By Paul Post

Olympic Regional Development Authority has invested $17 million on capital upgrades at Gore and Whiteface mountains for the upcoming ski season.

Projects include replacing antiquated lifts, updating and maintaining existing lifts, improving snowmaking and electrical infrastructure, and modernizing buildings and lodges.

At Gore, workers broke ground last spring on a new 18,300-square-foot lodge at North Creek Ski Bowl, operated by ORDA adjacent to the main ski center but owned by the Town of Johnsburg. The new lodge, complete with a restaurant and two levels of outdoor patios, is scheduled for completion in 2025 and is expected to boost year-round recreational tourism, further enhancing the resort’s impact on the local economy.

In addition, the Ski Bowl’s old Hudson chairlift has been replaced with a new detachable quad servicing all levels of ski trails.

By Paul Post

Peckham Industries has 17 hot-mix asphalt plants and 26 stone quarries in five states including a large operation on Vaughn Road in Kingsbury where crowds gathered recently to celebrate the fourth generation, family-owned company’s 100th anniversary.

“Not too many businesses make it to 100 years and less than three percent make it to the fourth generation,” said Damian Murphy, the firm’s president and chief executive officer. “It goes back to the values that have been there since the founder’s days. We talk about safety, integrity, dedication.”

“Be consistent,” he said. “Even though things are always changing, those values never change. People know that about our business, whether it’s our customers, communities or work force. They know they can trust us and that we’re here for the long term.

“The bigger story we like to talk about is the culture in our business,” Murphy said. “That’s what really differentiates us. One of the key phrases is, ‘Our word is our bond’.”

Recent large projects have run the gamut, such as paving a long stretch of the Northway from Schroon to North Hudson, and construction of large parking facilities in The Bronx and at UBS Arena where the NHL’s New York Islanders play.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County has taken over management of the Taste NY shop at the Adirondacks Welcome Center in Glens Falls, according to Greg Stevens, assistant director of the extension.

For those unfamiliar with CCE, it is a subsidiary of Cornell University, the land grant university for New York. CCE translates Cornell’s world renowned, science-based research into knowledge through educational programs administered by independent associations in nearly every county in the state.

“We are about building vibrant communities through education,” said Stevens, who has a 26-year career with CCE. 

Stevens oversees the 4-H Youth Development Program and the Family and Consumer Science Program for the Saratoga extension. There is a third area, Agriculture, which Stevens said is how land grant universities were established.

Taste NY was launched by New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets to highlight the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in the state, says the department’s web site. Its events, promotions, and stores are seen state-wide.

A Taste NY store has been operating in the Adirondacks Welcome Center located between Northway Exits 17 and 18 with oversight by the Lake George Visitors Center. The Department of Agriculture and Markets approached CCE to see if the Saratoga association would be interested in taking over.

“We are always looking for more programs to benefit the community and that align with our mission,” Stevens said. “This was an exciting opportunity to connect our farmers with the residents, tourists, and travelers coming up the Northway.”

The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has kicked off its Love Our Locals $20.24 campaign, an initiative that emphasizes the importance of supporting local businesses and non-profit organizations.

The campaign began on November 1 and continues through the remainder of the year. During this time, residents and tourists who support any business or non-profit in Saratoga County by spending or donating $20.24 or more are eligible to enter a gift card giveaway.  

Individuals are encouraged to submit their receipts of $20.24 or more online at www.saratoga.org/love-our-locals to enter. Each week, the chamber will randomly select winners for $100 in gift cards to businesses across the county.

Love Our Locals $20.24 is sponsored by SaratogaWine.com and many area businesses that donate gift cards as the prizes.

This campaign started during the pandemic as Save Our Locals $20.21, which resulted in more than 2,000 entries from locals whose purchases directly aided in the county’s economic rebound from COVID-19 restrictions. In 2022, the Save Our Locals program was recognized with a New York State Tourism Excellence Award from the New York State Tourism Industry Association. 

Since then, the campaign was renamed Love Our Locals and remains a popular and purposeful annual effort. 

The new Union Hall Supply Co. location in Stuyvesant Plaza opened on October 30. 

