Revised for updated statistics, minor factual corrections. By Rod Bacon A game created on the West Coast 60 years ago has become the fastest growing sport in the United States. The brainchild of three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCullum — Pickleball was designed as a backyard game to entertain families....
Business Report: Why 10-Pay Whole Life Insurance Deserves A Closer Look
By Brian M. Johnson, MBA, CLTC
For many working-age adults, planning for the future often centers around saving for retirement, managing debt, and building wealth. Yet an often-overlooked component of a well-rounded financial strategy is life insurance—specifically, 10-pay whole life insurance, a permanent life insurance policy paid up in just 10 years.
While frequently seen as a tool for wealthier individuals or older adults, 10-pay whole life insurance plays a significant role in both estate and long-term care planning, offering unique benefits for those who begin earlier in life.
Understanding 10-pay whole life insurance
A 10-pay whole life insurance policy is a type of permanent life insurance with guaranteed death benefits, fixed premiums for 10 years, and a cash value component that grows over time.
Unlike term life insurance, which provides coverage for a set number of years, whole life covers the insured for their entire life, assuming premiums are paid.
What makes the 10-pay version distinctive is the compressed payment schedule—premiums are paid over just 10 years, after which the policy is considered “paid-up.”
This feature is attractive to individuals who want to pre-fund a long-term asset during working years while minimizing obligations in retirement.
Tax-free wealth transfer
One of the most recognized uses of whole life insurance in estate planning is its ability to transfer wealth in a tax-efficient manner.
The death benefit is typically income tax-free to beneficiaries and, when structured properly, can also be excluded from the taxable estate.
For families with significant assets—or those with modest estates and legacy intentions—this can help preserve wealth across generations.
Business Report: You Need An Estate Plan — Now
By Deb Verni
The perfect time to put together an estate plan is before you need it. Unfortunately, most people think about creating an estate plan when a close friend or relative must be placed in a nursing home or when a family member dies and the kids are fighting over assets because there is no Will.
I joke with people and say if you don’t have a “Will”, you have a “Won’t”, I won’t die or become ill and go into a nursing home. My kids won’t fight over my money. My minor children won’t be raised by my evil sister. My children won’t blow their inheritance on fast cars and gambling. My daughter’s husband won’t take half of my hard-earned money when they get divorced after I pass.
A Last Will and Testament is just the beginning of an estate plan. Although a Will is important, it is only one of the documents in your estate plan. A comprehensive estate plan should include a Will, a Health Care Proxy Living Will, a Durable Power of Attorney and in most cases a Trust. Does everyone need all these documents? It depends on your assets and your family dynamics.
For those of you that never considered family dynamics, I can assure you that if your children do not get along while you are alive, they will not get along after you pass. If you are concerned about your money going to in-laws and out-laws after your death, then you need to plan for that. If you want to make sure money goes to your grandchildren, or you have a child or grandchild with special needs, you need to plan for that too.
Now that your head is spinning and you are thinking a “won’t” is not such a bad idea and you are looking around every corner for greedy relatives, remember, you can establish an estate plan now and leave all your worries behind, literally. So how do you go about setting up an estate plan? First you need to figure out who will be in charge and where you want things to go. Estate documents are easy to establish but you need to do your homework. Let’s go through an estate plan step by step.
Plans Underway For Next Generation To Take A Leadership Role At E&T O’Connor Construction
Courtesy Saratoga Business Journal
By Rod Bacon
The mantle of leadership of a highly respected longtime area business is in the process of being passed to the fifth generation of the family.
Within approximately 60 days, Pat O’Connor, who is currently the president, will take the reins of 120-year-old E&T O’Connor Construction from cousins Brian O’Connor and Kevin O’Connor.
“Brian and Kevin came to me a few years ago and said ‘You’re the next one to take over if you want to,’ so I’ve been preparing for this for quite some time,” said Pat. “They continued to run the company until now.”
In 1905, Thomas O’Connor started the business hauling dirt between Glens Falls and Ticonderoga with a horse and wagon. The earliest services offered were earth moving and site development using cable excavators for building contractors.
