Muroff Hospitality Group has announced the sale of The Lamplight Inn Bed & Breakfast at 231 Lake Ave in Lake Luzerne. Known as “The Jewel of the Adirondacks,” this award-winning property features 12 luxurious suites, a sun-drenched dining room and a spacious owner’s apartment. The expansive wrap around porch leads into the grand 1890 Victorian building. The Carriage House is behind the main building where there are five large ground floor suites in a modern building surrounded by acres of wooded privacy.

The sellers are Eugene and Linda Merlino. Gene Merlino has been the long-time town supervisor of Lake Luzerne, and will continue in that role. The buyers are George and Mary Haleem of Pennsylvania. This will be their first investment property in New York state. 

Mitch Muroff of Muroff Hospitality Group represented the seller and secured the buyer in this exclusive listing. The sale price was $1,255,000 and the transaction closed on May 1 in Queensbury.

The Inn was built in 1890 as the summer home of wealthy bachelor Howard Conkling. Conkling was a lawyer from New York City and a member of the New York State Assembly. He was well traveled and wrote multiple books of his travels. No expense was spared for his home. A 12-foot beamed ceiling, chestnut wainscoting and keyhole staircases enhance the spacious Great Room, now used as the guest sitting area.

By Paul Post

Denver Semon developed a strong following as chef at the former Flight and Aviator restaurants in Glens Falls and Queensbury, respectively.

Now she’s taking off with her own new eatery, Scratch Kitchen, at 199 Warren Street in Glens Falls, directly across from the south end of McDonald Street.

The quaint, tastefully decorated establishment brings a touch of country to the city as Semon makes her own breads, soups and sausage meats complemented by fresh herbs, veggies and colorful cut flowers, available for sale, which she raises at home.

“Everything’s going to be made from scratch,” she said. “My own breads, my own roast turkey. I’ve done this for others for a long time. Chefs work a lot of hours. I just thought, if I’m going to work that many hours I might as well do it for myself.”

Originally from a Finger Lakes small town, Semon moved to Glens Falls in 1998 and has also worked at The Sagamore and as executive chef for Point O’Pines Girls Camp in Brant Lake. Her career also took her to Williamsburg, Va., before moving back to Glens Falls. 

By Susan Elise Campbell

WellNow Urgent Care is one of the fastest-growing providers of urgent medical care, telehealth and occupational medicine services in the United States. With a new location that opened April 10 at 920 Lake George Road in Queensbury, medical care and diagnostic services are now available seven days a week to patients in the North Country, said Beth Pagan, WellNow’s director of market operations for eastern New York.

“WellNow provides a wide array of diagnostics, including X-rays, EKGs, complete metabolic panels, and much more,” said Pagan. 

There are nearly 80 WellNow locations in the state and 200 in the country offering urgent, not emergency, care.

“Our centers offer more services than the average primary care physician so that patients can be treated right away without having to go to a traditional emergency room, where they might face long wait times and an expensive bill,” she said. 

Saratoga Springs rower and Regatta Director for the Saratoga Rowing Association, Kristi Wagner, has been announced as one of the first 21 members selected to go to the Summer Games in Paris this July, by US Rowing. 

Wagner plans the Head of the Fish, among other high school races for SRA, with her doubles partner Sofia Vitas.

Together, Wagner and Vitas won the Bronze medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. The two women were part of the first round of rowers selected by the US Rowing Team to compete at the Olympics. 

Together they will be looking to return to the medal podium in the women’s double sculls in Paris. Now a five-time national team member, Wagner will be racing at her second Olympic Games, having finished fifth in the event in Tokyo. Also a five-time national team member, Vitas will be making her Olympic debut in Paris.

In addition to being a full-time athlete and Regatta Director, Wagner is also a podcast host. For the past year, she’s been taking listeners behind the scenes of her journey to qualify to make the Olympic games in her show “The Other 3 Years.”

By Jill Nagy

Shelley Riopelle opened a new skin care facility in February in Fort Edward. Called the Skin Renaissance Studio, it is located at 1461 Route 9.

Riopelle has been providing skin care treatments for 28 years, including 10 years in Saratoga and, most recently, at a day spa she owned in South Glens Falls for two-and-a-half years. 

She describes her new location as “warm and welcoming” and in a great location with easy access and ample parking.

The emphasis at Skin Renaissance Studio is on skincare. “I’m very passionate about skincare; it’s what I love to do,” Riopelle said. She offers a wide range of skin care services, particularly facial treatments. Licensed as a medical aesthetician, her services run the gamut from eyebrow shaping to full body waxing. Services also include light therapy treatments, dermaplaning, chemical peels and more. She specializes in treatments for rosacea, sun damaged pigmented skin, and anti-aging treatments.