Community Archives - Page 58 of 90 - Glens Falls Business Report

Lifeguard Training at Glens Falls High School

Written by Staff Report on February 22, 2023. Posted in Community, Featured.

The City of Glens Falls Recreation Department is offering a lifeguard training course at Glens Falls High School, beginning March 6th and ending March 14th. To gain certification, one must attend all of the offered classes. You will need to bring a bathing suit and a towel, and the cost for the class is $220; the cost to re-certify is $96.

To be eligible for the lifeguard training course, the participant must be at least 15 years of age at the time of the final session of the course.

The participant must successfully complete the following:

1) Swim 300 yards continuously using these strokes in the following order:

a) 100 yards of front crawl using rhythmic breathing, and a stabilizing propellant kick,

b) 100 yards of breaststroke using a pull, breathe, kick and glide sequence,

c) 100 yards of either front crawl or breaststroke – this may be a combination of front crawl or breaststroke.

2) Starting in the water, perform the following all within 1 minute, 40 seconds:

a) swim 20 yards using front crawl or breaststroke,

b) surface dive seven (7) to ten (10) feet, retrieve a 10-pound object and return to the surface,

c) then swim 20 yards back to the starting point with the object and exit the water without using a ladder or steps.

If you’re interested, download this form: https://www.cityofglensfalls.com/DocumentCenter/View/7307/Lifeguard-Training-Registration-Form-PDF from their website. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the Recreation Department at (518) 615-0446, or (518) 761-3864.

“Wing Fest” Returns to Downtown Glens Falls

Written by Staff Report on February 21, 2023. Posted in Business, Community, Featured, Local Leads.

Who has the best wings? Find out Saturday, April 29, in Downtown Glens Falls!

The Glens Falls Collaborative will be hosting its annual Wing Fest event on Saturday, April 29, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Downtown Glens Falls. The event is structured as a competition between restaurants for the best wings… Once tasting concludes at 3:00, an Awards Ceremony at the bandstand in City Park at 3:30 PM will close out the event, with multiple categories of winners. There will also be live music! The 2nd annual Michael DuBray Inferno Wing Eating Competition will also take place, at 2:00 PM on Glen Street. The winner will receive a trophy and bragging rights! Competitors pay a registration fee of $25, which will go into the Michael DuBray Scholarship Fund; Michael DuBray, also known as DeeJay DuBray, helped found the event, and served as its chair and champion for many years. You can register for this event now at www.glensfallscollaborative.com.

The competition is still in need of participating restaurants! Restaurants are invited to participate by applying online at www.glensfallscollaborative.com. This event will be cash only, a departure from the previous ticket system… Participating Downtown restaurants will serve from their storefronts, and restaurants from outside the city will serve from chosen locations along Glen, Ridge, and Maple Street.

Voting will take place online at glensfallscollaborative.com. QR codes for voting will be displayed around town, and votes must be cast no later than 3:00 PM!

This event is produced by the Glens Falls Collaborative, with major support from the City of Glens Falls and the Glens Falls Business Improvement District. The Glens Falls Collaborative was created in 2012 by a group of dedicated merchants who wanted to cross-promote and increase business flowing to Downtown Glens Falls, in cooperation with the City of Glens Falls and the Glens Falls Business Improvement District. The Collaborative has expanded to put on major Downtown events – including Pet Fest, Wing Fest, Grandma’s Table, Take A Bite, Boo2You, the ADK Christkindlmarkt, and Hometown Holidays. The Collaborative also creates an incredible brochure of Glens Falls, with a large distribution and beautiful joint advertising; and now includes restaurants, arts and nonprofit organizations, health related businesses, media arts firms, many different service providers, and other area businesses.

Simple Strength and Conditioning

Written by Kate Haggerty on February 21, 2023. Posted in Business, Community, Featured.

“Strong First” Certified Trainer Ryan Carpenter prides himself on building a fun and safe environment geared towards helping people push forward to meet their health and wellness goals through Kettlebell workouts. A gym inside a gym, Carpenter uses space inside of Atlas Jiu Jitsu & MMA, at 110 Main street in South Glens Falls, in the Midtown Plaza.