By the 1940s, ownership had passed to Thomas’ two sons, Edward and Thomas Jr. They continued to do site development so contractors could pour foundations for buildings in Glens Falls, one of which was the First National Bank. They also did site preparation for the Glens Falls Civic Center in the 1970s.
Northern Power & Light Spearheads Project To Deliver Renewable Energy To Glens Falls
Courtesy of Advokate
By Rod Bacon
For years, Emmett Smith, co-founder and CEO of Saranac Lake-based Northern Power & Light, and Dr. Jeffrey Flagg, economic development director for the City of Glens Falls, discussed hydro-based projects but couldn’t find one that was actionable.
That changed when the Glens Falls Community Hydro Project went live on May 21. The project is delivering clean, renewable energy to National Grid customers in Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties and beyond.
Northern Power & Light has partnered with Boralex Hydro Operations, Inc., a developer of environmentally friendly projects that owns and operates the Warrensburg Dam. They operate 199 wind, solar, and hydro facilities in the United States and abroad.
Customers enrolling in the program are guaranteed a 5 percent saving on their energy bills. Qualifying low-income customers may see savings of up to 25 percent.
Cost savings are due in part to the recent implementation of the H-Value, a pricing structure that enables small-scale hydro producers to participate in New York state’s Community Distributed Generation program. This policy reform allows the energy producers to provide cost savings for customers, similar to incentives available for solar producers.
BOCES To Break Ground On $96M Wilton Campus To Train Students For High-Demand Careers
Editor’s Note: July 7, 2025
This article incorrectly stated in the headline that BOCES had broken ground on its new $96 million Wilton campus. The groundbreaking has not yet occurred. The headline has been updated to reflect that the event is forthcoming.
By Paul Post
BOCES officials are eagerly awaiting groundbreaking for a $96 million campus that will increase capacity for current programs such as construction trades while making new offerings such as green energy and a standalone electrical course possible.
Plans call for three buildings totaling 290,000 square feet on 25 acres at the corner of Ballard and North roads, just off Exit 16 in Wilton. Two buildings would be for special education (grades K-6 and 7-12) and a third for career and technical classes.
The complex would replace the current Southern Adirondack and F. Donald Myers learning centers in Hudson Falls and Saratoga Springs, respectively.
A BOCES program for special education elementary students at the Sanford Street School in Glens Falls would also move to Wilton.
“Currently we tend to have a wait list for our programs,” BOCES District Superintendent Turina M. Parker said. “So we’ll be able to take more students into current programs. And some programs we’re only able to offer at one center now. All programs will be offered at the new center, so it expands our capacity to serve all 31 school districts in the five counties we serve. It expands our reach for students across the region.”
The Albany Med Health System Elects Daniel T. Pickett III To Chair Its Board
Capital Region entrepreneur Daniel T. Pickett III has been elected chairman of the Albany Med Health System board of directors, beginning a two-year term July 1.
Pickett is founder and CEO of AptiHealth, a behavioral-healthcare company that connects high-need patients with comprehensive care, and CEO of Hudson River Capital Holdings, a private investment firm. He previously served as president of Zones and CEO of nfrastructure, two global technology companies, and joined the Albany Med board in 2012 when it oversaw only Albany Medical Center and Albany Medical College. Today, the board includes 30 members guiding a system that spans multiple hospitals, outpatient sites, the Albany Med Research Institute and partnerships with affiliated organizations across northeastern New York.
“A strong health-care network allows communities to thrive,” Pickett said. “Having 16,000 colleagues who live and work here means we understand local needs. It is an honor to lead a System that remains independent and able to define the future of care. As we move forward, we must develop new approaches to meet patients where they are.”
Pickett plans to focus on workforce development, expand access to specialized services such as cardiac and oncology care, and deepen integration among the System’s hospitals. The Albany Med Health System, the region’s largest private employer, offers more than 60 specialty services across 125 locations in New York’s Capital Region and the Hudson Valley, with an annual economic impact exceeding $2 billion.
