QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury varsity field hockey team earned a shutout against Schuylerville on Thursday, winning 3-0 at home behind three goals by Dani Hand.
Hand scored twice in the first half, pacing the Spartans to a 2-0 lead at the break. The senior completed the hat trick in the second half, giving Queensbury a 3-0 lead. Ryan Allen and Kaitlyn Barton each picked up assists in the win.
Queensbury had 14 corners to Schuylerville’s 3, while Black Horses goalie Petra Gamage made 19 saves. Abigail Kittell stopped two shots in the win for the Spartans.
Queensbury will return to action when the team hosts Scotia-Glenville at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.
GLENS FALLS — New ownership took over Pure N’ Simple Natural Foods in June, but not much else has changed for the longtime Glens Falls store.
Kristen and Andrew Holt have run the store for just over three months, taking over for former owners Paul and Bonnie Savard. Kristen Holt said the transition was “seamless.”
“They closed on a Friday under their name, and we opened on a Monday under our name,” said Holt. “The health inspector came in Monday morning before we opened, and it was just a seamless transition.”
Holt said the idea to run a health food store initially came from her husband.
“Several months back, my husband just randomly mentioned to me that we should start a health food store,” Holt said. “I said, ‘Well, you should talk to the other health food store in town. … We should talk to them and see if we can partner with them.”
What the Holts found instead, however, was that the property had been listed for sale.
“Two days later, I walked into the store and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign on the building,” said Holt. “I asked them about it, and they said that they were going to be selling the store.”
The Savards were planning on closing the store altogether at the end of May, Holt said. This led the Holts to take over Pure N’ Simple, which they have operated since June 6.
“I just got the chills and I just felt such a deep grief for this couple that had poured their heart and soul into this shop for 35 years, and for the community, that it wasn’t going to be here anymore for them,” said Holt.
After returning from a vacation, the Holts began talks to take over the store.
“We came back, and we met with them. We were able to just talk about what we needed, and what they needed,” Holt explained. “It worked out beautifully. … It’s just been so beautiful working with Paul and Bonnie. They’ve been such an encouragement, such a support in training us and teaching us everything we would need to know for the shop.”
Since taking over, Holt says the response from the local community has been strong.
“We love it. We have four small kids that love to be here with us as well,” said Holt. “We’ve gotten really positive feedback from the community. Everyone’s very excited that we’re here. … It’s great to have the support of the customers.”
Pure N’ Simple specializes in health food and supplements, Holt said. She noted that the couple is attempting to “keep everything the same” as before the sale, in addition to adding several new options.
“We’ve got supplements and herbs, and vitamins. We’ve got a lot of healthy, organic foods and also non-organic,” said Holt. “We’ve got foods for special diets, like vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free. We have a lot of bulk foods. … We package all our own dried fruits, nuts, flowers, oats, that sort of thing.”
Holt mentioned that the store hopes to partner with local growers to sell fresh produce.
“It’s great that we have the farmer’s market on Saturday, but we would like to afford them a place where they can also sell Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Not just on Saturday’s,” said Holt. “That would be our biggest goal.”
Holt also said the store will fulfill custom orders, encouraging customers to reach out and provide feedback.
“We’re still doing the famous granola and muffins that they made,” Holt said. “If there’s any changes that they’re not used to, or anything they would like that we don’t have, we would love for them to let us know.
“We want to make sure our customers are getting the same thing that they had, plus a little extra.”
Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins (left), New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez (middle), and Glens Falls economic development director Jeff Flagg (right) walk through the city’s downtown area during a visit by Rodriguez’s office on Wednesday. Photo by Dylan McGlynn.
GLENS FALLS — New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez joined Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins and other city officials for a tour of Glens Falls’ downtown on Wednesday, showcasing the improvements made to the city as a result of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
Rodriguez’ office is currently on a tour of DRI projects around the state. He referred to Glens Falls’ downtown as “a really vibrant area.”
“I think there’s a really great team, and the commitment of the Mayor and the City in supporting the DRI is really critical to that,” said Rodriguez. “We’ve seen a number of the businesses that have benefitted from our investment funds, and you really see that when you’re walking along the streets.”
Mayor Collins said, “This is what happens when you’re successful and you move these projects forward,” in reference to the visit.
“People start to pay attention, and more success breeds success,” Collins said. “The Secretary of State here today, the Lieutenant Governor here three weeks ago. Those are great indicators for a Mayor and a common council. That means that people are happy with what they’re seeing, they’re coming to see what the 10 million dollars is going to be leveraged into.”
