On Thursday, January 19th, Glens Falls Police arrested William Palangi, 53, of New Jersey, after witnessing him damaging cars with a machete in the parking lot of Glens Falls Hospital.
On Thursday afternoon, the Glens Falls City Police Department received a report of a black Jeep Wrangler driving erratically on the Northway, before exiting the highway at Exit 18. Officers were dispatched to locate the vehicle and found it in the parking lot of the Glens Falls Hospital, where officers witnessed Palangi damaging motor vehicles with a machete.
Palangi – of Northvale, New Jersey – then returned to his vehicle and fled the scene. He was stopped by other officers while going Eastbound on Hudson Avenue in front of Glens Falls Hospital. The machete that was reported to be used to damage the cars was located in front seat.
Palangi was charged with third-degree felony Criminal Mischief, fourth degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and second degree Menacing, which is a misdemeanor. Palangi was arraigned, and was remanded to Warren County Jail due to lack of bail.
Queensbury 49, Schuylerville 33: The Queensbury Spartans went on the road and delivered a loss to the Schuylerville Black Horses on Friday night.
The team effort by the Spartans was more than the Black Horses could handle, as the Spartans pulled away in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Black Horses 14 to 2.
Shea Canavan scored a game-high 20 points, and Dyllan Ray grabbed a career-high-tying 15 rebounds in the Spartans’ victory.
Both Caravan and Ray showed their multitude of skills on the court – Caravan had eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals, while Ray had 10 points, four assists, four steals, and two blocked shots.
Kayla Zehr and Caleigh Johnson both reached personal bests – Zehr added seven points, a career high nine rebounds, and three assists. Johnson added a personal best of eight points, along with five boards, two blocks, and a pair of steals.
Queensbury improved their record to 8-5 overall, and 8-1 in the Section 2 Foothills Council. Next up, the Queensbury Spartans will face the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks on Monday, January 23rd. This non-conference game will be played at Queensbury: tip-off is at 7:00 PM.
The Kiwanis Club in Glens Falls is one of the oldest civil service clubs in the Glens Falls area, and is looking for new members. This club has been in operation for over 95 years, and its focus is children and young people; however, they do work with other groups, including Veterans’ organizations and Senior Centers in the area.
Doug Shaver is the current Kiwanis Club President; Shaver joined Kiwanis Club after retiring from a 30-year career with Johnson & Johnson as a field engineer. Shaver traveled for work, and because of that, had very few ties to the community… He wanted to meet people. He has found great satisfaction and a sense of purpose as a member and current President of the Kiwanis Club.
Since the COVID pandemic, the Kiwanis Club has had both setbacks and successes. “COVID has made it difficult for us to help as many groups financially, but we do all types of volunteer hours, are affiliated with the Care Center and we did some renovations and painting for them there. We are here… Anything that people need help with, the Kiwanis Club is available to help” Shaver said.
Shaver would like to see membership increase – the club currently has 68 members. When Shaver joined the club, there were 90 members, and prior to that over 100: “So we are always looking for new members. We recognize that younger folks with young families have demands on their time and in the workplace, which makes it hard for them to do a lot, but we would like to recruit some younger members” Shaver said.
The Kiwanis Club keeps the member commitment flexible. A member’s participation can be as much or as little as they would like: “We have one lunch meeting a month, it’s not a commitment, but we like to see the people come… What we would like is for members to pick one of our projects and get involved with that. Serve on a committee, help us plan an event, help organize the volunteers who work on the projects… Things like that… We just ask that they do one thing throughout the year” Shaver said.
The Kiwanis Club holds events though out the year; they recently added a successful “Spirits in the Trees” event. For “The Spirits in the Trees” event, the Kiwanis Club set up 100 trees in Crandall Park, and for $75 an individual or group could sponsor a tree and decorate it. Out of the 100 trees, 94 of the trees were sponsored and fully decorated… And after the event, the trees were donated to a goat farm, as the pine needles provide a source of nutrients and vitamins for the goats.
