Community Archives - Page 72 of 90 - Glens Falls Business Report

Local Norway Spruce Shines To Kick Off the Holiday Season

Written by Kate Haggerty on December 1, 2022. Posted in Community, Entertainment, Featured, Local Leads.

On November 30th, New Yorker locals and visitors alike gathered at the world-famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree to watch it light up at 9:57 PM on Wednesday night. The tree was lit by Tishman Speyer (President and CEO), Rob Speyer, & Chairman Jerry Speyer.

More than 50,000 multi-colored, energy efficient lights were strung on five miles of wire to adorn the 14-ton, 82 foot tall & 50 foot wide Norway Spruce. The Swaroski Star dazzled from the top of the tree. The star was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and this is the 19th year that a Swaroski Star has topped the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. This spectacular star is made up of 70 spikes, covered in 3 million crystals, 9 ½ feet in diameter, and weighs 900 pounds.

This star-studded event included the Radio City Rockettes. It was hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, and ACCESS Hollywood Host Mario Lopez. There was a special appearance by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph; and, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani sang a special duet of “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”.

This tree is one of our own local beauties; it was donated by the Lebowitz family of Glens Falls. The tree was harvested on November 10th, and arrived in New York City on November 12th. The Lebowitz family attended the tree lighting ceremony.

Spectators can view the lit tree each day from 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM: All day (24 Hours) on Christmas, and from 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM on New Year’s Eve. For more holiday images, please visit: Twitter @rockcenternyc , Instagram @rockefellercenter and Facebook @rockefellercenternyc

Queensbury Walmart Shooting Suspect Pleads “Not Guilty”

Written by Kate Haggerty on December 1, 2022. Posted in Community, Featured, Local Leads.

On Sunday, November 27th, Warren County Sheriff’s and State Police responded to a shooting incident in the parking lot of the Walmart on Route 9 in Queensbury. The police say that an aggressive driving incident occurred in the area of Northway Plaza.

Adrian Simental, 33, faces multiple charges. His vehicle followed the victim’s vehicle into the Walmart parking lot. At this time, a verbal and physical altercation occurred; Simental allegedly fired a handgun that hit the victim in the hip, and then fled the scene. The victim was treated at Glens Falls Hospital and Albany Medical Center.

Simental of California has been charged with attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon. In Court today, he pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.

Court documents show that Simental and the victim got into a fight. The fight led to Simental pulling out a handgun and allegedly shooting the victim in the hip. The Deputies were able to identify the car used by the suspect and found him at a Moreau home; police then executed a search warrant and arrested Simental. He is being held on $200,000 cash bail or $600,000 bond in the Warren County Jail. The judge granted an order of protection for the victim, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, December 6, 2022 at 9:00 AM.

Man Arrested in Connection with Queensbury Walmart Shooting

Written by Staff Report on November 30, 2022. Posted in Community, Featured, News.

Photo Courtesy of Warren County Sheriff’s Office

A man has been arrested in connection with the Nov. 27 shooting in the parking lot of the Walmart on Route 9 in Queensbury. According to a press release, The Warren County Sheriff’s Office arrested 33-year-old Adrian Simental of Moreau on the evening of Nov. 29.

Simental has been charged with felony counts of attempted first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the incident.

He is accused of firing a handgun at a 52-year-old New York City man after an aggressive driving encounter that occurred between Simental and the victim moments earlier on Route 9. The investigation determined the encounter had occurred near Northway Plaza, and that Simental’s vehicle followed the victim’s vehicle into the Walmart parking lot, where a verbal and physical confrontation ensued. Simental is accused of firing a handgun during the confrontation and hitting the victim in the lower abdomen.

The victim was treated at Glens Falls Hospital and Albany Medical Center, and has since been released. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. Simental fled the scene after the shooting, and was located after an investigation involving members of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police.

Simental was arraigned on Nov. 30 in Warren County CAP Court and remanded to Warren County Jail for lack of $200,000 cash bail or $600,000 bail bond. He is due back in Queensbury Town Court on Monday, Dec. 5.

Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr thanked all of the agencies and members of the public who assisted the Sheriff’s Office in their investigation and worked diligently to locate Simental. He said, “We strongly encourage everyone to avoid confrontations when faced with aggressive driving encounters and we ask the public to seek assistance from law enforcement when confronted by a ‘road rage’ incident, rather than attempting to resolve these matters themselves.”

