By Christine Graf

Less than one month after celebrating the 100th anniversary of Minogue’s Beverage Center, owner John Minogue sold his business to  brothers Jeff and Paul Vukelic, owners of Saratoga Eagle.

The decision to sell was a difficult one for Minogue, and Jeff first approached him about purchasing the business about 16 months ago.

“When I was first approached by Jeff about the possibility, I was in a position where I really didn’t have a succession plan but I wasn’t totally committed to selling the business at that time,” said Minogue. “It ended up making a lot of sense to me. Selling my business after having been in it myself for fifty-five years was a personal thing for me. There’s a lot of family history, and I’ve had some emotional feelings about the business leaving the family but there really weren’t any options for me.”

Minogue and Vukelic have known each other for many years, and Minogue’s has been one of Saratoga Eagle’s largest customers. Minogue and the Vukelic brothers have much in common, and both operate family businesses that were established by their bootlegger grandfathers in the 1920s.

“I know the business will be well taken care by selling to Jeff,” said Minogue. “They are a class operation.”

The Wesley Community announced that Jenna Lord has been appointed director of nursing at Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs.

Lord is responsible for leading and supervising the nursing staff and overseeing the care provided to residents at the Wesley Health Care Center. She has extensive health care experience and previously served as assistant director of Nursing at Wesley Health Care Center.

“We are pleased to see Jenna expand her role on the leadership team at The Wesley Community,” said J. Brian Nealon, CEO of The Wesley Community. “Her skills and experience make her a valuable asset to the many residents we serve. Under her guidance and leadership, our nursing services will continue to grow and meet the needs of all those who call Wesley Health Care Center home.”

Lord will work closely with Wesley administrators to develop policies and procedures to maintain a safe and efficient work place while also bringing forth new clinical opportunities.

“I am thrilled to be taking on the role of Director of Nursing at Wesley Health Care Center,” Lord said. “I look forward to continuing to work with our dedicated staff to care for Wesley’s residents and will strive to make a difference amongst our team and the residents we serve at The Wesley Community.”

Lord has been an active member of the Wesley Health Care Center team since 2008 where she previously worked as both a licensed practical nurse and as a resident nurse unit coordinator. In her various roles at the senior care facility, officials said Lord has been an enthusiastic leader who puts great emphasis on hands-on leadership and providing quality of care and services.

The pandemic brought many challenges to many people, but for Fred Astaire Dance Studios (FADS) in Saratoga, it was an opportunity to relocate and re-open in a bigger and better space.

The Capital Region Chamber and studio owners Elizabeth and Grey Masko celebrated the new location with a ribbon cutting event in September, with Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and National Ballroom Dance Champion Joan Regan Hayner.

The new location on Route 9 offers a performance space three times as large as before, fostering even more growth, according to the studio. As people are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, FADS offers a safe environment for dancers of all ages and abilities to learn about the benefits of ballroom and Latin dancing and how it can help improve mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

“We are so excited about our new location, and everything we’ll be able to offer to the community,” said the Maskos. “We look forward to the children’s classes we’ll be offering in the spring and hope that our current students enjoy the new space for years to come.”

The Maskos also announced a new offering to help share the benefits of dancing with a wider audience. The studio will offer children’s classes beginning next spring.

“Dancing is not an activity just for older generations, and the same benefits that help hone cognitive function, foster respect for a partner, and encourage body positivity, are all elements of growth that can begin at an early age, as well as continue in the golden years,” they said.

Skidmore College recently celebrated the inauguration of Marc C. Conner as the school’s eighth president at the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

A combination of in-person and virtual events were held to mark this time-honored tradition that recognizes the college’s academic mission, proud history and its future.

Conner became the eighth president of Skidmore College in July but his ceremonial installation had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An innovative leader of interdisciplinary academic programs, a longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and a widely published professor of English, he came to Skidmore following 24 years at Washington and Lee University in Virginia.

In his inaugural address, Conner called for a “daring education” that prepares graduates to lead lives of consequence.

Conner outlined a vision for the college’s future with community at its heart and the liberal arts as a force for innovation and change.

Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co. has opened a new full-service branch office at 3025 Route 50 in the Wilton Square shopping plaza (near Target), just off Northway Exit 15.

With over 3,000 square feet of office space, the office will provide a modern banking environment for customers, officials said.

It offers full banking services, including ATM, drive-in, lobby and expanded parking. Additional teller access, offices and conference room space will provide an improved overall customer experience, right in the middle of the busy Wilton shopping district.

The location replaces two smaller offices on Jones and Ballard roads.

By Christine Graf

After working in information technology for 23 years, Mike Miller was laid off from a local tech company during the pandemic.

His unexpected layoff prompted him to pursue his dream of opening a comic book store. In September, he opened Cosmic Cape Comics at 9 Hampstead Place in Saratoga Springs. The store is located in The Springs, a luxury apartment and commercial complex located off of Weibel Avenue.

Cosmic Cape Comics carries a large variety of comic books, role playing and board games, trading card games, and collectibles.

“COVID gave me the opportunity to explore a new career,” he said. “I’ve been passionate about comic books for a quite a long time. In the basement of our house in Wilton, I had probably 60,000 comic books.”

Miller’s interest in comic books began when he was living and working in Chicago, a city with many comic books stores. He started reading mainstream comic books and attending comic book conventions.

“I started meeting a lot of comic book artists and writers, especially the independent guys trying to break into the industry and publish their own comic books,” he said. “I started realizing how much more there was out there beyond the mainstream comic books. That’s when I started getting into independent comic books. It broadened my horizons in the comic book field.”

A coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, nonprofits, and trade organizations have launched We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition designed to educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of the sport of horse racing to the New York economy.

From downstate labor unions to upstate local restaurants and hotels, We Are NY  Horse Racing has garnered statewide support.

The horse racing economy includes farmers, trainers, horse breeders, horse owners, racetrack employees, dozens of labor unions that support racing operations, backstretch workers, veterinarians, and racing officials as well as seasonal and part-time jobs directly tied to big events such as the Belmont Stakes or the annual summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course.

Officials said that as a driver of tourism both downstate and throughout upstate New York, horse racing is a big  business for the hospitality sector at a time when hotels, bars and restaurants continue to face  uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recently concluded 2021 summer meet in Saratoga saw an average daily attendance of more than 26,000. 

According to a study published by the American Horse Council in 2018, horse racing in New  York state is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact. In addition, the broader equine industry is New York’s second-largest agribusiness, generating good-paying jobs in every county and corner of the State. The sport of horse racing drives an industry that sustains hundreds of small businesses on and around the 11 racetracks currently in operation in New York.