“We were hoping that it would be a special event during the holidays, and it really was that and more. The comments that we received from people were just so great. People who had lost loved ones in the last year told us that when they got down a little bit, they would come and look at their tree, and that would pick them up. We had a lot of other community organizations that sponsored trees and decorated them in celebration which we were not expecting… A lot of different groups participated which was great. We were pleasantly surprised” Shaver commented.
Kiwanis Club Member Patricia Van Buren
Kiwanis is preparing for their next event, which is this coming weekend – The Duck Race will be held on Saturday, January 21, at 7:00 PM at the Cooling Arena. Traditionally, this event had taken place at the Feeder Canal at Haviland Cove Park; however, they have had to shift the event due to COVID and other factors. This turn of events led to a partnership with the Thunder. The original concept was that people would purchase a $5 ticket, and the number from the ticket would be put on a rubber duck. The ducks were then dumped into the feeder canal, and each duck’s place would be recorded 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.
This fun-filled community event now takes place at the Cooling Area. Now, the ticket goes into a tumbler like a traditional raffle. The Kiwanis Club would eventually like the event to return to the Feeder Canal, but is happy with the support that the Adirondack Thunder has shown the club. This fundraiser is for the Kiwanis Foundation, which provides college scholarships to graduating Key Club members.
The next event after the Duck Race is a drive-thru BBQ event at East Field – Brooks BBQ from Oneonta provides the food, and the Key Club members, cub scouts, and boy scouts bring the food to the cars. In the summer, the Kiwanis Club has its annual golf tournament at Cronin’s Golf Course in Warrensburg. The Fall will hopefully bring the Taste of the North Country event, which is their signature event; it was sidelined initially because of COVID, and sidelined again last year due to supply chain issues. Doug Shaver and the Kiwanis Club would like to have more people join the organization, and invites anyone who is interested to be a guest at the monthly luncheon. For more information, visit glensfallskiwanisclub.org
The Glens Falls Dragons have named Mark Rogers Assistant of Baseball Operations. Rogers is a Glens Falls native, who in his new role will be responsible for partnering with local businesses to develop strategic marketing opportunities at the East Field Stadium – the East Field ballpark is the Glens Falls Dragons’ home stadium.
Rogers’ work history provides a fresh perspective for his new role within the Dragons organization – he previously held a sales position at Bermuda Star Cruise Line in Florida, and also worked at TD Bank in Glens Falls, Manheim Auto Auctions in Clifton Park, and – most recently – at Adirondack Broadcasting Radio in Queensbury.
The Glens Falls Dragons participate in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). The team is made up of College baseball players from all over North America, and throughout June and July, the team plays 49 regular season games. The Glens Falls Dragons provides family-friendly entertainment, with General Admission tickets priced at $5.00 and Kids 2 and Under being $3.00. For more information about the Glens Falls Dragons, visit www.glensfallsdragons.com
On January 18, on the second floor of City Hall, Mayor Bill Collins held a press conference on the State of the City of Glens Falls. The Mayor spoke for just over 41 minutes before opening up the event to questions.
Collins elicited laughter from the crowd when he introduced the topic of taxes: “Before we discuss the highlights and goals I’d like to look back at the last decade or so, let’s begin with everybody’s favorite subject: taxes… I’ve lived in a house in Glens Falls worth approximately $150,000 for the last 25 years, and here is the tax burden that I have faced… The total city tax increase on this average home… was $237; that’s less than a $24 increase each year… (that) supports a paid police department, paid fire department, paid professionals, and our small city of less than four square miles” Collins said.
Mayor Collins touched on a variety of issues during his speech – he mentioned that in 2022, a study by news outlets and crime statistics and comparative crime rates showed that Glens Falls was the safest city in the United States. The Mayor’s speech touched everything from infrastructure to the wastewater treatment plant, and highlighted the merger of the Glens Falls Transit system with Capital District Transportation… Mayor Collins also focused on the City’s ability to use state and federal grants to complete programs and not use the property tax dollars.