Collins said the downtown area has seen $36 million of total investment, counting the $10 million the city received through DRI.
“That’s impressive. That sort of thing can change a downtown,” said Collins. “I believe Glens Falls has been under a revitalization for about 10 to 15 years now. Developers have invested in Glens Falls, and as they’re building, they’re filling things.”
Rodriguez emphasized the support of the Glens Falls community, saying that DRI projects around the state wouldn’t be successful “without local community support.”
“I think DRI is one of those things that the community really rallies behind. We’ve seen it with Glens Falls, but we’ve also seen it 59 other times,” Rodriguez said. “They’re the ones that choose the list of projects that we do. We don’t make it up, they make it up. The community makes it up. That’s what makes it special, and that’s why we have such a high rate of success.”
The tour involved a stop on South Street, “the last piece of the DRI investment,” as Rodriguez referred to it. The City is looking to build a year-round farmer’s market and renovate several buildings on South Street into mixed-use apartments and commercial spaces.
“The South Market, and that South Street corridor is still the last piece of the DRI investment that we’re looking to focus on,” said Rodriguez. “So really, seeing the housing get created around that, breaking ground, making sure that we get the year-round farmer’s market, are the final pieces to completing what has been the vision of Glens Falls around the DRI.”
“This has been a long time coming, six years. All I’m doing is helping carry the football across the end zone,” Collins said. “I’m very excited to be a part of this, and to keep us going forward.
“We need to continue to move forward, make sure we’re not in people’s way, and that our success leads a chance for everybody to come to Glens Falls and prosper.”
QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury varsity boys soccer team reached a milestone on Wednesday, holding off Schuylerville for a 2-1 victory at home.
The win was the 500th in the history of the Spartans’ boys soccer program, according to the school’s athletic page on Twitter. The team came firing out of the gate on Wednesday, scoring twice in the opening minutes.
Gavin Kelly scored the game’s opening goal, finishing a feed from Ian Rathbun to give Queensbury an early 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, a shot by Max Roca deflected off a Black Horses defender and in, giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Schuylerville eventually settled in late in the half, but Spartan goalie Jake Afsar-Keshmiri made several quality stops to keep the Black Horses off the board and send Queensbury to the half with a 2-0 lead.
The visiting team was able to generate more pressure in the second half, and got on the board in the 53rd minute. A misplay by the Queensbury defense allowed an opportunity for Alex Renner, and he finished to cut the Spartans’ lead to 2-1.
Queensbury was able to buckle down, however, turning away all other opportunities and holding on for a 2-1 win. Afsar-Keshmiri made seven saves in goal for the Spartans.
Kelly and Roca each scored goals, while Rathbun had an assist for Queensbury. Renner scored the lone goal for Schuylerville, with Griffin Brophy making four saves in goal.
Queensbury will play at Hudson Falls at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
GLOVERSVILLE — Queensbury field hockey senior Dani Hand put herself in the Spartans’ record books on Tuesday, reaching the 50-goal milestone in a 9-0 win on the road against Gloversville.
Hand scored four goals and added an assist, becoming the fourth player in Queensbury field hockey history to score 50 career goals. The senior is fifth in points in team history, with 76 (50 goals, 26 assists). Hand’s older sister, Stephanie, is second in team history with 84 goals, behind Laura Gersten (127 career goals).
Ryan Allen added two goals for the Spartans in Tuesday’s win, while Gianna Marcantonio, Brianna Zehr, and Kendal Kelsey also scored goals. Kendra Bullard had two assists for Queensbury, with Lilyauna Hazelton and Maddy Moger also adding assists.
Felix Clo made 12 saves in goal for Gloversville, while Larissa Sheffield stopped eight shots.
Queensbury will host Schuylerville at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Queensbury girls soccer cruises past Hudson Falls
HUDSON FALLS — The Queensbury varsity girls soccer team rolled past Hudson Falls on Tuesday, earning a 7-0 win on the road.
Ava Roca opened the scoring with an unassisted goal, followed by a goal from Ava Stewart off an assist by Meredith Montgomery. Bayley Duffy extended the lead to 3-0, with a goal by Emily Tenner pushing the advantage to four goals.
Allison Dittrich made it 5-0 off an assist by Stewart, and Roca’s second goal stretched the lead to six. Dittrich’s second goal, assisted by Mia Keshmiri, brought the game to its 7-0 final score.
