The Rockefeller Christmas Tree that came from Main Street in Queensbury has arrived in New York City. The 82 foot tall Norway Spruce was donated by the Lebowitz family of Glens Falls. The tree arrived in front of 30 Rockefeller Center and was lifted into position on Saturday morning. Scaffolding will be erected around the tree and it will be decorated with more than 50,000 multi color, energy-efficient LED lights. These lights will be strung over 5 miles of wire. Solar panels on the top of a nearby Rockefeller Center building will help power the lights through the season.
Photo credit: Tishman Speyer
The star which will sit on the top of the tree will be an amazing sight. This crystal star will be provided by Swarovski. Swarovski has been a family owned producer of glass since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. This three dimensional star is 9 feet tall, 4 inches in diameter and features 70 spikes covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals. The star weighs 900 pounds. This crystal star was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. Libeskind is an international figure in architecture and urban design. His work has influenced the field of architecture, urban design and culture.
After the holidays the trunk of our famous tree will be milled down. It will be used as two by fours and two by sixes and donated to Habitat for Humanity. The wood of the Norway Spruce is flexible and durable. These factors make the wood versatile as a building material. Lumber from Rockefeller Christmas Trees have helped build homes from New York to Mississippi. Donating the wood has been a tradition since 2007. Homes that have been built with the wood have commemorative stamps on the exposed wood.
Tree lighting will take place on Wednesday, November 30th. After November 30th, the tree will be lit daily from 6am-12am. On Christmas Day it will be lit for 24 hours, and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 6am to 9pm. For more information visit rockefellercenter.com
The YMCA has a mission. This mission is to strengthen the community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Hawthorne Swan-Scott is the Membership Experience Director of the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area. He has an intrinsic enthusiasm for his work at the Glens Falls YMCA. He grew up coming to the YMCA and his goal is to give that experience back to kids and to the community.
Photo credit: Kate Haggerty
Hawthorne’s goal is to expand programs and membership. The Glens Falls YMCA currently has between 5,000 and 6,000 members. These members are offered a variety of programs and events. The YMCA recently hosted its annual Truck or Treat event on October 29th. Between 1,000-2,000 kids, families, and community members attended this event. Hawthorne likes the idea of maintaining a mutual relationship with the community. “Our Truck or Treat event exceeded our expectations. Here at the Y, we want to reach into the community and help.” He said during a recent interview.
The Glens Falls YMCA is currently working on extending its hours. It has recently opened from 8am-1pm on Sundays. On Sunday November 13, they were able to extend the hours for the pool to seven days a week. “And the changing rooms are open.” Hawthorne said with a relieved smile. The Glens Falls YMCA will continue to work to extend hours of operations and programs that it can offer the community. To support this expansion the YMCA is hiring for a variety of positions. These positions include custodians, life guards, wellness floor, and membership services.
Donations for the Basket Brigade Program
The Glens Falls YMCA is currently working on its Basket Brigade program which helps feed 1,000 local families. The items that they are looking for include, stuffing, mashed potatoes, canned veggies, canned fruit, cranberry sauce, and boxed brownie mix. For more information please contact Alisha Hanley (518) 793-3878 or visit glensfallsymca.org.
The Glens Falls Kiwanis Club will be hosting a community celebration event on December 11, 2022. This community event brings together friends, families, and neighbors who personally decorate trees. It represents the spirit and strength of our community.
Photo Provided by Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls
The cost for each tree is $75 and the buyers will provide their own LED lights and decorations. The number of trees that are available is limited. Each tree is displayed to honor, remember, or celebrate a person or persons who will be named on the sign next to the tree.
There are some concepts have already been reserved by community members. A group of golfers are decorating to celebrate their friendship. A non-profit group will honor those lost to substance abuse. A family will honor a treasured grandfather. A pet lover will honor the spirit of cats.
