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Hot air balloons floating above the ground in a field.

Adirondack Balloon Festival Returns for 49th Year This Week

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, Featured, News.

Hot air balloons floating above the ground in a field.

QUEENSBURY — The Adirondack Balloon Festival returns this week for its 49th year, running from Sept. 22-25 at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury and Crandall Park in Glens Falls.

“I think everyone’s happy to have it back,” said Erin Reid Coker, a member of the Festival’s board of directors and one of the event’s organizers. “From a fan or general public standpoint, we just have nonstop messages on social media, and emails, with people excited to come up from all parts of the country, really.”

Opening ceremonies will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday at Crandall Park in Glens Falls, with an initial flight of 10+ balloons, according to the festival schedule. 

Crandall Park will also have food vendors and live music on Thursday, and a ‘Downtown Block Party’ begins at 6 p.m. The block party will feature balloon baskets on display, activities for kids, and a car show.

“Crandall Park’s been a tradition for a long time,” said Coker. “We’ll have balloon baskets down there for people to check out. Glens Falls has always been a big supporter of the event, so it’s a pretty easy transition for people to come to the park and check out the balloons, then go downtown and support the local restaurants and businesses.”

The festival has “close to 60” balloons in total, Coker said, adding that the Crandall Park ceremonies will be between 12-15 balloons.

The Balloon Festival did not have vendors last year, Coker mentioned, as a result of uncertainty during the planning period due to COVID-19. This year, however, the Festival appears to be back in full force. Coker said the festival team has been “blown away” with support from local businesses.

“It’s just been amazing, how much support we’ve had from them,” said Coker.

On top of food and drink vendors, the Zonta Club will be running a craft fair at the festival. Coker said there will also be several sponsorship vendors.

A flight of up to 50 balloons, including ‘special shapes’, will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday. A similar flight will take place at the same time on Saturday, and will be followed by ‘Lighting Up the Night’, a flight of glow-in-the-dark balloons at 8 p.m.

“When it gets dark, the balloons will inflate, and from the propane burners you can kind of see the glow of the balloon shapes and the colors,” Coker said. “It’s synced to music. We’ll have some music on hand, where at certain points during a song, different balloons will hit their propane burners.”

Coker noted that the flights are weather-permitting, saying “that’s always the biggest factor.”

“The pilots want to fly as much as anybody else wants to see them, so we hope for good weather,” Coker said. 

There will be live music on hand at the festival, with performances by bands such as Beatin’ the Odds and Across the Pond. 

The festival will also pay tribute to its founders. ‘Celebrating Joan’ will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, honoring Joan Grishkot, who passed away last year. ‘Walter and Joan’s Mass Ascension’ will take place at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Coker referred to Grishkot as “the face of the festival.”

“Joan and Walter, her husband, started the festival 49 years ago,” Coker said. “She’s going to be missed, and we’ll have that special launch for her.”

The closing flight of the festival will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday in Crandall Park.

Coker emphasized the community aspect of the festival, saying that it has “kind of turned into a tradition for my family.”

“I think that’s what it is for a majority of people that come,” said Coker. “Their kids came when they were young, and then they grew up, got married, and their kids come. So it’s really important for me to create these memories for my wife and daughter. That’s pretty much why I do it.”

The Adirondack Balloon Festival is free to attend. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit adirondackballoonfest.org.

Chatting with the Chamber

First 30 Days: Tricia Rogers, ARCC’s New President & CEO

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Business, Featured, News, Workforce.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce has a new leader, and she hopes to continue to be a voice for local businesses in the community.

Tricia Rogers took over as President and CEO of the ARCC in August, and recently discussed her first month on the job with Mike Nelson of Glens Falls Today’s ‘Five Minutes With…’ program.

“First of all, I can’t believe it’s been 30 days already,” Rogers said. “The time is completely flying by. … I feel so lucky to lead the organization in a community that I love and am so passionate about.”

Rogers has worked in a membership role for five years at ARCC, and said that in addition to her new duties, she will continue to fill the role while the hiring process continues.

