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Wrongful Termination

What Is Wrongful Termination?

Written by Giovanna D'Orazio of D'Orazio Peterson on . Posted in Business, Columns, Featured, News.

Wrongful Termination

There is no such thing as a “wrongful termination.” 

Getting fired is one of the hardest things that can happen to someone. Especially if it’s a surprise or happens under unfair circumstances. And one of the hardest conversations we have with people who have been fired, is telling them that there’s not much they can do from a legal standpoint.

Why is that? Well, in New York, there is no such thing as a wrongful termination in an abstract sense.  There is only a termination that violates a particular law, or that violates someone’s employment agreement. Since many employees do not have employment agreements, today we are focusing on what we call “at will” employees – employees who can be fired at any time for any reason, assuming that reason is not discriminatory or in retaliation for making a complaint that the law protects. 

So, let’s talk about the two main categories of true illegal terminations: discrimination and retaliation. 

What is a discriminatory termination? Discrimination means that you were fired because of your protected status. State and federal law protect all sorts of statuses like your sex, race, national origin, age, pregnancy, if you have a disability, your military service, and others. All of us have a protected status, but discrimination is when an action is taken against you because of that status.  

What is a retaliatory termination? Retaliation can be a little bit trickier. Not all complaints are protected from retaliation. For a complaint to be protected from retaliation, you have to be complaining about something that the law protects. It can’t just be a general grievance or that your boss mistreated you or that a coworker is acting unprofessionally. It has to be a complaint of otherwise illegal conduct, such as harassment because of a protected status (like sexual harassment), or illegal activity protected by a whistleblower law (like a workplace safety law). You can also be retaliated against for other types of activity the law protects, like requesting a reasonable accommodation of a disability, using your FMLA leave or, if you are a public employee, exercising your First Amendment rights.

There are countless circumstances where a termination is incredibly unfair but the circumstances when there is legal recourse – usually meaning the ability to recoup your lost wages in a lawsuit or through an administrative proceeding – are few and far between. If you believe your termination falls within that second scenario, you should call a lawyer as soon as possible because there are strict time deadlines in all employment cases, and the clock starts ticking on the date of the action you are complaining about. 

Adirondack Film Festival opens with ‘Blondie: Vivir en la Habana’

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Columns, Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured.

‘Blondie: Vivir en la Habana’ director Rob Roth (left) discusses the film with Adirondack Theatre Festival producing artistic director Miriam Weisfeld (right) during the first night of the 2022 Adirondack Film Festival on Thursday. (Dylan McGlynn photo)

GLENS FALLS — The 2022 Adirondack Film Festival opened on Thursday night, kicking off its seventh annual celebration of film and theater with a screening of Rob Roth’s ‘Blondie: Vivir en la Habana,’ and a selection of music videos.

Roth was in attendance, and held a Q&A session with Adirondack Theatre Festival producing artistic director Miriam Weisfeld, discussing the documentary and more.

“We’re so happy that you all are here,” Weisfeld said, opening the festival with a welcome to the audience. She noted that roughly 150 people were also streaming the festival virtually, saying it includes filmmakers from places such as New Zealand and “all over the world.”

‘Blondie: Vivir en la Habana’ is a short documentary film showing the band Blondie’s 2019 trip to Havana, Cuba, as part of an official cultural exchange. The band, along with Roth and crew, spent roughly a week in Cuba, performing two shows at the Teatro Mella in Havana.

Roth said the initial idea came from Blondie guitarist and founding member Chris Stein.

“The original genesis was (Stein) always, always wanting to go to Cuba,” said Roth. “I think the previous administration had opened up some sort of dialogue with Cuba… They were doing these things called cultural exchanges. So this was an official cultural exchange invitation from the Ministry of Culture of Cuba.”

Stein ended up being unable to join the band on the trip, with Roth saying he was dealing with heart issues “that kept him from going.” But Roth was intent on documenting the journey, saying it was the first project he had ever pitched to the band.

