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Glens Falls Kiwanis Club First Responders Recognition Luncheon

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

On Wednesday, August 16th, 2023 Glens Falls Kiwanis Club held their First Responders Recognition Luncheon at the Queensbury Hotel for the first time since before the COVID pandemic. Kiwanis Club member and Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr put the program together to show appreciation to the first responders.

Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr

Guests included representatives from law enforcement, fire, and EMS organizations throughout Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga Counties.

Sheriff LaFarr presented certificates of appreciation on behalf of the Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls, and thanked the organizations whom they represented for all that they do for our communities.

Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr & Kiwanis Club President Doug Shaver

Kiwanis Club President Doug Shaver also thanked the first responders for their professionalism and expertise in public safety during times of need and crisis – 24/7, 365 – as well as their support at Kiwanis community events, and other organizations’ public events in the tri-county area.

Glens Falls’ Football Phenom, Griffin Woodell, Earns UAlbany Scholarship

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Featured, Sports.

Former Glens Falls running back Griffin Woodell walked onto the UAlbany football team as a freshman last year and now he has been offered a full scholarship. The announcement was made on the scoreboard at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium after the teams practice on Friday. Woodell was named the team’s most improved offensive player during spring football.

Woodell – 5-foot-10, 194 pounds – was a four-year varsity player at Glens Falls High school, and as a senior rushed for an impressive 1,504 yards and scored 27 touchdowns – which also earned him the title of Class B North Offensive Player of the Year!

Woodell didn’t make it onto the field at all for UAlbany during the Fall season after being recruited as a walk-on, but had impressive runs during the Spring season.

The Great Danes kick off their 2023 season on Saturday, vs. Fordham. at 7:00 PM.

JG3 Transfers to Clemson

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Education, Featured, Sports.

Glens Falls local legend Joseph Girard III, nicknamed JG3, is still making headlines due to his prowess on the basketball court. His record-breaking high school career led him to Syracuse for four years, and now he has joined the Clemson Tigers for a fifth year of collegiate basketball!

Girard began his varsity career while in the 8th grade, when he averaged 21.7 points per game… Then, in his freshman year of high school, he began to get noticed by college coaches after he hit 122 3-pointers! His game continued to improve, and by his junior year he averaged 50 points per game and passed Lance Stephenson’s state record of 2,946 points scored. Girard finished his high school career with 4,763 points, and then committed to play at Syracuse University over offers from Boston College, Duke, Michigan, and Penn State.

This past spring, Girard graduated from Syracuse with a bachelor’s degree in athletic management, and has an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic – the NCAA granted college athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID impact on the 2020 to 2021 season. Girard played four seasons for Syracuse, averaging 13.2 points per game… He entered the transfer portal in March of 2023, and will be playing for Clemson as a graduate student. There, Girard will work on his master’s degree in athletic leadership, which would prepare him for coaching on the college level. 

Girard started 123 out of 125 games for Syracuse under coach Jim Boehiem, and averaged 13.2 points per game… When he entered the transfer portal, he instantly began receiving phone calls! The transfer portal allows student athletes to place their name in an online database declaring their desire to transfer to a different school. The athlete enters the portal by informing their current school of their desire to transfer, and then the school has two business days to enter the athlete’s name in the database. 

Since 2018, the transfer portal has completely changed the landscape for collegiate athletes… In 2022, 12,000 students entered the transfer portal. Along with increased transparency regarding the transferring process, there was also a rule change – in September of 2022, student-athletes who were transferring for the first time and in good academic standing could transfer their eligibility to their new school… Up until this point, student-athletes who transferred had to sit out a full season before getting an opportunity to play at the new school. The transfer portal provides more opportunities for student athletes to find a school that fits their needs, without losing a year of athletic competition.

Girard finished his career at Syracuse as the No. 2 all-time foul-shooter (.863), and was ranked third in 3-point shooting (297) in Syracuse history. With his choice to attend Clemson, Girard remains in the ACC, and will face off against Syracuse during the 2023 to 2024 season.

Queensbury Union Free School District Hires New School Resource Officer

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Education, Featured, Workforce.

