Author: Jordan Dunn

Sometimes retirement doesn’t quite mean the working days are really over.

That is happily the case for Glens Falls local Adam Root, who is closing the book on his years of service for the New York State Corrections System and is starting anew as owner of Etched in Valor.

Sort of.

You see, Root has been operating the shop while simultaneously working full time for the state for the last several years. This double duty routine stemmed from years of creating custom wood signs and his signature custom-turned pens in his off-hours under his prior home business, Root’s Wood Designs.

“When we heard this place was for sale, it just seemed like the right thing to do. At the time, I knew that retirement was approaching and even though I still had a few more years left, it seemed like it would be a missed opportunity to not jump on it,” said Root.

Located in Queensbury, NY, Etched in Valor is a custom awards and engraving shop. Previously known as Gifts & Engravings by George, Root and his wife, Kris, purchased Etched in Valor in 2019.

DISTINGUISHED FROM THE REST

Root, you see, is no stranger to the concept of dedication. Root’s full immersion into it began early on in his life when he joined the United States Marine Corps straight after graduating high school. After spending his early years on what he described as “the wrong side of the tracks,” Root wanted to be a part of something that would make better opportunities for himself and for others down the line. After serving with the USMC for four dedicated years, Root was honorably discharged for medical reasons.

The decision to join the military would pay off in the long run for Root as it has indeed led him to unique opportunities along the way. Most recently of note, is that due to his time in the service, Root was able to apply for Etched in Valor to become a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.

This designation allows the company to pursue bids that are specially set aside for this community of business owners. For Etched in Valor, it has allowed them opportunities like partnering with New York State Schools to produce all of the plaques for Section 2 Sports in the state.

OFFERINGS AT ETCHED IN VALOR

Not only are you working with dedicated individuals at Etched in Valor, you are partnering with a company that focuses on the craftsmanship of the products that they produce.

When asked what sets them apart from the rest, Root explained, “Here at Etched in Valor, we do a lot more of the work in-house than other companies. For example, we have the equipment and expertise to do full colors on trophies and medals whereas a lot of the competition outsources projects like that.”

In addition to trophies and medals, Etched in Valor can also produce customized engraved products that include but are not limited to: drinkware, clocks, plaques, signature wedding favors and corporate awards.

ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD

As Root transitions into running the business as his sole working endeavor, he has a few goals for the years to come. “Ideally, a great starting place for us would be to expand our knowledge and skill sets in the areas of service that we already cover,” stated Root. Next stop on his journey would be to explore purchasing a facility of their own, instead of renting as they currently do.

Most important to note, however, is that at the end of the day Root just wants to ensure “we are giving our customers the best range of offerings that we possibly can at prices that they have come to count on.”

CONNECT WITH ETCHED IN VALOR

If you are interested in the services that Etched in Valor provides, you can explore their offerings on their website, EtchedinValor.com.

Sky Zone of Clifton Park and Queensbury, a local franchise owned by Rusty Monahan, has taken a new approach to fundraising: “Fun-Raisers.” We had the opportunity to speak with the Vice President of Operations for both locations, Matthew Boyce, about what these Fun-Raisers are all about.

SPIRIT NIGHTS

“The main type of fundraisers we host are called ‘Spirit Nights.’ During these events, any organization or school can gather at either location and we will give them a discounted rate to jump for the night,” said Boyce. He continued, “Normally it is around $30 per person to jump for two hours. But on Spirit Nights, it’s only $20 per person and they can jump for four hours. Then, after all the tickets are sold, we also take five dollars from each ticket sold and donate it back to the hosting organization.”

A STREAMLINED PROCESS

For those interested, it is important to note that when it comes to these events, much of the organizational and marketing-based work is already done for you. Boyce explained to us how all of the pre-event logistics are taken care of by the team at Sky Zone, and how they will even take care of the marketing. From flyers to digital posts, you name it and Sky Zone has it covered. The only pre-event work the organization has to do is spread the word and sell the tickets.