Ryan’s dedication and passion for the Kettlebell workout was born out of his own personal struggles: when Ryan left active duty with the United States Marine Corps in 1997, he struggled to keep in shape. It wasn’t until he chose sobriety that he found a new passion for working out.

In 2012, he decided to get sober because he really wasn’t feeling like himself: “My whole family history is riddled with alcohol issues. I lost my mother when I was 11. Then, what really turned me to getting healthy was that I lost my brother, father and grandmother all in the same year. My father died suddenly from a blood clot in his lung, my brother died of alcoholism six months later, and then my grandmother died later that year. And those were the three people who stood by me when I was getting sober… That drove me to get healthy. I just want to be around. I have two step-kids, that are my kids. I’ve been in their lives since they were four and three, so they are my kids. I believe in leading by example and the way my life was I wasn’t leading by example. So I needed to change; so I changed” Ryan said.

At first, Ryan struggled… He replaced alcohol with sugar, and that only added to his weight. Ryan then began a slow approach, incorporating light workouts and a changed diet with smarter choices… With this, Ryan began to lose weight, and he saw his training evolve.

The Kettlebell workouts really appealed to Ryan because they were so effective in working the entire body – the low impact on the joints, the improvement to his strength and conditioning, and the weight loss were all undeniable.

Ryan completed his Strong First Kettlebell Certification in July of 2020… In five years, he had gone from morbidly overweight to the strongest, healthiest, and happiest he has ever been. Now, Ryan’s goal with Simple Strength and Conditioning is to build a community and create a fun and safe workout for others, to help them achieve similar results.

Simple Strength and Conditioning opened in July of 2021, and just keeps growing… Ryan and his wife Cara put the time and effort into rehabbing an under-utilized area of the Atlas Jiu Jitsu & MMA Gym. Ryan and Cara were able to create a space where Ryan could oversee the workouts of his clients: “We started with seven people, and that was enough to pay the rent. Then as word of mouth got out, we’ve gotten more and more people, and 90% of the people who try the Kettlebell workout stay in the program” Ryan said.

The Kettlebell workout appeals to all ages – Ryan’s clientele range in age from 13 to 74.

Ryan attributed the success of the Kettlebell workout to the offset weight: “The Kettlebell is an offset weight, so your body naturally has to work. The weight creates resistance and naturally works your core… What we concentrate on here is good, quality reps, and rest. It’s important to show people the proper way to do things, proper breathing techniques, preserving muscle, staying loose and stretching” Ryan said.

When structuring the cost of the classes, Ryan once again draws from his personal experience: “ I remember where I came from. I remember that I was struggling, and I didn’t have a lot of money for a membership, and I wanted to get in shape but I didn’t want to break the bank… And that is what I want to offer people” he said. The classes are an hour long, and include instruction; the workout is about 45 minutes.

The first class is free!
“Drop-In” classes are $15.
A five-class package is $70.
A 10-class package is $140.
The Unlimited Monthly package is $110, and with that, you can come to class as often as you like.

Teachers, first responders, and service members both former and active qualify for a discount. For more information, visit www.simplestrengthconditioning.com

Police Blotter: Feb. 6 – Feb. 12, 2023

Written by Staff Report on February 21, 2023. Posted in Blotter, Community.

Ashlee M. Wright, 33, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Grand Larceny

Michael B. Cotter, 48, was arrested for Violation of Family Court Act

Alex W. York, 31, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

Justin M. McMurtry, 38, was arrested for False Personation

Kyle M. Baxter, 32, was arrested for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing/Blood Circulation

John A. Breault, 53, was arrested for 2nd Deg. Harassment, 2nd Deg. Criminal Contempt

Jacqueline D. Ehle, 30, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

Christopher M. Creaser, 42, was arrested for Aggravated Family Offense, 2nd Deg. Assault, 1st Deg. Criminal Contempt, 2nd Deg. Harassment, 2nd Deg. Obstruction of Governmental Administration, Resisting Arrest

Melissa M. Kenyon, 41, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

Alfred T. Allen, 52, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Travis M. Queary, 40, was arrested for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

Cameron D. Underwood, 21, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation

WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF

On Feb. 11 at around 1:03am, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox after it was observed committing unspecified traffic offenses on Upper Sherman Ave. in the Town of Queensbury. Following an investigation, the operator, Holly A. Bader, 37, of Fort Edward was found to be intoxicated and subsequently arrested. At police headquarters, Bader submitted to a chemical breath test which yielded a .20 of 1% BAC–more than twice the legal limit. Due to a previous Driving While Intoxicated conviction within the last 10 years, Bader was charged with Felony counts of Driving While Intoxicated and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated. Bader was released to a third party and is scheduled to appear in Queensbury Town Court to answer the charges at a later date.

