The Lotus Analytics process optimization and software development company in Warrensburg has launched a company that aims to provide payroll solutions for organizations of any size.

Lotus Payroll Services is part of the Lotus Group of Companies, a diversified business group with investments and involvement in various sectors including technology, finance, hospitality, construction, education, auto parts, auto care, and events management.

According to Ash Anand, founder of Lotus Group of Cos., Lotus Payroll Services starts on July 1.

Anand is a former finance executive with Citibank and General Electric Consumer Finance. He employs more than 120 people through his Lotus Group.

The payroll firm, will work with regional and national clients to help create local jobs and bring revenue into the Adirondack mountains where his firm is headquartered.

Anand said Lotus Payroll Services improves the experience for employers and employees alike.

“Our end-to-end solution leverages high quality customer service, cloud technology, automated data collection, ongoing data validation, and real-time insights to keep your quality talent informed while avoiding surprises at the last minute,” he said in a news release. “Once the payroll run is complete, we are still working by your side to assist with bookkeeping, compliance audits, and whatever else comes your way. This complete solution brings you the freedom to focus on the lifeblood of your organization without stressing about the overhead.”

“Times have changed and so have we. Our ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify against the growing complexities we face have created the comprehensive approach of one unified company capable of taking your organization to the next level,” he said. “You will find our reliability, talent, robust tools, and dedication to service come together in the unique experience you have been looking for in a payroll partner.

The Jefferson Project at Lake George is expanding its statewide leadership role in the study of harmful algal blooms and other water-quality threats this summer with a new $1-million research project on Chautauqua Lake in Chautauqua County, made possible through funding from Chautauqua Institution and a county coalition.

The new research complements The Jefferson Project’s foundational research program on Lake George in Warren County, now in its eighth year.

Both Chautauqua Lake and Lake George are among the 12 priority water bodies identified for special protective efforts by New York state, as part of its harmful algal bloom (HAB) initiative, and are at extreme ends of the HAB spectrum. Officials said Chautauqua Lake has been severely impacted by harmful algal blooms for decades, particularly in its southern basin, while Lake George, widely regarded as one of the clearest and cleanest lakes in the country, experienced its first confirmed HAB last fall.

Officials said the Lake George HAB was relatively small and short-lived, and samples gathered at the time are now the subject of an intensive scientific analysis by Jefferson Project researchers to determine its cause.

Given the two lakes’ widely differing HAB histories, The Jefferson Project’s leaders say the data gathered on both lakes this summer will help them better understand the conditions that lead to the potentially devastating blooms and the actions that can be taken to prevent them. The Chautauqua Lake research began with a pilot program last year.

The Jefferson Project at Lake George combines Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology and powerful analytics with science to create a new model for environmental monitoring and prediction.

The project’s work is centered around a “Smart Sensor Network” that is deployed on lakes and surrounding watersheds to monitor the weather, the streams that feed the lakes, the water conditions from the lake surface to the lake bottom, and the circulation patterns of the water, officials said.

By Mark Shaw

Well with all the signs pointing to COVID-19 being behind us, companies of all shapes and sizes are deciding what the future will hold for them when it comes to where and how to operate.

Technology is at the forefront of that on so many levels. From working from home needs to the new levels in which cyber security is playing a part to protect all of us, these shifts will become the way we work going forward. 

We are seeing companies have three main strategies. The first being bringing people back to the office. We are, after all, social creatures, and this makes sense. The next is everyone will stay working from home. The last being a blend of the two: some work from home and some in office days.

All three of these trends provide different needs for organizations. Going back to the office in many ways is the most secure, everyone is behind the security devices managed by IT professionals, and each have a single-entry point to protect all the employees and their devices. This is what the playbook for firms have been for years.

In the completely remote work from home situation IT Support and Cyber firms alike are changing the way they support these companies. Let’s also be clear these firms should not be the same, mind you. Your internal or external IT support should NEVER be your cyber security firm. If you don’t believe this, watch the news, and study the new laws being introduced globally. A separation of church and state is coming and if your IT firm says it can do cyber security, RUN. They are lining their pockets and exposing you.

