By Christine Graf After encountering countless pandemic-related delays, the owners of Dancing Grain Farm Brewery in Moreau hope to open their craft brewery in July. For owner Rachel McDermott, a Cornell University graduate with a degree in applied economics and management, Dancing Grain is more than a business. “For me, it’s a passion project....
Scarlotta’s Returns In Granville With Ownership That Stays In The Original Family Stewardship
Courtesy Scarlotta’s
By Susan Elise Campbell
With the name restored and the business in the hands of the original owner’s granddaughter, Lauren Barlow, Scarlotta’s Car-Hop in Granville is seeing loyal customers once again enjoying some of the home style recipes that go back 40 years.
Over the 10 years that the diner was under different management, Lauren and her husband Wes of Barlow Electric had opportunities to purchase the establishment but the timing wasn’t right, according to Barlow.
“My husband has a business and we were raising our children,” said Barlow. “I had always said to the previous owners, please call us first, and when they came to us we were ready.”
She remembers not only working at the car hop as a young woman, but also waiting on her future husband.
“It was June 13th 25 years ago but I still remember what he ordered,” she said. “Beef and cheddar, fries and lemonade.”
Once again Scarlotta’s is a family business with the Barlow’s daughter and son working there, Lauren’s sister on staff, and her brother helping cook, she said. The Barlows were able to purchase the restaurant with a loan from the Washington County Local Development Corporation.
Two Area Solar Energy And Storage Projects Get Funding From New York State Budget
New York state has awarded funds for 22 large-scale solar and energy storage projects it says will deliver enough clean, affordable energy to power over 620,000 New York homes for at least 20 years.
Of five awards in the Capital Region, two were local, including:
• Fort Edward Solar Farm, where Fort Edward Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 100-megawatt solar facility in the towns of Fort Edward and Argyle, Washington County.
• Easton Solar Farm, where Easton Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 20-megawatt solar facility in the town of Easton, Washington County.
As the state’s largest land-based renewable energy procurement to date, these projects will spur over $2.7 billion in private investment and create over 3,000 short- and long-term jobs across the state, officials said. The awards accelerate progress to exceed New York’s goal to obtain 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 on the path to a zero-emission grid by 2040 as required by Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Hacker Boat Co. Moves Into The Season Operating Out Of New Queensbury Location
Paul Post
By Paul Post
Hacker Boat Co. is awaiting a new season, located now in Queensbury where it acquired a 6.4-acre manufacturing and office complex less than a year after moving its operations there from Ticonderoga.
The business shifted operations to the former Perkins Recycling plant at 315 Corinth Road, just west of Northway Exit 18, last September. The manufacturing and office complex sold for $2.35 million.
The move to Queensbury was necessitated in part by a simple need for more space. Hacker now has 40,000 square feet to work in, about 25 percent more than before in Ticonderoga.
The former recycling plant has been completely remodeled and retrofitted for new boat building and restoration jobs.
“We reinsulated everything, new walls, new lighting, all new piping, compressed air, electrical and pressed air drops,” said owner and CEO George Badcock, who purchased the company 11 years ago. “We also have a wood and varnish shop where we work on all the pieces.”
Historic Fort William Henry Museum Opens With A New ‘Augmented Reality’ Exhibit
Courtesy Fort William Henry Museum
Editor’s Note 5/27/22: This article has been edited to reflect revisions provided in an updated press release.
The Fort William Henry Museum, a restoration of historical significance to our democracy, located on the southern shore of Lake George, and nestled amid New York’s Adirondack Mountains, has introduced a new Augmented Reality (AR) exhibit for the 2022 season.
The new AR experience, created by Frameless Technologies, puts the viewer directly into the siege of the British fort by the French on August 8, 1757. It features a bird’s eye view of the Fort, the Entrenched Camp, and the French siegeworks firing at the Fort itself. Viewers can manipulate the AR by moving their phones to explore more of the surrounding area.
Renovations At Glens Falls City Hall Among Projects Aided By $2M In Federal Funding
Standing outside Glens Falls City Hall in April, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced that the Adirondack Region will receive over $2 million for essential local projects through the bipartisan omnibus spending package for the federal fiscal year 2022.
According to Schumer, the projects include making repairs to Glens Falls City Hall, funding major water upgrades to the Canalside Energy Park in Fort Edward, rehabilitating Fort Ticonderoga, and boosting Warren County’s childcare programs.
“These community led projects are the embodiment of the needs for the Adirondack region, from preserving our history through Fort Ticonderoga and Glens Falls historic buildings, to addressing the need for more child care programs and modern infrastructure to help Warren and Washington counties grow like never before,” said Schumer.
The investment in the Adirondack region includes:
• $439,000 for City Hall. It will fund substantial structural renovations and energy upgrades. Glens Falls City Hall was built in 1900 and has served as the headquarters of the city’s civic affairs since Glens Falls was incorporated as a city in 1908. The building is a part of the Three Squares Historic District which is on the National Registry of Historic Places for the areas prevalence of unique and influential architecture. Work includes a new roof, replacing the gas-fired boiler heating system with a high-efficiency heat pump and heat recovery system, to make the building more eco-friendly.
