Spirit Halloween Has Costumes, Accessories And More In Aviation Mall

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Spirit Halloween carries traditional and popular costumes, props, and costume accessories for all ages. They also have a wide selection of decorations and costume accessories.
Courtesy Pyramid Management Group

By Jennifer Farnsworth
With Halloween approaching, the convenience of having a costume store nearby is handy and Aviation Mall is taking advantage of that.
The popular nationally known store Spirit Halloween can found popping up in vacant spaces, bringing all things Halloween. One has opened in the local mall.
Mall general manager James Griffith, said business has been steady since Spirit opened and he expects it to continue to increase right through October. Griffith said Spirit’s parent company is Spencer’s.
The mall already has a Spencer’s, making communication easy between the mall and Spirit since they had somewhat of an existing relationship.
“There was mutual interest there, between Pyramid Management, the mall management group for Aviation, and for Spencer’s. It was a perfect fit for our needs and theirs,” said Griffith.

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Glens Falls Hospital, Albany Medical Center Start The Process For An Affiliation Pact

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Glens Falls Hospital and Albany Med have approved a definitive agreement for Glens Falls Hospital to become an affiliate of Albany Med.
The agreement was approved in September by both boards following a nearly year-long due diligence process undertaken by both organizations. Both will now begin working through the necessary regulatory approvals needed to finalize the affiliation, which is expected to be complete in 2020, officials said.
It’s not official yet. The agreement still needs state and federal approval. That will take about a year, said Albany Medical Center spokesman Jeffrey Gordon.
“Glens Falls Hospital is evolving to ensure we are strong not just today, but for generations to come, and we are excited to have reached another significant milestone toward becoming an affiliate of Albany Med,” said Dianne Shugrue, Glens Falls Hospital president and CEO. “Albany Med has long been recognized as a premier healthcare provider, and we look forward to joining their organization once the affiliation is finalized.”
“Over many years, Albany Med has been working to build a health care system that provides our region access to the highest quality of care possible, and to ensure that residents throughout Northeastern New York can receive the type of care typically available only in major metropolitan centers,” said Dr. Steven Frisch, Albany Med senior executive vice president.

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‘CRAFT On 9’ Moves And Expands Popular Venue, Now Located In Downtown Glens Falls

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Rob Murphy, right, owner of CRAFT on 9, stands with Bill Dingman, general manager. The business recently moved to Glens Falls from South Glens Falls.
Andrea Palmer

by Andrea Palmer
CRAFT on 9, a brew pub and restaurant has moved from South Glens Falls to 7 South St. in downtown Glens Falls and has expanded its business..
The building was purchased about a year or so ago by Chris Patten, and completely renovated. There are about 18 new apartments upstairs. The building is also home to Hometown Cigars & Lounge at 278 Glen St.
Rob Murphy, owner of CRAFT on 9, and Bill Dingman, general manager, met when they worked together for many years at Bistro Tallulah in Glens Falls.
“When we were designing the place, we wanted to separate sections for dining and for the bar. So we designed the whole front area with the purpose of being a bar and lounge,” Murphy said. “We put the big windows in to keep the place open. Then we invested in a lot for the dining room in the back, apart from the bar area. We think it will be super beneficial to people who just want a drink. We’ll have a smaller, condensed menu with less entrees and more bar fare,” said Murphy.

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Glens Falls National Bank Partners With ADK To Fund Seasonal Volunteer Host Program

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ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has partnered with a local bank, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. to fund the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) volunteer host program.
Located at the trailhead for many of the Adirondack high peaks, the HPIC is a major thoroughfare for hikers to get on the trail and begin their trek.
Abutting New York’s busiest trailhead, the HPIC serves as a gateway to the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness. In 2017, from the beginning of July through the end of August, there were 27, 251 registered hikers at the Heart Lake Property trailheads, officials said.
The Eastern High Peaks is New York state’s largest wilderness area and is home to the 46 high peaks. One can hike in a landscape that varies from a northern hardwood forest to a spruce-fir zone to arctic tundra. The area is also home to numerous lakes and streams found throughout major New York state watersheds.
According to ADK, over the last few years visitor numbers have been on an upward trend, complicating the integrity of the wilderness experience and the ability to protect natural resources.

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Small Businesses Can Use IT Companies To Handle Computer, Network Issues

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by Andrea Palmer
Technological progress continues to enhance business operations. With advances come new pitfalls and opportunities for growth, particularly for the small business owner.
“With the popularity of ‘the cloud’ over the past five years, it’s been an unprecedented time for cloud- or web-based software solutions designed specifically for small businesses to function and remain competitive,” said Carl LeGere, owner of EmpireTech in Queensbury. The company serves many small businesses, with some emphasis on construction and medical.
Security is another large issue. LeGere said damage related to cybercrime is projected to hit $6 trillion annually by the year 2021.
“With this trend, it is critical to have a layered approach to cybersecurity,” said LeGere. “This should include training employees in security principles and phishing prevention, using multiple layers to protect your network and cloud data from attack, having a handle on what private or critical information is on mobile devices, and having a way to wipe those devices if they’re lost or compromised.”
“Larger companies have entire tech teams to keep them functioning and safe,” said LeGere. “Smaller businesses need a technology partner that supports them in the same way the larger companies’ tech departments do.”