Supporting a fully remote workforce is more costly in terms of IT use to ensure that all the employees are secure. We were all forced to adopt the model and did it with a lack of caution in many cases. VPN is not enough to ensure that you are safe. Your employees are often sharing the same internet with their kids’ and spouses’ devices: phones, tablets, and game systems (i.e. XBOX). 

Your company’s data is being mixed in with home activities. Your company laptop is sitting on the same network as a potentially unprotected device. If this remains the trend, you as an employer of let’s say 20 people need to be aware that you are no longer protecting one network but 21 networks—one for each employee and one for your office or cloud-based servers. You have made your attack surface for the bad guys dramatically greater. Thus, leading to the large uptick in all the cyber-crime you are seeing today on the news and elsewhere.

By Jill Nagy

Construction work in the area appears to be back on track, though labor issues are still a concern.

“We’re close to having work scheduled out for about a year,” Tom Albrecht of Hilltop Construction in Hudson Falls estimated. Similarly, Rob Holbrook of V&H Construction in Fort Edward, noted that his company is booking work for the first quarter of 2022. Both do projects throughout the Saratoga, Glens Falls and North Country area.

“If you are thinking about a project, you probably should act sooner rather than later,”  Holbrook advised.

Both also have similar complaints: a shortage of skilled workers looking for jobs and rising prices and long delays in obtaining materials, including appliances.

Albrecht said business is “fabulous” but there is a “very healthy” shortage of materials and escalating prices. Special order items can take four to 10 weeks to arrive. That delays normal timelines.

V&H, for example, is a dealer for Butler pre-engineered buildings, mainly steel storage and similar structures. Holbrook is experiencing long delays because steel is in short supply and he expects steel prices to increase by about 10 percent a month for the rest of the year.

Lumber prices have also been increasing but that trend seems to be leveling off, he said.

Both companies build a combination of residential and commercial structures. V&H also act as construction managers, working with sub-contractors.

By Jill Nagy

The City of Glens Falls working with Bonacio Construction Co. of Saratoga Springs plan the redevelopment of Market Square, along South and Elm Streets in the downtown area.

The area includes the Farmers’ Market pavilion and three vacant buildings, two of which the city owns.

The Market Square project will complement the adjoining Market Center development. The city is working with Envision Architects of Albany to develop plans for a permanent home on South Street for the Farmers’ Market that will also serve as a community event center.

When the two projects are completed, they will form a two-block pedestrian-friendly space with commercial, residential and community spaces.

Bonacio was awarded the contract to develop the Market Square area last May. Larry Novik, the company’s business director, said plans are still very tentative.

He expects to renovate two city-owned buildings, the former Hot Shots Bar and an incubator building, along with a third building, the former Sandy’s Clam Bar, which Bonacio already owns. 

Ground floor space will be dedicated to commercial use with office and residential uses in the upper floors, he said. Bonacio will also acquire the lot now occupied by the Farmers’ Market pavilion and construct a new building that may include a parking garage.

“We are in the early stages of working with them on a design” for the new building, Jeff Flagg, the Glens Falls economic development director, said.

When the work is completed, probably late in 2022, Bonacio will own Market Square. The details of how the developer will acquire the city-owned property will be negotiated, Flagg said. The cost of the project will depend upon the final design.

By Lisa Balschunat

Fifteen years ago, Cody Kilcoyne’s father Patrick established a small cattle farm in Lake Placid to provide quality beef to families and restaurants in the area with “delivered to your door” service.

What began as a small cattle farm with modest acreage and a handful of customers has grown into a farm that works with USDA processors to serve hundreds of restaurants, hospitals, private establishments and schools throughout New York state. 

Kilcoyne Farms moved from St. Lawrence County to Hudson Falls four years ago. The family now has plans to construct its own processing facility on Ferguson Lane at the Airport Industrial Park, where Warren-Washington counties share land ownership.