Recent expansions include bringing pediatric specialties to communities that previously lacked them, launching mobile health units to serve rural areas, and investing in graduate medical education partnerships to train the next generation of providers. The System also continues to invest in telehealth and remote monitoring to reach patients in their homes and reduce barriers to care. Through charity-care programs and community clinics, Albany Med provides free or discounted services to underserved populations.
72 New Units Added At Greylock’s Broad Street Glens Falls Location
By Rod Bacon
A facility that has been a mainstay in the region’s storage business since 1946 has been rebranded and undergone significant upgrades.
In 2022, Pittsfield, Massachusetts-based Mountain Capital Partners LLC purchased the storage operation of Mullen Moving and Storage from owner Martin Mullen. The company was founded by Patrick Ryan Mullen, who held a stevedore license, in the late 1800s. He moved the company to North Adams, Massachusetts, in the early 1900s and it later expanded to Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and Schenectady.
Mountain Capital Partners, which owns other storage facilities in Pittsfield and Adams, Massachusetts, and Schenectady, New York, is operated by Anthony Massimiano and several others. They recently rebranded the local facility as Greylock Storage and started the process of making it the premier site for safe records storage in Glens Falls.
“We had been looking at the acquisition for quite some time, and felt the storage and warehousing part of the business was a good investment,” said Massimiano. “We viewed it as an accretive addition to our portfolio.”
Significant improvements have been made at the site. The original 10,000-square-foot structure has been repainted and has a new roof. A secured building with 24-hour video surveillance, it houses Greylock’s records business and two floors of temperature controlled storage units.
On an adjacent parcel they’ve constructed four buildings totaling 9,300 square feet containing 72 new drive-up units that range in size from five feet by 10 feet to 10 feet by 20 feet. These units are not temperature controlled.
The company has a division called The Archive, which inventories paper, data tape, and microfiche records and provides courier services in the event information needs to be accessed by the client. There are also destruction services for records that are no longer required.
Freedom Boat Club Expands To Bolton Landing With New Lake George Location
Freedom Boat Club Lake George has announced the opening of a second Lake George location in Bolton Landing.
Heading into their ninth summer providing hassle-free boating on Lake George, Freedom Boat Club saw a need to expand their services to meet the growing demand for membership boating. The new location will be located at Water’s Edge Marina, 47 Sagamore Rd, Bolton Landing, which underwent a change in ownership in January of this year. There will initially be five new boats available at the Bolton Landing location in addition to the twenty boats located at their flagship location at Queen Boat Co in Dunhams Bay.
Freedom Boat Club members pay a one-time entry fee and monthly dues to utilize the fleet of boats while the club takes care of purchasing, docking, cleaning, insuring and maintaining the boats.
Owners Matt and Rebecca O’Hara are excited to be offering a new boating experience for members. “We have had a waitlist for membership for years and are thrilled to have the opportunity to add membership capacity in a great new location. Water’s Edge is the perfect launching point for members to explore parts of the lake that were less accessible boating out of our Dunhams Bay location,” said owner Matt O’Hara. “And members will definitely enjoy all that the town of Bolton Landing has to offer before or after their boat outings!”
Walmart Quaker Ridge Celebrates Major Expansion, Adds Jobs And New Services
Paul Post
By Paul Post
Walmart on Quaker Ridge Boulevard opened in 2011 to take pressure off the larger Supercenter on Route 9 in Queensbury.
But sales have been so strong that a 5,000-square-foot expansion and redevelopment became necessary, which store leaders, employees and customers alike celebrated with a recent grand reopening.
“This store is truly the footprint of what Walmart is trying to build,” Market Manager Robert Hazard said. “This store has grown faster than Walmart ever expected. It’s more than doubled in volume. Now we’re ready for the next 10 years of business.”
A new pharmacy, a relocated 3,000-square-foot online pickup and delivery area, larger grocery and new lines of apparel such as Reebok and Jessica Simpson are among the many highlights.
A huge arch of blue, gold and white balloons greeted customers to the rededication ceremony.
Everyone on hand was treated to a large assortment of blue and gold-frosted cupcakes, joined by life-size Pillsbury Doughboy and M&M’s costumed characters.