Stewart had a goal and three assists for the Spartans, while Roca and Dittrich each scored two goals. Duffy and Tenner also scored goals, with Montgomery and Keshmiri adding assists. Katie Mitchell made 18 saves in goal for Hudson Falls.
Queensbury will host Gloversville at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
QUEENSBURY — The Adirondack Balloon Festival returns this week for its 49th year, running from Sept. 22-25 at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury and Crandall Park in Glens Falls.
“I think everyone’s happy to have it back,” said Erin Reid Coker, a member of the Festival’s board of directors and one of the event’s organizers. “From a fan or general public standpoint, we just have nonstop messages on social media, and emails, with people excited to come up from all parts of the country, really.”
Opening ceremonies will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday at Crandall Park in Glens Falls, with an initial flight of 10+ balloons, according to the festival schedule.
Crandall Park will also have food vendors and live music on Thursday, and a ‘Downtown Block Party’ begins at 6 p.m. The block party will feature balloon baskets on display, activities for kids, and a car show.
“Crandall Park’s been a tradition for a long time,” said Coker. “We’ll have balloon baskets down there for people to check out. Glens Falls has always been a big supporter of the event, so it’s a pretty easy transition for people to come to the park and check out the balloons, then go downtown and support the local restaurants and businesses.”
The festival has “close to 60” balloons in total, Coker said, adding that the Crandall Park ceremonies will be between 12-15 balloons.
The Balloon Festival did not have vendors last year, Coker mentioned, as a result of uncertainty during the planning period due to COVID-19. This year, however, the Festival appears to be back in full force. Coker said the festival team has been “blown away” with support from local businesses.
“It’s just been amazing, how much support we’ve had from them,” said Coker.
On top of food and drink vendors, the Zonta Club will be running a craft fair at the festival. Coker said there will also be several sponsorship vendors.
A flight of up to 50 balloons, including ‘special shapes’, will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday. A similar flight will take place at the same time on Saturday, and will be followed by ‘Lighting Up the Night’, a flight of glow-in-the-dark balloons at 8 p.m.
“When it gets dark, the balloons will inflate, and from the propane burners you can kind of see the glow of the balloon shapes and the colors,” Coker said. “It’s synced to music. We’ll have some music on hand, where at certain points during a song, different balloons will hit their propane burners.”
Coker noted that the flights are weather-permitting, saying “that’s always the biggest factor.”
“The pilots want to fly as much as anybody else wants to see them, so we hope for good weather,” Coker said.
There will be live music on hand at the festival, with performances by bands such as Beatin’ the Odds and Across the Pond.
The festival will also pay tribute to its founders. ‘Celebrating Joan’ will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, honoring Joan Grishkot, who passed away last year. ‘Walter and Joan’s Mass Ascension’ will take place at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Coker referred to Grishkot as “the face of the festival.”
“Joan and Walter, her husband, started the festival 49 years ago,” Coker said. “She’s going to be missed, and we’ll have that special launch for her.”
The closing flight of the festival will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday in Crandall Park.
Coker emphasized the community aspect of the festival, saying that it has “kind of turned into a tradition for my family.”
“I think that’s what it is for a majority of people that come,” said Coker. “Their kids came when they were young, and then they grew up, got married, and their kids come. So it’s really important for me to create these memories for my wife and daughter. That’s pretty much why I do it.”
The Adirondack Balloon Festival is free to attend. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit adirondackballoonfest.org.
GLENS FALLS — The Capital Region APA Pool League has announced a new nine-ball division for the upcoming season, scheduled to begin in Glens Falls this Sunday, Sept. 25.
“We want to get another format out there,” said Ryan Gilligan, League Operator of the Capital Region APA Pool League. “We do have a Wednesday division that we just started up (in Glens Falls), and that’s eight-ball. The players up there were like, ‘Hey, could we also get the nine-ball format up there as well?’”
The league plays at Downtown Social in Glens Falls at 6 p.m. on Sunday nights over a period of 12 weeks, according to a post on the league’s Facebook page.
“Our league supports local business, so the Downtown Social, they love having it there, because they’re just hanging out,” Gilligan said. “Just drinking, eating, having a good time.”
There will be 5-8 players per team, with a maximum of 5 players per team participating in a match each week. Gilligan said this means players “don’t have to give up every Sunday,” instead having the option to rotate with other team members.
The nine-ball format sees nine balls on the table, with players starting with the lowest ball. Each ball is worth 1 point, while the nine-ball itself is worth 2 points.