The opening ceremony will be at 5pm. The event will feature a reading of the names, musical entertainment, and a simultaneous lighting of the trees. Viewing the trees is free for all. For more information and details about ordering a tree please contact Pat Van Buren : pvanblsg@aol.com. Or go to glensfallskiwanis.org
Glens Falls honored Veterans on Friday, November 11th, with a ceremony in front of the Peace and Victory Monument at Crandall Park. Opening remarks were made by Commander Zink from Glens Falls American Legion Post 233. He was also the organizer of the event. Remarks were made by Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins, and Queensbury Supervisor John Strough.
photo credit City of Glens Fall
The guest speaker was retired USMC Sgt. Major Chris Thomas. Sgt. Major Thomas spoke of his twenty years of service and the need to do more for Veterans once they have returned home after serving our country.
This Monument is located in front of the Glens Falls YMCA at the corner of Route 9 and Fire Road. The Peace and Victory Monument is inscribed, “To those who served in our nation’s wars through whose courage and sacrifice came victory and peace”. It was sculpted by Bruce Wilder Saville, a veteran of World War 1. Saville’s art career was interrupted by his service in World War 1.
Saville was studying art in Paris when he decided to enlist in the French Ambulance Corps. He then transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1917 when the U.S. entered the war. Seville’s service gave him insight into the emotions of war. The depth of his feelings about war was reflected in the Monuments that he would create. Saville has twenty three works listed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Art Inventory Catalog. For more information on Saville’s contribution to the art world please visit americanartinfo@si.edu
QUEENSBURY — As colder weather approaches in Upstate New York, it becomes even more important to ensure heating systems are working properly. That’s where Cerrone Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning comes in.
Cerrone provides installation, maintenance, and repairs for heating, air conditioning, and plumbing systems, and also helps deal with air quality.
The company, which has primarily dealt with residential properties, has been increasingly providing commercial services. Joe Cerrone, the manager and owner of Cerrone, said this is mainly due to an increase in construction in the Glens Falls area.
“Over the years, we’ve slowly grown, mainly doing new construction and residential service and repair and installations,” said Cerrone. “Just due to the recent Glens Falls renovation projects that are going on right now, we’ve been getting our foot more in the door for commercial projects.”
Dealing with commercial heating is different from residential heating, Cerrone said.
“(Commercial heating is) a bit more in-depth, I would say,” said Cerrone. “There’s a lot more things going on.”
The company had taken on what Cerrone described as “light” commercial projects in the past, but has focused more on the commercial side with the growth of Glens Falls and its surrounding areas.
“We’ve done commercial projects, like light commercial projects, before,” said Cerrone. “But more recently, there’s just been a lot more construction going on in our area that we’ve had the opportunity to bid on the jobs.”
As winter nears, Cerrone said routine maintenance is important to keep heating systems working properly.
“Routine maintenance is a big one. We do offer fall and spring services, preventative maintenance services. Those kinds of things are pretty big, because we can catch issues before they happen, so they’re not left in the middle of winter without heat,” Cerrone said. “We do offer 24/7 emergency service, but just to catch the issues before they happen and prevent them is pretty big.”
Cerrone’s service area stretches from Bolton Landing to Saratoga Springs, according to their website.
“We’re right in Queensbury, so we’re very local for a lot of businesses in Glens Falls,” said Cerrone.
The company provides service to locations such as Glens Falls, Queensbury, Hudson Falls, Warrensburg, Fort Edward, Lake George, Gansevoort, and Wilton.
Cerrone, who grew up in Lake George, said it is “great” to be able to provide services to the local community and watch it grow through the years.
“It’s great, watching this area grow throughout the years,” said Cerrone. “Glens Falls, 15 years ago, wasn’t anything like it is today, with the new restaurants popping up that we’ve done a lot of work in.”
A past J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award. (Photo by Andy Camp)
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the 34th annual J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award. The winner of the award will be honored at the ARCC Annual Dinner on March 10, 2023 at the Sagamore Resort.
The J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award is the ARCC’s community service award, given to recognize and honor an extraordinary individual who has selflessly gone above and beyond by contributing time and energy to help others, a press release says.
The award is named in honor of J. Walter Juckett, who was an active participant in many community organizations, the release says. Past winners include John and Kevin O’Brien, Ed Moore, Elizabeth Miller, and Mark Behan, among others.
