Acupuncture Practitioners Say Treating For Depression During Pandemic Is On The Rise

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Katherine “Kat” MacKenzie is the owner of Acupuncture Nirvana in Glens Falls.
Courtesy Acupuncture Nirvana

By Christine Graf
After being deemed non-essential and forced to close at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, acupuncturists were permitted to reopen in June. During the closure, the Acupuncture Society of New York (ASNY) pushed for the governor to grant the profession essential status.
“We were closed for two-and-a-half months, and then we were granted essential status,” said Katherine “Kat” MacKenzie, licensed acupuncturist and owner of Acupuncture Nirvana in Glens Falls. “We fought for it and got it. We have a very strong association (ASNY), and they went after it and they won.”

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Saratoga Hospital Offering Occupational Medicine Services At Queensbury Location

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This is the lobby at Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Occupational Medicine in Queensbury, which now has medicine services to help area businesses maintain safe, healthy environments.
Courtesy Saratoga Hospital

Saratoga Hospital now offers comprehensive occupational medicine services in Queensbury to help area businesses maintain safe, healthy environments for employees and clients.
Services are provided by Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Occupational Medicine, 959 Route 9, Queensbury.
Members of the practice are experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating workplace injuries, helping businesses comply with regulatory requirements and ensuring safe work environments.

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COVID Exposure Notification Mobile App Launched By New York, New Jersey Officials

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New York and New Jersey launched COVID-19 exposure notification mobile apps in their respective states that officials claim will serve as crucial tools to supplement the effort to trace and contact individuals subject to a COVID exposure.
The apps, COVID Alert NY and COVID Alert NJ, notify users of potential COVID-19 exposure while maintaining user privacy and security.
The states join Pennsylvania and Delaware in creating a regional COVID Alert app network that operates across state lines to stop the spread of COVID-19. Connecticut has also will launch the Exposure Notification System in the coming weeks.
The free mobile apps-available to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, or attends college in New York or New Jersey-are available for download from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

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Aviation Mall Extends Deals Over Days To Avoid Black Friday Crowds During Pandemic

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Mall officials say the spreading out of sales and discounts throughout the entire holiday season should help minimize Black Friday lines and crowds during the pandemic.
Courtesy Aviation Mall

The 2020 holiday season is already a year like no other, which is why Aviation Mall is announcing new hours and initiatives to make the season safe and memorable for everyone, mall officials said.
Earlier this year, retail marketing experts accurately predicted that retailers would encourage consumers to start holiday shopping earlier by extending exclusive deals throughout the season in lieu of the traditional high-trafficked Thanksgiving/Black Friday kickoff. Aviation Mall’s Marketing Director Teresa Hanley said many of Aviation Mall’s tenants are following the trend.

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Gift Shops Report Holiday Business Is Steady As They Adapt To Trends During Pandemic

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James Joseph, owner of Sharp Presents in Queensbury, says candy, candles, small consumables and clever household items are selling well thus far for the holiday season.
Andrea Harwood Palmer

Andrea Harwood Palmer
The gift-giving season has arrived and area businesses are gearing up.
James Joseph, owner of Sharp Presents in Queensbury, has seen an increased interest in shipped and hand-delivered gifts during the pandemic.
“It can be as non-touch process as people want it to be. You don’t have to come into the shop to order something. I text my clients photos to validate, change or approve the design. I send email invoices. The product can be hand-delivered or shipped. It’s always how I’ve done a lot of business, and it has certainly increased this year,” said Joseph.
The company specializes in curated gift boxes and crates.
Jeff Strief, owner of Rude Betty in Glens Falls and Happy Jack in Bolton Landing, said about product trends, “We’re seeing that candy, candles, small consumables and clever household items are doing well. Small gifts are continuing to do well. They’re a cheap and cheerful way to improve someone’s mood or disposition.”

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Financial Advisors Urge People Not To Panic Amid The Uncertainty Caused By COVID-19

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By Jill Nagy
Get your life in order, think about possible tax changes and, above all, don’t panic. That is the advice of area financial advisors for surviving in the age of COVID-19.
“It’s never been more important to attend to your estate plan,” said Jeff Vahanian of Vahanian & Associates in Saratoga Springs. “We are very aggressive about this. People have had to adjust their behavior in many ways. I hope they refocus on things that matter.”

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End Of The Year Provides Opportunity To Review, Optimize Estate And Financial Plans

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By Raymond C. Radigan
Year-end is always a special time. A time for resolutions and reflection—especially in a year as volatile and unprecedented as 2020.
The end of the year also provides a final opportunity to review and potentially optimize your estate and financial plans to ensure you are in the best possible position going into 2021. With the uncertainty and potential changes in tax policy, it is even more important to speak with your estate planning and/or tax adviser to get a head start. Consider the following issues when contemplating year-end planning:

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Business Report: Focus On What You Can Control

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Mickey Orta, senior vice president for wealth management at NBT Bank.

BY Mickey Orta
The top two questions that financial professionals have been hearing from customers are: “What’s going to happen to my investments and financial plans depending on the results of the presidential election?” and “When will things get back to normal post-COVID?”
While these questions can’t be answered directly, that doesn’t mean we have to sit tight without taking any action.
It’s probably safe to say that 2020 has not unfolded in a way that any of us could have predicted.

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ADKtechs Drives Economic Mobility Through Its Apprentice And Internship Programs

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By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Adirondack Technical Solutions (ADKtechs) has partnered with SUNY Adirondack and BOCES to provide internship and apprentice opportunities to area students.
The Argyle-based IT company is placing value on experiential education that leaves students with marketable job skills, as well as college credits.
“As a kid, I was really interested in programing and gaming,” said Jared Humiston, ADKtechs president. “My mother paid $2,800 for one of the first Windows computers in 1992. It got shipped to the house and before she got home I had the whole thing torn apart to see how it worked. I was 12 years old.”
Humiston started his company in 2005 and went full-time in 2010.
“Before I knew it, I had 40 clients, all from referrals. I’d been working for a $100 million tech company in Albany, and finally I said, ‘I should just be doing this for myself,’”said Humiston.

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Remediation Of Wetlands Completed On Lake George Escape Campground Acreage

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A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on a footbridge over a portion of wetlands at Lake George Escape. The footbridge contains a culvert that allows trout access to spawning areas.
Courtesy Lake George Escape

Lake George Escape, a popular campground destination, is celebrating its completion of a $1 million wetland remediation project, restoring and enhancing wetlands throughout the approximately 175-acre campground.
The restoration is part of a large stream and wetland complex in and around Lake George Escape on the shores of the beautiful Schroon River.
Campground officials said the restoration project includes an overhaul of natural habitats, the replacement of bridges, a significant number of plantings around the shoreline and a back-to-nature experience around the Schroon River.
The grounds are located at 175 East Schroon River Road, Diamond Point. The owner-operator is Lifestyle Equity Properties.
The parkwide wetland restoration and remediation project will also provide kayaking and fishing opportunities to outdoor nature enthusiasts.
Wetlands around a campground had been filled in and had their water source curtailed 50 or so years ago.

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