The Charles R. Wood Theater, located in the heart of downtown Glens Falls, is updating their signage. This 300-seat production theater offers cutting-edge music, theater, dance, comedy, lectures, meetings, and seminars. Their mission is to promote cultural and artistic endeavors, fostering economic development and improving the quality of life within the Glens Falls area.
Parking was partially blocked off on Glens Street as the new signage went up… The previous signage had Charles R. Wood in smaller letters on the top of the sign, and “Theater” as the predominant word, featured in lowercase letters vertically against a maroon background.
The new signage has “Wood Theater” as the predominant focal point, in large black letters against a white backdrop with “The Charles R. Wood Theater” written on the bottom. The panels behind the sign have been updated to a checkered red and white design.
The Charles R. Wood Theater opened in 2004, after the former Woolworths Department Store was renovated into a theater space.
On Saturday, June 17th, and Sunday, June 18th, the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council – fondly known as LARAC – held their 52nd annual Junes Arts Festival at the Glens Falls City Park. This event ran from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, and 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday. LARAC is a year-round, non-profit arts organization which was founded in 1972 to enhance cultural services in Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga Counties. The LARAC June Arts Festival features over 130 exhibitors, offering a variety of products from jewelry, home items, food, fine art, and textiles, and more.
All fine artists and artisans – with no geographic or membership restrictions – were invited to apply for a booth space by juried entry. All work submitted for consideration must be original design and handcrafted by the artist. Reproductions of original work must involve hand work or direct supervision by the artist.
A gentle but persistent rain fell on Saturday as visitors opened up umbrellas and donned their rain gear to wander through CIty Park and enjoy the art, music, and food offerings. A visitor’s map was provided with a layout of all of the vendors and their corresponding locations in and around the park.
Ritvik Sharma – an artist from the Schenectady/Rotterdam area – works primarily in oils and watercolors. He has been coming to the LARAC Arts Festival for the last few years to exhibit and sell his art: “I’ve been doing this festival for a few years and I enjoy coming here and I enjoy the people,” he said. He works out of his home studio and his garage, and felt that the turnout in the rain was surprisingly good!
Artist Ritvik Sharma at LARAC Art Festival
Jessica Rogers Landry also had a booth to promote her business – “A Sense of Wonder Studio”. Her store – located at The Shirt Factory – opens three days a week year round, and she also attends festivals and has an online store to promote her business: “So my art starts with my photography and then I make what I call ‘functional art’ out of it. I get my images transformed into fabric and sew them into things like tote bags and pillows and coasters and clutches, and I also dabble in a few paper products, greeting cards and calendars,” Jessica said.
Jessica Rogers Landry at the LARAC Arts Fest
LARAC is run by Executive Director Phil Casabana and Community Outreach Director Alyssa Shiel. Their board of directors is made up of President Will Siegel-Sawma, and members Carol Ann Conover, Susan Ford, Pamela Green, Jessica Landry, Anne Nelson, and David H.B. Thomas.
LARAC is located at 7 Lapham Place which sits on the edge of Glens Falls City Park. For more information, please visit larac.org.
Thursday nights at The Shirt Factory are like a block party and mini carnival every week!
Today from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM, The Shirt Factory at 71 Lawrence Street will feature a Market and Food Truck Corral! There will be live music, local breweries and distilleries, homemade items… And, the shops are open late!
Live music will be provided by Rob Pulsifer, Geo Beat Duo, and Jolene Sierra.
There will also be free and low cost events for the family! Lego tables, games, a petting zoo, and bouncy houses! There is so much to do and see at The Shirt Factory on Thursday nights!
This event will take place every Thursday night, from May 18th to September 14th. Come and join the fun!
The Environmental Protection Agency is requiring that every water utility across the United States complete an inventory of all of the water service lines by October 16th, 2024. This inventory is needed to identify and remove any lead pipes. The Water and Sewer division for the City of Glens Falls needs your help!
The EPA is amassing the inventory because there are 6 to 10-million lead service lines remaining in cities and towns across the country… There are dangerous health problems that can develop from lead exposure, as it can accumulate in your body, and has been linked to serious health ailments – which include headaches, stomach cramps, fatigue and irritability. Lead has also been linked to problems with development and health of bones, and can impair intellectual development and even damage the brain.
The Department of Water and Sewer is required to meet EPA regulations. Bill Norton – the Superintendent of the Water and Sewer department for the City of Glens Falls – oversees the drinking water, sanitary sewer system, and storm system. There’s never a typical day in the water and sewer department… There are always things that arise where the systems operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year! Glens Falls uses about 2 millions gallons of water a day for roughly 5,000 customers.