“They usually come to me,” said Roth. “This is the first thing I said, ‘We have to document this somehow.’ And so we did.”

A majority of the 18-minute documentary was shot on 16-millimeter and 8-millimeter film, Roth said. He initially planned to shoot on iPhones, but made the switch to film after he said Apple pulled out of the project.

“Honestly, the whole thing was an adventure. I didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Roth said. “I didn’t want to explain a lot, I wanted a visceral feeling as much as possible. … It’s almost like a lens to time that they’re stuck in, in a way.”

The film seemed to come together organically, with Roth saying he, “had no idea what the film was really going to be.”

“You have to go with it, you have to enjoy it,” said Roth. “You prepare, prepare, prepare, and then you have to give yourself over. You know when you’re in it, surfing it. You just have to give yourself over, and see how it’s forming, where it’s taking you.”

The documentary is split into three parts, with Roth saying it was initially intended to be three individual short films. Finished in February 2020, the documentary made appearances at film festivals in Italy, the United Kingdom, Iceland, and more. 

“The best one was Tribeca. We had a whole night at the Tribeca Film Festival,” said Roth. “Blondie played, and it was the one week where I think the restrictions were lifted. … Everything’s about timing. That was amazing.”

The band was accompanied by local musicians during the concerts, including members of the Cuban band Sintesis.

“The musicians had never met, they had one rehearsal,” Roth said. “It was already set up beforehand, of course, but we were only there for five or six days. … The music was honestly the least difficult part, funny enough. They just met, they all came together and played one rehearsal, and then two nights of shows. It was fantastic.”

The director emphasized the connection brought upon by the music, saying they initially were unsure if the crowd would know Blondie’s music.

“When we were going, Debbie and I were kind of discussing, ‘Do they know the music?,” said Roth. “I always tell this story, I was shooting at one point and there was a balcony. There was a family of, I’m telling you, it was the grandparents down to the grandchildren. And they were all singing. … They knew it. It was so clear that the music had got there.”

“These things are really important,” Roth continued, noting the importance of music and culture in connecting people. “I realized afterwards, that’s the way in. … I do feel like there just needs to be more of that.”

Roth, a native of New York City, has his own connection to upstate New York, noting that his father owned a home in the Catskills. 

“It’s very, very special,” Roth said. “It’s a very, very grounding place for me. I need both (the city and upstate).”

As far as future projects from the director, Roth said “there’s nothing greenlit,” but mentioned several ideas potentially in the works.

“We were talking about doing a film about (Harry),” said Roth. “I do a lot of theater too, I’m one of those people that kind of goes back and forth, so there’s two theater projects.”

The Adirondack Film Festival continues today and runs through Saturday. Friday features include ‘Remember This,’ ‘The Quiet Epidemic,’ ‘A Love Song,’ ‘What We Do Next,’ and several series of short films. For more information, visit adkfilmfestival.org.

Adirondack Stampede Rodeo brings ‘family fun’ to Glens Falls Nov. 4-5

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, Uncategorized.

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Stampede Rodeo returns to Glens Falls for a 31st year next month, running from Friday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 5 at Cool Insuring Arena.

With eight events, an afterparty, music, and more, the Rodeo will be “good family fun,” said marketing promoter Shana Graham.

“It’s been a wonderful event,” said Graham. “There’s not many events, I believe, that have been going on that long in the area. … It’s just a great event for the community.”

The Adirondack Stampede Rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo, and will feature “all the excitement of pro rodeo’s top national and regional competitors,” according to the rodeo’s website. 

The rodeo will begin at 7:30 p.m. both nights. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the rodeo website, adirondackstampederodeo.com, or by calling the Cool Insuring Arena box office at 518-798-0202.

Events at this year’s rodeo include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping, bull riding, team roping, and ladies barrel racing. Graham also detailed a new event to this year’s rodeo, ladies breakaway roping.