“I’m still in the membership role as of today, since we are actively hiring for my old job,” said Rogers. “It’s been a duality here, because obviously bringing members in is what keeps us going, and now learning the role of President and CEO.”

The ARCC’s new CEO said that for the remainder of 2022, the focus will be on “what we’re strategically going to plan for 2023.”

“I think through the end of this year, we want to continue to get in front of elected officials, continue to work with our members on advocacy or what their needs are,” Rogers said. “Our mission is to serve our membership, so as things pop up, we want to make sure that we’re available.”

On the topic of membership, Rogers also stressed the goal of reaching out to all ARCC members and remaining approachable and accessible.

“I want to reach out to our membership individually,” Rogers said. “That’s a goal of mine which will take a lot of time, but I think it’s important that they understand who we are, what we represent, what we’re doing, how accessible we are, and that as this great community, we are here to help.”

The CEO stressed that the ARCC is 100% member-funded, and that their goal is to “serve this business community.”

“If you were to reach out to myself or any of my team, we will get back to you,” said Rogers. “We invite people in to see us. Come up to us at events. … There’s something special about this organization, and we are here. I promise you, we’re the four most passionate people you’ll ever meet. We will make sure that your questions are answered, and that we’re really excited to be here and make the connections, and lead this community.”

And as the year begins to reach its final months, Rogers said the ARCC “is in a great place, currently.”

“We have a solid membership, we have a great group of leadership circle members, we have great events that we are putting on annually,” Rogers said. “We’re coming off a challenging time with COVID, and we, as an organization, couldn’t be in a better place. So that’s exciting.”

The ARCC has sprung off numerous councils and committees, with Rogers naming the Veterans Business Network, the Women’s Business Council, the Workplace Health and Wellness Council, and the Adirondack Nonprofit Business Council.

Rogers noted that “this is all in addition to our monthly mixers and our lunch and learns,” saying the organization wants to “continue on that path,” in addition to representing the small business community.

“We want to make sure that we are a voice for our small business community,” said Rogers. “So if there’s any issues out there that we need to be aware of, we always encourage our members to reach out to us, and we certainly guide and help the best that we can.”

The ARCC will look to bring in new events during 2023, Rogers mentioned, in addition to numerous plans for the remainder of this year.

“We have a solid September-October,” Rogers said. “We have a solid two months of great events coming up. I encourage everyone to check our website, check out the events. If you have any questions, give us a call. We’re happy to talk you through it.”

SUNY Adirondack Students Organize Petition Against Sex Offender Enrolled in Classes

Written by Gary Scott on . Posted in Community, Education, Featured, News.

Students at SUNY Adirondack have organized a petition against a registered sex offender currently enrolled in classes at the college.

The controversy began on Sept. 8 when the college sent out a mass email alerting all students that a level three registered sex offender would be attending in-person classes at the college this semester. After the email went out, second-year student Destiny Rose began the petition, which has been signed by 975 people as of Tuesday morning. 

The petition requests that Timothy Philmon, 50, of Glens Falls, be removed from in-person classes, and enrolled in fully virtual classes instead. The petition states, “It is of the opinion of many students that having Timothy Philmon, a level three registered sex offender, on a campus with minors and a daycare, is unethical and unsafe.”

College president Kristine Duffy acknowledged the petition, but said it would be illegal for the college to satisfy this demand. According to college administration, registered sex offenders do have protected rights to pursue an education under the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000, provided that they notify authorities, as Philmon reportedly did.

According to the New York State Sex Offender Registry, Philmon was first convicted of second-degree sodomy in 1997. He had reportedly given marijuana to multiple boys aged 12 to 15 in exchange for sexual favors. 

He was first released on parole in March of 2008, but four months later was charged again with exposing himself to a 15-year-old co-worker. On this charge he pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. As this was in violation of his parole, he was returned to state prison to serve the remainder of his initial sentence.

Capital Region APA Announces New Division in Glens Falls

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Columns, Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, News.