Rachel Seeber, Queensbury at-Large Supervisor, Resigns

Written by Kate Haggerty on November 30, 2022. Posted in Community, Featured, Local Leads.

The day before Thanksgiving, Rachel Seeber – the Queensbury At-Large Supervisor – announced her resignation, which will be effective January 2023. Seeber hopes that the two-month notice will give the town board time to fill the position.

Seeber said, “I am, of course, hopeful that given the two months of notice to our community regarding the anticipated filing of my resignation in the next several weeks, that the Town Board will actively seek a representative to appoint to the position effective late January to ensure that Queensbury will continue to have full representation on the county board.”

Seeber has been a vocal advocate for change of the legislative format: “We are one of about a dozen left in the state, and frankly, our at-large reps are elected in Queensbury are incredibly rare to see. I think it makes it difficult for the candidates, and frankly, it can be confusing and frustrating for the voters and constituents. That being said, it is the system that we have to work within at this time, and anyone interested in being appointed to my unexpired term – about 11 months – would send a letter of interest to the council members for Queensbury,” Seeber noted.

The Queensbury At-Large Supervisor serves two-year terms on the county board. This board oversees the county government services such as the Department of Social services, county Department of Public Works, Sheriff’s office, and county Clerk’s office as well as others. With Queensbury having the highest population in the county, the town’s representatives have the highest weighted vote count on the Board of Supervisors.

In 2021, Seeber was elected as the Warren County Board of Supervisors’ first chairwoman, but only served one year. At the time, Seeber was completing her doctorate, and stepped down to focus on completing her degree.

“It’s time for me to refocus on my family and my professional career full time. Politics is not my career, and you will never hear me say that it is. I believe our government should be by the people and for the people – with this in mind, and having proudly earned my doctorate just a few short months ago, it is now time to focus on teaching college full-time as the spring semester for 2023 approaches,” Seeber reportedly said.

Seeber also announced her resignation on various social media accounts; she first ran for office in 2013, and her resignation will be effective January 23, 2023 – her current term would have ended on December 31, 2023.

North Country Subaru Donates to Jackson Heights Elementary School

Written by Kate Haggerty on November 30, 2022. Posted in Business, Community, Featured, Local Leads.

North Country Subaru has once again shown its support for the Jackson Heights Elementary School. Fifteen teachers were awarded $500 each to purchase items for their classrooms; these items range from reading cards, to organization bins, to white boards. These generous donations were part of the North Country Subaru “Learning Love” event. Kindergarten teacher Christy Sphur said, “We were also able to get craft supplies and other learning tools that have enhanced math and ELA instruction.”

The structure of the donation allowed individual teachers to get material that was needed for specific grade levels. Liz Gross – a third grade teacher – was able to use the donation for multiplication and division tiles. These tiles help students practice their math more effectively. “The tiles are stackable and kids love calling out the answers,” she said.

The funding was also used for letter-building kits, climbing steps, and new magnetic boards. The Jackson Heights Elementary School was very thankful for the continued support of the children’s education.

Police Blotter: Nov. 14 – Nov. 20, 2022

Written by Staff Report on November 29, 2022. Posted in Blotter, Community.

Brittany A. Colon, 23, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle

Michael F. Duell, 24, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Kara N. Klatt, 28, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Derrick T. Spann, 52, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Mitchell E. Stone, 46, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Samuel E. Travis, 45, was arrested for Petit Larceny

Jordan M. Mosher, 26, was arrested for 2nd Deg. Aggravated Harassment

Todd G. Chandler, 49, was arrested for 1st Deg. Bail Jumping

Kyle D. Locke, 27, was arrested for 2nd Deg. Criminal Contempt and DWI; 1st Offense

Anthony Longhi, 30, was arrested for 2nd Deg. Harassment

Raymond E. Brown, 27, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle

Amanda M. Sawka, 43, was arrested for 3rd Deg. Burglary

Malcolm E. Wolfe, 26, was arrested for 1st Deg. Criminal Contempt and Aggravated Family Offense

Property Transactions: November 21 – November 27, 2022

Written by Staff Report on November 29, 2022. Posted in Community, Property.

ARGYLE

Kaela Fox & Rodney J. Fox, Jr. sold property at 41 Miller Rd to Elizabeth Hitt & Michele Walsh for $240,000.

BOLTON

Richard S. Hiatt sold property at 211 County Route 11 to Ellen H. Hiatt McKee for $37,500.