When students return to campus in September,  they will see a new face in uniform – retired NYPD lieutenant Robert Sannasardo will take on the role of School Resource Officer on September 5th, replacing Harry McDonald, who will be leaving the district.

Sannasardo will be joining George Carpenter as the second SRO at Queensbury Union Free School District. 

Sannasardo, 43, moved his family to Queensbury from New Windsor in July after retiring from the New York City Police Department… They moved to Queensbury for the school district and the number of after-school activities. 

He took a job as a bus driver for the district in October.: “I enjoy talking and interacting with the kids on my bus,” Sannasardo said. “I want to do more than just drive them to and from school, so I looked into becoming a school resource officer.”

Sannasardo has already formed positive relationships with the students on his bus route and with those he drives to sporting events. 

“I park the bus and I sit there and I cheer them on,” said Sannasardo, who also has two young children who attend Queensbury UFSD.

In his new role, Sannasardo will continue to build positive relationships with district staff, students and parents as he patrols school campus and responds to any emergency situations. 

He will be a liaison between the school and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, as well as a liaison for the school safety committee and part of the incident command structure, assisting with fire drills and lockdowns and walking the buildings looking for propped doors… His job, overall, will be to prevent or minimize dangerous situations. 

Sannasardo received training this summer, and will tour the 222-acre campus and its property lines. He will start the first week of school. 

“The safety of our students and staff is our No. 1 priority at Queensbury,” said Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon. “I am excited to bring Officer Sannasardo onto our team to ensure we continue to give our students a safe learning environment.”

Departure of Drawbridge Sparks Debate

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Featured.

Tim Drawbridge has held the position of communications director for The City of Glens Falls since October 2022, and announced his resignation on August 14th, 2023… He will be leaving the position at the end of this month, to take a position in the Capital Region and be closer to his daughter. 

His departure has sparked debate about the need for a full-time communications director for the City of Glens Falls… Mayor Bill Collins believes that the role of communications director is vital to maintaining a line of communication with residents and the press alike: “Tim is the City’s first true communications director – and if we learned anything during his tenure, it is that the position is critical to keeping City residents informed,” Collins said.

Drawbridge’s departure comes when the city is working to fill other vital positions throughout City Hall; these vacancies include administrative secretary for the police department, code enforcement officer, and building inspector. The now-available position of communication director pays $50,000 to $55,000 a year, with “excellent benefits”.

Third Ward Councilwoman Diana Palmer questions the need for a full-time communications director: “In the past, we had a part-time webmaster that sent out communication on the website and on Instagram… The previous mayor’s secretary sent out the press releases. I think having one part-time person dedicated to communication is more than sufficient… Sometimes, we have to be resourceful to keep costs down,” Palmer said.  

Fourth Ward Councilman Ben Lapham is also unconvinced of the necessity of the role, citing the need for a list of responsibilities for the position, performance indicators, and benchmarks. 

Both Palmer and Lapham are open to the idea of partnering with a local PR firm, but the focus remains on the cost of the expenditure: “I would prefer to be cautious about adding to our full-time employees without careful consideration of the cost-benefit analysis,” Palmer said.

Crandall Library Receives $500,000 Donation

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Featured.

Queensbury Native Christopher Bennet has donated $500,000 to Crandall Public Library in memory of his mother Anna J. Bennett,  and his aunts Helen B. Whittemore and Mary E. Jones, who he described as “voracious readers who loved Crandall Library.”

The donation is the largest gift to the library made by an individual, and was donated without restrictions on it should be spent… The funds will be allocated to capital technology improvements – the first project being updating the computer room, which will be called The Bennett, Whittemore, Jones Information Center. 

Other improvements will include upgrades to the projection equipment of Christine L. McDonald Community Room, touch screen kiosks to access the Library Catalog, and a Creation Space that will host collaborative workshops. This area will be equipped with technology and materials to guide users to make their dreams come alive!

Sections of Quaker Road Closed to Evening Traffic August 20th- 24th

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Business, Community, Featured, Workforce.

A portion of Quaker Road in Queensbury will be closed to all traffic during the evenings of Sunday, August 20th through Thursday, August 24th, as contractors resurface a section of the road.