The EPA waterline inventory needs to be completed by October 16th, 2024. The primary focus of this inventory is to identify and remove any lead pipes… The city does have records regarding the pipes, but needs public assistance in identifying the pipes that go from the curb into the house: “We are asking people to participate in identifying their pipes so that we can comply with the EPA regulations,” Norton said. “The EPA wants 100% of the information, and we have a long way to go… Right now, we are doing the inventory, and if we find any lead, we notify the EPA,” Norton said. “We have to know all of the service lines going from our mains all the way to the homeowner’s house. They are looking to eliminate any lead connections… Years and years ago, lead was the material of choice. We are fortunate that we haven’t found a lot of it in Glens Falls, but we are still required to check everything… We have a lot of unknowns. We know about 85% of our system on the city side. We are also lucky enough that our meter readers who were going in and changing transmitters and meters would look on the homeowner’s side and they would note the kind of pipe… So we have about 40% to 45% of the inventory, and we are further along than most.”
To help the Department of Water and Sewer meet the EPA inventory requirements, there are quick and easy instructions on Warren County website. It’s a bit like an elementary school science experiment!
Determining the Material of Your Water Service Line
You will need a:
Key or a coin
Strong refrigerator magnet
Step by Step Instructions
Find the water meter in your basement. Look at the pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home and connects to your meter.
Carefully scratch the pipe (like you would a lottery ticket) with a key or a coin. Do not use a knife or other sharp tool. Note: If the pipe is painted, use sandpaper to expose the metal first.
Place the magnet on the pipe.
Take a photo of the scratched pipe and submit your results in the form on the website.
Types of Pipes
Lead Pipe A magnet will not stick to a lead pipe. Scratch the pipe with a penny. If the scraped area is shiny silver and flakes off, the service line is lead.
Copper Pipe A magnet will not stick to a copper pipe. Scratch the pipe with a penny. If the scraped area is copper in color, like a penny, your service line is copper.
Galvanized Steel Pipe If a magnet sticks to the surface, your service line is galvanized steel. A scratch test is not needed. If you scratch the pipe, it will remain dull gray.
In the meantime, if your tap water tests positive for lead or you have lead pipes in your home. there are a few easy steps you can take right now:
Use a Filter – Several types of inexpensive household water filters are effective at removing lead. Before purchasing, look for a certification from NSF International that verifies the filter’s ability to remove lead. It will usually be found on the packaging.
Run the Tap Before Use – Lead levels are likely at their highest when water has been sitting in the pipe for several hours. Clear this water from your pipes by running the cold water for several minutes, which allows you to draw fresh water from the main. You can use this water on houseplants, or to flush toilets.
Use Cold Water for Cooking – Always cook and prepare baby formula with cold water, because hot water dissolves lead more quickly, resulting in higher levels in water.
Clean Aerators – Aerators are small attachments at the tips of faucets which regulate the flow of water… They can accumulate small particles of lead. It’s a good idea to remove your aerators at least monthly and clean them out.
Glens Falls Nation has revealed the black bear design for their new mascot! The red and black bear is a culmination of an extensive design process.
The final four choices for the new mascot came down to a choice between the Knights, Wolves, Black Bears and Hawks… The New York State Education Department set a June deadline for schools to remove mascots associated with Native Americans, threatening possible loss of funding and removal of personnel if schools with Native American mascots and imagery did not have a plan to change by the end of the school year.
Funding for these changes has been a concern… The school board was told that the expenses related to the mascot change would be eligible to receive aid. One of the biggest expenses – the changing of the gym floor – would most likely qualify for aid.
As for changing the uniforms, Superintendent Krislynn Dengle said, “A partner company that provides our team uniforms (offered) a $20,000 donation of services.” Communication director Skye Heritage added, “It will be a multi-phase graphic design that would cost the district fifteen to twenty-thousand dollars… They are providing the services for free to any school district in New York State that is affected by the NYS Education Department ruling on Native American mascots.”
Matt and Rebecca O’Hara have been the owners of Queen Boat Co. since the fall of 2018… That was when they started promoting electric outboard motors on Lake George. Now, they have taken the next step in sustainable boating and incorporated the first electric boat chargers on Lake George! These 75 DC fast chargers allow the boats to be charged without pulling them out of the water. Although the demand for this technology is relatively new, it is growing – there are 400,000 registered boats in New York that are under 25 feet in length. This is an ideal size range for an electric motor! This charger is the first of its kind East of Michigan. With the addition of the boat chargers, Queen Boat Co. will also be able to rent out electric boats to their clients.
