Senior Kendra Ballard scored four goals, including the game-winner with 27 seconds remaining in the contest, and classmate Meredith Montgomery tallied four more to give the Queensbury varsity girls lacrosse team a 9-8 victory at Bethlehem. Bayley Duffy finished with nine saves as the Spartans won their 20th straight true road game and improved to 7-0 on the season.
Entrepreneur Christopher J. Thomas – a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Sergeant Major – is the founder and owner of Elite 9 Veteran Talent Acquisition Services, an employment placement and business management consulting firm that focuses on connecting Veterans to hiring professionals. As a company, they highlight resume writing/editing, talent management, requisitioning, and interviewing techniques. Elite 9 works with front line leaders, mid-level supervisors, and senior executives across all industries.
Christopher started Elite 9 because he saw the needs of Veterans returning home and re-entering the workforce… He would talk to service members about their plans after the military, and he found that the transition for service members into the workforce was challenging: “I really do have a passion for entrepreneurship and a passion for helping veterans and military spouses. I knew I could help people,” Christopher said.
As Christopher was building and shaping his busines,s he relied on the help of mentors, and through them, Christopher gained perspective and insight that helped him create his business. He believes that applicants that come out of the military have what he calls soft skills, that are intangible but valuable to an employer: “Hard skills are skills that can be taught on the job. Soft skills are what an individual brings to the table, personality traits. Do you have the passion to see a project through to the end? Do you know how to work with people to get the job done? These are traits that are hard to teach, but valuable to an employer and a company,” Christopher said.
Elite 9 works with Veterans and their spouses to make sure that their resume reflects the skill that they possess for the job that they are pursuing. Most companies use an Application Tracking System (ATS) that screens resumes before they are viewed by Human Resources… This means if your resume doesn’t have key words from the job description, you likely will not get a response, even if you are qualified for the job! Elite 9 teaches these skills so that resumes that are submitted are less likely to be overlooked.
Due to his experience in the Military, Christopher is aware of a program which benefits both the employers and the departing service members – The Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program. This program is available to active service members who are within 180 days of their release date, and helps the service member plan for life after the military. The SkillBridge Program connects the service member with an industry partner, and the service member continues to receive their military compensation while working and learning skills with an industry partner, even though the new employer does not pay the service member during the course of the program… This helps to create a lasting relationship between the service member and the employer where each benefits.
Christopher J. Thomas
Elite 9 has partnered with Paula Traina of Traina Insurance & Financial Services Inc. to build that program… Now, Paula can hire from a pool of 200,000 service members who are exiting military service and re-entering the civilian workforce. During the 180-day period, Paula reduces labor costs and builds a relationship with the new employees.
For more information about Elite 9 Veteran’s Talent Acquisition Services LLC and the work that Christopher is doing, please visit elite9vtas.net
Today, Glens Falls High School – located at 10 Quade Street in Glens Falls – will be hosting UNITE’s Arrive Alive Tour® from 8:45 AM to 2:45 PM. This is the nation’s number-one ranked “drunk and distracted” driving awareness event, as well as the first-and-only Marijuana Driving Simulator in the country.
The Arrive Alive Tour uses a high-tech, state-of-the-art simulator that allows participants to drive while distracted, drunk, or drugged in a fully functioning vehicle without moving or being intoxicated. The simulator allows participants to experience the real-life dangers without the real-life consequences.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In 2018, about 400,000 people were injured and 2,841 people were killed as a result of distraction-affected crashes… The fatal crash rate for teens is three times greater than for drivers age 20 and over, and driver distraction is responsible for more than 58% of teen crashes.
The Arrive Alive team’s mission is to educate teen drivers on the dangers and consequences of impaired and distracted driving, and to create life-long safe driving habits to eliminate fatalities on our roads. UNITE’s Arrive Alive Tour is sponsored by BOCES of New York to bring this life-changing event to the students with the mission of changing these dangerous driving behaviors and saving lives.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please call Nick Pitts at (888) 436-3394, extension 6386.
Earlier this month, The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that the City of Glens Falls had won a competitive “Thriving Communities” grant. “Thriving Communities” is one part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s programs focused on ensuring that all communities have an equal opportunity to benefit from federal infrastructure funding. USDOT’s technical assistance is part of the Thriving Communities Network, an interagency initiative among the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, as well as the General Services Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The city was one of 64 communities across the U.S. that now has access to historic funding opportunities.
