Saratoga, Warren, and Washington County have no shortage of fantastic goods and services to offer! In this podcast, our host Mike Nelson will clue you in on the amazing gems hidden in your very own community!
Improving the Community with The Town Tinker
Episode 50
In this episode, our host Mike Nelson interviews Scott Lufkin, Argyle native and star of The Town Tinker!
The Town Tinker is all about taking on cool projects, but not just for himself – whether it’s restoring tombstones and church bells, clearing sidewalks, or crowdsourcing a new town skating rink, Scott is community-first, making his native Argyle a better place for everyone. Listen to his amazing stories here in this episode, and check out his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@towntinker
00:21 – Introductions
01:22 – The Town Tinker: Restoration, Clearing, and More!
03:44 – Argyle Loses its Dry Status
06:58 – A Lifelong, Local-Loving Tinker
08:19 – The Dead Lufkin Tours: A Crazy Story
11:30 – Repairing a Gravestone: Modern Methods
12:48 – Re-Engraving the Stone: A Ghost Dictates?!
13:43 – The Old Xers
14:32 – What’s Next: The Argyle Park?
16:47 – Sometimes… You’ve Got to Just Do It.
18:16 – The Argyle Skating Rink: A Community Project
23:20 – Restoring a Civil War Church Bell
24:45 – Planning a YouTube Channel: Mike’s Video Idea
26:36 – Chickens, Sheep, Pigs: Mike the Regenerative Farmer
29:49 – How to Get in Touch: Check out The Town Tinker on YouTube!
33:25 – Closing Remarks
PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY Business Report, or Five Towers Media.
Glens Falls Feeder Canal Alliance Celebrates 35 Years with an Illustrated Talk
GLENS FALLS, NY – The Glens Falls Feeder Canal Alliance is delighted to announce a special event, “Step Back in Time: Canal Life – Fun, Facts & Folklore,” featuring an illustrated talk by Pattie Simone, the Executive Director. The event will take place on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 7:00 pm at the Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801.
Join us in commemorating 35 years of the Glens Falls Feeder Canal Alliance as we delve into the rich history of the 200-year-old Feeder Canal and Towpath Trail. This waterway has played a crucial role in shaping Glens Falls and other Adirondack communities. The evening promises to be an engaging experience for history enthusiasts and curious minds alike.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating past through vintage photos, captivating stories of the individuals who lived and worked along the canal, and the exciting plans for trail and canal improvements. The Glens Falls Feeder Canal Alliance envisions enhancing this 4-season recreational gem for the benefit of the community.
This event is free of charge and will be hosted by the Folklife Center. Seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early. For more information and to stay updated, please visit www.crandalllibrary.org.
The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, supported by the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Brendan Manning, the Vice President of Education & Environment at AGC New York!
The AGC (Associated General Contractors) specializes in discovering and solving the problems caused by federal and state legislation that pertain to the trades, and informing and working with local tradespeople based on that information. Whether it’s by focusing on the legal side, directly training local business owners, or partnering with local organizations, the AGC is a fantastic Blue Collar advocate! Listen to this episode to learn more about their important mission!
In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Brent Flavin and David Johnson, co-founder & CEO, and Sales VP respectively of BoomNation! Finding workers and finding work – that’s the biggest challenge the trades are facing. BoomNation breaks through the drawbacks of job boards, combining effective professional services with a fun and personal user experience. If you breathe Blue and want to work Blue, BoomNation is your solution!
QUEENSBURY, NY — Embrace the spirit of the season with our Winter Wonderland Tree Competition, an enchanting event set to spread joy and festive cheer. Join us on Thursday, December 14, from 4 PM to 7 PM at 436 Quaker Rd, Queensbury, for a magical evening filled with music, hot cocoa, and a visit from Santa Claus!
Highlights of the Event
Festive Atmosphere: Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit as you stroll through our two locations, adorned with more than 45 beautifully decorated holiday trees.
Hot Cocoa Delight: Sip on complimentary hot chocolate as you wander through the Winter Wonderland. Warm up your heart and hands while enjoying the delightful decorations.
Sweet Treats: Indulge in candy canes, adding a touch of sweetness to your winter evening.
Musical Magic: Let the sounds of holiday tunes serenade you throughout the event, creating a harmonious backdrop to the festive festivities.
Vote for Your Favorite Tree Online
Don’t just be a spectator; become a part of the magic by voting for your favorite tree online. Your voice will contribute to the excitement as we crown the Winter Wonderland Tree Champion!
Donations Welcome
In the spirit of giving, we welcome any donations to support and enhance this community event. Your generosity will help make future celebrations even more magical.