New York State has been on the forefront of clean energy, and electric charging stations for boats is a step forward for that initiative: “New York is committed to building clean energy and protecting our environment for future generations,“ Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement about the 2023 state budget initiatives. New York State has a Climate Act goal of 100% zero emission electricity by 2040! To help reach this goal, decreasing the use of fossil fuels for recreational boating is key.
Lake George is a premier destination for boating enthusiasts, but the use of combustion engines to power these boats affects the environment… Recreational boating with a combustion engine can create pollutants and greenhouse gasses, and cause damage to aquatic life. When an internal combustion engine is used, it releases carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons; these emissions cause damage to the environment, and are harmful to the respiratory system. Electric outboard motors, on the other hand, produce zero pollution and zero emissions… There are no dangerous fumes, and no loud motor, either! There are also benefits in regards to the maintenance of the boat – because there are far fewer moving parts in the engine, electric boats require little maintenance; and the cost of electricity is lower than the cost of fossil fuels.
Queen Boat Co. is a family-owned and operated business that provides the ultimate in boating hospitality and take their role as custodians of the lake very seriously! Since taking over the marina they have excavated a failing underground fuel tank, and upgraded an above-ground fuel tank. The O’Hara’s have built a new waterway system, and worked to prevent storm water from running into the lake.
Queen Boat Co. is also home to Freedom Boat Club Lake George, which is the world’s oldest and largest membership boat club in the United States! The boat club cleans, maintains, stores, and insures the boats. Members make reservations, and show up to the dock, where there is a clean, fueled boat, ready for the day on the water. Now, there will be the option for electric powered boats as well.
Incorporating electric boats into lake life will help to lower the overall carbon footprint of all the boats on Lake George. For more information, please visit lakegeorgeboating.com
The Grishkot Foundation recently partnered with The Kiwanis Club to award $77,500 in scholarships for students pursuing careers in nursing, health care, aviation, and aeronautics engineering. These scholarships are payable over four years of college, and are open to graduating high school seniors and college students from Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. These scholarships were presented at a meeting of the Glens Falls Kiwanis Club at The Queensbury Hotel.
Each recipient will receive a $2,500 scholarship for the 2023-24 college year, with some recipients receiving continued annual scholarships for up to three additional years, provided the recipient remains in the program of study and in good academic standing.
This year’s recipients of The Joan Grishkot Memorial Scholarships for careers in nursing and related health care fields were:
Samantha Rocco, a graduating senior at Mechanicville High School, who will attend Union College in the fall as a pre-med student majoring in biology.
Sydney Keenan, a graduating senior at Hudson Falls, who will attend Vassar College in the fall as a pre-med student majoring in neuroscience.
Jacqueline Hogan, a Glens Falls High School graduate, who is a medical student at SUNY Upstate at Syracuse.
Garrett Lamouree, a Queensbury High School graduate, who is currently enrolled at Binghamton University and will soon be enrolling at Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate at Syracuse.
Honorable Mentions:
Norah Niesz, a graduating senior at Greenwich High School, who will major in biomedical science at St. Lawrence University in the fall.
Sophia Herzog, a graduating Saratoga Springs senior, who will attend SUNY Upstate at Syracuse in the fall to study for a career as a physician/scientist.
Shauna Mower, a graduating senior at Queensbury High School, who will enroll at Connell School of Nursing at Boston in the fall.
Matthew Shakow, a graduating senior at Saratoga Springs High School, who will study for a career as a dermatologist.
This year’s recipients of The Walter Grishkot Memorial Scholarships for careers in aviation, aeronautics engineering, and related healthcare careers:
Ishan Swali, a graduating senior at Shen High School, who will enroll at Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall to study aerospace engineering and artificial intelligence.
Andrew Hope, a graduating senior at Saratoga Springs, who will enroll at University of Michigan in the fall, with majors in physics and aerospace engineering.
Sahil Swali, a Shen High School graduate, who is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Toronto.
Honorable Mention:
Kara Davenport, a graduating senior at Ballston Spa High School, who will study to become a corporate pilot.
The Grishkot Foundation, which was founded in 2009, this year partnered with the Glens Falls Kiwanis Foundation to administer the scholarship application and review process. The Grishkot Foundation made the final decision on the recipients of the awards: “With 65 applicants, it was a time-consuming process, which the Kiwanis Foundation handled efficiently and expertly,” said Maury Thompson, president of The Grishkot Foundation. “The Kiwanis Foundation developed a scoring system which applied a holistic approach to the review process, factoring in leadership as well as academics.” This scholarship distribution is the foundation’s largest since its founding in 2009.