“We have seen some extraordinary individuals get honored with this award,” ARCC President and CEO Tricia Rogers said in the release. “This is a great opportunity to recognize community members who have really gone above and beyond to serve their community.”
Scout, one of the dogs at Lucky Puppy Adoption Center in Argyle (Photo courtesy of Lucky Puppy Adoption Center).
ARGYLE — Lucky Puppy Rescue in Argyle looks to help dogs find a home in Upstate New York. And they travel a long way to do so.
Lucky Puppy’s rescue center is located in Bonifay, Florida, roughly 90 miles west of Tallahassee. Founder Teri Mattson, who resides in Bonifay, said the organization started “completely by accident,” after she found two abandoned puppies in a park.
“There were two little puppies down there, playing in the mud and water,” said Mattson. “There was only one other person there besides me, and I said, ‘Are those your puppies? They’re really cute.’ He said, ‘No, somebody dumped them off here.’”
Mattson and her partner took the dogs in, and “it snowballed from there,” she said.
The Argyle location came about after Lucky Puppy’s Florida rescue center began transporting dogs to be adopted out of centers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
“We started with a large van, and we moved to a school bus, and then now we have a big commercial bus that we use,” Mattson said. “We would literally vaccinate them, get them healthy, fix them, and then drive them up to these rescues and hand them off, and then they would adopt them.”
That model was not financially stable for the organization, so Lucky Puppy purchased a former boarding kennel and training facility in Argyle and converted it into an adoption center for dogs from the Florida rescue.
“It’s the same corporation, Florida and New York, but the rescue is in Florida where there are so many abandoned dogs, and the adoption center is here in Argyle,” said Mattson.
Transporting the dogs from Bonifay to Argyle involves a bus ride of 24 to 28 hours, said Mattson, who typically drives the bus herself.
“We’re very blessed that our bus is set up to where it makes a comfortable trip,” Mattson said. “It’s still stressful, and it’s still long, but it’s a comfortable trip for them health-wise.”
The Argyle location, at 511 Pleasant Valley Road, is an “ideal” location, Mattson said. There are two buildings to house the dogs, as well as a home that Mattson and fellow Florida employees stay in while visiting the location. Mattson said several dogs typically stay in the home while people are there, “so they get a little feel of what the house is like too.”
The buildings have fenced-in yards connected, while Lucky Puppy’s property also includes walking trails through a wooded area and another open field that the organization hopes to expand to.
“When we purchased the property, the idea is to expand. We would be able to put more buildings over on this area, because it’s nice and open, and then fence in the whole property so we could have the woods for play, and the area between the house and the kennel,” said Mattson. “Our biggest point is we try to give them enrichment, not just put them in a kennel and hope somebody comes by and picks them out for adoption.”
Mattson said the organization emphasizes exercise and activity for the dogs, saying “it builds their confidence.”
“When you adopt them and take them home, you have a dog that’s more confident, that’s willing to meet new people, go new places, it makes for a better adoption,” Mattson said.
Lucky Puppy specializes in medium and large-sized dogs, Mattson said, naming breeds such as shepherds, border collies, and “all the kind of mix-ups.”
“A little bit of lab, a little bit of retriever, a little bit of border collie,” said Mattson. “People that are looking for good family pets, we can help match them. We know the dogs so well, when you come in and tell me what your life is like, I can say, ‘Oh, this is the dog for you.’”
Mattson said the adoption center typically has 30 to 35 dogs on-site during the warmer months, and said there are “almost always” between 150 to 200 dogs at the rescue center in Bonifay.
The adoption process begins with an online application, Mattson said, which is reviewed by volunteers at Lucky Puppy.
“We have a team of volunteers that would go through that application,” Mattson said. “If you have a pet now, we would check your vet records.”
After the application, an appointment can be made to visit the adoption center to meet the dogs.
“Sometimes, they have a specific (dog) that they want to meet, that they saw online,” said Mattson. “That’s good, we can start with that. But we actually, sometimes, may steer them toward a different one if the first dog they’re interested in is not a good match.”
Mattson said when evaluating matches, Lucky Puppy looks at things like fenced yards, apartments, and more.