“This will be the first time that Cool Insuring Arena has ever offered the ladies breakaway roping,” Graham said. “In the world of professional rodeo, it’s one of the new and upcoming events, and we decided to add it to this.”

Announcer Greg Simas will return for his 15th year calling the Rodeo. Simas has experience announcing rodeos in Australia, Canada, and 34 states of the U.S., according to the rodeo’s website. Music will be provided by sound technician Jesse Knudsen, a native of Wisconsin, Graham said.

Rodeo clown Rob Gann also returns for another year, with Graham noting that Gann is “extremely funny.”

“(He’s) guaranteed to make the whole family laugh,” said Graham. “It’s good family fun.”

The rodeo will also feature appearances by the Miss Rodeo New York Queens, Graham said, who will be crowned in the arena during the rodeo and signing autographs.

Following the conclusion of each night’s events, a ‘Round-Up Party’ will be held at Heritage Hall inside Cool Insuring Arena. The Round-Up Party will feature live music and an open bar, and offer fans a chance to meet and interact with cowboys and cowgirls.

“That’s just a fun little night to meet cowboys and cowgirls after the rodeo, and sign some autographs, and some dancing,” Graham said. “It’s a good way to end the event.”

The Nobody Special Band will perform at the Round-Up Party on Friday night, while After-Fx Professional DJ Service will handle the music on Saturday, said Graham.

“We’re pumped,” said Graham of the rodeo. “We love this time of year, it’s one of our favorite events. We’re very excited to be a part of it. Proud of it, and proud to keep it going.”

Graham also emphasized the community aspect of the event, referring to it as “heartwarming.”

“It’s a great time of year, because it’s like the last rodeo of the season. Everybody meets, families come together,” Graham said. “It’s just great to see all of the lovely faces and all of the community come together for a special event.”

For more information, visit adirondackstampederodeo.com.

‘There’s really something for everybody’: Adirondack Film Festival returns Thursday

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, News.

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Film Festival returns tomorrow for a seventh year, offering a weekend loaded with content spanning a wide variety of genres.

The festival is produced by the Adirondack Theatre Festival, which places it “at the nexus between theater, film, and television,” said Adirondack Theatre Festival producing artistic director Miriam Weisfeld.

Films will be screened at the Charles R. Wood Theater and at Crandall Public Library. For the second consecutive year, the festival will also be offering a hybrid model, said Weisfeld. 

“That’s a really cool option, because it gives you so much flexibility,” said Weisfeld. “If you wake up in the morning and you decide that you want to be out on the town all weekend, you can do that. If you decide that you want to be home on your couch, you still have a whole weekend of content that’s been curated for you.”

The festival begins Thursday with ‘Opening Night Rocks,’ a screening of music videos and the regional premiere of a short documentary titled “Blondie: Vivir en la Habana,” detailing the rock band Blondie’s trip to Havana, Cuba, for a concert in 2019. The screening will be at the Wood Theater, followed by a Q&A with director Rob Roth and an opening night reception at Park 26 in the Queensbury Hotel.

“This was part of an official cultural exchange between New York City and Havana, and it’s this amazing piece of filmmaking that was created by an artist named Rob Roth,” Weisfeld said. “He’s got these incredible stories about working with Blondie. … After that screening, Rob and I are going to do a discussion with the audience at the theater, and then we’ll move over to Park 26 for a celebration together.”

All content at the festival is recommended for ages 18 and up, according to the festival’s schedule.

Friday screenings include ‘Remember This,’ starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn, and ‘A Love Song,’ starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi.

Dickey has appeared in shows such as ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘The X-Files,’ ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘Frasier’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and more. Studi received a Governors Award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2019, becoming the first Native American actor to receive the honor, Weisfeld said. Studi has appeared in movies such as ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Dances with Wolves,’ ‘Avatar,’ and ‘Street Fighter.’

Saturday screenings include ‘There There,’ starring Jason Schwartzman and Lili Taylor, and ‘Cryptid,’ featuring Capital Region native Nicholas Baroudi.

