Category Archives: Business News

By Christine Graf

After 10 years of selling baked goods, produce and other items from the front porch of an old farmhouse at 3952 Main St. in Warrensburg, j.Gallup Farms has relocated to a 600-squre-foot storefront at 3916 Main St. 

Owner Julie Gallup Harrington runs the business with her daughter-in-law, Mandy Cook.

Before becoming a business owner, Harrington worked as a waitress and once owned her own bar and small resort. It was because of her desire to put her cooking and baking talents to work that she decided to establish j. Gallup Farms.

The decision to relocate the store came after the COVID-19 pandemic that made it impossible for her to hire the five employees the business relies on during the busy summer months. As a result, she and Cook couldn’t service the more than 15 mom-and-pop stores that purchased their products wholesale.

“We weren’t able to get people to work, deliver, or help us prepare. We couldn’t produce, so we ended up losing most all of our wholesale business,” she said. “We made the decision to downsize how much product we put out the door. That way the two of us could run the business ourselves.”

By Andrea Harwood

While the economic impact of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tournament in June is difficult to measure with exactness, the owner of Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center where it was held in South Glens Falls calls it a success.

There was a surge in bed nights at hotels and motels as well as restaurant meals eaten out. There were 91 female athletes competing in the event, many of them travelling with a significant other and/or family members. These visitors were in the area for the majority of the event week. 

The sold-out event was broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network.

“The event went very well. There were no issues, and the TV show was fabulous,” said Kingpin’s owner and operator Doug Bohannon. 

Bohannon is also the president of the New York Bowling Proprietors Association, serving since August 2018.

“Every match was pretty close. The entire show was very exciting,” said Bohannon.

Bohannon hosted a national tour stop last year as well.

The Park Theater, 14 Park St., Glens Falls, has announced its 2022-23 event schedule, with tickets going on sale July 29.

Beginning in September, the theater will present its flagship series The Park Presents , featuring a lineup of national and international touring musicians from genres including folk, Americana, jazz, classical and more. Experience some of the best in music at the intimate, state-of-the-art theater.

Past performers have included The Gibson Brothers, Ariel Posen, The Villalobos Brothers and Damn Tall Buildings. This season will feature such highly-acclaimed artists as The Small Glories, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, The Suitcase Junket, The Wildmans and more.

“We can’t wait to welcome the community back to The Park Theater for our next season! Building on last year’s success, we will be showcasing some of the best and brightest rising performers on the national level, as well as in our own backyard,” said Executive Director, Chris Ristau.

“With a full slate of performances ranging from tribute acts and jazz to Americana and comedy, we’ve got something for everyone on the roster. We look forward to seeing you for another wonderful season of new and exciting entertainment.”

Just over three years ago, the Village of Hudson Falls unveiled plans for a major transformation and revitalization of Derby Park, a regionally iconic six-acre expanse of athletic fields where generations of children and families had gathered for recreational and social activities.

The community responded. The money was raised and in June the village held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of Moran-Derby Park, the newly re-named, $1.8 million community athletic complex and festival space between Coleman Avenue and William Street.

The park was made possible by the generosity of people and organizations from across the region, most notably a $500,000 lead gift from longtime local sporting goods retailers and philanthropists Brien and Mike Moran in memory and honor of their late parents, Henry G. and Gladys Moran, village officials said.

Other major financial support included a $600,000 grant from the state Office of Park, Recreation & Historic Preservation, and generous donations from the Sandy Hill Foundation, Wheelabrator Technologies, and Boralex.

By Jill Nagy

Landscape architects do far more than decide where to lay sod and plant flowers. Companies like the Saratoga Spring landscape architecture firm CLA SITE—which is celebrating 25 years in business—are far more complex.

Among its projects was the redesigned of the concession area at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, including siting the new buildings and redoing the stormwater management plan. The company is also working with Envision Architects to develop a new indoor/outdoor market complex in Glens Falls.

It is also redoing part of Albany’s Empire State Plaza to alleviate drainage and stormwater problems. 

“Lawns are for entry level folks,” said Peter Loyola, the company’s founder and principal. 