Owner Heidi West celebrated the opening with a welcome party, featuring exclusive limited-edition merchandise and giveaways.

The brick-and-mortar store will carry on the same mission as its Saratoga Springs location—created to offer a welcoming, unique, and refined shopping experience for men seeking well-made goods.

Highly trained style guides carefully hand-pick pieces from brands such as Faherty, Johnnie O, Relwen, Marine Layer, Rails, and more, focusing on small batch and ethical production practices.

Union Hall Supply Company strives to promote conscious consumerism all while providing excellent, tailored customer service.

The greater family of brands, including Lifestyles, Caroline + Main, and Union Hall Supply Co. Saratoga, is inspired and connected by the common thread of supreme attention to detail.

By Jill Nagy

For those mothers who complain that their daughters never come, Laurie Abele has a suggestion: rent a daughter from her service, Daughter for Hire. The “daughters” can provide any non-medical service including housekeeping, grocery shopping, or transportation.

Since she began business on September 30, Abele has found that demand is greatest for transportation and help with laundry, especially if doing the laundry includes trudging up and down stairs.

Employees are subject to national background checks. They receive orientation and training before they start and, annually, training in assisting people with Alzheimers. Although employees receive specialized training in dealing with Alzheimers sufferers, the services are available “to anyone who needs care,” she said. Approximately six weeks in, she had 23 clients  “but it is growing everyday.”

For now, Abele is working out of her home in Gansevoort. She is looking for office space in Saratoga. Daughter for Hire is a national company, she explained. The nearest other office is in Latham.

Abele is a former elementary school teacher but also spent time with a different care company.

Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, one of Lake George’s premier family resort destinations, has announced the opening of Hurricane Grill & Wings®. As the hotel’s brand-new, flagship dining option, the restaurant brings a vibrant, laid-back atmosphere with delicious menu offerings to resort guests and the Lake George regional community. 

“We are so thrilled to open the doors to Hurricane Grill & Wings,” said Six Flags Great Escape Resort President Rebecca Wood. “This restaurant is truly something special. From the stunning design concept to the mouthwatering menu full of variety for the whole family, we can’t wait for our guests and local neighbors to enjoy everything this brand-new dining experience has to offer.”

“This opening marks a milestone for Hurricane Grill & Wings—our first theme park location to date,” said President and Chief Operating Officer of Hurricane Grill & Wings Gregg Nettleton. “Our brand’s motto is live with flavor, which perfectly embodies the excitement and thrills that come with Six Flags. We can’t wait to serve our expansive menu to the guests at thepark while they take in these moments—from our hot and crispy wings to juicy burgers.”

By Ann Donnelly

Saratoga-based Small Packages is a company built on the idea that gift-giving should be personal and stress-free. 

Owner Riham LaRussa, who took over the company in late 2022, aims to empower customers to find the perfect gift for any occasion. Each gift box is curated with a personal touch, ensuring the recipient feels unique and valued.

Small Packages offers a variety of gift boxes, each filled with high-quality products, 85 percent of which come from women-owned or minority-owned businesses. 

“These brands don’t get as much attention, so we want to highlight and showcase these and help you discover new brands and products,” says LaRussa.

The gift boxes are suitable for a wide range of occasions, from birthdays and new baby arrivals to self-care and holidays. Small Packages also allows customers to create custom gift boxes, selecting from various products on the website that suit their budget and the recipient’s interests.

In August 2017, an ambitious flautist emailed a highly recommended harpist, and inquired if she might want to play some duets together – and, thus, Stringwynde was born. 

The artists each hold graduate degrees in music and perform in a variety of musical genres. As individual performers, their appearances have included solo recitals, chamber ensembles, symphonies, and many private events. As versatile educators, they have taught countless private music students as well as working in both public and private school classrooms. 

Flautist Melanie Chirignan and Harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher are well known throughout the Capital Region, and specialize in music of the Celtic tradition. They will be performing in the Long Room at The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum on November 16 at 3 p.m. This concert is sponsored by a grant from Saratoga Arts, The Music Performance Trust Fund of the American Federation of Musicians and the Saratoga County History Center.