“Another really exciting thing about the Adirondack Film Festival is that we are a platform for local filmmakers and for films that were shot in the Adirondack region,” said Weisfeld, noting that Baroudi, who has appeared as Joey Raven in five episodes of ‘Law and Order: Organized Crime,’ has also performed with the Adirondack Theatre Festival in the past.

Continuing the local focus, the festival will also screen several shorts throughout the weekend in multiple categories, including ‘Homegrown: Adirondack Regional Shorts.’ Other categories include ‘Stage to Screen,’ as well as Documentary, Comedy, and Suspense.

Weisfeld emphasized the wide variety of content throughout the weekend, saying, “There’s really something for everybody.”

“It’s over 35 films, so it’s a lot of content,” Weisfeld said. “Just about anybody is going to find something that they enjoy.”

The festival will also screen documentaries such as ‘The Quiet Epidemic,’ focused on the discovery of Lyme Disease.

“We feel like that is such an important topic around our region that we’re bringing in the directors of the film, and having a panel discussion with them and Dr. Holly Ahern from SUNY Adirondack, who’s the vice president of the Lyme Action Network,” said Weisfeld. “There’s serious substantive conversations happening about things that matter to our community, and there’s also a lot of entertainment value too.”

Other films that will be screened include ‘The Last Frankenstein,’ ‘Not a Tame Lion,’ ‘What We Do Next,’ and more.

Anyone interested in attending can choose between an in-person pass, a virtual pass, or an all-access pass, said Weisfeld. Single-day passes are also available throughout the weekend.

The festival reaches a close on Saturday night, with an awards presentation at 7:30 p.m. at the Wood Theater. There are six award categories: Documentary Short, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Narrative Feature, Music Video, and Best of the Festival. 

Weisfeld said that anyone who purchases a pass will be able to vote for the awards. 

“We’ll do the presentation live and live-streamed on Saturday night, and then we’ll go across the street to Downtown Social for another party,” said Weisfeld.

While the festival ends on Saturday, Weisfeld said that anyone who purchases a virtual or all-access pass will have on-demand access to content through midnight on Sunday. All films will be available for virtual screening, with the exception of three: ‘A Love Song,’ ‘Remember This,’ and ‘There There.’

“It’s been fantastic seeing the community support and the support of our business partners,” said Weisfeld of the community reception, giving thanks to partners such as the Queensbury Hotel, Fountain Square Outfitters, Lake George RV Park, Hudson Headwaters, Mannix Marketing, and Trampoline Design.

“We’re very appreciative of our board members, our committee members, and our volunteers. It’s really a community effort to get a project like this off the ground,” Weisfeld said. “We’re really excited to share all this material with the public tomorrow.”

Individual all-access passes begin at $80, while an individual in-person pass costs $65. Single-day passes are available for $35, with virtual passes beginning at $45. Visit www.adkfilmfestival.org for information regarding the festival’s schedule, how to purchase passes, and more.

Adirondack Thunder open training camp today

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, Sports.

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Thunder opened its training camp today, Oct. 10, at Cool Insuring Arena ahead of the team’s first preseason game on Friday.

Training camp is free to attend. Tickets for the Thunder’s preseason contest against the Reading Royals on Friday are $10.00. This game is included in the package for season ticket holders, according to a press release from the team.

All attendees, including season ticket holders, will be entered to win a four-pack of tickets to the Thunder’s regular-season home opener against the Worcester Railers on Oct. 29. 

The team is also offering an ‘Opening Night 4-Pack’ for the home opener, including four tickets, a Thunder hat, and an additional flex ticket for $75.00. Tickets can be purchased at the Thunder front office or by calling 518-480-3355, the release says.

Fridays will also be ‘Labatt Blue Night’ at Cool Insuring Arena. As part of the team’s partnership with Saratoga Eagle, Labatt Blue cans will be sold for $2.00 through the end of the first period of play on Fridays.

Season tickets for the 2022-23 season are on sale, with more information on ticket packages available at www.echlthunder.com/tickets. 