Today’s landscape architect combines aspects of civil engineering, architecture, and urban planning, as well as environmental permitting. The full name of the company reflects that pedigree: CLA Site Landscape Architecture, Engineering, and Planning PC.

By Jill nagy

Fans of the television series “X-Files” can get their shot of nostalgia and mementos to take home at the X-Files Preservation Collection and Collectibles in Wilton. 

The combination shop and museum opened on April 30 with visits from Chris Carter, creator of  the drama series, and Keith Arbuthnot, an actor who played monsters on the show, as well as fans from around the world, according to Jim Thornton, one of the owners of the collection.

Visitors can view a collection of props and costumes actually used in filming episodes of the series, some of them contributed by Carter. Thornton and his wife and business partner, Kelly Anthony, began collecting X-Files memorabilia in the 1990s. 

“I loved the show and thought: Wow, I’d like to own something from it,” Thornton recalled. By 2019, the couple had accumulated enough items to fill a moving truck and they drove it to X-Fest, an X-Files convention in Chicago.

Thornton thinks that someone who saw their display in Chicago must have contacted Carter and told him about it. Shortly afterward, Carter “found us” and donated a few things, he said. From there, “it progressed and grew bigger and bigger.”

The Adirondack Thunder, the ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils and Utica Comets, announced their schedule for the 2022-23 season at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. 

The first home game is Nov. 11.

The 72-game campaign features two trips to St. John’s, a trek to Norfolk, and a voyage down to Florida. This season will also showcase two out-of-division teams, Greenville and Atlanta, visiting Cool Insuring Arena.

The schedule is as follows:

October

Saturday, Oct. 22 at Worcester, DCU Center, 7:05 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 23 at Worcester, DCU Center, 3:05 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 29 vs. Worcester, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 30 vs. Worcester, Cool Insuring Arena, 3 p.m.

November

Friday, Nov. 4 at Trois-Rivières, Colisèe Vidèotron, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 5 at Trois-Rivières, Colisèe Vidèotron, 3 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Worcester, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Worcester, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 16 vs. Greenville, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 18 at Reading, Santander Arena, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 23 vs. Newfoundland, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Newfoundland, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 26 vs. Reading, Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m. 

By Andrea Harwood

Muhammad Bilal, a Whitehall food wholesaler and restaurant supplier, recently purchased the Travelodge by Wyndham Hotel in Lake George. 

The hotel is currently operational with a bar and restaurant, and has 104 rooms. The property sits on just under 10 acres of land in the heart of Lake George, and was purchased for $1.175 million in May.

In additional to owning and operating Green Mountain Food Services in Whitehall, Bilal currently owns an Econolodge in Rutland, Vt. He said the robust tourism in Lake George made purchasing the Travelodge an attractive proposition. 

“Lake George itself is a pretty famous spot for its tourism summers. And the hotel has the best location, with the mountain view and the lake view,” said Bilal. 

The Travelodge is located at 2011 Route 9 in Lake George.

He plans to keep the hotel open and operating through the 2022 season, and complete renovations during the slower off-season. “We will open up even better next year,” said Bilal.

The property also comes with a bar/restaurant but he does not plan to open them this year because he has not been able to find employees. 

“We don’t have any help, so we’re not going to run the restaurant this year. Hopefully, if we have the right staff, we’ll have a good opening for next year,” said Bilal.

By Christine Graf

The 67-acre Adirondack Camping Village in Lake George has been purchased for $4.5 million by Athena Real Estate, a company based in Orlando, Fla., and founded by Siena College graduate Richard O’Brien. 

Located less than two miles from the Village of Lake George, the family-friendly campground, features RV sites, camping cabins, and single tent campsites. 

It now operates under the name Lake George Camping Village.

Athena Real Estate is a private real estate investment firm that invests in manufactured home communities, RV parks and resorts, and self-storage facilities. Prior to founding Athena in 2004, O’Brien, a CPA, was CFO for a multi-billion-dollar real estate investment trust. He also worked in the commercial real estate division of GE Capital Corp., and it was there that he developed an interest in real estate investment.