One of the key topics was the Downtown Revitalization Project (DRI): “As most of you know, we’ve signed an agreement with a contractor for the first phase of our DRI to purchase the former Hot Shots building and the so-called incubator building, and renovate those two buildings along with the former Sandies… All three will include both commercial and residential space, and that’s nearly 14-million dollars in investment… The second phase is the new building on South Street and Elm Street, which will include 70 new apartments and commercial spaces” the Mayor said. The City is also working through the final designs of the event and marketing center, and expect to break ground on that in Spring of 2023.
The Mayor went on to highlight the ability of Glens Falls to do more with less; he mentioned the vacancies in city government – which has led to a cut back in services – and encouraged the community to participate by filling vacant positions within the city government, the police department, and fire department; or volunteering for committees.
Mayor Collins also touched on the possibility of paid parking in the future, referring to the topic as the ‘third rail’ of city politics: “The newest report on our parking use and utilization is expected soon… Our continued business growth, new apartments that are planned, more that are being encouraged… We need to lay aside any self-interest regarding parking and work towards a holistic plan that makes sense for the entire community” Mayor Collins said.
Looking forward, Mayor Collins would like Glens Falls to attract the young people who leave Glens Falls and go off to college to return to Glens Falls instead of moving to larger cities. He wants young professionals to stay in the area and build their lives here.
The Mayor balanced successes and challenges – reportedly, 50% of the population of Glens Falls have an annual income that places them in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Need of Service” category. To help the people who are in need, the City will be hiring a new social worker in 2023 – this position will help the community by being a conduit between the community and the police force, firefighters, and other service providers.
Mayor Collins with his affable manner is an effective community leader. He has a vision for Glens Falls that includes the needs, challenges, and future successes of the community for the coming year.
On January 19 at 2:00 PM, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana DeCohen and other leaders will hold a special event at the Adirondack Welcome Center, located on Interstate 87 North between exit 17 and 18 in Queensbury, New York. This event will dedicate a new “Veterans Welcome Center” digital kiosk to the rest area; this kiosk will provide specialized, interactive information on benefits that are available to veterans, service members, and military families passing through the area.
“Every day in New York, we strive to ensure that those who have served our country have easy access to all of the benefits and programs available to them. Through cross-agency collaboration and initiatives like this expansion of digital kiosks, we are improving access to services and demonstrating New York’s continued commitment to making our state the best place for veterans and their families to call home. We thank and honor them for their service” Governor Hochul said.
New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana Decohen remarked: “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued support and championing of new and innovative ways to reach the veterans of New York through technological solutions such as the digital Welcome Center Kiosks. Her administration’s support of these initiatives ensures we fulfill our mission of assisting all of New York’s veterans, service members and their families in accessing the benefits they have earned through their military service.”
DeCohen – a Marine Corps Veteran – joined the Division of Veterans’s Services in December of 2021. The first-ever digital Veterans Welcome Center Kiosk was dedicated on Veterans Day, 2021; this Kiosk was placed in the New Baltimore Welcome Center on The New York Thruway, which welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The addition of the welcome center kiosk will help veterans throughout the Capital Region.
The Warren County 4% Occupancy Tax is due by Friday, January 20, 2023. This tax was collected by hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals in 2022; short-term rentals are defined as rentals for 30 days or shorter in duration. It is estimated that there are about 950 short-term rentals in Warren County.
This 4% occupancy tax for Warren County is used for tourism promotion – this tax is charged to the guest as part of their booking with the establishment. Those who own and operate short term rentals in Warren County are required to register with the county, and the owners of the properties are responsible to pay the occupancy tax when the property is rented through AirBnb or VRBO.
Short term rentals were added to the list of “Bed Tax” properties in 2018… The intention had been for major internet providers with services at those properties to collect and remit the tax to the county, but those companies did not respond to the request. This “Bed Tax” policy was then modified – in September of 2020 – to collect the tax directly from the property owners.
The property owners are required to register with the Treasurer’s Office, and must calculate, collect, and remit the tax per guest stay to the Warren County Treasurer. Penalties of up to 5% plus interest can be imposed for late payment or non-payment under the Warren County Occupancy Tax Law. For more information, visit Warrencountyny.gov or call Treasurer Mike Swan at (518) 761-6379.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023, the City of Glens Falls honored Martin Luther King Jr. This event began at City Hall, and was led by Reverend Oats, Ward 5 Councilwoman Mary Gooden, and Mayor Collins. Community members then walked arm in arm over to Christ Church United Methodist.