GLENS FALLS — The Capital Region APA Pool League has announced a new nine-ball division for the upcoming season, scheduled to begin in Glens Falls this Sunday, Sept. 25.

“We want to get another format out there,” said Ryan Gilligan, League Operator of the Capital Region APA Pool League. “We do have a Wednesday division that we just started up (in Glens Falls), and that’s eight-ball. The players up there were like, ‘Hey, could we also get the nine-ball format up there as well?’”

The league plays at Downtown Social in Glens Falls at 6 p.m. on Sunday nights over a period of 12 weeks, according to a post on the league’s Facebook page. 

“Our league supports local business, so the Downtown Social, they love having it there, because they’re just hanging out,” Gilligan said. “Just drinking, eating, having a good time.”

There will be 5-8 players per team, with a maximum of 5 players per team participating in a match each week. Gilligan said this means players “don’t have to give up every Sunday,” instead having the option to rotate with other team members.

The nine-ball format sees nine balls on the table, with players starting with the lowest ball. Each ball is worth 1 point, while the nine-ball itself is worth 2 points.

“Depending what your skill level is will depend on how many balls you make,” said Gilligan. “It’s a fun, social league. Anyone can play. If you’re a lesser player, you have to make less balls to win the match. If you’re a higher skill level player, you have to make more.”

Each team requires a mix of skill levels, with Gilligan saying that the league has a “team skill-level limit.”

Gilligan said that several teams have signed up for the league already, which begins this Sunday. 

The first-place team in the league will automatically qualify for Tri-Annuals, while division and playoff winners will also qualify. Tri-Annuals will see these teams compete against other winners from the Capital Region, according to the league’s Facebook page.

Tri-Annual winning teams will receive a cash prize of $600, and advance to the Capital Region APA World Qualifiers in June 2023. The World Qualifiers will take place at the Albany Capital Center.

Winners at the World Qualifiers will advance to the World’s Largest Pool Tournament, held in Las Vegas in August 2023. The grand prize for the World’s Largest Pool Tournament is $30,000.

Gilligan said participation in the league has grown in recent years, emphasizing the social aspect of the league. 

“After the pandemic, I feel like people are itching to get out of the house and do something new,” said Gilligan. “Our league has been growing significantly after the pandemic. We actually grew coming out of the pandemic, where we had more teams coming out than we had starting.

“It’s like a social thing, that’s what our league is. We bring people together.”

The entry fee is $50 per team, plus an annual APA membership fee of $25. To join or register a team, visit the Capital Region APA Pool League page on Facebook, or call (518) 630-5664.

Warren County Property Auction Set for Oct. 15

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Featured, News, Property.

Photo: auctionftp.com

QUEENSBURY — The Warren County Real Property Tax Services Office will hold its annual live public auction on Saturday, Oct. 15, according to a press release from the County.

Over two dozen tax-foreclosed properties will be available for purchase, the release states. The auction will be held at the Warren County Courthouse. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the auction itself set to begin at 10:00 a.m.

The release states that 27 parcels are on the auction list in total, including “a motel, single family homes, commercial property, and vacant lots.” 

The auction proceeds are used toward funding environmental cleanup and recouping “lost tax revenues needed for public services,” the County said in the release.

A full list of properties and details can be found on auctionsinternational.com. 

Adirondack Balloon Festival Begins Thursday, Glen Street to Be Closed at 3 p.m.

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Columns, Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Featured, News.

GLENS FALLS — Due to the Adirondack Balloon Festival, there will be no parking allowed on Glen Street after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, according to a release from the City.

Glen Street will be closed from the traffic circle to South Street, the release states. The Balloon Festival will be holding a “Downtown Block Party” from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., kicking off a weekend of fun and balloons.

The Block Party will have balloon baskets on display, in addition to a car show and activities for kids, according to a release from the City.

In addition to the downtown party, festivities at Crandall Park will kick off at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the opening of food vendors. At 4:30 p.m., Beatin’ the Odds, a southern rock band from Clifton Park, will perform. 