Free Family-Friendly Community Event
This Winter Wonderland Tree Competition is a free, family-friendly event open to all. Bring your loved ones and share in the joy of the holiday season.
Saratoga, Warren, and Washington County have no shortage of fantastic goods and services to offer! In this podcast, our host Mike Nelson will clue you in on the amazing gems hidden in your very own community!
Building Better Culture with Tom Schin
Episode 49
In this episode, our host Mike Nelson interviews Tom Schin, the man behind the important consulting business of Build Better Culture! Every organization thinks they have a great workplace culture – but not all of them actually do! Tom knows the secrets to employee satisfaction and retention… But you might be surprised by how inherent they are! Listen to this episode to find out more!
00:21 – What Do You Do? Nothing, I Just Got Fired Today!
02:10 – The Masks They Wear
03:44 – The Show Starts Proper
04:25 – 20% Scary: Starting Your Own Business
05:50 – A Brief History of Tom Schin
10:58 – Build Better Culture: Show That You Care!
13:36 – Don’t Just Be a Manager: Be a Leader!
16:10 – Tom Can Help… If You’re Willing to Change!
17:34 – Storytime with Tom Schin
18:06 – Target Markets, and Balancing Priorities
24:15 – The Five Towers Culture
27:20 – Do You Want to Be a Leader?
28:23 – Taking the Tension Out of Retention: The Power of Stay-Interviews
32:20 – What Does the Future Hold?
33:30 – Annual Reviews? NO! Talk Regularly!
34:56 – Prepare Tomorrow’s Workforce Today!
36:10 – How to Get in Touch
36:47 – Shoutout to Brandi Tyler at Unbroken Athletics!
38:50 – Closing Remarks
PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY Business Report, or Five Towers Media.
Please join Temple Beth El on Sunday, December 10, 2023 from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm for their Annual Latke Fest! It’s time for another year of food, music and fun! Now in its thirteenth year, Latke Fest continues to be a Glens Falls community celebration with music, contests, latkes and more. Cooks and eaters of all ages, faiths and cooking abilities are welcome.
If you would like more information, or to join the cooking competition, please contact the Latke Fest organizers at latkefest@glensfallstemple.com. The deadline for cooks is December 4, 2023, but spots are going fast. Join teams from Glens Falls community organizations and businesses, as well as aspiring cooks of all ages, faiths and cooking experience. The winning team earns the coveted title of “Golden Latke” along with prizes and bragging rights for the year. Awards also go to the best condiment. Cooks are encouraged to get creative with their tasty toppings.
In addition, the organizers are always seeking volunteers for the day of the event, along with sponsors at all levels for both monetary and in-kind donations. You don’t have to be a member of Temple Beth El, or Jewish, to participate. It’s time to come together and celebrate our community and the spirit of the holiday season. All are welcome!
Tickets are available at the door and tables can be reserved by calling the Temple office.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5-11, and $200 for a reserved table (includes 8 tickets plus goodies). All proceeds go to support Temple Beth El and the Glens Falls Jewish community. Cash, check, PayPal or credit card accepted.
For more information, please contact latkefest@glensfallstemple.com or call the Temple Beth El office at 518-792-4364.
Latkes and Hanukkah
Hanukkah means “re-dedication.” The holiday is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Fried foods such as latkes and donuts are traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the day’s worth of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. This custom of eating fried foods on Hanukkah is at least nine hundred years old.
About Temple Beth El
Founded in 1924, Temple Beth El invites all traditional, inter-married, and non-traditional Jewish families and singles in our community and neighboring communities to join in our congregation. The mission of the congregation is to worship God in accordance with the faith of Judaism; to cultivate a love and understanding of Jewish heritage; to stimulate fellowship in the Jewish community and to strengthen the bonds of loyalty with the Jewish people everywhere; to practice the principles of righteousness, justice and unity in society at large; and to follow and further the teachings of Reform Judaism.
‘Tis the season to immerse yourself in the festive melodies of the Glens Falls Symphony at their Holiday Pops! Concert. They will be performing their long-time holiday favorites on December 10 at 4pm. Joining the musicians and Music Director Charles Peltz on stage will be NewsChannel 13’s Mark Mulholland, who will be reading “’Twas the night Before Christmas”. Musical magic will unfold with timeless pieces by Johannes Brahms (“Lo, how a rose e’er blooming”), the classic J.S. Bach composition “Wachet Auf,” and crowd-pleasers such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Music Director Charles Peltz has invited his director colleagues who lead the choruses of Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Queensbury High Schools to bring their top voices to join in the music-making. Each high school chorus will sing a work with the orchestra alone, and then they will join together for the finale.