The stretch of Quaker Road between Ridge Road and Quaker Ridge Boulevard (entrance to Walmart)  will be closed to traffic between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM these evenings. Those who plan to visit the Walmart store on Quaker Ridge Boulevard – the only business in this stretch of road regularly scheduled to be open during these hours – will be able to do so from Quaker Road by entering the road from Dix Avenue.

From 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM, the Quaker Road will be closed from Ridge Road to Dix Avenue. Those intending to head east on Quaker Road during the closure will be able to use a signed detour onto Ridge Road to Hicks Road, Queensbury Avenue, and Dix Avenue.

The closure will occur as contractors resurface the road in preparation for re-paving. This work is part of a rehabilitation of 3.96 miles of Quaker Road that began in June, and is expected to wrap up in the Fall.

Motorists are reminded to move over and slow down significantly whenever encountering roadside vehicles displaying red, white, blue, amber, or green lights, including maintenance and construction vehicles in work zones.

Battlefield Park Alliance Hosts Members and Holds Elections

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Education, Entertainment, Featured.

The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance held its annual meeting on Saturday, August 19th at Battlefield Park, where Alliance President John DiNuzzo reported on the organization’s success over the past 12 months… During this time the Lake George Battlefield Alliance has seen a 78% increase in membership, and have hosted programs that have attracted as many as 152 attendees!

Russell P. Bellico, author and Alliance Trustee 

DiNuzzo also noted that the Battlefield Park Visitor Center seems very likely to exceed its attendance figure from last year, due to popular exhibits such as the diorama of Abercromby’s 1758 flotilla donated by the Adirondack Experience, artifacts of Native Americans, an 18th Century British bateau provided by the State Museum, and a replica cannon loaned by Fort William Henry.

The Alliance membership elected the following individuals to serve on the organization’s Board of Trustees:

• President: John DiNuzzo of Lake George

• Vice President: Francis Cocozza of Lake George

• Secretary: Peter Wuerdeman of Queensbury

• Trustee: Vinnie Crocitto III of Lake George

• Trustee: Jay Levenson of Ballston Lake

• Trustee: Bob Wilcox of Clifton Park

They will join the Alliance’s current governing body incumbents: Rosemarie Earl the Treasurer, and Trustees Larry Arnold, Russell Bellico, Todd Earl, Margaret Mannix, Pat Niles, and Bruce Venter.

The day’s events concluded with a presentation by Phil Giltner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, who shared the State’s plans for the 250 anniversary of the American Revolution and highlighted the number of Revolutionary sites in New York – a number unequaled among the states.

Phil Giltner, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

DiNuzzo concluded his remarks by highlighting some of the events for the year ahead, and thanking volunteers: “It’s been a terrific year for the Alliance, thanks to the member-volunteers who have worked behind the scenes with our board to bring great programs to fruition. Despite some challenges that all history organizations face, many unique opportunities – as represented by our excellent Visitor Center, the prospect of reinterring in the Battlefield Park the remains of 44 Continental soldiers found in 2019 at Lake George, the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and several other initiatives already underway – await us!”

Warren County and Washington County Real Estate Transactions July 28th-August 4th

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured, Property.

Bolton

John Snyder Jr., & Keely Weise sold property at 35 Brook Street to HBD Bolton Landing, LLC for $250,000

John w. White sold property at 991 Padanarum Road to Pamela Vilmar for $115,000

Chester

Craig Kennedy & Colleen Cole sold property 41 Loon Lake Heights Dr. to Steven & Diane Hurlburt for $585,000 

Robert George Lamora & Kent Edward Lamora sold property at 327 Valley Farm Road to David P., Christopher D, Nicholas L., & David F. Allen for $230,000

Coutney T. & Pamela G. Burns sold property at 34 Kingsley Lane Ext. to Gary W. & Nicole M. Krisanda for $52,000

Glens Falls

Timothy & Taylor Hoeft sold property at 31 Orville Street  to Zane Belden & Giula Tarraran-Cassella for $250,000