Opening ceremonies for the Balloon Festival will be at 5 p.m. at Crandall Park on Thursday, with a flight of “10+ balloons” to follow at 5:30 p.m., according to a release from the city. 

Young Eagles Day Coming to Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport Oct. 1

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Education, Featured, News.

QUEENSBURY — Kids with an interest in aviation will get a chance to learn about and fly in planes up close on Oct. 1, with Young Eagles Day coming to the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury. 

Young Eagles Day is sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association, which has flown over two million ‘young eagles’ in total, according to the EAA website. The Queensbury event is organized by EAA Chapter 353.

“We give the kids, for 15 minutes or so, they’ll walk around what you’d see on an introductory flight,” said Harrison Freer, the EAA Chapter 353 Young Eagles Coordinator. “Then we match them up with a pilot, either in a two-seat or four-seat airplane, and take them up for a ride.”

Kids aged 8-17 are eligible to participate in the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. There will be multiple planes on hand, with Freer saying that he expects “probably half a dozen planes available,” as well as a ground crew.

The event was also held at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in June and October of 2019, with Freer stating that “between 40 and 60 participants” were at each one.

In addition to the flights, participants also receive a certificate and a logbook, which allows access to an online training program.

“As part of the logbook, they’re able to go online and get free access to an online flight training program called Learn to Fly by Sportys,” said Freer. “This online training course prepares people, in this case youth, to learn everything they need to know to get their private pilot written test passed.

“That’s another benefit that, again, at the Experimental Aircraft Association level, it is made available to anybody that participates.”

Freer, who served in the Air Force and said he has been flying for almost 50 years, said there is “a real growing need for professional aviation.”

“It can be both a hobby and a profession, or either or,” said Freer. “But the airline pilot projection is that there’s going to be a shortage of airline pilots for the next 10 to 15 years.”

The Young Eagles program is a way to introduce kids to aviation, and offer further opportunities to aspiring pilots.

“There’s a lot of opportunities, professionally and for fun,” Freer said.

To register, visit eaa.org.

City of Glens Falls to Install Parking Sensors, Renovate East Field Courts

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Featured, News.

GLENS FALLS — The City of Glens Falls will undergo a pair of construction projects in the coming weeks. 

The city will have parking sensors installed in “certain downtown locations,” according to a press release. The sensors will be installed below the streets. Cones are being placed to mark the locations of the sensor installations.

The sensors will be installed as a “precursor for the future development” of a city parking plan, the release states. The work is expected to be completed between today and Thursday.

The city will also work to refurbish the East Field basketball courts, following a contract award from the Glens Falls Common Council last week. A press release states that the city’s engineering department has received a signed contract and a Certificate of Insurance.

A pre-construction meeting will be held at the basketball courts at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The release states that the contractor “would like to begin work as soon as next week.” The courts will be closed for the duration of construction, with the release saying the contractor hopes to finish in a four-week period, “if temperatures allow the coatings to be applied.”

Glens Falls Senior Center Hosting Senior Expo Sept. 21

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Community, Downtown, Featured, News.

GLENS FALLS — A Senior Expo will be held on Sept. 21 at Heritage Hall inside Cool Insuring Arena, providing relevant resources and information to the senior community. The event is being run by the Glens Falls Senior Center.

The Expo is scheduled to run from 1 to 7 p.m. Kim Bren, Executive Director of the Glens Falls Senior Center, said the goal is for the Expo to be a “one-stop shop” for seniors.

“I wanted to cover the whole gamut as people go through the aging process, and know what information is out there and services that are available to you,” said Bren. 

Bren mentioned home repairs/services, home healthcare, assisted living, nursing homes, end-of-life planning, healthcare proxies, insurance, realtors, bankers, and nonprofit organizations as some of the services that will be available. She also said that a senior service specialist from the Senior Center will be on hand at the event.

“We’ll have the insurance companies, since open enrollment is coming up in October. Most of the insurance companies have picked a table that will be there for the plans,” Bren said. “We have some assisted living facilities, we have some nursing home facilities. … We have Glens Falls Housing, they’ll be there. The Cedars (Senior Living Community Apartments). We’re just trying to cover the whole range. We have attorneys that will be there too.”