On Feb. 11 at approximately 6:27pm, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Sewall St. and Canada St. in the Village of Lake George for a report of a hit-and-run accident. During an investigation into the crash, a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle that left the scene was stopped on State Route 9 in Lake George for unspecified traffic offenses. The operator, Scot D. Ballard, 53, of Queensbury was found to be intoxicated and was subsequently arrested. At police headquarters, Ballard submitted to a chemical breath test, which yielded a .24 of 1% BAC–three times the legal limit. Ballard was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, issued numerous traffic tickets, and released on his own recognizance to appear at a later date in Lake George Town Court.

Property Transactions: Feb. 13 – Feb. 19, 2023

Written by Staff Report on February 20, 2023. Posted in Community, Property.

EASTON

Andrew Fish sold property at 6 Barber Ave to Alberto & Jill Rodriguez for $220,000

FORT ANN

Christine A. Hadden sold property at 197 Hadlock Pond Rd to Chrisopher Robinson for $272,000

GLENS FALLS

Kristin E. Canini sold property at 10 Charlotte St to Mark & Jeremy DeLor for $240,000

HARTFORD

Joseph A. Zorn sold property at 92 Baker Rd to Justin Wilson & Jessica Freeguard for $191,489

Albert H. Story sold property at 3290 County Route 43 to Alexander M. Story II for $60,000

HEBRON

Peter & Frances Swano sold property at 3637 County Route 30 to Melissa Kelly for $389,697

Sarah May sold property at 362 Indian Head Way to Joseph A. Jensen for $200,000

Roxane R. Kipp sold property at 6173 State Route 22 to Caie and Coley Farm, LLC for $65,000

HORICON

Richard Roth & Myrna Miller sold property at 321 Palisades Rd to Paul Keiley for $765,000

KINGSBURY

James & Nancy Keating sold property at 1197 Dix Ave to John Brunette, LLC for $145,000

Dominic & Michael Caivano sold property at 80 River St to Gold Door Holdings, LLC for $105,000

LAKE GEORGE

James & Steven Ohnigian, Shakee Hitik, and Frank Piper sold property at 3686 Route 9L for $207,000

QUEENSBURY

Kyle Marrs & Alexis Gayton Taylor sold property at 124 Sunnyside North to Jeremiah & Sonya Madden for $455,000

Kathilyn L. Williams sold property at 212 West Mountain Rd to Evan Richardson Koke

Donald & Margaret Bress sold property at 1285 Ridge Rd to Laurence & Margaret Gilbride for $250,000

SALEM

Lori T. Colombraro sold property at 4397 State Route 22 to Adam R. Burnett for $199,900

THURMAN

Benjamin Zink sold property at 590 Mud St to Ethan Feeney for $15,000

WHITEHALL

Leslie W. Ryan sold property at 212 Broadway to 212 Broadway, LLC for $70,001

Glens Falls Police Arrest Man Accused of Lewd Act

Written by Staff Report on February 20, 2023. Posted in Blotter, Featured.

On Monday, February 13th, the Glens Falls Police Department responded to a report of a lewd act that had taken place at the Glens Falls YMCA. Officers immediately responded, and upon arrival, were advised that a male exposed his private parts while following a member of the YMCA around the facility.

The suspect had left the building prior to police arrival, but their investigation led them to the alleged suspect – Jonathan Heath, of Fort Edward. Heath was arrested and charged on three (3) counts of public lewdness, which is a Class B misdemeanor.

Heath was released to appear in Glens Falls City Court at a later date. If you have any additional information regarding this incident, please contact the Glens Falls Police Department at (518) 761-3840.

Glens Falls Police Welcome 4 New Police Officers

Written by Kate Haggerty on February 20, 2023. Posted in Community, Featured, Local Leads, Workforce.