“The historic investments we are making in America’s infrastructure must reach the communities that need them the most,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a media release. “With the new Thriving Communities program, we are helping under-resourced communities better access federal funding for transportation projects that will create jobs, improve safety, and strengthen their economies.”
“Glens Falls is the planning and development stages of several transportation projects,” states Jeff Flagg, the Director of Economic Development, “but the city has no technical planning staff and relies heavily on the use of consultants. “Our goal in applying for the grant was to assist the city in the technical planning of transportation projects.”
“The Thriving Communities program will support four separate transportation projects that are currently under consideration in Glens Falls,” continued Flagg. “They include ideas for a multimodal transportation hub, the implementation of the Greater Glens Falls Transit Authority’s (GGFT) merger with the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA), the electrification of our bus fleet, and the implementation of ADA accessibility improvements for pedestrian facilities. The funding received via the Thriving Communities Program will help us to coordinate efforts together with our community partners such as the Lake Champlain & Lake George Regional Planning Board, the Adirondack/Glens Falls Transportation Council, and the Warren County Economic Development Corporation to advance these projects.”
“Our selection fell under the ‘Complete Neighborhoods’ aspect of the Thriving Communities program,” continued Flagg. “That means the City of Glens Falls is working to better advance complete streets policies and coordinate transportation with land use, housing, and economic development.”
“Communities that have long faced historic under-investment and disadvantage are finally going to get the technical assistance they need to explore innovative concepts and build better transportation solutions through the Thriving Communities Program,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian.
One of the big stories this week/month was the settlement on the eve of trial of the defamation case between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News. The case settled during the first day of trial and at or near the conclusion of jury selection, for nearly $800,000,000.
A quick recap: following the 2020 Presidential election multiple theories were floated relating to the validity of the election. Many of these were broadcast on Fox News, among those theories relating to the validity of Dominion’s voting machines and software.
Dominion sued Fox for defamation, alleging that the company (through its executives, anchors, etc.) knowingly made false statements about its products and as a result caused substantial damages. The company sought some $1.6 billion in damages. Fox denied these allegations, asserting that the information it broadcast was relevant to the public interest, and was likewise protected by the First Amendment. The judge in the case issued a series of pre-trial rulings, among those that the statements were, in fact, false, and the case was scheduled to begin a jury trial on Monday, April 17.
Monday came and went with an announcement that the trial had been adjourned for one day to allow the parties to explore a possible settlement. When the parties could not reach one, jury selection began. During what became a three-hour lunch break, Fox and Dominion finally reached a settlement, and the case was over.
Today we’re going to talk about why cases settle, and why they settle when they do.
The average person might look at the Fox-Dominion case and ask why it got this far if it was just going to settle. That would be a fair question. The practical answer would be that the parties needed to engage in pre-trial discovery (the process by which parties to lawsuits ask for and exchange information), which is true. Dominion did not have access to the many emails and text messages between Fox Anchors and executives (some of which were very harmful) and it’s likely that Fox did not have early access to any information which supported Dominion’s claim of damages. So, it’s not entirely surprising that discovery was necessary.
Okay, but why then didn’t the case settle after discovery, but well before the parties prepared for trial?
Legal disputes settle at many different points. Sometimes they settle before papers are even filed, where each side has determined that an early resolution is in their own best interest and these interests align. Sometimes they settle after discovery, when the parties each have a complete picture of the case and are able to agree (without actually agreeing) as to what an appropriate outcome should be.
Other times, however, cases simply cannot be settled until there is a real, in-your-face threat of a trial and (in this case) by extension a jury verdict. It may be that one side is being unreasonable with its demands or offers, or the other failing to recognize its own strengths/weaknesses. What often happens, however, is that when the Court presses “Go” and a prospective jury is brought into the Courtroom, things get real very quickly. All of a sudden parties really start to think about what testimony might actually come in, and (particularly in high profile cases) how it will be perceived. They start to really consider the uncertainty of the whole thing; or how their fate is now in the hands of these 12 (or in New York, 6) jurors whom they’ve never met.