This event was also attended by Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, Council at Large Jim Clark, Ward 2 Councilman Ed Donahue, Bob Driscoll, and Queensbury Supervisor John Strough.
The program at Christ Church United Methodist included presentations by students from Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Queensbury School Districts. Presentations were also made by the Temple Synagogue Religious School, in conjunction with Temple Beth El.
Photo provided by City of Glens Falls
This 2023 celebration commemorates the 40th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday – the legislation had originally been introduced in Congress in 1968, but opponents blocked its passage, leading to its reintroduction and successful passage in 1983; however, the first nationwide observance of the holiday did not take place until 1986. This holiday honors the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. and is celebrated with marches, parades, and speeches by civil rights and political leaders.
Queensbury Junior Dyllan Ray scored 24 points and had 15 rebounds for two Spartans career highs. Sophomore Shea Canavan added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists with 11 steals. Canavan’s steals and assists for the game were a personal best – Queensbury held their opponent to five points in the first quarter, and pulled away scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter. Marsden led Broadalbin with ten points, followed by Russom, who scored eight.
The Queensbury Spartans improved their record to 6-5 overall, and 6-1 in the Foothills Council. Next up, the Spartans will travel to Scotia-Glenville on Tuesday, January 17th – tip-off at 6:00 PM.
Photo Provided by: City of Glens Falls: Megan Nolin
Megan Nolin is a well known face at City Hall – she is the City Clerk, and has been working intermittently at the Clerk’s Office since 2007. In the City Clerk’s Office, Megan and her team assist taxpayers and residents of the City by providing a variety of diverse services. The Clerk’s Office houses the records of all of the City’s public board and commission meetings, as well as other vital statistics.
The staff in the City Clerk’s Office is made up of seven employees: five full-time, and two part-time. There are three full-time clerks, a part-time records manager/historian, a part-time records manager, the Deputy Clerk, and the City Clerk. “People are mostly coming in (to City Hall) to pay their taxes, coming in for court, and they come into our office for a wide array of things. Birth, death, marriage, vital records really and to take out marriage licenses so that they can get married. We have records back to 1888 in our vaults. Right now it is people traveling and people getting passports” Megan said in a recent interview.
One of the reasons that Megan is so well known in City Hall is that everyone stops at the City Clerk’s Office first: “Everyone comes to our office first. A lot of people come through to go to City Court. If they are wondering where that is, it’s on the third floor.”
Megan also recommends stopping into the City Clerk’s Office: “The girls in our office are great. If we don’t have the answer, we’ll find the answer for you.”
Megan was born in Glens Falls and raised in the area around Glens Falls, Queensbury and Hudson Falls. Her role in City Hall has shifted and changed throughout the years – she is both the City Clerk, and the Webmaster. “I started out in the Clerk’s office in ‘07 as a part time clerk. I had my daughter in 2010, and came back for a little while. Then I wasn’t able to secure daycare that my husband and I were ok with, so we decided with the cost and how we both felt that I would stay home. Then around 2018, I got a call from Bob Curtis who was the former City Clerk asking how I was with technology and asking me to come in and meet with Mayor Hall and himself to discuss taking care of the website part time. Then in 2020, I started as the Deputy Clerk, and then at the end of 2021 Bob Curtis retired and in 2022, I became the City Clerk and still retained the webmaster role as well.”
For anyone who is interested in working in the City Clerk’s Office or City Hall, Megan recommends starting part-time: “If you want to work in City Hall, start part-time. There are a lot of opportunities. Most people who are here started part-time. Everyone in our office started out 15 hours a week, 20 hours a week. That’s a good way to get in the door.”
The City Clerk’s office is located on the first floor of City Hall, and is open from Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Marriage licenses, Hunting/Fishing licenses and Dog Redemptions are available until 4:00 PM. For more information, visit Cityofglensfalls.com
