Category Archives: Business News

By Jill Nagy

A new consignment shop, Fashion Follies,  has opened at 32 South St., Glens Falls, next to Peter’s Diner.

“People love consignment stores,” said Lori Arpey  who opened the new venture with her sister Lisa Arpey.

Fashion Follies is almost like two stores in one. One section offers day-to-day items like casual clothing, pocketbooks, and jewelry. The other side features wedding gowns, prom dresses, fancy hats, and other special occasion clothes.

“Everything is gently used” and much of it looks new, Arpey said. Some items still have their original price tags. We want things other places don’t have,” she said.

The store accepts contributions by appointment. They insist that everything be clean and in good condition. 

“If it needs cleaning, we usually ask the consignor to take it back and clean it,” Arpey said. Proceeds are shared equally between the consignor and the business.

The Hyde Collection has appointed Bryn Schockmel, Ph.D., as the museum’s new curator of the permanent collection.

Schockmel, a curator specializing in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, comes to The Hyde from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) and joined the museum staff on Jan. 9.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Schockmel to The Hyde Collection team. A dynamic expert in her field, she is joining The Hyde at an incredibly exciting time as we celebrate the museum’s 60th  anniversary,” said Norman Dascher Jr., CEO. “Dr. Schockmel shares our passion for the mission of The Hyde to maintain a museum for the exhibition of the permanent collection and to promote and cultivate the improvement of the fine arts for the education and benefit of the residents of Glens Falls and vicinity and the general public.

“Through her work at other museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard Art Museums, and The Clark Art Institute, she has applied her academic rigor to bring new insights to art collections that forge interdisciplinary conversations about important topics.”

As curator of the permanent collection, Schockmel will advance the vision of Charlotte Pruyn Hyde by ensuring the 5,000-plus works in the collection advance a greater understanding and appreciation of the museum’s collection among all audiences through research, lecture, and writing. She will plan and execute exhibitions related to the permanent collection.

The state Office for the Aging recently honored 94 older adults for their volunteerism, including Betsey Kagey and Eugene Merlino of Warren County, and Deborah Beahan and Dale Grinnell of Washington County, as part of its annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration.

“The word ‘volunteer’ cannot capture fully the accomplishments of this group of incredible individuals,” OFA Director Greg Olsen said in his remarks at the event. “Older adults impress us all with their commitment to a greater good and a greater cause. You tell the real story of what’s good about people, what’s good about New York. Through your deeds and actions, time and again, you show us how valuable you all are to those you touch, to those you serve, to the families and communities and lives you make better.”

Kagey was an asset to the Warren County Department of Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since moving to Warren County, she has volunteered at the vaccination clinic since the effort began. Prior to the pandemic, Kagey offered her knowledge and services to the Warren County Emergency Preparedness Program. 

Her background in public health and environmental health has provided a sound basis for helping develop public health response plans for potential emergencies like chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives events. She was chair of a Georgia work- group which provided guidance for developing statewide plans for a public health response to a radiation incident.

Merlino has served his community as a planning board member, a town councilman, and town supervisor for the past 15 years, in addition to sitting on the Warren County Board of Supervisors. Among his many accomplishments, the Lake Luzerne Town Complex and Senior Center stands as a testament to Merlino’s devotion to the town and its older adults. 

The City of Glens Falls innovative Urban Agriculture Project reached a key milestone in December when a one-ton heat pump system was installed on the roof of the Lapham & Parks building at 22 Ridge St.

The three-story building houses the city’s indoor hydroponics project that will grow fresh produce.

The farm will produce leafy greens from cilantro to lettuce as part of a state pilot program and,  if economically viable, will seek to be replicated in other regional cities in upstate New York.

The project, funded by a grant from Empire State Development’s Smart Cities Innovation Partnership, has been in the works for more than a year.  

Pooling together contractors and consultants throughout New York, the project is intended to demonstrate the ability of cities to address the problem of “food deserts” by repurposing older, underutilized industrial buildings into farms that supply upstate New York cities and villages with fresh organic produce.

“The arrival of this ultra-efficient heating and cooling system is both a symbolic and substantive leap forward in our efforts to complete the project and start producing,” said Glens Falls Economic Development Director Jeff Flagg.

By Tricia Rogers

It’s a new year full of opportunities and possibilities. As an organization that supports our business community, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is excited for what 2023 will bring. 

But reflecting on 2022, we realized that there is much to be grateful for, and even more to celebrate.

In 2022 the ARCC saw some growth in our membership, welcoming 116 new members. We finished 2022 strong at a total of 759 members. Even more impressive, the organization saw a retention rate of 93.5 percent. This is something to be celebrated as it reflects the strength of our business community. More than ever businesses are investing in themselves and their communities. 

Advocacy is a part of the ARCC’s mission to support our business community. In 2022 the ARCC took stances and wrote 15 letters of support to help businesses in our region. From addressing child-care concerns, to supporting our farms, the ARCC is listening and ready to address challenges our businesses are facing.

Continuing education is important to the ARCC, as we are always looking for resources to share with our businesses. Institutions such as SUNY Adirondack, SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury, WSWHE BOCES, and University at Albany School of Business are in regular contact with the ARCC and providing information on programs and courses. We are grateful for these partnerships, and hope our communities take advantage of these opportunities.

By Christine Graf

Lakefront Terrace Resort was the latest hotel to change hands in what was a busy year for the sale of Lake George vacation resorts. 

Located less than one mile from Lake George village, the 2998 Lake Shore Drive property features 73 rooms and a 150-foot private beach.

Former Texas prosecutor Ken McGurk sold the resort to Tahoe LG LLC for $7.4 million in a deal that closed in mid-December. 

The LLC is controlled by McGurk’s cousins, Michael, Chris, and Patrick Menter. The brothers own several other Lake George hotels and motels. Their parents, Dave and Theresa Menter, have operated numerous vacation resorts in the area for more than three decades.

McGurk purchased the former Tahoe Resort for $3.4 million in 2018. During his approximately five years of ownership, he invested more than $2 million in renovations to the property. 

According to real estate broker Mitch Muroff, owner of Muroff Hospitality Group, Lakefront Terrace Resort generated a great deal of interest almost immediately after it was listed for sale at the beginning of September. He credits the recent renovations for adding significantly to its appeal.

By Christine Graf

With ski season officially underway, staffs at Gore Mountain and West Mountain are gearing up for what is likely to be another very busy winter. Last season, Gore had a record-breaking year for both revenue and season pass sales. 

According to Gore’s general manager James “Bone” Bayse, pass sales for the 2022-2023 season have been strong.

“I’m not sure that we will break last year’s record because it was so high, but we will be very close. At the moment, we are tracking that way.”

Meanwhile at West Mountain in Queensbury, “Last winter was a good, solid, profitable year,” said co-owner Spencer Montgomery. “Coming into this year, revenue-wise which includes season passes, we are up about 20 percent over last year. We pre-sell school programs, and that has been really strong this year. We’re on a fiscal year that starts May 1 and we’re probably pushing a 30 percent increase in sales for the same period last year.”

During the off season at Gore, an additional 230 snow guns were added to the snowmaking fleet. Some of these guns will be used on the new trail that was cut into Burnt Ridge Mountain.