Some 20 artists in Washington County will be displaying their works and promoting artists in the area when Open Studios of Washington County makes its biennial return to the region July 13-16.

The event has brought thousands of visitors to local studios while generating significant revenue for participating artists. It has also raised the visibility of the artists in the communities in which they live.

“Open Studios is a great opportunity for people to discover the extraordinary talent of our regional artists,” said Sue Sanderson, organizer of Open Studios of Washington County. “This year we have a record 20 artists. Many are nationally and internationally acclaimed. Those who aren’t are making their mark. And all support each other.”

She said the diversity of the artists is important to the success of the tour. Established tour artists attract an engaged audience and bring credibility to the event. First-time tour artists offer collectors the opportunity to discover new talent.

Greenwich artist Karen Koziol experienced the enthusiasm for new artists during the 2015 tour. “Doing the tour was absolutely exhilarating,” said Koziol. “People were really engaged and interested in what I was doing, why I was doing it and how I was doing it. I made some great connections.”

A fundraiser to help with a local group’s purchase of the Adirondack Thunder hockey team in Glens Falls on June 2 raised $25,800, officials said.

The money raised pushed the total funds raised for the Keep Hockey Here campaign through donations, events and pledges past the halfway mark of its overall goal.

The fundraiser, called Raise the Rink, had 320 attendees inside Heritage Hall at the Glens Falls Civic Center. It consisted of a series of live, silent and raffle auctions.

Officials said the highest selling item was four front row tickets to a Boston Red Sox game, combined with dinner for four inside Fenway Park and overnight accommodations just outside of Boston. The winning bid, coming from Dr. John O’Connor, came in at $2,600, more than twice the value of the package.

“The Raise The Rink event was one of the most successful Keep Hockey Here efforts we’ve seen yet,” Adirondack Civic Center Coalition President Dan Burke said. “We are consistently blown away by the support we receive from our local community and are extremely excited to surpass the halfway mark of our donation goal,” said Burke. “I’d like to personally thank everyone who came out and we look forward to continuing our fundraising efforts this summer because this is truly our team.”

New York state in May announced the winning projects selected for the City of Glens Falls in the Capital Region as part of the state’s $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The DRI aims to transform local neighborhoods across the state into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work and raise a family. Working together with state agencies and the Regional Economic Development Council, the City of Glens Falls has built a strategic investment plan that identifies catalytic downtown projects consistent with the initiative’s goals.

Glens Falls has received $10 million  under the state initiative.

“The Downtown Revitalization Initiative recognizes that vital central business districts can anchor the growth of an entire region, especially those with a strong central market as their focal point,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who made the DRI announcement at the Glens Falls Civic Center in an event hosted by EDC Warren County.

Keena Staffing was named Professional Business of the Year by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce and Adirondack Business Council at the 27th annual ARCC Business of the Year Awards ceremony on June 7 at the Hiland Park Country Club in Queensbury.

The awards recognize achievement in business, commitment to community and contributions to the region’s quality of life.

Nominees in the Professional Business of the Year category included Adirondack Technical Solutions, ConfiData and the Kinney Agency. Denise Barnes, Sherry Barnaby, Michael Gerarde, Connie Gerarde-Niles, Doreen Kelly and Michael Niles were on hand to accept the award.

The Small Business of the Year award went to Talk of the Town/The Bullpen. Nominees on that category included StreamLined Graphics, the Spa Studio and Tom McDermott Motorcycle Sales. Paul Bricoccoli and Jason Krogmann represented the winning business.

Rookie Business of the Year was MinkyMink and proprietor Maura Bannon accepted the award. Nominees included Jonathan Reid, Just-A-Buck and Square Nail Rustics.

By Maureen Werther

Mark L. Adams, Ph.D. and CEO of Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has submitted a proposal to Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) outlining an ambitious two-phase plan to convert the vacant Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility into an energy research park.

It would include several small power plants and surrounding infrastructure representing a $2 billion investment, he said.

In 2014, in response to the declining prison population, the state closed the medium-security prison, resulting in a loss of 320 full-time jobs with an estimated loss of $14 million in annual wages. The state is working through ESDC to find buyers for the site. They are offering an $8 million incentive package as part of its effort to attract bidders.

GERA’s plans include the creation of a two-phase energy and research development facility, using a nuclear-powered internal engine, which Adams said is the only prototype of its kind. The internal engine is powered using radioactive waste material and creates no exhaust. The engine serves a dual purpose of disposing of radioactive waste in a clean and efficient manner, while producing its own energy.

“There is no ancillary waste with this system,” said Adams, adding that GERA’s engine operates at efficiencies greater than 70 percent.

He said one plant using the internal nuclear engine will power 420,000 homes and consume only one gallon of radioactive waste every two weeks, which translates into enormous cost savings to business and private consumers.