Michael Bittel Retiring As President, CEO Of Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is involved in a search to replace its president and CEO, Michael Bittel, who has announced his retirement from the organization.
Bittel will be retiring in June.
“It has been an honor to love and serve our great region for the past four years,” Bittel said of his tenure Our community is so wonderful because of our greatest asset, our people.”
The ARCC board of directors of hired Bittel in 2018. He took the reigns from Marti Burnley, who was named interim president after Tori J.E. Riley left the position in September of 2017.
“I have been spoiled to work with a great team at the ARCC who will carry on the torch of loving and serving our community,” said Bittel, expressing thanks to the ARCC Board and his staffers Paricia Rogers, Amanda Blanton, Carol Ann Conover and Karen Mattison.
“I have worked extremely close with Michael since his arrival at the Chamber in 2018,” said Marc Monahan, ARCC board chair and regional executive vice president of NBT Bank. “From day one, Michael showed up ready to work and connect the Chamber with our entire business community. Throughout his tenure with the ARCC he has shown a passion, drive and desire to help all of our members and supporters.
“Although the past couple of years have been extremely challenging as we navigated the constant pressures of the pandemic, we are stronger today than ever before”
Monahan said the ARCC team “is committed to continue to collaborate, educate, connect, and advocate during this transition. We are already hard at work to find a new leader for the ARCC. The next person will certainly have big shoes to fill, but we are confident we will find the right person.”
Amore Pizza Moves Into Nearby New Space, Creates More Room For On-Site Dining
Courtesy Amore Pizza
By Jill Nagy
Rick Grabowski has moved his Amore Pizza next door, doubling the space, including more spacious room for food preparation and production.
The new location, the former TD Bank North at 340 Aviation Road, Queensbury, opened over a month ago.
“Everything is new” in the space, he said. They spent seven months renovating the premises before they moved in.
“Our new storefront has lots of windows, offering a bright and inviting space,” he said. “We’ve been needing more room to cook for many years.”
The shop can now seat about 20 customers for indoor dining but is still primarily a take-out and delivery operation. They deliver within three to five miles of the restaurant.
In addition to New York City, Neopolitan and Sicilian style pizzas, Amore offers chicken wings, calzones, and hot and cold subs, as well as non-alcoholic beverages.
Local Man Known As A ‘Ghost Hunter’ Has Plan To Re-Imagine The McGregor Prison
By Christine Graf
When South Glens Falls native Steven Brodt was 5 years old, he had what he would later consider a paranormal experience.
He said while sleeping over at his grandmother’s house, he woke in the middle of the night and saw an old woman sitting at the end of his bed. Ten years later, Brodt saw a picture of his great grandmother for the first time and surmised she was the woman he saw when he was 5.
“I can still picture her to this day. It was very clear and very real. As I got older, I became very interested in how it was possible that I saw what I saw,” he said.
When he was 16, Brodt and a friend established a nonprofit group called the South Glens Falls Paranormal Society. They purchased digital voice recorders, night vision cameras, handheld video cameras, and electromagnetic field detectors and offered free paranormal investigative services to the community.
Small Business Association Creates Training Program For Use By Small Business Leaders
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Upstate New York District Office announced the start of local recruitment for T.H.R.I.V.E. (Train, Hope, Rise, Innovate, Venture, Elevate), a free national training program for small business leaders.
The SBA is currently recruiting small business applicants who have been in business for at least three years; who have annual revenues of at least $250,000; who have at least one employee other than the owner; and who can commit to participating in the six-month program from July 5 to Dec. 16.
“T.H.R.I.V.E. is a unique SBA program that can be instrumental for entrepreneurs aiming to grow or expand their small businesses. Throughout the course, participants will receive core business knowledge, work directly with a business coach, meet with peers and develop a three-year Strategic Growth Plan,” said SBA Upstate New York District Director Bernard J. Paprocki. “We will select 20 participants for the Upstate New York cohort, and I strongly encourage small business owners who are ready for growth to consider applying for this opportunity by the May 31 deadline.”
T.H.R.I.V.E. provides complimentary entrepreneurship education and training for executives of high-performing small businesses. Over six months, the executive entrepreneurship training series includes in-person coaching and virtual, self-paced instruction. Paprocki said the hybrid program allows participants to work with a network of experienced subject matter experts in core business topics like accounting, business strategy, marketing, and human resources customized for the unique needs of small business owners.
Small business owners can learn more regarding eligibility, how to apply, program format, and locations by visiting www.sbathrive.com.
“T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined initiative will provide up-and-coming small business leaders with tools, knowledge, and access to the best and the brightest minds in economic development to help them accelerate their growth and help them become competitive in an increasingly global economy,” said Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).