The City of Glens Falls Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony on Friday, February 17th at City Hall. Joining the department are Patrol Officers Zack Swartz from Hudson Falls, Michaela Ortale from Gansevoort, Caleb Hughey from North Creek, and Alexander Daab from Bolton Landing.

Patrol Officers Zack Swartz & Michaela Ortale

The four new officers will begin their academy training on Monday, February 20. Upon the completion of the six month training this August, they will begin a twelve-week Field Training Program with the current city officers.

“We are very excited to have these new officers join our department,” says Detective Seth French. “We look forward to their graduation from the academy and being part of the ‘day to day’ here in the City of Glens Falls.”

Patrol Officers Caleb Hughey & Alexander Daab

Even with the new police officers being sworn in this morning, the City of Glens Falls PD is currently looking for lateral transfers and new officers for employment to fill current openings within the department. If interested, please call (518) 761-3840, and ask for Chief Smith or Detective French.

Faces of City Hall: Tom Girard, Superintendent of The Department of Public Works

Written by Kate Haggerty on February 20, 2023. Posted in Community, Downtown, Featured, Uncategorized.

The Glens Falls Department of Public Works is located at 230 Dix Avenue. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; however, the DPW handles emergency calls 24/7. The Department of Public Works is responsible for all city-owned buildings and grounds, and the maintenance of all city-owned parks, recreation facilities, and green areas within streets. Tom Girard – avid Mets fan and superintendent of the department – has worked for the City of Glens Falls for 11 years. He came to work for the city following a 32-year career working for Albany Engineering.

Girard’s position as Superintendent evolved over time – after being hired by Mayor Jack Diamond as the Field Operations Manager for water and sewers for the city – a role that he is still responsible for today – he would take over the Superintendent role as well in 2021. The position had opened up due to the departure of long term Superintendent Bob Schiavoni – Schiavoni had been in and out of the DPW Superintendent’s seat since 1985.

Girard pointed out that working for the city and working for the private sector have similarities: “You start out with one job and gain more responsibility. Mayor Jack Diamond hired me to become the field operations manager for water and sewer. I worked down in the water and sewer and I still do. I still have that ‘hat’” Girard said.

Girard sees himself continuing in the role as superintendent of the DPW: “Most likely I will work for a few more years, and then think about retirement… I can’t see myself not working, after retirement I would probably like to work part time for a little bit” Girard said.

Girard was born and raised in Glens Falls – he built a house in the east end in 1986, and still lives there today: “37 years I’ve been in the east end, and I know a lot of people.”

Girard enjoys his work, but admits that there are aspects of the work at the DPW that can be challenging… Like emergency calls when a water main breaks in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter when it’s below zero: “I have really been fortunate in the positions that I have had. I have a really great staff and I know that the job is getting done… That makes my job a lot easier. The workers and the supervisors are great” Girard said.

One of the challenges that the DPW faces is the grand patchwork of places that the they are responsible for maintaining: “There are the playgrounds, the recreation facilities, the sidewalks all around the city. The parking lots. There are little pieces of land all around the city and we receive calls regarding the maintenance of them. During the summer when we are busy, I receive 50 to 60 emails a day” he said.

There are also services that the DPW provides to help the community… The DPW provides support to elderly residents, including eight senior citizens’ residences where they shovel the sidewalk; these are residents who meet the age and financial requirements for the service. The DPW also takes care of the “ghost properties” in the city; these are properties that are in the process of foreclosure. They shovel the snow in the winter and mow the grass in the summer, and will also drain the water in these properties so that the pipes won’t freeze. Girard recalled an incident about five years ago where a pipe had burst in a vacant building – because no one was aware that it had happened, the city lost over a million gallons of water in one day.

Girard also has advice for people who are considering working for the DPW: there are currently about thirty positions that are filled at the DPW, but they are always looking to hire. “If you’re looking for a job, do a little research and look at the positions that are available. If you have a CDL license, that’s a bonus. If you don’t have one, we have grants now that will help pay for training. The grant is up to $3,700. The city pays the initial $1,200 for the first prep and permit step, and then $2,500 to the BOCES program for the hands-on training… It’s a pretty intense course… We have three employees who have just finished or are in the process of finishing” Girard said.

