Category Archives: Business News

A new land acquisition will allow Adirondack Adventure Center to upgrade its Lazy River Tubing Adventure on the Hudson River.

The upgrades include a private access point, a smoother and safer bus ride to and from the river, a more flexible schedule, on-river tube storage, Internet and telephone service, and trip customization for customers including a private beach and island.

The announcement was made during a ribbon cutting ceremony on  June 16, with the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“These upgrades allow us to expand our business and make it safer and more convenient for everybody to come up and experience tubing and the beauty of our area. One of the things that gets us up and going in the morning is being able to share this experience with everybody,” said owner Dane Morton. “It’s a huge deal for us. It’s really going to help us expand our business further.”

This acquisition of 165 acres of land along the Buttermilk section of the Hudson River is the first phase in a thee-phase plan to upgrade the tubing experience.

The WAIT House in Glens Falls was one of only five nonprofit organizations in New York  state to be awarded a housing grant from TD Bank as a part of the company’s Housing for Everyone program.

Warren Washington County Homeless Youth Coalition, which runs the WAIT house, was awarded a $175,000 grant, the bank announced. 

TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, awarded a total of $7 million to 37 nonprofits across the bank’s national footprint.

“The Housing for Everyone grant program underscores TD’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment, as well as the bank’s efforts to help people live with greater financial confidence through the TD Ready Commitment, TD’s corporate citizenship platform,” the company said.

WAIT House serves youths in Warren and Washington counties “who present as homeless, runaway, or street-involved.” The organization provides supportive housing and related services “necessary to live and grow emotionally, educationally, spiritually, mentally, and physically to become healthy, productive adults,” organization officials said.

As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.

SUNY Adirondack has developed a partnership with Russell Sage College in Troy to offer fine arts graduates seamless transfer to Russell Sage’s Art + Extended Media Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program.

“We are excited to add this collaboration with Russell Sage to SUNY Adirondack’s numerous articulation agreements with institutions throughout the Northeast, to create pathways for our students to complete a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Kristine D. Duffy, president of SUNY Adirondack. 

This agreement begins in the fall.

Under the agreement, Russell Sage will accept up to 66 credits earned by a fine arts student at SUNY Adirondack. The student must earn a C-minus or better to qualify. Those who attain a grade point average of 3.0 are automatically admitted into the program.

Classes accepted within the agreement include general education requirements such as introduction to college writing and natural sciences, and fine arts-specific courses such as two-dimensional design, western art history and painting.

By Ann Donnelly

Kirche is a gift shop located in the former North Creek United Methodist Church and recently upgraded with the addition of a new state-of-the-art carillon, a set of bells in the bell tower that chimes three times each day and will play hymns and Christmas carols during the holiday season.

“It was an impulse purchase,” said owner Jennifer Zimmerman, originally from the New York City area. “I walked into the building, and without even realizing it, the words came out of my mouth to my realtor, ‘You know I am going to bid on this, and I am going to try hard to buy it.’”

Initially, Zimmerman had no idea of what to do with the property. She aimed to contribute to the local community, and when she reached out for ideas, “economic activity” was the overwhelming answer. 

“I have always had old houses, and I love antiques and vintage pieces, so there were suggestions to open a shop,” she said. But it would be too expensive to turn the former church into a viable property for any business. 

Around this time, Zimmerman finished her career as a Wall Street lawyer. She traveled the world for a while before returning to North Creek to live year-round. She sold her house in Westchester and used the former church to store the antiques and other pieces she’d collected over the years.

 “Then I needed insurance, a fire alarm, electricity, and a phone line for the fire alarm, etc., so the incremental cost to use the building as a shop was feasible. I had the place. I had the stuff. I had the background knowledge.”

Defiance & Independence, a two-day battle re-enactment that will highlight the 1777 siege of Ticonderoga, will be held at the fort on Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23. It will take place at 1 p.m. both days.

Featuring more than 300 historical reenactors, it is the largest battle reenactment of the year at Fort Ticonderoga. The battle at Ticonderoga was when the British Army attempted to capture the entire American force guarding this strategic position on Lake Champlain.

Admission to the reenactment event is included with the purchase of a general admission ticket. The second day admission is free.