This is the first Senior Expo to be held by the Senior Center, with Bren saying she hopes “we’ll do really well.”

“We’re going to run it from 1-7, so if you’re still working, there’s time to come after work to check things out,” said Bren, who emphasized that the event is not solely for seniors. 

“We have people that call here that are looking for services for mom and dad, so it’s not just for seniors. It’s for the community. If you have an aging person that you take care of, or a neighbor, or you know of someone who might need these services, it’s good to know this information.”

Bren, who has worked for the Senior Center for eight years, said the idea came from a similar event held near her hometown.

“I’m not from the area, and my grandmother and her friends used to go to a senior expo at Massena Arena, where I’m from,” Bren said. “I just thought, well this is something that would be fabulous down here to get the information out to the community of everything that can be available.”

There are currently 64 vendors signed up for the Expo, according to Bren. 

“I was very surprised at the number of vendors we have received, and I’m so grateful for all of them,” she said. “It’s going to be a great show. It’s going to run just like a business show. They’ll have their table, you can stop and talk to them and request information.”

While this is the first Expo to be held by the Senior Center, Bren said the goal is to make the event an annual occurrence and the main fundraiser for the organization.

“I would love to make it an annual thing. What we want to do is have it be our signature fundraiser for the year,” said Bren. “That way, we are doing a fundraiser, but yet we’re also helping the community.”

The Senior Center will also put together a resource guide following the Expo, “so if someone has a question, we can give them that information,” said Bren.

Romeo Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the Expo, while CDPHP and Hudson Headwaters Health Network are silver sponsors. 

“Just hopefully everybody comes out, and we get some really good attendance,” Bren said. “I just think it’s going to be super.”

Warren County Celebrates Workers at Great Escape

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Business, Community, Featured, News, Workforce.

Photo from warrencountyny.gov.

QUEENSBURY — Warren County celebrated hospitality and retail workers at the Six Flags Great Escape on Monday, September 12, offering prizes, food, and rides.

Over 200 local workers attended the event, according to a press release from the County. The Warren County Employment and Training Administration held the event in collaboration with the Great Escape to “reward the often unsung heroes of our tourism and retail industries,” states the release.

“It was our pleasure to host the inaugural seasonal employee appreciation event last night,” said Great Escape Resort President Rebecca Wood in the release. “It was amazing to see the business participation and to support our collective workforce. We look forward to making this an annual celebration. Our teams deserve the best.”

Gift cards to restaurants and stores, as well as free tickets to “local attractions” were given out to employees during the event. Attendees were informed of winter employment opportunities at Gore Mountain and Ice Castles, and offerings from the Warren County Employment and Training Administration.

“While the workforce shortage continues across all sectors, it is important that we celebrate and retain our workforce to keep our economy going,” said Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County Director of Employment and Training in the release. “This event was a team effort that included the enthusiastic partnership of Six Flags Great Escape, the generous donations of prizes from many local businesses and the time the hospitality businesses took to nominate their employees for the various awards categories. Warren County is now a 365-day tourism economy and we have plenty of work for everyone year-round.”

Proceeds from ticket sales went to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks, the release states, with guests of employees costing $5. Workers were admitted for free.

“We have seen a multitude of benefits when our returning seasonal workers work elsewhere in the winter,” said Patrick Welton, Resort Manager of Lake George Escape Campground, in the release. “They have additional skills, experience, and they can cross-promote our area’s offerings. I intend on giving two additional paid days off to my returning seasonal workers who obtained a winter job somewhere else.”

Staff from Glens Falls Hospital also sold raffle tickets, with the winner receiving a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid from Romeo Toyota. The drawing will take place in February 2023, according to the release.

“The goal is that this event will become a fixture on the Monday evening following Adirondack Nationals Car Show, so hospitality businesses can mark their calendars in advance and come celebrate together,” says the release.