There are a variety of opportunities at the DPW at the entry level and more advanced levels alike, and there’s the shadow benefit of being out in the community as well: “The guys here really enjoy getting ‘thank you’ from the community. They go out of their way to help, they really do” Girard said.

Kiwanis Club: Matthew Taormino Honored As “Distinguished President”

Written by Kate Haggerty on February 16, 2023. Posted in Community, Featured.

Matthew Taormino of Queensbury was honored with the “Distinguished President” award by Kiwanis International’s New York District at their Annual Conference in Albany on February 11th. Taormino served as Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls’ President for the year 2021-2022; during his term, Matt made several contributions to the Kiwanis club, including beginning the monthly newsletter – which he continues to edit – and increasing membership with six new members. He also chaired the club’s popular “Duck Race” and served on the first-year committee that developed the “Spirits in the Trees” event; in addition, he serves on the Kiwanis Club Foundation board, and is a Key Club – Kiwanis’ high school leadership program – Advisor.

Matt joined Kiwanis in 2012. In addition to his duties with the Kiwanis Club, Matt also serves on the board of the Lake George Chamber of Commerce, and for the last several years has been the General Manager of the Dunham’s Bay Resort in Lake George.

The Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls has been in operation for over 95 years, and is one of the oldest service clubs in the area. Visitors and new members alike are welcome to attend the monthly meeting at the Queensbury Hotel; meetings take place on the third Wednesday of each month. For more information, please visit glensfallskiwanis.org

Adirondack United Takes a Run at The State Championship in Inaugural Season

Written by Kate Haggerty on February 16, 2023. Posted in Education, Featured, Sports.

This has been the inaugural season for the Adirondack United section II girls ice hockey team… And what a season it has been!

This team is a merger of five school districts: Glens Falls, Saratoga, South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Corinth. This team – which is made up of 30 total skaters – has a season record of 15-1, and they are now competing for the State Championship. The state semifinals will be held on Friday, February 17, at the Nexus Center in Utica, New York. The United will take on Section 10 team Canton at 6:00 PM.

Adirondack United was born out of a successful youth program – the Adirondack Northstars. The Adirondack Northstars 16u has won two state titles, and the 19u also won a state title last year. “There are about 170 girls in the Northstar program,” said United’s head coach Jeff Willis.

In the first game of the season, the Adirondack United beat the defending State champion Beekmantown team on their home ice 10-1. “Coming out of the youth program we knew we would be good. But to take on the defending state champion and beat them at their own place, in our first game, made a statement right at game one. And our confidence has grown from there and we have continued to develop over the course of the season” Willis said.

Coach Willis sees the future in what he is helping to build: “We are a young team, but we are a mature team. I was polling the girls the other day, and about a dozen of them have been captains of their teams in another sport” he said.

Creating opportunities for the kids is a major factor in the drive of making the team a success: “We didn’t cut any kids. We want kids to develop, we want kids to be excited about playing hockey. We’ve done that. We see the little girls in the stands watching us, and these girls have seen the success we have had on the team. Our girls are role models for younger players and girls in general. It will have a really positive effect on girls in the community“ Coach Willis said.

Coach Willis’s daughter, Lily, is a 10th grader who plays on the team. “This season has been super exciting. I didn’t think it was real until I actually went to tryouts. I couldn’t believe that we were actually having a team. It’s been fun, I have been playing my whole life. My closest friends have been made from hockey” Lily said.

Adirondack United has been a success due to the talent of the players, but also because of the community’s support. The creation of a booster club has been an important factor: “(The booster club) has done a fantastic job with the planning. The president of the booster club, Charles Amodia, provided a blueprint for buses and room blocks. The booster club cooked meals for the team, and raised money. We raised almost $20,000 in seven days, and that allowed us to do a lot of things for the team. It shows how much community support there was for the team” Willis said.

Adirondack United is ready to face Canton again in the semifinals; they last faced Canton on February 3rd, and defeated them 7-1. The other NYS semifinal game will be between Clinton and Kenmore/Grand Island; Adirondack lost their only game of the season to Clinton on January 2nd, but then beat Clinton later in the season 5-0. The United has yet to face Kenmore/Grand Island.