The foundation added the Joan Grishkot Memorial scholarship program this year. Joan Grishkot – the foundation’s co-founder – passed away on July 8th, 2021. She spent her 31-year career as Warren County Director of Public Health… As a volunteer, Joan served on the boards of 28 regional health care organizations and charitable groups: “Joan recognized the importance of neighbors helping neighbors, and endowed this scholarship fund to invest in the career development of local students for decades to come,” Thompson said. Prior to her death, Joan Grishkot was instrumental in the funding, application process, and awarding of the annual Walter Grishkot Memorial Scholarship program.
Joan throughout her life maintained relationships with the recipients of the scholarships: “Joan’s interest in scholarship recipients didn’t stop with awarding the scholarships. She stayed in touch with scholars or their families and delighted to share their academic progress with others,” Thompson said.
Joan and her husband Walter were best known locally as co-founders and long-time organizers of The Adirondack Balloon Festival, which was first launched in 1973. This event was developed in response to a request for an event that would increase tourism in the area during the fall season.
A volunteer board manages the foundation’s investments and operates scholarship programs in collaboration with the Glens Falls Kiwanis Club Foundation. Information about the foundation and about the legacy of Walter and Joan Grishkot can be found at grishkotfoundation.org.
On Saturday, June 10th, and Sunday, June 11th, Murray Street and Henry Street in Glens Falls were closed from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM for the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search. All eligible kids ages 9 to 13 were able to participate in the Slider Search! Sessions were held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday. Also, as an extra safety precaution, Finch Paper, LLC of Glens Falls agreed to have their incoming traffic utilize another route for the weekend.
The White Castle USA Luge Slider Search is the official nationwide athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge! The mission of this event – which was established in 1985 – is to identify, train, and qualify young athletes for the USA Luge Junior Development Team. These athletes are given the opportunity to progress through the team development ladder, with hopes of one day becoming members of the National and Olympic Luge Teams.
The vision of the US Olympic luge team is to be the best in the world! The core values of the team are ownership, accountability, collaboration, respect, communication, continuous improvement, and to develop the sport.
Over the Years, the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search has traveled over 250,000 miles and introduced the world of luge to more than 25,000 young athletes. These events are guided by U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes… Participants are taught the basics of riding a luge sled, including positioning, steering, and stopping. Then, the participants test their physical skills through a battery of fitness tests… Those who show promise are invited to Lake Placid, New York; Park City, Utah; or Muskegon, Michigan to try luge on ice at a USA Luge sanctioned training site.
On Sunday morning, the roads around Crandall Park were filled with nifty roadsters of all sorts as car enthusiasts brought their prized possessions to the 15th annual Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Show sponsored by the Adirondack Car Enthusiasts (ACE). ACE, a non-profit organization, was started in February of 2008, and sponsors two shows a year to raise money for local charity.
The $10 registration fee and spectator donations benefit Operation Santa Claus, which is a program that invites underprivileged children to write letters to Santa Claus… Then, volunteers “adopt” these letters, and reply to the children and/or provide gifts.
This event took place on the field at Crandall Park, and nostalgic music provided by JP Henderson filled the air… The event was kicked off with the playing of The National Anthem and Kate Smith’s rendition of God Bless America; then, popular old songs like “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King harkened spectators back to an age gone by as a variety of classic cars, sports cars and hot rods lined up for all to enjoy.
The New Journeys Structured Day Program (SDP) is a division of Kee to Independent Growth Inc. (KIGI). This social program model is located at 217 Dix Avenue, Suite 5, in Glens Falls. It is a structured, social model day program, serving seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and those in need of supervision, monitoring, and assistance with everyday tasks.
The services provided by this program are designed to improve or maintain socialization, community integration, skills, abilities, and interests to live fully and independently as possible. The environment is fun, caring, and supportive. Karen Le’Que – the Founder, President, and Executive Director of Kee to Independent Growth, Inc. – says that KIGI currently provides services in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselear, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties, with two more day programs looking to open in Schenectady County and Plattsburgh, with additional consideration to the Fulton/Montgomery County, and Oneida areas, as well as Ulster and Dutchess counties.
The New Journeys Structured Day Program’s newest site in the Glens Falls area is run by Kelly Hanafin, who is the Director of the Day Programs. Kelly is a graduate of Skidmore College with a BS in fine arts. Throughout her career she has worked in education, human resources, management, and human services. Kelly’s work with day programs began with developing an arts program; this program has given clients the opportunity for self- expression, creativity, and communication.