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Business Report: Design Trends To Boost Productivity, Satisfaction

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Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is owner and president of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs.

By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis
At some point along the way, the term “trendy” became pejorative—a design concept to be avoided—evoking images of orange shag carpet and Harvest Gold appliances.
When it comes to office design, however, the latest trends aren’t just about flash-in-the-pan materials or color palettes. More often than not, today’s innovations in workplace technology and space planning allow for increased productivity, better ergonomics, and higher employee satisfaction.
Is your workspace keeping up with the times? Here are just a few of the many trends we are seeing in workplace design in 2019.
“Resimercial” style
Increasingly, office workers are seeking the comfortable furniture and settings they enjoy at home, but companies still desire the durability of traditional office products and materials.
Blending residential warmth and familiarity with pragmatic commercial design elements, the so-called “resimercial” trend sits at the intersection of the home and the office. This less formal, highly adaptable style appeals to younger workers, as well as to forward-thinking industries like technology and marketing. It can boost productivity, creativity, and even employee wellness.

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SUNY Empire State Launches New Online Master’s Degree In Information Technology

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SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies is offering a new online Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT).
Online MSIT students choose one of two tracks: cyber security or web technology.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there will be a 12 percent growth from 2016-2026 in employment opportunities for computer and information systems managers. This is the fastest growth than the average for all occupations, college officials said.
Not only is it among the fastest growing section, it is well-paying with the median annual wage for computer and information systems managers of $142,530 in May 2018. Moreover, the state Department of Labor reports that long-term occupational employment projections for computer systems analysts and information security analysts are “very favorable,” the department’s highest ranking, and that experienced information security analysts earn nearly $150,000 per year.

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Business Report: What New Data Breach Law Means

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Richard Ruzzo is managing partner, COO, of Shepherd Communication and Security.

by Richard Ruzzo
On July 26, the Shield Act was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to direct that better security measures and policies are put in place by all business that store, maintain or electronically handle non-public personal information (NPPI) to help protect against hackers obtaining an individual’s personal and private information.
The law is set to take effect March 21.
What determines a breach in a security system?
A breach occurs when one’s NPPI is exposed, made vulnerable or stolen from the host organization by unscrupulous data thieves. The information at risk and covered by the new statue is as follows:
Any data that is compromised and consisting of any combination of; name, Social Security number, driver’s license number or non-driver identification card, account number, credit card number, security access code, password or PIN to a financial account, username/email address with a security question/password and any biometric data information based on unique features that can be viewed digitally.
Businesses that are already regulated and that need to comply with data breach notifications for state or federal laws are also covered by the statue and must contact the state Attorney General, the Consumer Protection Board and the State Police if a breach occurs.

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Real Estate Professionals Say Local Market Is Strong For Both Residential And Commercial

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Area real estate professionals say housing is not staying on the market long in Glens Falls.

By Jill Nagy
Area real estate brokers expressed glee recently as they described the current local market, using expressions like “great,” “excellent,” “very, very strong,” “unusually hot,” and “booming,.”
Inventory, especially of houses at the lower end of the price range, is low and a new listing rarely stays on the market for more than a week, they said.
Susan Kassal of All American Properties in Glens Falls, said she showed a townhouse on a Sunday and received three offers for it by the following Monday.
“Literally within minutes of being listed, they are sold,” said Daniel Davies of Davies-Davies & Associates in Queensbury—but admitted that he was exaggerating a bit.
People are attracted by relatively low prices, favorable financing, a stock of historic buildings, and the beauty of the area. Peter Hoffman of Glen Street Associates in Glens Falls, for example, recalled when he was practically laughed out of a local banker’s office when he asked for a $1 million loan. Today, loans of $7 million or more are not unusual. Bankers are more willing to lend because they have seen successful projects, he said.
On the commercial side, many buyers are looking for investment property. With a volatile stock market and low interest rates on savings and bonds, investors see real estate as a stable investment, said Davies.

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Exchange Street Property In Glens Falls Sells For Nearly $350,000; No Changes Planned

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This property at 16 Exchange St. in Glens Falls, home to Milk & Honey, Juicin’ Jar and Advokate LLC, was recently purchased by Nancy Scumaci. She plans no changes to the structure.

By Christine Graf
Buddha Ventures, an LLC owned by Nancy Scumaci of Bolton Landing, purchased property at 16 Exchange St. in Glens Falls for $348,250.
The 4,000-square-foot building is home to Milk & Honey, Juicin’ Jar and Advokate LLC. It also includes a private two-story apartment that is occupied by a tenant.
Ann Parrish, the owner of Milk and Honey, purchased the building in 2005. It was not on the market at the time Scumaci expressed interest in buying it.

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