“Depending what your skill level is will depend on how many balls you make,” said Gilligan. “It’s a fun, social league. Anyone can play. If you’re a lesser player, you have to make less balls to win the match. If you’re a higher skill level player, you have to make more.”
Each team requires a mix of skill levels, with Gilligan saying that the league has a “team skill-level limit.”
Gilligan said that several teams have signed up for the league already, which begins this Sunday.
The first-place team in the league will automatically qualify for Tri-Annuals, while division and playoff winners will also qualify. Tri-Annuals will see these teams compete against other winners from the Capital Region, according to the league’s Facebook page.
Tri-Annual winning teams will receive a cash prize of $600, and advance to the Capital Region APA World Qualifiers in June 2023. The World Qualifiers will take place at the Albany Capital Center.
Winners at the World Qualifiers will advance to the World’s Largest Pool Tournament, held in Las Vegas in August 2023. The grand prize for the World’s Largest Pool Tournament is $30,000.
Gilligan said participation in the league has grown in recent years, emphasizing the social aspect of the league.
“After the pandemic, I feel like people are itching to get out of the house and do something new,” said Gilligan. “Our league has been growing significantly after the pandemic. We actually grew coming out of the pandemic, where we had more teams coming out than we had starting.
“It’s like a social thing, that’s what our league is. We bring people together.”
The entry fee is $50 per team, plus an annual APA membership fee of $25. To join or register a team, visit the Capital Region APA Pool League page on Facebook, or call (518) 630-5664.
QUEENSBURY — The Warren County Real Property Tax Services Office will hold its annual live public auction on Saturday, Oct. 15, according to a press release from the County.
Over two dozen tax-foreclosed properties will be available for purchase, the release states. The auction will be held at the Warren County Courthouse. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the auction itself set to begin at 10:00 a.m.
The release states that 27 parcels are on the auction list in total, including “a motel, single family homes, commercial property, and vacant lots.”
The auction proceeds are used toward funding environmental cleanup and recouping “lost tax revenues needed for public services,” the County said in the release.
GLENS FALLS — Due to the Adirondack Balloon Festival, there will be no parking allowed on Glen Street after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, according to a release from the City.
Glen Street will be closed from the traffic circle to South Street, the release states. The Balloon Festival will be holding a “Downtown Block Party” from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., kicking off a weekend of fun and balloons.
The Block Party will have balloon baskets on display, in addition to a car show and activities for kids, according to a release from the City.
In addition to the downtown party, festivities at Crandall Park will kick off at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the opening of food vendors. At 4:30 p.m., Beatin’ the Odds, a southern rock band from Clifton Park, will perform.
Opening ceremonies for the Balloon Festival will be at 5 p.m. at Crandall Park on Thursday, with a flight of “10+ balloons” to follow at 5:30 p.m., according to a release from the city.
QUEENSBURY — Kids with an interest in aviation will get a chance to learn about and fly in planes up close on Oct. 1, with Young Eagles Day coming to the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury.
Young Eagles Day is sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association, which has flown over two million ‘young eagles’ in total, according to the EAA website. The Queensbury event is organized by EAA Chapter 353.
“We give the kids, for 15 minutes or so, they’ll walk around what you’d see on an introductory flight,” said Harrison Freer, the EAA Chapter 353 Young Eagles Coordinator. “Then we match them up with a pilot, either in a two-seat or four-seat airplane, and take them up for a ride.”
Kids aged 8-17 are eligible to participate in the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. There will be multiple planes on hand, with Freer saying that he expects “probably half a dozen planes available,” as well as a ground crew.
The event was also held at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in June and October of 2019, with Freer stating that “between 40 and 60 participants” were at each one.
In addition to the flights, participants also receive a certificate and a logbook, which allows access to an online training program.
“As part of the logbook, they’re able to go online and get free access to an online flight training program called Learn to Fly by Sportys,” said Freer. “This online training course prepares people, in this case youth, to learn everything they need to know to get their private pilot written test passed.
“That’s another benefit that, again, at the Experimental Aircraft Association level, it is made available to anybody that participates.”
Freer, who served in the Air Force and said he has been flying for almost 50 years, said there is “a real growing need for professional aviation.”
“It can be both a hobby and a profession, or either or,” said Freer. “But the airline pilot projection is that there’s going to be a shortage of airline pilots for the next 10 to 15 years.”
The Young Eagles program is a way to introduce kids to aviation, and offer further opportunities to aspiring pilots.
“There’s a lot of opportunities, professionally and for fun,” Freer said.