Kee to Independent Growth, Inc. is a non-profit that provides a wide and extensive list of services. Amongst those services is Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR), in home community counseling, case management, and the day programs. Both the PSR and day programs are focused on life skills including budgeting, organizing, meal planning, and more. Everyday things that seniors or people with traumatic brain injuries may have lost their ability for or need assistance doing. KIGI through day programs serves Veterans, people suffering from addiction, the elderly, and people with traumatic brain injury.
The programs and services that SDP provides help people live more independently, stay motivated, and continue to grow as individuals… Families enter the program, where they find out about the expansive services and the support that is available. The clients often start with one program, and utilize other programs that are available to them. There are various programs that can help support one person, and these programs are through contracts with the NYS Department of Health and NYS Office of Mental Health.
Karen Le’Que prides herself on the dedication of her organization and her staff to the community: “We help them get the things that they need. We have a rule throughout the agency, I don’t care if it’s 5:00 PM on Friday, if someone doesn’t have food, shelter, or heat, we are going to find a way to get that for them. These things are vital, and our staff is very skilled, and they care beyond measure,” Karen said.
The love, caring and compassion of Karen Le’Que is tangible, and her personal experience has influenced her career path: “I grew up very poor. We were lucky if we had food to eat… I raised myself, and through that experience came the interest in helping others. My father and two brothers are Veterans. One brother was homeless, and he passed away homeless… We were not notified that he had passed. My middle brother, who is also a Veteran, suffered from substance abuse. Our agency had helped him for many years… My husband is an Iraq War Veteran who had PTSD from his time in the military. Everything that I do, I am passionate about because of that,” Karen said.
Karen has watched the organization and the programs fill, and then has been able to help them expand – the program’s first location was in Ballston Spa. As this program filled, another facility was opened in Malta… Within a year, both day programs were full. The need in the community was evident, and the KIGI Board of Directors gave Karen their full support to keep expanding: “We opened our programs up to seniors in late 2021, and that’s when things really exploded… There is a need. Since the pandemic, there has been so much concern about nursing homes, and isolation. Families want to keep their loved ones home,” Kelly said.
Both Karen and Kelly have been pleased with the response from the Glens Falls area community: “Glens Falls really rolls out the red carpet for their seniors. They do much more than other areas,” Kelly said.
Karen has watched the industry grow and change over her career, as KIGI has been providing services for 15 years: “I started doing service coordination, a form of case management, in my house in a bedroom upstairs, and it grew slowly at first… Then the market crashed in 2008, and we were growing. Then things slowed a bit, and now things are exploding again,” Karen said.
Amongst the myriad of services that the SDP’s provide, helping people maintain their independence and life skills is at the core of their motivations. People may need help with life skills like budgeting, coordinating transportation; and help with employment such as resume writing, interviewing skills, and social skills. They might need organization assistance, or dietary support and suggestions. This type of support helps the elderly stay in their homes longer and maintain an improved quality of life. Managing long term care is something that affects the individual, the entire family, and the community at large: “Typically, we offer family resources. No one can manage long-term care on their own, it doesn’t matter what their income range is… So, we help them get onto waivers, and that offers the families so much support,” Kelly said.
SDP understands that supporting the individual and their families is essential for the success of the client: “One of the biggest services that we provide is respite care for caregivers. It just gives people a chance to have a life outside of what is going on day to day. We noticed that as a draw. The caregiver is often the spouse, and the caregiver is also aging. Respite care gives the caregiver time to take care of themselves so that they can provide better care for their loved one,” Kelly said.
The services that Kee To Independent Growth, Inc. provides reach a variety of communities in need… These services include mental health and substance abuse, serious mental illness, addiction, Traumatic Brain Injury and Nursing Home Transition and Diversion waivers. The interweaving of these communities creates a unique type of support: “We find that people with traumatic brain injury are not always elderly. They give vitality to the older clients and the younger clients benefit from the wisdom and having a sense of worth. Our facility helps people rebuild their place in the world,” Karen said.
Payment sources include Medicaid Managed Care providers such as Fidelis, Nascentia, VNSNY, CDPHP and MVP… They also offer a sliding scale option for out-of-pocket payment. Further, there are a few short-term grant options available as well.
The New Journeys Structured Day Program will be hosting an open house on June 16th, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at their 217 Dix Avenue, Suite 5 location. There will be an art auction to support the clients of New Journeys.
This social program model fills a need in the community for both seniors and their families. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and one Saturday a month.
