Glens Falls Business Journal

Dancing Horses Is Opened At The Roaring Brook Ranch By A Pair Of Equine Enthusiasts

August 19, 2024

The steeds currently at Roaring Brook Ranch have found a permanent home with Sharon Capraun, the owner of Dancing Horses.

By Jill Nagy

Some horse-crazy young girls grow up to be horse-crazy women. Two them are Sharon Capraun, owner of Dancing Horses, who recently moved to Lake George, and Connie Welsh, her pony wrangler.

When Roaring Brook Ranch had to close because of its owner’s illness, Capraun moved from Schroon Lake with 20 horses, a handful of ponies, and a petting zoo, to look after the property and operate her business.

Many of the horses were rescues from “not very good places,” Capraun said. Others were purchased at auction. While she may buy horses, Cabraun does not sell them.

“When I get them, I keep them,” she said, “They‘re not going anywhere.”

Capraun is 73 years old and retired.

“As long as I can get up on a horse, I’ll be here,” she said. “I can’t see myself ever having enough of horses.”

Mexican Eatery Using Quality Ingredients Gets Off To A Strong Start In Warrensburg

August 19, 2024

A love of Mexican cuisine prompted Adam and Kayley Geiser to open The Guac Box.

By Ann Donnelly

A new dining option is proving to be a hit in the heart of the Adirondacks. The Guac Box, a fast-casual Mexican eatery, has quickly become a local favorite since its April opening.

The restaurant, owned and operated by Adam and Kayley Geiser, offers a unique blend of authentic flavors and convenient service.

“We have seen strong demand from locals and visitors traveling through the town to Gore and further north,” says Adam Geiser. “People had been looking for something different.”

An actual family operation, Kayley, runs the front of house, while Adam operates the kitchen with solid support from his father, Darren, who has decades of restaurant experience. Adam, who has had a passion for Mexican food for most of his life, has 14 years of experience in the restaurant business, most recently in Bolton Landing at Frederick’s and Cantina 32.

The Geisers offer a “fast-casual” experience that resembles an authentic taqueria. Customers order at the counter and receive their food in takeaway boxes. Initially, they did not offer table service, but as 70 percent of the business is for takeout, they now offer it to those who wish to eat in and enjoy the charming atmosphere.

The ongoing menu includes the staples of Mexican fare, including nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more, but they level up the quality with fresh ingredients.

Educational Opportunities And Family Fun Continue Through Fall At Fort Ticonderoga

August 19, 2024

From the shores of Lake Champlain to the heights of Mount Defiance, Fort Ticonderoga continues to offer new opportunities and family fun this summer.

Ticonderoga’s epic history and signature stories are highlighted through innovative story telling on a grand scale, historic trades, daily soldiers’ life programs, new and permanent premier museum exhibitions, Fife & Drum performances, thrilling weapons demos, boat cruises, endless outdoor activities, captivating special events, and premium exclusive experiences.

A new 2024 Heroic Corn Maze design offers six acres of fun as visitors navigate towering stalks of corn using history clues related to Fort Ticonderoga to guide them. The maze is divided into two phases, giving guests the chance to gain confidence in the smaller maze before tackling the main maze. The average journey will take from 20 minutes for the first phase and up to an hour for the second phase.

The Family Guided Tour provides a kid-friendly overview of all of the exciting things to do during a visit. In addition to the tour, the new family scavenger hunt, In His Majesty’s Service, gives families a chance to work together to complete tasks as they explore Fort Ticonderoga and receive rewards for helping the soldiers with their daily duties.

Women Owned And Operated For Over 50 Years The Bargain Box Tradition Continues

August 19, 2024

Leslie Marciano, owner of The Bargain Box in South Glens Falls, continues a 50-year family tradition of offering affordable treasures and a welcoming community space for local shoppers.

By Susan Elise Campbell

For decades, The Bargain Box thrift and consignment store has been a place to hunt for treasure and shop affordably in South Glens Falls. The store has been woman-owned and operated since its beginning more than 50 years ago.

“A woman started it in Ballston Spa and a few years later, in 1973, my aunt bought the business. I took it over from her in 2014,” said current owner Leslie Marciano.

Marciano has “been in love with the store, the people and the work” since she helped out her aunt on Saturdays as a teenager.

“I would come home with lots of clothes for my pay and think, this is so cool,” she said.

Thrift and consignment stores offer affordable, gently used merchandise. For some, thrifting is like hunting for treasure, according to Marciano.

“Someone may be looking to match a piece of clothing, piece together a costume, or maybe to ‘dress’ their new home,” she said.

Approaching The Half-Century Mark, The LA Group Delivers Imaginative Landscape Design

August 19, 2024

The LA Group collaborated on the design and creation of the Campus Green, an outdoor gathering space for students at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

By Christine GraF

As the LA Group prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year, the company continues to expand its footprint throughout the United States. Established in 1974, the Saratoga Springs-based landscape architecture and civil engineering firm has a staff of 39 employees and small offices in Ithaca and Pittsburgh.

“We started out as a local shop in Saratoga but have really bolstered our experience nationally,” said Chelsea LaMarco, marketing manager. “We do a lot of federal work with the government—specifically with the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

As part of that work, the LA Group was enlisted as the site designer and landscape architect for a major expansion of the historic Arlington National Cemetery, one that transformed a difficult steeply-sloping and wooded 30-acre parcel into a shrine to honor those who have served our country.

Opinions Differ Regarding The Safe Use Of ProcellaCOR In Lake George Waters

August 19, 2024

A crew prepares to evaluate the extent to which Eurasian water milfoil has invaded Lake George so officials can determine if the use of ProcellaCOR is appropriate to control it.