The intense two-day battle re-enactment will portray the fighting and maneuvering which culminated in Gen. Arthur St. Clair’s evacuation of  Ticonderoga and British Gen. John Burgoyne’s frustration in failing to capture the American force, organizers said. 

All weekend, through special programs, Fort Ticonderoga brings to life the real stories of soldiers and civilians caught up in the six-day clash between British and American forces.

 A new Saturday evening program will recreate the moment Continental Army soldiers prepared to escape capture, even as their cannons continued to hold the British at bay. Pre-registration for the evening vignette is required, limited tickets available.

“The opportunity to follow the battle as American soldiers defended entrenched positions around Ticonderoga, before secretly escaping British encirclement is an immersive exciting tale you can’t experience anywhere else,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga president and CEO. “Our guests will watch the battle unfold, meeting the diverse British force, from Native American to German allies, and discovering unsung moments of heroism, like the evacuation of the Continental Army hospital.

By Christine Graf

Yankee Marine Group was awarded a 10-year $250,000 tax incentive package for the company’s plan to build a $3 million boat storage facility in Lake George. 

The Warren and Washington IDA approved the financial assistance package in May.

The storage facility will be built on a 9-acre parcel of land located at 2217 Route 9N. The property is south of his marina and retail center on Lake Shore Drive in Diamond Point. 

Yankee Marine Group has already received approval from the town of Lake George Planning Board and the Adirondack Park Agency to construct up to three 11,000-square-foot buildings on the property. Each building will have storage capacity for 80 boats.

A second generation family owned business, Yankee Marine Group is owned by Andrew Brodie and his wife, Christina. Brodie worked as an engineer at GE Global Research before purchasing the business from his parents. 

“My parents started the business in 1972 when they bought the marina on Lake George in Diamond Point,” he said. “My brother and I bought them out and split the business up within the last two years.”

His brother, Jon Brodie, owns and operates Brodie’s Lakeside Marina as well as Little Harbor Boat Co. rentals on Lake George. Andrew Brodie and his wife operate Yankee

The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival returns to Lake George on Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George Village.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The festival will feature more than 120 New York wineries, distilleries, breweries, cideries, artisan food producers, food trucks, crafters, and more. The family-friendly event has drawn draws visitors from 36 states, according to organizers. 

Now in its seventh year, the festival anticipates some 7,800 attendees this year. The 2022 Festival had over 6,800 guests, with 81 percent saying they planned a trip to the Lake George area specifically to attend the festival, officials said. 

The festival is expected to generate 12,000-plus overnight stays in the area and produce an economic impact of just under $5 million on the region.

This year, the festival is expanding into the adjacent Betty Little Boulevard, launching a “Food Truck Alley,” with 15 food trucks and several local artisans and festival sponsors. 

“Last year, we sold out on Saturday with over 4,000 attendees. With this expansion, attendees will enjoy more space on the festival grounds with access to more vendors than ever. We are also providing free public access to Food Truck Alley for our guests who just want a bite to eat but may not be able to or wish to enter the ticketed festival grounds,” said Sasha Pardy, Adirondack Festival owner.

Arrow Financial Corp.—the parent company of Saratoga National Bank and Glens Falls National Bank—announced that David S. DeMarco is the president and chief executive officer of the company.

DeMarco was chief banking officer and senior executive vice president at the company.

He replaces Thomas J. Murphy, who in May  terminated his employment as president and CEO with Arrow.

The changes were made May 12.

DeMarco, who has been with the company for 35 years, continues to serve as president and chief executive officer of Arrow subsidiary Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co.

DeMarco joined the company in 1987 as a commercial lender and since that time has served in positions of increasing responsibility with the organization. He was named president and CEO of Saratoga National Bank in 2012.

“We are very pleased that Dave has agreed to serve as president and CEO of Arrow and Glens Falls National Bank. Dave has dedicated his career to the company, understands community banking and he is well-known throughout our organization and the communities we serve,” said William L. Owens, chairman of the Arrow board.

“It is an honor to be asked to serve as president and CEO of Arrow,” DeMarco said. “I look forward to working closely with our team to continue to serve our customers and advance our strategic and financial goals.”