FORT ANN

Ian & Jennifer Liebmann sold property at 570 & 574 West Rd to Daniel & Cristina Hanchett for $200,000.

Richard G. Rosetti sold property at 1283 Pilot Knob Rd to Fowler Square LLC for $750,000.

Gerard P. Nudi sold property at 3143 Oakley Way to Michael & Leslie Miles for $2,519,000.

FORT EDWARD

Tyler M. Briggs sold property at 92 East St to Gloria Fitzgerald for $74,000.

Stephanie A. Stokoe sold property at 17 Frank St to Loralie B. Dingman for $150,000.

Wendy Wall sold property at 13 Olive St to Christopher Sass for $47,600.

Brian Godfrey sold property at 10 Edward St to Anthony Mango III, Tammy Mango, Tara Goodspeed for $15,100.

Brian Bearor sold property at 7 West Summit St to Caroline Bearor for $125,000.

GRANVILLE

Kevin R. Glasier sold property at 167 County Route 25 to Curtis L. Arquette for $165,500.

Edith Riker & Stanley E. Riker, Jr. sold property at 81 Whitney Estates Ln to Bobbi & Luis Frias for $355,000.

GREENWICH

Chrisopher D. Kuzmich sold property at 444 Ryan Rd to Kevin & Mary Tully for $220,000.

HEBRON

Lance Lewis & Debra Buckley sold property at 71 Halls Pond Rd to Dylan Baumann & Daniel Hausfelder for $191,500.

HORICON

Michael Swan sold property at 342 Horicon Ave to Daniel & Kerry Babson for $75,000.

JACKSON

Matthew Colvin sold property at 9 White Birch Ln to Christopher Gauthier & Ashley Parker for $172,000.

KINGSBURY

Terry & Denise Barnes sold property at 1625 State Route 196 to Theodore Garrison for $200,000.

Jeffrey R. Smith sold property at 4 Lincoln St to Tyler & Alyssa Davis for $269,900.

Joann E. Hayes sold property at 4 North St to Edward DePalo for $83,740.

Michael A. Leininger sold property at 16-18 Mosher Hill to James Oaster for $159,900.

D-Family Properties LLC sold property at 5 Union St to Zachary Graves for $195,000.

Michael Vaughn sold property at 93 John St to Christopher Sass for $51,000.

QUEENSBURY

Beth Faller sold property at 21 Maple Dr to Alfredo Avalos & Lorena Guzman-Molina for $300,000.

SALEM

Carl & Stephanie Healy sold property at 1004 Old County Ln to Dajedy Enterprises LLC for $22,400.

Rita Wadsworth & Craig Linendoll sold property at 43 Smith Rd to Deborah Fraioli & Lawrence B. Fraioli, Jr. for $30,000.

THURMAN

Russell Cheney sold property at 885 Zaltz Rd to David A. Edwards for $146,900.

WHITEHALL

4 Real Properties LLC sold property at 5 Kirkland St to Alidia Hoard for $173,840.

Champlain Stone Ltd sold property at 8961 State Route 4 to Braen Stone of Whitehall LLC for $250,000.

Tarah L. Hubbard sold property at 779 County Route 18 to Dennis J. Mack for $207,500.

Marcia Touchette sold property at 18 Gilmore St to Ryan & Ashley Bakemeier for $27,600.

Dale & Constance Lipka sold property at 2715 County Route 12 to Green Mountain Investors LLC for $20,100.

The Sunflower Collection at The Shirt Factory

Written by Kate Haggerty on November 29, 2022. Posted in Business, Community, Featured, In the Arts, Local Leads.

The Shirt Factory’s 21st Annual Holiday Open House coincided with Small Business Saturday this year. The Shirt Factory is the home of crafters and artisanal small businesses, and vendors filled the hallways with their offerings. Crowds of people enthusiastically wandered the halls of the former industrial building, turned home of the arts community.

Kim and Jim Vasiliou are the owners of The Sunflower Collection, which is located in The Shirt Factory’s Suite 304. The Sunflower Collection is happy to have found a home; founder Kim Vasiliou said about The Shirt Factory, “It’s a great place for small businesses.” The Sunflower Collection is an artisan producer of handcrafted soaps, bath bombs, sugar scrubs, and candles, and Kim has attributed the success of The Sunflower Collection to the help from family and friends: “My sister has been a huge help, and a lot of support (has come) from friends and family” she said.

