadery license, the mead or braggot must be made exclusively from honey produced in New York state and no more than 250,000 gallons may be produced annually. Farm meaderies will be allowed to sell by the glass, offer tastings of, and sell to go not only mead and braggot, but also any state farm-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits.

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Freedom Boat Club Has Pact With French Company; Members Can Use Boats There

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Matt and Rebecca O’Hara own the Freedom Boat Club franchise in Lake George. The organization has an agreement with a French group to develop club franchises in Europe.
Courtesy Matt O’Hara

Freedom Boat Club has signed an alliance agreement with  Jeanneau, a French boatmaking group,  to cooperatively develop Freedom Boat Club franchises among its European  dealer network.

According to Freedom Boat Club President and CEO John Giglio, the FBC franchise model is now being offered to Jeanneau retailers in Europe who have the opportunity to develop FBC locations in their local market using Jeanneau outboard-powered boats.

Local Freedom Boat Club Lake George members will now have the opportunity to enjoy  boating on multiple continents, something club owners Matt and Rebecca O’Hara are excited to offer area residents.

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Square Nail Rustics Opens New Showroom And Offices In Glens Falls As Business Grows

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Square Nail Rustics in Glens Falls opened this new showroom in Union Square. Owner Eric Mattison says with more space and natural light, it is ‘the perfect place to showcase our lineup.’
Photo by Jesse Winters

By rachel phillips

With the Adirondacks so close, there has always been a market for rustic furniture in the area. For one local business, rustic furniture isn’t just a local trend.

Square Nail Rustics, located in Glens Falls, makes hand-crafted farmhouse furniture and wide-plank flooring. Though the business is only a few years old, its widespread popularity both locally and across the country has necessitated the leasing of additional space, according to ownership.

It now has a new showroom and offices at 24 Pine St. in Union Square.

Owner and founder Eric Mattison started Square Nail Rustics in late 2014 out of his garage. In the three years since it began, the company has grown and now employs almost 30 people. At any given time, the business has hundreds of pieces in production at their Dix Avenue facility.

All of Square Nail Rustic’s customizable furniture is made from locally sourced pine board, milled just outside of Lake Placid. Customers have the ability to choose furniture designs in a range of sizes and finishes.

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Adirondack Thunder Unveils Ticket Plans For 2018-19 Season; Reveals New Uniforms

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This is an example of the new jerseys the Adirondack Thunder players will wear for the 2018-19 season. The team has also released ticket plans for the new season.
Courtesy Adirondack Thunder

The Adirondack Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, announced the full season ticket plan and new jerseys for the 2018-19 season.

Officials said all seats at Cool Insuring Arena will continue to be priced the same, at $13 per game for season ticket holders. Season tickets in all sections will cost $540 per seat ($468, plus sales tax and a Cool Insuring Arena facility fee).

Twelve-month payment plans are now available, costing less than $50 per seat, per month if signed up by March 31, the team said. Youth season tickets will also remain untouched at $385 for the season package.

All 2017-18 full- and partial-season ticket holders can renew their seats by calling 518-480-3355, ext. 1, or by visiting the Thunder offices during regular business hours.

Fans can also renew their seats at any remaining Thunder home game by visiting the season ticket table in the main lobby. Any prospective new season ticket holders can also sign up for next season with seating locations available on a first-come/first-served basis.

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Dunkin’ Donuts Shop In Fort Ann Is 15th Owned by Rutland, Vt.-Based Franchisee

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This Dunkin’ Donuts at 69 Catherine Street in Fort Ann opened in January. It is the 15th shop owned by Donuts of Rutland Inc., a family-owned business.
Photo by Jesse Winters

A new Dunkin’ Donuts shop has opened at 69 Catherine Street in Fort Ann.

The location features a drive-thru focused design, which company officials said is the first of its kind in the region, accessible from both Route 149 and Catherine Street.

The new restaurant also offers a walk-in lobby with counter service, free Wi-Fi and on-the-go ordering. It is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and employs 20 crew members, officials said.

Donuts of Rutland Inc., which currently operates 15 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in New York and Central Vermont, is the Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee for the Fort Ann location. Donuts of Rutland is a family-owned company based in Rutland, Vt., and is currently celebrating 25 years of business.

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Software Programs Are Important To Accountants In Efforts To Stay Abreast Of Tax Law Changes

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Rick Fuller of Richard W. Fuller CPAs in Glens Falls, said he and his staff have been using advanced software programs for several years, with different tax programs for individuals and corporations.
GBJ File Photo

By Maureen Werther

With the dust temporarily settled for accounting firms scrambling to be in compliance with the new tax legislation, accountants only had a moment to breathe before jumping right into tax season.

What has helped is that accountants have embraced technology in varying degrees, with some diving in with both feet, relying on social media as well as sophisticated integrated software programs and cloud storage technology. Others continue to be happy with software technology while staying away from the social media component and even the cloud.

Rick Fuller of Richard W. Fuller CPAs in Glens Falls has been a practicing accountant for 38 years and opened his firm five years ago. For him, using social media as a marketing tool is something he said his company really doesn’t need. Accounting has historically been one of those industries that has done very well in amassing a book of business largely through word of mouth. Fuller said that continues to work well.

As far as utilizing electronic systems to generate paperless documents, Fuller said he is very close to being completely paperless.

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Business Report: Maximizing IRA Wealth In Retirement

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Jane Marie Schaeffer is a senior associate with Herzog Law Firm PC.
Courtesy Herzog Law Firm PC

By Jane Marie Schaeffer, Esq.

As you approach retirement, you will be faced with choices about your IRA plans, and you will have many questions, such as how much will you be required to withdraw every year, and how will your distributions be taxed. This article will address some of those questions, and give you the information you need to make smart choices about your retirement plan.

1. When do I need to take withdrawals from my IRA?

You need to start taking distributions from your IRA the year that you turn age 70½. The distributions that you are required to take are called Required Minimum Distributions, or RMD. The distributions must be taken by April 1 of the year following the year in which you turn age 70½. So, for example, if you turn 70 on June 1, then you will turn 70½ on Dec. 1. You will need to take a RMD for 2018, but you have until April 1, 2019, to take the distribution. After the first year, distributions from your IRA must be taken by Dec. 31 each year.

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