Below are ice times for each day of the Thunder’s training camp:

  • Monday, Oct. 10: (10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
  • Tuesday, Oct. 11: (10:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.)
  • Wednesday, Oct. 12: (10:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.)
  • Thursday, Oct. 13: (10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

World Awareness Children’s Museum hosting ‘Night at the Speakeasy’ Oct. 14

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, In the Arts.

Photo provided by World Awareness Children’s Museum.

GLENS FALLS — The World Awareness Children’s Museum will host their fall fundraiser, ‘Night at the Speakeasy’, Friday, Oct. 14 at the Park Theater in Glens Falls.

The fundraiser will feature live music by the Hot Club of Saratoga, in addition to art displays from the museum collection, a full cash bar with “signature cocktails,” and a raffle with items donated by local businesses. Guests will also be served “elegant hors d’oeuvres and decadent dessert,” according to a press release.

Tickets range from $80 to $90, the release says. The Museum is encouraging guests to dress in era-appropriate clothing, with a prize to be given out to the person with the best 1920s-themed outfit. Tickets are available at wacm.ticketleap.com. 

The Museum is also hosting several other events throughout the month, including a ‘Free Day’ this Sunday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free Day provides guests “a chance to explore everything WACM has to offer, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Stewart’s Holiday Match,” the release says.

A ‘Mini Masterpiece’ program will also be held Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. The program will be led by local artists Patrice Jarvis-Weber. Recommended for children age 10 and up, the class allows participants to paint “their own masterpiece” on a 4×4 canvas. The Mini Masterpiece program costs $8 per person (with a 10% discount for members), and is limited to nine people. 

The following day, Monday, Oct. 10, the Museum will host ‘Celebrate Indigenous People’s Day’ from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The program will celebrate Indigenous culture, teach guests about beaded wampum belts, and allow participants to make their own beaded bracelets. This program is free with museum admission.

The World Awareness Children’s Museum contains pieces from 140 countries, and over 8,000 artifacts including instruments, dolls, toys, and fashion, as well as over 7,000 pieces of international children’s art. It has been a designated charter museum of New York State since 1995. 

To purchase tickets to any of the above events, visit wacm.ticketleap.com.

Insurance

The Most Important Auto Insurance Number That You’re Not Thinking About

Written by Scott Peterson of D'Orazio Peterson on . Posted in Business, Columns, Featured, News.

Insurance

Let’s talk about insurance. 

I know, it’s dry like an overcooked steak.  I get it.

But it’s also important, and in my world it can be critical.

Today we’re not talking general insurance, however, we’re talking SUM insurance.

Many of you have probably never heard this term before; and that’s generally good – it means you’ve never had to use it. 

SUM stands for Supplementary Uninsured Motorist, and SUM insurance is a part of your auto insurance policy.  SUM encompasses both UM (uninsured motorist) and UIM (underinsured motorist), and is meant to step in if you are severely hurt in a car accident, but the other driver either has no insurance or (more likely) does not have adequate insurance coverage to protect/compensate you.

Here’s a fun fact: Everyone in New York has some minimum level of SUM coverage, which means the good news is that you already have some.  The bad news is that the bare bones limits are $25,000 per policy, which is woefully inadequate.  

Let’s look at a common scenario in our practice: Person 1 – we’ll call her Jane – is driving down the street and is t-boned by Person 2 – we’ll call him John – at an intersection.  Jane breaks her leg in two places, and in addition to requiring a substantial surgery, has a long recovery and is out of work for six months.  Jane owns a successful chiropractic business, and while she is able to get coverage during her absence, it costs her a substantial amount of money.

Jane comes to us for help, and one of the first things we do is investigate how much insurance John has to adequately compensate Jane for her physical and economic losses.  Unfortunately, we learn early on that John has a minimum insurance policy, and only maintains $25,000 worth of liability coverage.  This is inadequate, but it is  also relatively common.

From here, one of two scenarios will occur.  