And that’s why it was not at all surprising to see the settlement come when it did. What took so long? Likely a combination of the factors above: Dominion appeared to be dug in on its demands, including a public acknowledgement by Fox that it knew the statements were false (or, ultimately, a public acknowledgment of the Judge’s ruling that the statements were false); Fox was likely dug in on some technical legal issues on which it thought it could win (whether at trial or on appeal). But ultimately, when the rubber hit the road, and when they were each facing a jury of “peers”, everyone recognized what was at stake. Fox in particular, being a large publicly traded company, had more absolute risk and therefore more incentive in the end to settle, particularly given the damaging written communications and the prospect of its most famous anchors and CEO testifying in open court.
There’s a saying mediators often use that a successful mediation is one where both sides walk away mutually unhappy with the resolution. In this case I’m not sure that Dominion walked away unhappy, and to that degree it seems like a win. Fox certainly took a hit to its reputation and its wallet; however, by settling the case the company was able to contain the fallout, at least for now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott M. Peterson is the founding partner of D’Orazio Peterson, having left a partnership at a large regional law firm to limit his practice and focus on exclusively representing individuals in a small number of employment and serious injury/medical malpractice matters.
Meredith Montgomery fired in a team-high six goals to go along with two assists, and Kaitlyn Barton found the net five times to match her career-best as the Queensbury varsity girls lacrosse team defeated host Greenwich 20 to 4! Kendra Ballard and Kendal Kelsey added three goals apiece for QHS, which has won 19 consecutive true road assignments and 105 straight Foothills Council contests – both program records!
The Queensbury varsity boys tennis team remained undefeated in 2023, and secured the program’s 650th victory with a 5-2 dual-match decision against visiting Glens Falls today!
Dating back to the 2019 campaign, the Spartans have captured 31 consecutive Foothills Council matches, which is the third-best streak in school history.
Singles Results:
1. Skyler Allen (Q) def. Julien Oswald 6-4, 6-3
2. Will Lamy (Q) def. Vincent Westfall 6-0, 6-1
3. Owen Young (Q) def. Ronan Westfall 6-1, 6-1
4. Tim Motsiff (GF) def. Ryan Greenstein 4-6, 6-2 (10-6)
The Pines at Glens Falls Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation is hosting their annual Drive-Thru Food Drive with The Veterans & Community Housing Coalition (VCHC) on Friday, April 21st, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This drive-thru event is accepting both non-perishable food donations and monetary donations – the drop-off location is the Pines at 170 Warren Street in Glens Falls.
The Pines at Glens Falls has a dedicated staff… Their principles of kindness, compassion, service and excellence create an environment where individuality and dignity are valued, and provide both the residents and their families physical as well as emotional care.
The VCHC Veterans & Community Housing Coalition provides housing and support services to all homeless military veterans and their families. Their mission is to advocate on behalf of all military veterans and to provide housing opportunities for low income households.
The Glens Falls Kiwanis Club will be on hand to help collect the food donations, and they will be making a cash donation from the club as well.
Ashley Campbell – owner of Coral & Blue Children’s Stationery and non-profit, Coral & Blue Burundi – is hosting a gratitude workshop entitled “Arms Around The World” on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the World Awareness Children’s Museum in Glens Falls.
During the event, Ashley will show photos of children in Burundi, Africa, which is ranked the poorest country in the world. The children will see what their everyday lives and homes look like, and where Burundi is on the map… She’ll also share pictures of children’s personal letters and artwork with her audience to explain what children in Burundi are thankful for.
Ashley Campbell
Then, the children have a chance to get creative! Children will have the opportunity to color and write their own gratitude letters. Elementary-lined cards with space for artwork will be provided.
“I bring in art supplies for the kids, I usually have a white board and we talk about what they are grateful for, just to jog their memories before they go ahead and write their own thank you notes, so that they have reference points. I also bring a book with me about gratitude, so I read that and that helps get them in the right frame of mind,” Ashley said.
Ashley has a mission to encourage gratitude, thoughtfulness and creativity, and to help bring back Thank-You Notes! Ashley started her own company because of a need for kid-friendly stationary in her own family: “I’m focused on helping kids understand the importance of gratitude… Not only on the receiving end, but (also) how it affects the child who writes the note. When kids de-screen, put pencil to paper and slow down, they are able to process what they’re grateful for. It can be really therapeutic for kids.”
The Gratitude Workshop: Arms Around The World is a free event on Saturday April 22, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, hosted at The Children’s Museum located at 89 Warren Street, Glens Falls. For more information about the event, visit worldchildrensmuseum.org. For more information about Ashley Campbell and Coral and Blue Stationary, visit Coral & Blue Children’s Stationery