James W. Delsignore & James F. Mazza sold property at 187-191 Maple Street to GF Property Holdings LLC for $390,000

Estate of Geneva Finigan sold property at 35 Garrow Place to Lauren & Nan Spada for $218,500

Linda Casse sold property at 63 Elm Street to Louis Falzerano & Sally Hawley for $166,000

Kos-Mith Services Co., Inc. sold property at 140 Sanford Street to Nicole Carl for $119,900

Horicon

Dean W. & Kathleen Wilson sold property at 3431 E. Schroon River Road to Paul & Monique Knowbloch for $387,000

Deloris Goldschmitt, Michael E. Finnerty, JR., & Corinne E. Rowe (f.k.a. Corinne E. Finnerty) sold property at 49 Valentine Pond Rd to Christopher P. & Josette Vuluro for $160,000

Estate of Edward J. Kronin sold property at AlderBrook Road to Stephen Ruggirello for $109,900

Pitkin Family Retreat LLC sold property at 306 East Shore Drive to Shane A. Maltbie for $252,500

Denise L. Rifenburg sold property at 8 Brant Lake Creek Road to Brian J. & Lisa E. Hartensveld fpr $75,000

Estate of Ellen Carlson Potter sold property at 504 East Shore Drive to 504 East Shore Drive LLC for $451,500

Queensbury

Kevin & Timothy Toomy sold property at Bay Road to Green Apple House Inc. for $340,000

Michael & LInda Montemarano sold property at 280 Cleverdale Road to William & Diane Karafanda for $1.992-million 

Fabio & Phyllis A Cardenas sold property at 67 Tree Hill Road to Anthony Enrique Cardenas for $220,000

Elizabeth A. Papa sold property at 1135 Ridge Road to Sunnyside & Ridge LLC. for $305,000

Sarah Lamitie sold property at Pilot Knob Road to Richard J. & Jacqueline M. Shoop for $10,000 

Michael J. Nelson & Jill M. Peterson sold property at 34 Prospect Drive to Stacey M. Crawford for $140,000

Schermerhorn Commercial Holdings, LP sold property at 91 Glenwood Ave. to EC 91 Glenwood LLC for $1.75-million

Darrell L. Decker sold property at 35 French Mountain Drive to Trent P. & Lindsey Shelton for $365,000 

Brian Little sold property at 98 West Mountain road to Seth J. & Michelle L. Terbeek for $100,000

Richard A. & Cheryl L. Brown sold property at 93 Country Club Road to Michael & Katherine Dier for $55,000

Lake Luzerne

Gina Ghent sold property at Schaeffer Brooke Lane to Kristen Wolfe for $36,700

Timothy & Sarah Cox sold property at 321 Gailey Hill Road to Michael Hoffman for $40,000

Lake George

Vojac Inc. sold property at 3210 Lakeshore Drive (1/10 interest Lodge 6) to Timothy E. & Hope P. Keilman for $77,000

Estate of Lena Gagne, & Estate of Pasquale Laino Jr., sold property at Route H9N to Wolf Creek Developers LLC for $265,000

Antonia Astor (f.k.a Antonia Velez) individually and as surviving spouse of James Astor (f.k.a James Velez) sold property at 3210 Lakeshore Drive (1/10 interest in Lodge 3, Lodges at Cresthaven one) to Vojac, Inc. for $68,000

Frederick W. & Jacqueline K. Vogel sold property at 3210 Lakeshore Drive (1/10 interest Lodge 1) to Timothy E. & Hope P. Keilman for $125,000

Terry M. & Cheryl Thomas sold property at 10 Carefree Lane to Dena M. Davis for $575,000

Thurman

Albert A. & Diane M. Marinelli sold property at Barton Road to Robert H. Lanfear, Jr. for $105,000

Warrensburg 

John F. Kelly sold property at 86 Moose Ridge Drive to Lake George Home Retreat LLC. for $433,333

Walter Haws sold property at 271 River Street to Donald Prosser, Jr., & Brandy Prosser for $30,000

Jeffery Friedrichs sold property at 223 State Route 28 to Adirondack Cozy Cabins LLC for $310,000