Then, when the night of the event comes around, the organization is offered the opportunity to do some in-person campaigning as well. “We’ve seen everything from bake sales to prize raffles to 50/50 tickets,” said Boyce. He continued on to state

how the Sky Zone team usually gets in on the fun by “holding contests and other elements during the event to help ensure the success of the night.” Can’t make it the night of the event? No worries. Sky Zone has that covered too. Boyce reported how they allow “organizations to sell special passes. For example, they can sell a two hour jump pass for only $20 to anyone who can not make it the day of the event to use at a later date.”

THE WHY

When asked how these Fun-Raisers started coming about, Boyce replied, “We care about our community and we want to give back in any capacity we can. We find that these events are truly a great way to give back to local charities and schools.” He continued about the program’s benefits. “Five dollars from each of those tickets goes back,” he explained, “towards the overall donations that the hosting organization receives.”

Since opening in 2017 in Queensbury and expanding to Clifton Park in 2019, the two Sky Zones have held more than 120 of these kinds of fundraising events.

“We make it really easy for everyone who does these,” explained Boyce. “We’ve tried our best to make sure it’s all streamlined and efficient and we’ve got a lot of great feedback from organizations because of that.”

PLAN YOUR “FUN-RAISER” TODAY!

To start planning a Fun-Raiser of your own, please contact Kamani Smith (518-836-5867) at the Queensbury office and Noah Brumagen (518-400-0012) at the Clifton Park office.

When it comes to the food industry, Zachary Cutler, along with partners Mike and Pam Fazio, are no strangers. With decades of restaurant and food service experience between them, the team is eager to bring their years of expertise to the Glens Falls Community. Set to open this upcoming fall, the Park Street Bistro will be located in the lobby area of the Glens Falls Hospital in Glens Falls, New York.

THE BISTRO

With ambitions of catering to the needs of a medical community, the Bistro is planning a two-part approach to their offerings. “On one side we will have the bistro itself where people in the hospital or surrounding community can come in and eat,” said Cutler.

The second part of their plan is to offer on-site catering to those inside the hospital, eventually branching out and covering non-hospital related requests. Mike Fazio explained that over the years he has witnessed professionals visiting the hospital for different types of business that “come into the building struggling to carry everything from their work materials, to food and drink offerings, etc. By offering in-house catering, we hope to simplify and expedite the process, allowing these representatives to concentrate on business. Ordering ahead and just having to show up for their Breakfast or Lunch meetings with everything already prepared, set up, and delivered, will be so much easier and efficient for them.”

The Bistro plans to carry an array of different offerings, from coffee and baked goods to deli-style sandwiches and Italian-flared food. Green options like smoothies, salads and more will also be available. Or, for those with a sweet tooth, they’ll also offer Martha’s Ice Cream sandwiches.

Once they open and establish themselves, the team’s plan is to focus specifically on ensuring that everything they offer is flavorful, but not intrusive, to the hospital and its primary function. Fazio explained how they “want to be cognizant and respectful of the environment that they are entering. A hospital is a place of restoration and health; we do not want to come in with anything that would generate a lot of grease or potent odors. We want to be good neighbors.”

THE COMMUNITY

“One thing we are most excited about is the amazing Glens Falls Hospital community that we are getting to be a part of,” Fazio said. He continued to explain that, “when Pam was very sick a few months back, the hospital treated us like we were one of their own, like family. I will never forget that. They brought so much to the table for us, so I’d really like to think of this new venture as a way for us to give some of that energy and positivity back.”

Though completely separate entities, the Bistro hopes to work side by side and in harmony with the other food locations within the hospital. Doing so will help eliminate time gaps between service offerings while adding to the culinary options of the hospital community as a whole. They want everyone’s needs to be covered while at the hospital, regardless of the reason, and made to feel a part of the hospital’s “family.”

INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE?

For those eager to learn more or potentially join the Bistro’s team, please connect with them by emailing 100parkstbistro@gmail.com. The Bistro can be found on Instagram (@park_st_bistro), Facebook (Park Street Bistro) and at parkstreetbistro.com. As of the time of this publishing, the social media sites and webpage are still being developed but are available to follow, share and message.