“We are in the application phase with the Warren Washington County Industrial Development Association (IDA) to purchase 20 acres of land and build a 25,000- to 35,000-square-foot processing plant,” Kilcoyne said.  “We looked at other locations with existing buildings, but this option will work best. It includes public water, sewer lines … And, we can build from scratch without having to retrofit an existing structure.”

He said his farm is presently working with a USDA planner and designer and is hoping to soon receive final approval for a bank loan.

Paone Architecture of Saratoga Springs, has been secured for the project design and Munter Enterprises, of Middle Grove will construct the plant.

Once funding is secured and the IDA application process moves forward with anticipated approval, Kilcoyne hopes to break ground in the summer of 2022.

State Supreme Court Justice Martin Auffredou has granted the requisite state approval for the much-anticipated merger of the Lake George Association (LGA) and The FUND for Lake George, creating a single, preeminent Lake protection organization, which will carry the LGA name.

Justice Auffredou’s ruling followed unanimous votes in support of the merger by the boards of the two nonprofit organizations in March, and an overwhelming show of support by LGA members in April, when over 98 percent of participating voters approved the union.

In conjunction with the merger announcement, the LGA unveiled its logo — a two-toned blue presentation of the organization’s name, meant to convey the clarity and vibrancy of the Lake and herald a new era in Lake protection, according to the organization.

“The merger of The FUND and the LGA is nothing short of a historic, milestone moment for the future of Lake George,” said Jeff Killeen, the new chairperson of the LGA. “As we contemplated pursuing this merger over the last nine months we were all in agreement that one organization, with one strategy and one voice, was required to best protect the lake’s water quality, first and foremost, as well as property values, our economy and every aspect of the lake’s future. I’m proud and so happy that this day has finally arrived. As a basin-wide Lake George community, there is nothing we can’t accomplish together. This new day is all about unity, optimism and excitement for our unabated future as the Queen of American Lakes.”

“Growing excitement about the new LGA will now be harnessed to energize our protection community as never before, as so urgently needed,” said Pete Menzies, newly elected vice chair of the LGA. “At this historic moment of great opportunity and grave threat, the future of Lake George is in our hands. We invite everyone to join us by bringing your voice, your commitment, and your actions, as LGA members. Together, we will protect Lake George for every generation to come.”

“A new era in Lake George protection begins today, and we are calling on everyone who loves the lake to join us as LGA members and partners at this pivotal time,” said LGA President Eric Siy. “Gathering threats to the lake’s legendary water quality now require all of us working together to accomplish our goals. Whether you live on or near the lake, depend on the lake-based economy for your livelihood, or simply enjoy visiting the Lake for relaxation and recreation, there is a role for you to play in keeping Lake George clean and clear.”

By Christine Graf

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2020 is on record as the worst year ever for global tourism. Worldwide travel revenues decreased by $1.3 trillion and are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

This applies to older people seeking getaways from work or retirees with time on their hands.

At Heber Travel in Queensbury, owner Stacie Baxter said bookings are strong. She has spent much of her time in recent months booking and rebooking trips that were canceled because of the pandemic. 

“My age group which is 65 and above is saying, ‘If we can go, let’s go. We’re not going to have another chance,’” she said. “If you’re 70 years old, you might not have another five years to travel. But the bothersome point is that other people are not respecting other people at airports.”

Baxter is referring to the uptick in aggressive behavior that is taking place at airports throughout the country, and she is especially concerned about how it could impact her older clients. The Federal Aviation Authority is investigating more than 2,500 cases of violence, the majority related to disputes over mask mandates.

“I’ve been in business for 47 years, and this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” said Ed Plog, president of  Playbill Travel in Saratoga Springs. “I’ve been through airline defaults, fare wars, 9/11, and the Great Recession, and I’ve never experienced anything as bad as this for the industry.”

Plog said he is “ecstatic” that business is beginning to rebound and that his company’s specialty cruises are once again in high demand.