Ashish Anand sold property at Sanford Street to Steven & Sherry Reeves for $60,000

Washington County

Argyl 

Timothy J. & Wendy L. Johnston sold property at 1331 Coach Road to Judy A. Brown for $345,000

Fort Edward

Karen G. Baldwin sold property at 23 Stevens Lane to Cody A. Webster for $43,000

Rourke Enterprises, Inc. sold property at State Route 197 to Zachary J. & Daniel F. Ruland for $78,000

Edward B. Healy & Kimberly L. Healy sold property at 19 Hunt Lane to Julia & Kevin Discorda for $32,000

Granville

Thomas Talko, as Exec. of last will of Ruth M. Washburne sold property at 2665 County Route 17 to Justin Burkhart for $157,000

Christopher C. Shambo, Esq. Ref: Douglas D. Swain, Kristine L. Swain, Christine Williams aka Christine L. Swain sold property at 10 Maple Street to U.S. Bank Trust National Association, for $252,327.48

Mireille R. Nitti, Esq.: Jamie L Moors sold property at 28 Bulkley Ave to Northstar Mortgage LLC dba Mr. Cooper for $110,380.69

Melody Katrobos as Admin. Of Estate of Elmer Brothers sold property at 2075 County Route 23 to Melissa Golfin for $123,600

Greenwich

Battenkill Realty Holding LLC. sold property at 35 Academy Street to Nicholas F. Lucarelli, Teresa M. Burrello, and Paul D. Burrello, Jr. for $245,000

Jamie L. Lewis sold property at 13 Van Ness Ave to Van Ness Properties, LLC for $30,000

Hampton 

Agricultural Stewardship Association, Inc. sold property at 2138 State Route 22A to 2138 Route 22A, LLC for $72,500 

Hartford

Raymond A. & Rebecca M. Hayes sold property at 63 Main Street to Stuart C. Myott $4,500

Fort Edward Supply, Inc. sold property at 14 Russell Lane to John L. Fisher for $210,000

Kingsbury

Jennifer L. Paradis, Ind. & as Exec. of last will and testament of Janice Newcomb sold property at 491 Dean Road to Robert Charles Helm for $290,000

US Bank Trust National Association sold property at 14 Liberty Place to J Hayes Properties, LLC for $65,000

Putnam 

Christopher Demarco, Trustee of Christopher DeMarco Revocable Living Trust and Alison Demarco, trustee of Alison Demarco Living Trust sold property at 5566 Evergreen Shores Way to Carla Hernas for $3,000,000

Salem

Dajedy Enterprises,LLC. Sold property at 1004 Old County Lane to Five two one Realty, LLC. for $70,000

Michael R. Renick & Mary Renick dka Mary E. Magnani sold property at Priest Road to Matthew Link & Joan Jameson for $60,000

James A. & Linda A. Giumarra sold property at Scott Lake Road to Curtis Garrett for $70,000

White Creek

Leslie E. Thomas sold property at 95 Spring Street to N and B Communities, LLC. for $392,500

Blake Christopher Kieth & Monica M. Kieth sold property at 3 Mitchell Ave to Douglas Levine & Daniel Rapphahn for $142,500

Whitehall

Sullivan Possibilities, LLC sold property at 13, 17-19, & 28-30 North Williams Street to Julia & Abraham Escamilla for $139,900

Herman Stannard sold property at 92 Poultney Road to Kelly McGee for $147,430

Adirondack Region Cat Adoption Center’s Featured Cat of the Week: Ebenezer

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured.

Ebenezer may look large and stoic, but deep inside is our gentlest cat. His charm is subtle yet straightforward. He’s hoping it will be enough to find a quiet and predictable home that will show him what it’s like to be part of a family. Ebenezer thrives when paired with an outgoing cat, drawing comfort and encouragement from their budding friendship. He’s already dressed up in his fanciest tux and wants nothing more than to bring joy to your world!

If you are interested in learning more about Ebenezer, please contact the Adoption Center at 518.409.8105 ext 101 or adoptadk@animalleague.org. You can also complete the adoption application using the link: www.animalleague.org/adkpreapproval

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