By LEE COLEMAN

The new exhibit “From New York to the Nuclear Navy” at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs has proven popular with museum patrons.

Courtney Burns, military history director at the museum, said since the exhibit opened in late June an increase in museum attendance has been seen.

“We’ve seen a rise in attendance, people coming specifically to see the exhibit,” Burns said.

The temporary exhibit runs through June 2025 at the museum at 61 Lake Avenue.

The exhibit highlights the history of the U.S. Nuclear Propulsion Program and the contributions and advancements of the program in New York state.

Burns said the idea for the exhibit originated when a retired Navy officer who was once stationed at the Navy’s Kenneth A. Kesselring nuclear propulsion site in West Milton, not far from Saratoga Springs, asked why the nuclear Navy program was not mentioned in museum exhibits.

Museum officials and others from the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which operates the museum, contacted the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, which represents several nuclear Navy sites in New York state and beyond.

By Paul Post

Ryan and Erin Connor are just the right people to develop a property ideally located for taking advantage of Glens Falls’ ongoing economic rejuvenation.

The couple, both RPI grads, recently purchased the three-story, 45,000-square-foot Union Square building at 9-15 Broad Street, just around the corner from South Street, a cornerstone of the city’s revitalization.

The acquisition, financed by NBT Bank, was for approximately $1.6 million.

“The prior owner, Tom O’Neil, did a lot of capital improvements,” Ryan said. “He upgraded gas service, installed an elevator. The building’s got great bones. We’re going to further that a bit, focusing on the roof and grounds. From there we’ll be looking to add a mix of commercial and residential space depending on where it is in the building.”

There’s currently an eclectic mix of business and professional tenants such as a day spa, chemical firm, mortgage group, legal and architectural firms occupying spaces ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet.

By Susan Elise Campbell

At headquarters in Malta, Arnoff Moving & Storage has built an enhanced logistics and delivery system for clients who need warehousing, packing and shipping services as their inventory is transferred or sold. 

According to Daniel Arnoff, chief relationship officer and fifth-generation member of the family-owned business, the Arnoff Global Logistics division has outgrown its warehousing space and will soon break ground on a new 100,000-120,000-square-foot facility to suit their expansion trajectory.

Arnoff said the new warehouse is necessitated by the growth their clients are experiencing and by the influx of new clients who need a streamlined and cost-effective way to store and ship goods.

“The goods could be retail items purchased on the internet or parts we stock that a local manufacturer might need if their machine goes down,” he said. 

Stewart’s Shops has signed an agreement to purchase the assets of Jolley Associates convenience store chain and S.B. Collins, including its heating oil business Clarence Brown of St. Albans, Vermont.

The acquisition, which requires federal regulatory approval, is expected to close by the end of 2024. Terms of the deal remain confidential.

The transaction includes the purchase of 45 Jolley stores including five in New York, two in New Hampshire and 38 locations in Vermont.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to acquire a company with such an impressive reputation in a market that we’ve been watching for many years,” said Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake. “One of the primary reasons we were drawn to this deal is because of the quality and the character of Jolley’s employees.”

The acquisition also brings together two longtime family businesses.

By Helise Stamos

BuonaSera, an Italian restaurant, opened in Malta in July.  

Owned by Jimmy and Danielle Hartwyk, it occupies the building that formerly housed the Nostalgia Ale House & Wine Bar on Saratoga Lake. The building was completely renovated by Jimmy and Kevin LaPorto, his uncle, who is a retired New York state corrections officer.  

Jimmy, the executive chef, has 30 years of experience in the restaurant business. He and Danielle previously owned Biscotti Brothers Cafe and Saluti in Lake George as well as a restaurant in New Hampshire. Danielle is one of the hostesses in the new enterprise. 

“What I love about running a restaurant is seeing people gratified by every plate I prepare,” said Jimmy.  

The menu includes pan seared diver scallops over homemade grilled bread with pancetta, red onions and roasted peppers.  There is also chicken francese, veal or chicken parmesan, sautéed muscles  with red peppers, red wine and herbs.    

By Susan Elise Campbell

MVPT Physical Therapy opened a second clinic in Glens Falls last month. 

The business was founded by Zachary Cole, PT, DPT, a former athlete who started Sports PT of NY 16 years ago in Saratoga Springs, now located at One West Avenue. But he rebranded after merging into Cypress Heath Partners, a network of clinics spanning five states. Under this model, Cypress Health owns both clinics and Cole is their managing partner. 

MVPT is bringing to the North Country the same needed therapies and guidance that has grown his Saratoga clinic to a staff of six. Cole is the sole practitioner at the new clinic.

“To grow our business and serve as many people as we can, we are confined by the space of the Saratoga clinic,” he said. “We expanded into Glens Falls because from a health care perspective there are a lot of people, but from a physical therapy perspective it is not as dense an area.”

“The new clinic puts within reach the range of physical therapy services residents may not have had at their fingertips,” he said. “North Country patients who had been traveling down to Saratoga now get easier access to physical therapy in their home town.”

Normally the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville is a quiet and peaceful place. On September 18 it was a buzz of activity as Environmental Conservation & Forestry Instructor Dennis Flynn and 16 of his students joined professional arborists from around the state and Vermont for the 10th Annual Saluting Branches Day of Service, one of 100 sites in the national event.

Students performed tree care and site beautification using the skills they’ve acquired in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program to honor those who gave so much. This year the students concentrated on raising the tree canopy six feet in one area of the property. They used the drone to survey the trees and map out their work. 

“Every year it astonishes me how quickly the students perform. They did their jobs so quickly and effectively that they even made a dent into our overflow work. The chipping and stump grinding is a huge help,” said Michaela Shelton, who is the distribution forester for the Mechanicville division of NYSEG who was the site leader for the day.  

The WSWHE BOCES students worked with professional crews from NYSEG (Avangrid), Asplund, Lewis Tree Service, New Leaf Tree Service, National Grid, Greater Heights, J.S. Tree Service and Excavation, LLC, and Homestead Tree Service.