In scenario #1, Jane has the New York State minimum SUM coverage of $25,000.  Because that amount is the same as the other driver’s insurance, Jane cannot make a claim and she is capped at recovering $25,000 from the other driver’s insurance company.  In most instances this constitutes the entirety of Jane’s recovery, which does not even come close to making her whole.

In scenario #2, Jane has thought about SUM coverage, and has increased the coverage on her policy to $500,000.  Now, once she has exhausted John’s coverage of $25,000, she can look to her own insurance carrier under the SUM portion of the policy.  Jane can now obtain something close to a complete financial recovery for her injuries and losses as a result of the accident.

The kicker here – SUM coverage is relatively cheap.  Adding substantial coverage to a policy will cost, maybe, a few hundred dollars per year.  

Our world deals with loss, assessment of fault, and risk management.  Increasing SUM coverage is something that anyone who owns a car can do, and it can make a signifncant difference if you find yourself severely injured in an automobile accident.

This is something that I talk about quite a bit, for good reason.  This year alone I have had several clients come to me following a very severe accident, only to find out that the other driver has minimal coverage and, critically, that the client has minimal SUM coverage as well.  It can be a very difficult conversation in cases involving severely injured individuals. 

The takeaway for this week: talk with your insurance agent or go online and look at your policy.  Increase your SUM limits as much as you are able.  Like any insurance, hopefully you’ll never need it, but if you do you’ll be glad you have it.  

Coming next time: the other side of the coin – do you have enough coverage?

If you have questions about SUM coverage or injuries after an accident, give us a call.  We’re always happy to chat. 

Disclaimer: This column is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or the basis for an attorney-client relationship, which may only be achieved following consultation and execution of a formal engagement agreement.

A role-playing game is set up on a table, with dice, cards, and characters.

Fifth annual Adirondacon Gaming Convention this weekend

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, In the Arts, News.

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondacon Tabletop Gaming Convention returns to Glens Falls this weekend for a fifth year. The event will be held at Charles R. Wood Theater from Oct. 1 to Oct. 2.

“The community has really embraced us,” said co-organizer Veronica Hamilton, noting it is “nice to hold an event and see all the familiar faces come back year after year, and to see new faces come trickling in as well.”

The Convention deals primarily with tabletop games, including role-playing games, board games, and more. Hamilton said they will be introducing Warhammer 40K to this year’s convention.

“Besides Warhammer, we have traditional role-playing games like ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, ‘Call of Cthulhu’, and ‘Pathfinder’,” Hamilton said. “There’s all sorts of stuff. There’s deck-builders, there’s dexterity games.”

Hamilton said that several people are bringing in their own Kickstarter-funded games, naming ‘Flamecraft’ as an example. She also mentioned games such as ‘Dune: Imperium’, ‘Lost Ruins of Arnak’, ‘Wonderland’s War’, and ‘Dungeon Drop’ as others that will be available.

Convention co-organizer John LeMaire will be running a game based on an RPG supplement book he authored, Hamilton said. 

Sunday will also host a dedicated block for children’s games from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

“We’re having just kind of a block (where) kids can come over and try different games, and we’ll have GMs available to teach them,” said Hamilton. “Another one of our local game designers has an RPG for kids and families called ‘Adventure Maximus’, so he’s going to run that on Sunday as well.”

Hamilton stressed that experience is not necessary, saying that “the first thing that the GM will do is teach the game.”

“If you sign up for a game, the GM will teach the game and walk you through how to play the game,” Hamilton said. “A lot of people are coming to try games they’ve never played before.”

The convention will also host a ‘Lending Library’, where help will be on hand for “people who want to take on a game at their own pace.” Attendees can also participate in ‘play-to-win’ games.

“How those work is, we will have a table and a signout sheet. Anyone who plays the game will (have) the chance to win the game they played,” said Hamilton. “We reached out to several different gaming companies, and we were lucky enough to have them send us support for the Con. We have, I believe, 13 play-to-win games this year.”