By Paul Post

A prominent environmental group and the state agency charged with protecting Lake George have partnered for many years on programs designed to kill Eurasian water milfoil, an aquatic invasive species that causes environmental problems and hurts the economy by impacting recreational activities such as boating, fishing, swimming and paddle sports.

But the Lake George Association and Lake George Park Commission are at odds over the recent application of the chemical ProcellaCOR in two bays in northern parts of the lake.

The product, made by Indiana-based SePro Corporation, kills plants with a hormone that plants absorb, causing them to grow too rapidly and die off within a few weeks. The chemical has had positive results in numerous water bodies across America and locally in places such as Minerva, Brant and Saratoga lakes, Lake Luzerne, and Lake Sunnyside and Glen Lake in Queensbury,.

Maviro Performs Complete Remediation Services To Ensure A Clean Environment

August 19, 2024

An excavator from Maviro, Inc. in Queensbury, NY, begins work on a comprehensive environmental remediation project, exemplifying the company’s full-service capabilities.

By Susan Elise Campbell

For environmental cleaning, remediation and other specialized services, the Queensbury office of Maviro, Inc. has a growing presence in the North Country down to Albany, west to Syracuse and east to Vermont, said James Vogt, vice president of the East Region for the Houston-based corporation

Vogt started the New York division three years ago in Clifton Park. Since then he has overseen a move to Queensbury Avenue, the purchase of equipment, acquisition of two other companies, and a staff increase from two people to 16, he said.

“The key to industrial services in the region we serve is the environmental services line,” said Vogt.

Those services range from removing an old residential oil tank to chemical cleaning of a power plant to remediation projects under contract with the DEC, he said.

Business Report: Use A Multi-Layered Security Approach

August 19, 2024

David Andrade, president Stored Technology Solutions Inc. (StoredTech).

By David Andrade

Why is a multi-layered approach so effective? It’s simple: redundancy. If one layer fails, others are there to catch the slack. It’s like having multiple locks on your door—each one adds an extra level of protection. By combining both physical and network security measures, you’re creating a fortress that’s tough to breach. Your business should be equipped with the right tools and technologies to keep threats out.

For a modern-day business, a robust security system isn’t just advisable; it’s necessary. You are trusted to protect your customers’ sensitive business data, your employees, and your assets.

Network Security:

Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. These attacks present in various forms suh as phishing, malware, ransomware, and direct hacking attempts. The risk of a successful attack leads to revenue loss, downtime, damage to your brand and reputation, and loss of trust from your customers. 80% of all cyber-attacks target the small and midsize business (SMB) market. Even more eye opening is 27 percent of SMBs report that they will be put of business from a cyber-attack.

With virtually everything we do being done on computers and machines, we have to protect the systems we use. Firewalls scrutinize incoming and outgoing traffic to block unauthorized access, while VPNs encrypt your data to create a secure tunnel for information to travel across public networks while working remotely. Additionally, you need antivirus software, data backups, MFA (multi-factor authentication), employee cybersecurity awareness training, and more. The extensive and complex list of security solutions necessary to protect your IT infrastructure and sensitive business data can seem daunting. A Managed Service Provider (MSP), like StoredTech, will shoulder that responsibility for you.

The Center For Security Offers Its Customers Sophisticated Or ‘Old School’ Lock Systems

August 19, 2024August 19, 2024

Chris Lanfare, store manager and technician at Center For Security in Queensbury, stands by some of the safes available for sale at the 16 Main St. location

By Christine Graf

For more than two decades, Center for Security has been providing locksmith and security services to residential and commercial customers throughout the Capital Region.

“My father (Tom Walsh) started on his own in the 1990s and then went into business with his partner, Scott Hogan,” said Patrick Walsh, manager and technician at Center for Security.

After outgrowing their first shop in Clifton Park, the business relocated to a larger space at 1659 Route 9 in Clifton Park. The partners later added a second location at 16 Main Street in Queensbury.

The company’s 15 employees have decades of experience, most having been with the company for many years.

“We’ve had the same group of guys working for us for a long time,” said Walsh. “There’s a lot of on-the-job training, and it takes years to learn the ins and outs of locks. You learn a lot of it by being out on the road—learning how to pick locks in different ways.”

Business Report: Workplace Political Discussions Must Be Respectful

August 19, 2024

Renee Walrath, president, Walrath Recruiting Inc., Saratoga Springs.

By Renee Walrath

With the 2024 election drawing near, political tensions have increased and will only grow stronger over the upcoming months. Many Americans are bracing for these divisive political conversations, at home and work.

Although there are always going to be some employees who are eager to share their opinions, a recent study found that over half of workers try to avoid having any discussion of politics in the workplace. That same survey concluded that 51 percent of workers believed that political discussions in the workplace hurt the work environment.

While it should go without saying that the workplace is not an ideal place to have these conversations, it is unrealistic to expect discussions regarding political concerns not to crop up over the next several months. To help navigate political discourse in a professional environment, companies should be proactive in their approach. Ensure there are clear guidelines and expectations put in place to limit or eliminate any excessive political disruptions. Consider these practical recommendations to effectively navigate political conversations in the workplace.

First and foremost, establishing clear policies or boundaries is essential. Formalizing policies set a framework of how conversations should be conducted to ensure no ostracizing of employees.

Professional environments always require mutual respect among all parties. Employers should maintain vigorous anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies to cover any protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion, etc., which often arise in political dialogue.