Local small-business marketing consultant Megan Seeley has been hired by the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Convention & Visitors Bureau as its new marketing coordinator.

After working locally for nearly a decade in small-business marketing consulting, Seeley joins the team of convention sales manager Christine Thorne, tourism training manager Roger Allan and Executive Director Gina Mintzer, who oversees the  Chamber and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We are thrilled to add Megan Seeley to the team. Her experience and expertise will help us reach our marketing goals of amplifying the Lake George Area brand message to the group markets,” Mintzer said.

Seeley said she  looks forward to becoming more integrated into the Lake George Area community.

“The Lake George Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau is such a great platform for connecting with major influencers in the community, exploring the region with a wider and deeper lens, and also learning about a really exciting and evolving industry,” Seeley said.

Some of her goals include: fortifying relationships and support with local partners; enhancing a brand for the LGRCVB that embraces the leisure linchpin while enticing the regional and national meeting and wedding markets; and having a strong and consistent digital presence.

“With all of the present challenges due to the pandemic, it’s even more crucial that we remain visible, open, and ready for business. This can only be accomplished through our community relationships and constant digital outreach,” she said.

Seeley has worked in the nonprofit realm, with her most recent experience at the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York. She has consulted and been employed at several local businesses such as: Seeley Office Systems, St. Mary’s Church Glens Falls, the Patient Experience Project in Saratoga Springs, and the Priory Retreat Center in Chestertown.

by Andrea Harwood Palmer

A new station dedicated to Lake George and the surrounding region has been started by Loud Media.

93.5 Lake George Radio is broadcasting classic hits from the 1980s and 1990s, with a focus on local information about the Lake George area.

“There’s such a vibrant community in Lake George. They deserve a dedicated station. It’s a great way for both locals and tourists to stay connected to the area,” said Fran Dingeman, general manager at Loud Media.

In addition to music, the radio station will feature a morning show, afternoon show, weather report, boating report, community calendar of events, and local and national news at the top of the hour.

Coverage goes north of Pilot Knob and Diamond Point, west to Stony Creek, east to Fort Ann and south to Exit 17 and Moreau in Saratoga County. The transmitter and tower are at the top of Prospect Mountain in Lake George.

Walt Adams is hosting the morning show. Adams has worked in radio in the Capital Region for most of his adult life. Previously, he was  operations manager at WGNA and PYX 106 radio stations, and worked at 99.5 The River and various other stations. He said he wanted to bring that expertise to a place that he loved and cared about.

“As a longtime resident of Lake George, to be part of a radio station specifically for the Lake George area has just been a dream come true for me,” said Adams.

Adams also works at Loud Media’s sister station in Saratoga Springs and is the public relations director for AIM Services.

By Christine Graf

Local businessmen Robin Barkenhagen and Brian Bronzino, partners in 42°, a smoke shop and functional art glass gallery in Malta, are pursuing plans to open a marijuana dispensary at 56 Glen St. in Glens Falls.

The pair also have a 42° store at 206 Glen Street, Glens Falls. In February, they established a new business called Warren County Cannabis LLC.

In recent years, Bronzino has purchased several buildings in Glens Falls, including the 5,000-square-foot property at 56 Glen St.

Because marijuana has not been legalized at the federal level, dispensaries must be operated out of properties without loans or mortgages from federally chartered banks. 

But Bronzino “owns the building which is instrumental” in the process, said Barkenhagen.

The state Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed into law on March 31  and legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for those ages 21 and up. The state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) was established to oversee the industry, but they have not yet begun issuing licenses for growing, distributing, processing, and selling.

When MRTA was enacted, government official estimated that it would take approximately 18 months before the first recreational marijuana businesses would open in the state.