She emphasized that many of the games are “nice and quick.”

“A lot of them can be played in an hour or less, so you’re not spending your whole Con playing one game, and it gives everybody an opportunity to try the games as well,” Hamilton said.

Adirondacon will feature door prize tickets, as well as commemorative dice, for attendees as they enter, while supplies last, Hamilton noted.

People looking to sell or trade old games can also approach the convention’s bargain table. Hamilton said the table began in the event’s first year.

“It’s just a table that we put aside every year for people to help get rid of their gently-used games,” said Hamilton. “They put the price, their phone number on, and people can just come up and purchase the used games. Sometimes, they can strike a deal.”

The convention also features a ‘vendor alley’, with five vendors selling a variety of items. Hamilton named Two Ravens Games, Cooper’s Cave Games, Night Legion Comics, Gamer Gifts by FSP, and The Creative Chameleon as vendors that will be in attendance, selling a variety of items such as games, accessories, comic books, jewelry, and more.

There will also be cats on hand, as the convention will support North Shore Animal League America – Adirondack Region Cat Adoption Center. Hamilton said “it seemed like a good fit,” noting that she and several other organizers have cats of their own.

“North Shore will be with us at the event until 4 p.m. on Saturday. They have a wishlist, and basically anyone who brings an item in off their wishlist, or a donation to the charity, we have a special drawing of a copy of a game called ‘The Isle of Cats’,” Hamilton said, mentioning the game was donated by First Stall Productions. 

Now in its fifth year, Hamilton said she hopes Adirondacon sees “a record number of people” at this weekend’s event. 

“We’re renting out the entire theater,” said Hamilton. “We’re hoping to raise a good chunk of money for North Shore, and we’re hoping everybody has a good time.”

Hot air balloons take flight in the air.

Adirondack Balloon Festival ‘lights up the night,’ honors founders in 49th year

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, News.

Hot air balloons take flight in the air.

QUEENSBURY — The Adirondack Balloon Festival made its return for a 49th year over the weekend, offering balloon flights, food, crafts, and more at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury and Crandall Park in Glens Falls.

“I think we look at it as a huge success, any time you get more than one or two launches off,” said Erin Reid Coker, one of the festival’s organizers. “From a standpoint of size of crowds, it was very impressive, especially Saturday evening.”

Flights on Thursday and Friday were canceled due to wind, but Coker said, “We had a pretty good crowd for what it was.”

“We’re always looking at safety first, which I think most people here are familiar with and are used to and appreciate,” Coker said. “A lot of times, it’s about education. Just letting people know what’s safe, and what’s not safe, in regards to flying and pilots and spectators.”

The main events occurred on Saturday, with an early-morning flight in honor of festival founder Joan Grishkot, an afternoon launch, and a ‘Lighting Up the Night Moonglow’ flight at 8:00 p.m. Coker referred to Saturday as “our really successful day.”

“Conditions were perfect. About half of our balloons launched (in the afternoon), and the other half stayed for the 8 o’clock moonglow,” Coker said. “It’s always nice to be able to pull that Saturday night event off, because it really is the highlight of the event.”

The Moonglow flight saw balloons light up the night sky, synchronized to music.

“Our voice of the festival, Chuck Aiken, did a wonderful job of putting together the music. It’s probably like a 13 minute show where the balloons kind of sync to some different kinds of music,” said Coker. “Specifically, he put together some music that was strictly dedicated to each of the special shapes. There was a snowman balloon, so we had Frosty the Snowman, so we kind of profile that balloon during that particular song.”

Sunday morning saw another tribute to the festival’s founders, with ‘Walter and Joan’s Mass Ascension’ honoring the Joan Grishkot and her husband Walter.

“Sunday mornings are always the quieter morning,” Coker said. “It was another perfect launch, for sure.”

The festival’s closing flight at Crandall Park on Sunday evening was canceled due to rain in the area. But despite the cancellation, and the lack of flights on Thursday and Friday, Coker said the reception of the community was strong.