The Symphony is also reviving a much-beloved holiday tradition of inviting local celebrities to campaign for the baton to conduct the orchestra. This year, after a 4-year hiatus from the silly fun of this event, the conductor candidates who have put their hat in the ring are: Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, GF Hospital VP and Musician Ray Agnew, and Glens Falls School District Superintendent Dr. Krislynn Dengler. Each one has already begun vying for the baton by posting on social media and attracting “voters” at the fall Symphony concerts. Each vote costs $10, and all proceeds go to the Glens Falls Symphony educational and performance programs.
In celebration of the Symphony’s 40th anniversary season, the holiday concert will be joining forces with the WAIT House, which serves runaway and homeless youth in upstate NY. Families and any audience members who come to the concert are encouraged to bring items that the center can use, such as: dish soap, laundry detergent, tall and small garbage bags, batteries, light bulbs, cereal, canned soups, rice, tortilla shells & taco seasoning packets, pasta sauce and tomato sauce, peanut butter, jelly, salsa, canned tuna, or canned fruit/vegetables/beans.
Executive Director Jennifer Brink shares, “This holiday concert is a favorite tradition for so many people in our region and beyond. We are especially delighted this year to be joining forces with the choral students from the three high schools to bring musical joy to so many people. This year, tickets are selling sooner than they ever have, so we encourage people to get their preferred seats soon. We invite people in the community to bring new items to donate for the homeless youth in our region, and in this way, we can all celebrate the spirit of giving at this special time of year.”
Concert Sponsor: Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company
Program
Christmas Fantasy
A Holst Christmas – with Glens Falls High School Chorus- Meredith Reed, Director
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming Johannes Brahms
Night Before Christmas – with Narration by News13 Anchor Mark Mulholland
Homeward Bound – with Queensbury High School Chorus-Matt Gaulin, Director
Wachet Auf, ruft uns die stimme
Intermission
Christmas Eve
There’s Christmas in the Air
The First Noel – with Hudson Falls High School Chorus- Diane Havern, Director
All I Want for Christmas is You!
Sleigh Ride – with Conductor’s Contestants: Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, GF Hospital VP and Musician Ray Agnew, Glens Falls School District Superintendent Dr. Krislynn Dengler vying for the chance to conduct Leroy Anderson’s beloved “Sleigh Ride”
O Come, All ye Faithful
Christmas Festival
We Wish you a Merry Christmas
About Glens Falls Symphony
Since Maestro Charles Peltz’ arrival in 2000, the fully professional Glens Falls Symphony has performed a dynamic repertoire, regularly including musical premieres and world-renowned guest artists while expanding musical offerings to include family concerts, summer pops programs and more. Cited as “one of the great orchestras of our country” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner, the orchestra comprises professional musicians who come from all over the Northeast to perform.
Glens Falls Symphony 2023-24 Season All concerts on Sunday at 4pm Glens Falls High School Auditorium Free Pre-Concert Talk at 3pm (FREE with price of Ticket)
TICKETS
Season and single tickets are priced in three tiers: (Tier 3/2/1)
Season Tickets: $105/$90/$72
Adult: $26/$33/$39
Student: $10
NEW! Family Season Ticket: Two Adults and Two Children: $165 for all Three Remaining Concerts.
Location: Glens Falls High School Auditorium, 10 Quade St, Glens Falls, NY 12801
For information regarding ticket pricing and seating for season, visit www.theglensfallssymphony.org, call the Symphony office at (518) 793-1348 or stop by the office, upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Glens Falls Symphony presented a special performance of Lucinda y Las Flores de la Nochebuena by Evan Mack and Josh McGuire, American composers, librettists, pianists and friends.
The opera stars of Seagle Festival, in Schroon Lake, NY vocalists Laura Santamaria, Tiffanie Trujillo, Daniel Esteban Lugo, and Dante Mireles along with our fully professional symphony musicians presented this coming of age, Christmas opera based on the Mexican folktale of the poinsettia.
Students from Queensbury, Lake George, Warrensburg, Ticonderoga, Indian Lake and the Kings School attended this school-day concert at the Warrensburg Middle School/ High School Auditorium on Friday, November 17 with three 42 min performances starting at 9:00am.
Executive Director Jennifer Brink says “Sharing the tremendous range of the orchestra sounds with young people who may never have heard these instruments before is a wondrous thing. We are delighted that after several years of planning, the children in our region can hear the talented musicians of the Glens Falls Symphony in a concert designed just for them. We hope to continue this program with new concerts each year so that the Glens Falls Symphony forms a critical piece of every local child’s cultural education. We feel we have a duty to share this great art with children, and to contribute to building the arts audiences of tomorrow.”
