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VOL. 35 NO. 07
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HH The Business Newspaper of Warren and Washington Counties HH
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SEPTEMBER 2023
Six Flags Great Escape Will Have A New Ride, Spring, Early Summer Weather Events Hurt The Bobcat, When Facility Opens In 2024 Some Local Apple Growers; Others Survive
Six Flags Great Escape retired the Alpine Bobsled this year, but the Bobcat ride will replace it when guests go to the tourist attraction in 2024.
Hick’s Orchard in Granville recently opened its you-pick apple business despite a late freeze and early-summer hail storm that caused major losses at many Northeast farms.
Six Flags Great Escape announced it will have a new rollercoaster ride in 2024—the Bobcat. This addition marks the first new wooden coaster introduced in New York state since 1999 and is the first new coaster to be constructed at Six Flags Great Escape since 2003, according to Six Flags officials. It replaces the Alpine Bobsled which was retired Sept. 4, 2023. “We knew we had to find a perfect fit to replace the Alpine Bobsled in the hearts of our
BY PAUL POST First a late-spring killing freeze. Then a devastating, early summer hail storm. “I’ve heard many, many stories about lots of orchards that had total loss and won’t even be able to do anything with apples this fall,” said Michelle Wilson, business manager of Hick’s Orchard in Granville. “Some got hit double whammy with the hail storm a few weeks after that freeze. It definitely depends on where you were, your elevation and how cold it got.” But Hick’s, like Saratoga Apple in
guests,” said resort president Rebecca Wood. “This beautiful, all-natural wooden family coaster will deliver a smooth, fast and heartpounding experience. It is sure to be an instant classic.” The Bobcat will reach speeds of nearly 40 mph, officials said. It stands 55.4 feet high and is 1,412 feet long. There will be two trains, seating 12 passengers per train. The Bobcat is expected to begin in the spring, just in time for the park’s 70th anniverContinued On Page 7
Paul Post
Schuylerville, is the exception this harvest season, whose you-pick business kicked off on Labor Day Weekend, ushering in one of autumn’s most popular family-oriented outdoor activities. “We do have a crop,” Wilson said. “I think we’re going to be okay.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 31 counties across New York state, including Washington and Saratoga, as a primary natural disaster area following the Continued On Page 4
Most NY Counties Dropped In Population, Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce But Warren County Grew 2010 To 2020 Names Robert Nemer Juckett Award Winner Warren County was one of just a handful of New York counties that gained population between 2010 and 2020, as 75 percent of Upstate New York counties lost population over that decade, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The data from the census also shows another trend in terms of county population: Warren County is now the fourth oldest county in the state, judged by median age of residents. An analysis of Census data by Warren County Department of Planning and Community Development found that Hamilton, Columbia and Delaware counties were the three oldest counties in New York, while Warren County’s median resident age of 47.5 years was tied with Essex County for fourth oldest. The Planning Department has created an interactive website breaking down census trends by county, town and school district. The data shows that Warren County has aged much more rapidly than New York state and the United States as a whole. Its median age stayed relatively close to the state and national averages through 1990 but then began diverging quickly; by 2020, the county’s median age was nearly a decade higher than the national average. According to the data, in 2020, the U.S. media age was 38.8 years, the New York State median age was 39.0 years, and every municipality in Warren County exceeds these median ages. The municipality with the lowest median age was Glens Falls, at 39.6 years.
The highest median age for a municipality in the county is Hague, with a median age of 61.8. And more than 50 percent of those living in Hague are over the age of 60. “In many municipalities, this disparity is much greater than the county’s average,” explained Warren County GIS Administrator Sara Frankenfeld, the report’s author. “For example, the town of Bolton has three times as many seniors than it does children, with over 30 percent of the population aged 65-plus and only 10 percent under age 18. In Hague, Horicon and Lake George, fewer than 15 percent of the population are children.” In addition, Bolton, Chester, Hague, Horicon, Johnsburg, Lake George, Lake Luzerne and Stony Creek all have median ages over 50. Even the municipality’s fastest growing “suburban” town of Queensbury has a median age of 47.4, and Thurman and Warrensburg also have median ages in the 40s. One other notable piece of data that emerged from the U.S. Census’s American Community Survey, officials said. The percentage of Warren County households living below the poverty threshold dropped from 6.9 percent in 2010 to 5.3 percent in 2020. The demographic report by Warren County Planning and Community Development includes a variety of data by community as well as school district breakdowns and more. The full report can be viewed at warrencounty-gis-warrencountyny.hub.arcgis.com/ apps/290c5909c0cd4b5e965c9a925ada5c64/ explore.
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce announced that the 35th annual J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award will be presented to Robert Nemer, co- owner of the Nemer Motor Group and financial contributor to many local community organizations. Nemer will be presented with the award at the ARCC annual dinner on March 8 at The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing. “All you need is a couple of minutes with Robert Nemer to learn that he is passionate about helping others,” said ARCC President and CEO Tricia Rogers. “His work spans through decades of helping our youth get the supplies and resources they need to succeed in school, all the way to helping fund the much-needed equipment that our hospitals need to serve their patients. When called upon, he answers the call. His contributions to our region will be felt for years to come.” Nemer moved to Upstate New York in 1970, after teaching elementary school in Philadelphia, to help run his father’s Volkswagen dealership in Albany. Along with his brother Peter, they established and grew the Nemer Motor group which now includes four dealership locations. Nemer is a founding member of the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition Inc. that was responsible for the acquisition of the Glens Falls Civic Center/ Cool Insuring Arena from the City of Glens Falls. He also started the Kids with Packs program, in partnership with The Post Star and the Tri-County United Way, to provide school supplies to children in need in 14 schools in Warren, Washington, Saratoga, and other counties. Nemer also serves as a board member for Hudson Headwaters Health
Robert Nemer is co-owner of the Nemer Motor Group and the Juckett Award winner. Courtesy ARCC
Network, and the SUNY Adirondack Foundation. Nemer is a regular contributor and sponsor for many community organizations and their events. Through the Nemer Motor Group, he has made considerable contributions to Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, and Hudson Headwaters Health Network. Nemer and his wife Francine have also donated time and funding to these health centers. The two have also contributed to the youth education efforts of The Hyde CollecContinued On Page 5