“We did get a lot of response from people that are just happy to get things back to normal, or getting back to normal,” said Coker. “Everyone was friendly, and happy, and just having a great time. That’s what it’s all about.”

Coker also mentioned that several audience members were even willing to help out, assisting with inflation of the ‘special shapes’ balloons.

“The community really stepped up. We had to grab people out of the crowd and say, ‘Would you help get this balloon inflated, and do this job, and this job?’ And everybody stepped up,” Coker said. “It wasn’t like, ‘No, we’re just here to watch.’ I didn’t hear that once. You’re always finding somebody that’s excited about that experience.”

The festival had 65 total balloons on hand, food vendors, a craft fair, and a large crowd over the weekend, but Coker said that the Balloon Festival still has not gotten back to “100%,” noting that the festival has seen nearly 100 balloons in past years.

“We’re not quite there yet, but I think maybe it was, in some weird way, a nice omen to transition from 15 balloons to 60 balloons, and now with the 50th anniversary next year, to get those 100 balloons back and make the event even more special,” said Coker.

The Adirondack Balloon Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary from Sept. 21 to 24, 2023, Coker said. 

“The 50th anniversary, we have a lot of work to do, and hopefully make it something super special for people,” Coker said. “We have some ideas in mind as far as events other than actual launches to celebrate, but those are in pretty early stages.”

A violin player during a symphony performance.

Glens Falls Symphony returns to Glens Falls High School Auditorium for 2022-23

Written by Command on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, Featured, In the Arts.

A violin player during a symphony performance.

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Symphony will return to the Glens Falls High School Auditorium for the 2022-23 season, kicking off with Brahms Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 9 by Dimitri Shostakovich on Oct. 9. 

“To return to our home, to be together onstage, to be one with our audience? That is the best,” said Symphony music director Charles Peltz in a press release. 

The Glens Falls Symphony will also perform a piece co-commissioned with the New Music for America Consortium, ‘Cold Mountain Suite.’ It is based on an opera and novel of the same name by Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, who will be in residency during the performances, according to the release.

Three local students will perform solos with the orchestra on Dec. 18, during the ‘Shining Lights’ Holiday Pops concert. Paige Eaton of Warrensburg High School, Carter Sano of Queensbury High School, and Madison Gaiser of Queensbury High will all perform solos during the Dec. 18 performance.

The Symphony will perform with local students again on March 19, with students from Saratoga Springs, Guilderland, Hudson Falls, Queensbury, and Glens Falls High Schools joining the Symphony in playing Gustav Mahler’s string orchestra transcription of Franz Schubert’s String Quarter 14 ‘Death and Maiden’.

The final performance of the season will take place on May 7, ‘An Evening of Classic Broadway.’ It will include music by Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and more, according to the release. Lindsay Roberts, currently performing in the Broadway company production of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, will join the Symphony for this performance.

“Our season is designed for everyone in our community: the lover of classics will be thrilled with the Brahms concerto, the new music aficionados will thrill with the Higdon premiere, those inspired by our youth will delight in the young voices at holiday time and our side by side in March, and everyone loves Broadway – America’s music loved around the world,” Peltz said in the release.

“Let’s all get out of the house and rekindle the special experience that makes a Glens Falls Symphony concert a ‘must-do’ event.”

Visit theglensfallssymphony.org or call the Symphony office at (518) 793-1348 for information on ticket prices and seating. 

See the full list of concerts below:

  • Oct. 9: Brahms Violin Concerto / Shostakovich Symphony 9
  • Nov. 13: Claudio Monteverdi – L’Orfeo – Toccata and Intermezzi / Jennifer Higden – Cold Mountain Suite / Georges Bizet Suite from L’Arlesienne / Benjamin Britten – Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
  • Dec. 18: ‘Shining Lights: Holiday Pops’
  • March 19: ‘Side by Side’
  • May 7: ‘An Evening of Classic Broadway’