All of the products are phthalate & paraben free – Parabens are commonly used in cosmetics as a preservative, and Phthalates are a group of chemicals that make plastic more durable. The Sunflower Collection doesn’t use any of that! They use a unique blend of scented essential oils, and butters with sunflower derived vitamin E; the collection also uses natural fruits and botanical extracts. These are high in minerals and vitamins, and help maintain a healthy glowing skin.

“Artisan soap is probably our biggest seller” Kim said. The soap is made with a special blend of oils, including camellia seed oil; this type of oil is very nourishing for the skin. All of the products have unique qualities that customers love: the whipped soaps create a rich and foamy lather, while the sugar scrubs moisturize the skin with a handmade blend of butters and oils, and the body oils that they sell have soft and soothing fragrances.

The Sunflower Collection has also kept the traveler in mind: They sell “Lotion Bars”. These solidified lotions moisturize the skin just like regular lotion, and because they are in a solid form, can’t ever spill in your travel bag… This makes the lotion easy to pack!

And of course, The Sunflower Collection has not forgotten about the four-legged members of the family: They have pet lotions for the paws and noses for your furry friends as well!

For more information, go to www.sunflowercollection.com, or to place an order online, orders@sunflowercollections.com

Pickleball, Anyone?.. Everyone?

Written by Kate Haggerty on November 29, 2022. Posted in Entertainment, Featured, Local Leads, Sports.

Pickleball “mania” has been sweeping the nation for some time now: a sport originally founded by a group of dads looking to entertain their families on a summer afternoon now has legendary athletes like Labron James and Tom Brady owning teams or joining a Pickleball syndicate.

Pickleball has an interesting history: It was devised by Congressman Joel Pritchard and successful businessman Bill Bell. On a Saturday in the summer of 1965, the pair returned to Pritchard’s home to find that their families were sitting around with nothing to do. There was an old badminton court on the property, and the group improvised due to lack of equipment – they started playing with ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They placed the net at 60 inches, but as the weekend progressed, lowered the net to 36 inches. The following weekend, fellow friend Barney McCallum was introduced to the game. The three created the rules relying heavily on the base of badminton, while remembering that the goal was to have a game the whole family could play together.

Two years later, Joel Prichard constructed the first pickle ball court in his friend Bob O’Brian’s backyard. In 1972, a corporation was created to protect the new sport… And in 1975, the National Observer published an article, introducing Pickleball as America’s newest racquet sport.

In 1984, The United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A) was organized to help with the growth and advancement of the sport; their first rule book was published in March of 1984. As of 2015, USAPA has amassed over 10,000 members. Currently, the sport is exploding in popularity: there are nearly 8,500 locations on the USA Pickleball “Places2Play” map.

Some of the popularity of the sport is attributed to its accessibility, and as a result, Pickleball has often been played in community centers, PE classes, YMCA facilities, and retirement communities.

The name itself has gained attention, too: In the Summer of 1965, Joan Pritchard came up with the name in a reference to a rowing term “pickle boat”. A “pickle boat” is when a crew is thrown together to give all rowers an opportunity to compete. Pickleball was named as the reference to using the “leftovers” from tennis, ping pong, badminton and platform tennis… So, if you are looking for a holiday gift for the family or something to do together, think Pickleball! The sport originated with the odds and ends found around the house, has evolved into its own industry. There are now matching paddles, carrying cases and even celebrity Pickleball players! It can be played indoors or outdoors, and is fun for the entire family.

Narcotics Arrest in South Glens Falls

Written by Kate Haggerty on November 29, 2022. Posted in Community, Featured, Local Leads, News.

On November 23, 2022, members of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant after a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking. The search warrant was executed by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Team, Narcotics Unit, and South Glens Falls Police Department at 42 Ferry Boulevard, in South Glens Falls.

The press release indicated that multiple subjects were located in the residence and were arrested. One of them, Caitllin Pruess, is accused of possessing and selling quantities of crack/cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crystal methamphetamine throughout Saratoga County. Zachary King, Brandan Pulica, Bobbie Demgerd, Patricia Sexton, Rachel Cenate, and Auriel Dabb were also arrested.

As a result of the investigation and search warrant, scales, packaging material, quantities of fentanyl, crack/cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, suboxone, oxycodone, and a shotgun were seized. All arrested were arraigned in front of the honorable Judge Hogan, in the Town of Moreau Court; of the seven that were arrested, only two – Rachel Cenate & Brendan Pulica – were held in lieu of bail. The other five were released on their own recognizance, and are due to appear in Moreau Town Court at a later date.