“If it’s a young, active dog that needs to run and play a lot, a fenced yard is probably more suited. If it’s an older dog that just might do some leash walks and maybe hang out a little bit, that may not be required,” Mattson said. “People, if they live in an apartment, there’s some dogs that might do well in an apartment, there’s other dogs that would be crazy and bark and disturb your neighbors.”
All of the dogs at Lucky Puppy’s adoption center are fixed and vaccinated before arriving in New York, said Mattson. The center will also take a dog back “if something doesn’t work out.”
“Sometimes, somebody takes home a puppy and they don’t realize the demands of it. The amount of time for training, the amount of time for potty training,” Mattson said. “We’ll always take them back, but we’d hope, of course, that that won’t happen.”
Lucky Puppy also offers fostering opportunities, allowing a dog to live in a home until they are adopted. Mattson said it helps prepare the dogs, as well as provides them with a comfortable environment.
“They’ll take them home and let them live with them until they get adopted. It’s excellent, because they get some extra one-on-one attention,” said Mattson. “They can spoil them a little bit, they can also train them a little bit. They can expose them to riding in the car, expose them to what it’s like living in a house. It’s kind of like a prep school for adoption.”
Mattson said the typical foster stay lasts a week to two weeks, saying it is “a way to have a little fun but not have the commitment.”
The organization is also doing what it can to establish a strong footing in Upstate New York, appearing at numerous outdoor events and offering volunteer days.
“I’ve been trying to capitalize on the fall weather, where it’s so beautiful and people are out walking around and going to the different outdoor events,” Mattson said. “So I’ve been capitalizing on that, so there have been times when I drive back to Florida and spend the night, and then I load up the bus again and drive back.”
“I’ve had people come here and say, ‘We’ve been looking for a puppy to adopt for over a year.’ And here, I have 100 of them down in Florida, waiting to get their turn up here,” Mattson continued. “And they’re healthy, and they’re vaccinated and ready to go to a home. … When you deal with us, we have them off on the right foot to be able to go into your home and be a lifelong pet.”
Lucky Puppy charges adoption fees, but a majority of income is via monetary donations, Mattson said.
“We do charge an adoption fee for the dogs, which helps to kind of go back and cover the vet work that we’ve done, the vaccines, the spay surgeries, things like that,” said Mattson.
Donations help cover the costs of utilities, insurance, vehicles, fuel, and more, said Mattson. She said the organization, like many others of its kind, is in need of funding.
“We have to feed them, house them. We vaccinate everybody, we do flea and tick prevention every month for every dog, which is thousands of dollars,” Mattson said. “Especially when funding isn’t coming in to support that.”
Mattson said the situation with strays and owner surrenders is “overwhelming,” mentioning a crate with four dogs that was left at her home’s carport, and that the organization recently rescued roughly 40 dogs from a house in Florida.
“We operate on such a spectrum. I need money down there to take care of those dogs that we just rescued, and then I need money up here to support our adoption center to be able to get them into homes,” Mattson said. “In order to keep us open and operating, we need monetary support.”
Mattson said Lucky Puppy accepts Venmo and PayPal donations, and mentioned the organization also welcomes volunteer work. Mattson herself is a volunteer, she said, holding an unpaid director position.
She emphasized the work that has gone into Lucky Puppy, saying “we put a lot of effort into it.”
“I also think we could win people over if they come here and see what we do,” said Mattson. “I know this sounds egotistical, but we do a good job. … I live at the farm where the rescue is, my partner and I live there. I’m pretty much 24/7. When babies are being born, I sleep at the kennel and deliver puppies. When puppies are sick, I take them home and care for them there. When I come up here to New York, I stay in the house.
“So I live it, and I know how much we put into it.”
LAKE GEORGE — Fort William Henry will begin renovations on the historic Carriage House in November, converting the building into a new venue for wedding receptions, business meetings, and performing arts programs.
The Carriage House will have a capacity of 460 people in theater-style seating, and 300 people for banquets upon the expected completion in May 2023, according to a press release. The Carriage House will continue to host the Lake George Music Festival, stage productions, and more, along with receptions and meetings.
