Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins (left) and economic development director Jeff Flagg (right) walk with New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez (middle) during a tour of DRI projects last week. The City is holding two public meetings this week to discuss progress and updates on DRI initiatives. Photo by Dylan McGlynn
GLENS FALLS — The City of Glens Falls will hold two public meetings intended to update residents on the progress of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and plans for an ‘Event and Market Structure’ on South Street, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.
The first meeting is Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Queensbury Hotel. The second meeting is Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. in Crandall Public Library, according to the release.
“It’s been a busy summer for preparations, and we look forward to sharing the final plans and details of this significant part of our City’s revitalization with our residents and businesses,” said Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins in the release.
Glens Falls was awarded a $10 million grant through DRI in 2017, and has used the funding to “revitalize the city’s downtown, including arts projects, securing downtown space for SUNY Adirondack’s culinary school, façade improvements and support of small downtown businesses, and infrastructure updates to prepare for revitalized buildings and new residents and businesses,” according to the release.
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.”
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.
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
HUDSON FALLS — The Queensbury varsity boys soccer team rolled past Hudson Falls on Saturday, cruising to an 8-0 win on the road.
Bryce Jorgensen and Aidan Perez each scored their first varsity goals in the opening half, with tallies by Ian Rathbun and Gavin Kelly pacing the Spartans to a 4-0 lead at the break. Kelly and Rathbun each added another goal, with a goal by Jake Afsar-Keshmiri and a Hudson Falls own goal pacing Queensbury to an 8-0 victory.
Rathbun picked up an assist in the win as well, with Max Roca, Jack Grant, Tyler Zehr, and Ryan Brindle also adding assists for the Spartans. Jake Afsar-Keshmiri and Chris Coombes combined for the shutout in goal, while Mitchell Harrington stopped four shots for Hudson Falls.
Queensbury hosts Johnstown at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon.
Queensbury girls soccer shuts out Gloversville
QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury varsity girls soccer team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on Saturday, defeating Gloversville 6-0 at home.
Bayley Duffy scored two goals and added an assist for the Spartans, while Ava Roca and Ava Stewart each had a goal and an assist. Allison Dittrich and Meredith Montgomery also scored goals, while Mia Keshmiri and Emily Tenner both picked up assists.
Shea Canavan made six saves in goal for the Spartans, while Jalyn Smith stopped 14 shots for Gloversville.
Queensbury will play at Glens Falls at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Randall & Carol McIntosh sold property at 170 New Vermont Rd to Carlee McIntosh & Dustin Lewis for $390,000.
Arthur Harris, Rebecca Harris, John Harris, Nancy Sidford, and Randi Siegel sold property at 35 Horicon Ln to David Cohen & Jacqueline Needleman for $1,650,000.
CHESTER
Michael Dipresso & Devon Hennessey sold property at 41 Ferris Rd to Tony Rinaldi & Kristina Tougas for $420,900.
GLENS FALLS
Genine Longacker & Warren Longacker, Jr. sold property at 94 Montcalm St to Move Acreage NY, LLC for $122,500.
Andrew & Kim Cronquist sold property at 15 Grant Ave to Gregory Spinner & Kitty Gelberg for $407,000.
Vincent F. Crocitto, Jr. sold property at 8 E. Notre Dame St to Wendy Baird for $155,000.
Sally Costello & Frank Costello, Jr. sold property at 51, 53-55 Bush St to Monsour Enterprises, LLC for $240,000.
QUEENSBURY
Jean & Vernon McGuire sold property at 80 Sweet Rd to Ryan Latif for $139,000.
David Howard & Peter Davis sold property 19 Westberry Way to Kathryn & Timothy Riley for $420,000.
THURMAN
Bruce, Cynthia & Ryan Belden sold property at 463 Garnet Lake Rd to Michael & Susan Turner for $137,500.
Arthur J. Robbins, 81, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Irene C. Robbins, 75, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Trevor A. Prosser, 22, was arrested for 3rd Degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Michael P. Allen, 40, was arrested for Failure to Appear
Peter D. Bombard, 43, was arrested for Criminal Mischief with Intent to Damage Property
Matthew P. Benway, 22, was arrested for 2nd Degree Criminal Contempt
Auriel B. Daab, 29, was arrested for 2nd Degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance
Mitchell E. Stone, 46, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Samuel E. Travis, 44, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Kimony S. Wright, 27, was arrested for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance
Samuel D. McDonald, 51, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Crystal L. Richter, 46, was arrested for Endangerment of Child Under 17
Kimberly A. Beckford, 39, was arrested for Petit Larceny
Stephen C. Johnson, 37, was arrested for Failure to Appear
Adam J. Salerno, 41, was arrested for 3rd Degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Lars A. Pennartz, 24, was arrested for 3rd Degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Devin R. Tittemore, 25, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated: 1st Offense
Tobi Olatinwo, 20, was arrested for Criminal Mischief with Intent to Damage Property, 2nd Degree Obstruction of Governmental Administration, Resisting Arrest
Edward J. Marin, 33, was arrested for 2nd Degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation: Previous Conviction
Hamet Perez, 44, was arrested for 3rd Degree Assault
Leslie J. Kelley, 64, was arrested for Forcible Touching of Sexual/Intimate Parts
Arthur W. Radigan, 65, was arrested for 2nd Degree Harassment
Warren County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
BOLTON – At approximately 4:50 a.m. on Sept 6, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Sagamore Rd in the Town of Bolton for a property damage crash. The vehicle, operated by Shubham Tuwani, 24, of Bolton Landing, was traveling westbound when he swerved to avoid hitting a deer, crossed over the eastbound lane and struck a tree. Upon interviewing Tuwani, police determined that he was intoxicated and subsequently arrested him for Driving While Intoxicated. He was processed and released to appear in Bolton Town Court on a later date.