Music Director Charles Peltz shares, “If we ever wonder whether what we do or what we stand for is “real”, if we ever question whether the human spirit responds naturally, genuinely, to great classical music, this past Friday, November 17 is the answer to the question. Children responded to the production with wonder and amazement – you could hear pins drop throughout the performance. They were riveted. They clapped with great enthusiasm at the ends of arias and laughed at the humorous parts of the story. These were young people in their most natural state, ready to be engaged by something unique and good. We were so proud to produce such meaningful musical experiences.”
Each character in Lucinda was represented in brilliant fusion of the opera with a traditional children’s Mexican story regarding the birth of the poinsettia flowers! This could have been the first and only opera that many Adirondack Park students have ever experienced. This beautiful opera educates children, touches their hearts and illuminates the understanding, and true meaning behind the power of gift giving. One objective of presenting live music by professional musicians in this way is to inspire more young people to take up band and orchestra instruments when the opportunity comes.
The concert is supported by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Charles R. Wood Foundation, and the JM MacDonald Foundation.
About Glens Falls Symphony
Since Maestro Charles Peltz’ arrival in 2000, the fully professional Glens Falls Symphony has performed a dynamic repertoire, regularly including musical premieres and world-renowned guest artists while expanding musical offerings to include family concerts, summer pops programs and more. Cited as “one of the great orchestras of our country” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner, the orchestra comprises professional musicians who come from all over the Northeast to perform.
About Seagle Festival
Seagle Festival is the premiere opera and musical theater producing organization in the Adirondack Region of upstate New York, and the oldest and one of the most distinguished summer vocal training programs in the United States, founded in 1915 by renowned singer and voice teacher Oscar Seagle. Over our 100+ year history, Seagle Festival has transitioned from a successful family-run business to a well-established non-profit organization, run and staffed by leaders in the field of opera and musical theater performances and vocal training, and overseen by a committed and diverse board of directors.
The non-profit corporation Seagle Music Colony, Inc. doing business as Seagle Festival has deep roots in the town of Schroon Lake, New York but serves a much larger community of artists and staff that have participated or worked at Seagle Festival and now live and work across the country and around the world. The mission, vision and values of Seagle Festival include a commitment to the highest quality performances for our devoted audiences and top-notch vocal training for aspiring vocalists of all backgrounds and identities.
About Evan Mack
Believing that opera should be theater grounded in climatic expression that delivers larger-than-life stories and music that harnesses the full athletic thrill of singing, Evan Mack has devoted much of his compositional life to opera and song. His first major operatic composition, where he served as both composer and librettist, was Angel of the Amazon. “Angel” premiered in May of 2011 by Encompass New Opera Theatre at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and was subsequently released on CD worldwide by Albany Records. Two years later, Fresno State Opera Theater premiered The Secret of Luca. This was the first of several collaborations with librettist Joshua McGuire. In August 2016, their American grand opera Roscoe premiered at Seagle Music Colony to rave reviews. Roscoe received its orchestral world premiere with the Albany Symphony starring Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt. In between the two large scale projects, Mack & McGuire found time to write the first ever opera for Twitter #IsOperaDead – an opera in 5 acts lasting one minute and forty seconds.
Their Christmas opera for children, Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena is quickly becoming a holiday standard with yearly productions by San Francisco Opera, Opera in the Heights and Fresno State Opera, who commissioned the opera. The one-act opera The Ghosts of Gatsby premiered by Samford Opera in Birmingham, AL in 2019 and won the National Opera Association’s Argento Chamber Opera Competition. Mack & McGuire’s latest, Yeltsin in Texas! premiered in 2020 by TCU and Opera in the Heights. It’s now in development to become a musical comedy!
Evan Mack has proven as deft at song writing as he is in opera. His song A Little More Perfect is a setting of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s final paragraph of the Marriage Equality Decision by the Supreme Court in 2015. Premiering at Seagle Music Colony in 2015, it has quickly become a favorite of many baritones including Michael Mayes, Daniel Okulich and Michael Miller to name a few. The song had its professional premiere at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2016 and the orchestral premiere at the Fort Worth Opera Festival in 2017. His new cycle If Only Lenny Were Here, which celebrates the life of Leonard Bernstein had its world premiere with the Schenectady Symphony in October of 2018.