The renovations are part of a reinvestment into Fort William Henry. $5 million has gone to create premium rooms and renovating rooms and public areas of the Grand Hotel, including the kitchen and bar, the release says. $1 million went into renovating the Fort’s Conference Center, while the Carriage House renovations will cost $3 million according to the release.
“What we are really investing in is the extraordinary beauty of Lake George,” Fort William Henry chairwoman and CEO Kathryn Flacke Muncil said in the release. “There is no place on Earth like Lake George. We are so fortunate to be stewards of this lake and this historic property.”
The Carriage House will be part of over 16,000 square feet of rentable space at the Fort, the release says. Other spaces include the Conference Center (400 capacity theater-style, 250 banquet-style), the White Lion Room (200 capacity theater-style, 150 banquet-style), the Village Blacksmith Restaurant, and Tankard Taverne.
HBT Architects of Rochester created the design for the Carriage House renovations, the release says. BBL Construction Services Inc. of Albany will handle the renovations.
“For both weddings and business meetings, the Carriage House and the surrounding Fort property offer guests nice options to socialize both inside and outside,” said Fort William Henry Corp. president Sam Luciano in the release, mentioning that customer demand for meetings and conferences has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first Fort William Henry hotel opened in 1855, the release says. Its Carriage House sheltered horses and carriages of visitors reaching the resort by primitive roads and by rail. It was later used as an early car rental business for visitors arriving via train, and has also housed Fort employees and equipment. Since the 1970s, it has hosted musicals, plays, and concerts under the name Towers Hall.
A view of Lake George from a Northern Living rental property. (Photo provided by Northern Living NY)
LAKE GEORGE — Lake George has long been a popular spot for tourism, and Northern Living NY is working to make sure every visitor has a quality stay near the lake.
Northern Living NY is a “full-stream vacation rental management company,” offering rental homes and other services for those vacationing in the area. Owner and CEO Katelyn Moskos worked in property management prior to founding Northern Living, saying she “just saw the need for it in the area.”
“There were a lot of hotels and resorts, and big families coming that were being divided between different units,” said Moskos.
Along with her husband John, Moskos started with just one home, purchasing a lakefront property and renovating it to be rented out.
“We started renting it, and it was successful. From there, we used the equity and purchased another home,” Moskos said. “We kept going, and I think by home number two is when I said, ‘OK, this is inspiring enough and successful enough to do this for other people.’”
Now, Northern Living NY has nearly 70 houses available for rent, with Moskos saying the company owns nine properties of their own. Northern Living works to book guests and maintain upkeep on all of the properties available for rent.
“From there, we do all the marketing, advertising, photography, videography,” said Moskos. “We take care of booking the guests, doing background checks for the guests, all of the financials. … Take care of the guests before, during, and after their stay.”
The company has a wide variety of properties available for both small groups and large ones.
“We specialize in more high-end luxury lakefront properties. Some of them are 2-bedroom, and then some of them go up to ten bedrooms,” said Moskos.
Northern Living also owns the Adirondack Kayak Company, Moskos said, allowing guests to conveniently rent kayaks or other water crafts on the lake. The company also owns Lake George Design, which can assist owners with renovations, furnishings, and more.
Moskos noted that Northern Living can connect guests with local businesses for “whatever they need,” saying the company can connect guests with private chefs, wedding planners, and more.
“We have a wonderful group of local businesses that we work hand-in-hand with,” Moskos said.
And that group will likely only increase in size, with Northern Living having recently joined the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“I think it just opens the horizon even more for what we can offer for our potential guests, and what we can refer to local businesses,” Moskos said of joining ARCC.
Moskos said “it’s opened up great things” for Northern Living, noting that the Chamber helps establish and grow connections with other local businesses.
“I think it’s great networking, not only for myself, but for other local businesses,” said Moskos.
Moskos said many of Northern Living’s renters come from cities, noting that Lake George is a great place to get away from the “hustle and bustle.”
“We have about a 60% returning renter ratio, which is really great,” said Moskos. “The families continue to come see us year after year. They may not stay at one specific property, but they’ll travel within our platform, which is really nice.”