Evan was named “2018 Professional of the Year” by Musical America, was a composing fellow at the John Duffy Composers Institute and a resident artist at Yaddo. He is currently published with Hal Leonard, Alfred, and Amazon. Evan is a Teaching Professor at Skidmore College. He lives in Ticonderoga, NY with his wife, Kristin and two sons, Carter and Henry.
About Joshua McGuire
Joshua has written librettos for The Secret of Luca, (based on the novel by Ignazio Silone) and Roscoe (based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winner William Kennedy) with music by Evan Mack. In October 2016, Roscoe received a full performance by the Albany Symphony featuring soprano Deborah Voigt in the lead role of Veronica. His collaboration with Mack also produced Lucinda y Las Flores de la Nochebuena, a children’s opera commissioned by the Fresno State Opera Theatre. Since premiering in 2016, the opera has played for over 25,000 children, including annual performances by the San Francisco Opera Guild. Mack & McGuire’s one-act opera The Ghosts of Gatsby, based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, won the the National Opera Association’s 2019 Dominick Argento Prize for contemporary opera, with subsequent productions by Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and Opera Las Vegas, among others.
Yeltsin in Texas! — a comedy about the fall of the U.S.S.R. commissioned and premiered by Opera in the Heights and Texas Christian University in February 2020 — is currently being expanded and developed into a full-length musical theatre piece with The Blueprint Project. McGuire is currently developing A Nearer Mother with Evan Mack (based on the life of AIDS activist Ruth Coker Burks), as well as a multimedia opera entitled Siddhartha (after the novel by Hermann Hesse) with composer Murray Hidary.
In 2015, McGuire was commissioned to write a libretto for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative, and the resulting one-act opera, Alexandra, with music by David Clay Mettens, was premiered at the Kennedy Center. He is also the author of The Secret of Music: a look at the listening life, a book of essays on music and mindfulness. McGuire is the recipient of fellowships from Yaddo, Opera America, and the the American Center for New Works Development.
McGuire currently teaches at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he pursued Master’s work in both guitar and orchestral conducting, holding assistantships in both areas. As an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, he took the Bachelor of Music summa cum laude as well as High Honors in English Literature for his thesis on musical structures in the work of James Joyce. He currently resides in Nashville with his wife, pianist and conductor Jennifer McGuire, their son Thomas, and a basset hound.
Glens Falls Symphony
2023-24 Season
All concerts on Sunday at 4pm
Glens Falls High School Auditorium
Free Pre-Concert Talk at 3pm (FREE with price of Ticket)
TICKETS Season and single tickets are priced in three tiers: (Tier 3/2/1) 3-Concert Season Tickets: $105/$90/$72 Adult: $26/$33/$39 Student: $10 NEW! Family Season Ticket: Two Adults and Two Children: $165 for all Three Remaining Concerts.
Location: Glens Falls High School Auditorium, 10 Quade St, Glens Falls, NY 12801
For information regarding ticket pricing and seating for season, visit www.theglensfallssymphony.org, call the Symphony office at (518) 793-1348 or stop by the office, upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saratoga, Warren, and Washington County have no shortage of fantastic goods and services to offer! In this podcast, our host Mike Nelson will clue you in on the amazing gems hidden in your very own community!
Riding the Rails of Progress with Stimler Advantage
Episode 48
In this episode, our host Mike Nelson interviews Neal Stimler, the President of Stimler Advantage! Technology development has accelerated by leaps and bounds in recent years, and keeping up with it can be an overwhelming task… But Stimler Advantage has all the know-how to catch you and your business up with the times – making your processes efficient, and keeping your strategy tightly focused!
00:21 – What a Day… The Attack of the Fisher Cat
01:51 – Putting the “Busy” in Business
02:47 – Introductions: The Show Starts Proper
04:03 – Changes: Technology Evolves
07:38 – Five Towers Medium: Predictions are a Challenge!
09:49 – AI is… A Utility
12:13 – A Permanent State of Transition
14:58 – Websites and Print are Relevant Again!
16:46 – There is No One True Path! Find Out What’s Right for You!
19:29 – Building Relationships Takes Time!
20:19 – Working Local: Local is Global!
22:46 – The Stimler Advantage
24:04 – Is Wikipedia Still Credible?
26:24 – The Immense Value of Open Source: Neil’s Framework
29:30 – Their Success, Not Mine
31:00 – All Organizations, Big or Small
32:46 – Simplifying the Corporate Egg Hunt
34:41 – Defying Conventions
36:34 – Track, Measure, Grow
38:00 – How to Get in Touch: www.stimleradvantage.com
38:27 – Closing Remarks
PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, Spa City Digital, or Five Towers Media.
