What caught our eye - 5/25/19

May 25, 2019

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old ..."
- Laurence Binyon, "For the Fallen" (Skip Dickstein photo)

During this Memorial Day weekend, we hope you'll join us in taking a moment to  remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and our country.

CULTURAL CATALYSTS: Three women of vision are reshaping the eclectic cultural scene of Saratoga Springs. http://bit.ly/SaratogaWomenofVision

HAIL A FOREST RANGER:  This item from the report of New York DEC Forest Rangers in the Essex County Town of Wilmington will give your spirits a lyft.
“Wilderness Rescue: On May 19 at 4:19 pm, Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting two hikers requesting assistance. The hikers had parked at Connery Pond and walked to Lake Placid. While at Lake Placid, they spoke with an unknown individual about hiking to the summit of Whiteface, which they were told would take about 45 minutes. After climbing through the ice and snow to the summit for several hours, the couple called for a taxi to return to their vehicle, which was six miles away. They were informed the Whiteface Mountain toll road was closed. Forest Ranger Robert Praczkajlo picked up the hikers at the Whiteface summit and gave them a courtesy transport back to their vehicle by 5:50 pm.” http://bit.ly/DECLyft

FRIENDS OF FROG AND TOAD: Do you know those old chums Frog and Toad? They’re the creation of Schenectady native and children’s book author Arnold Lobel (14 million books sold) who based some of his characters on people he met growing up in the Electric City. Now, the question: What honor befits the father of Frog and Toad? http://bit.ly/HonoringLobel

Two young Saratoga Springs entrepreneurs are #winning with a new clothing line.

CHARTING SUCCESS: One partner started selling beautiful designer sneakers in high school. Now, two Saratoga Springs entrepreneurs have teamed up to launch a new clothing line committed to quality and sustainability. They’re building their business from their dorm rooms (sound familiar?) and their first merchandise was so hot it sold out almost instantly.  Meet the adventurous founders of Uncharted Apparel. http://bit.ly/UnchartedApparelSuccess

FROM HAMILTON TO WASHINGTON: West Coast rapper, New York litigator, Rhodes Scholar and Colgate University alumnus Antonio Delgado is now representing one of the most rural areas of the country, the Hudson Valley of New York. http://bit.ly/RuralDelgado

REARVIEW MIRROR: The oft-lamented erosion of New York’s manufacturing base is not new. It started 100 years ago. The Empire State once was America’s auto production capital, home to more than 100 innovative car makers, including those in Saratoga Springs, Troy, Cohoes, Albany and Amsterdam. Why? New York is where the buyers were. http://bit.ly/EastofDetroit

THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD: The Albany Symphony and its ensemble The Dogs of Desire escape the concert hall and hit the road with “Sing Out,” an ambitious two-week musical celebration of New York as a leader in protecting civil rights. It begins, fittingly for a New York celebration, with a beer tasting, debuts original works and includes four free concerts, all curated by Grammy Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller. http://bit.ly/SymphonySingOut

SWEET SONGS: Last week we surveyed the exploding local music scene. Now comes news of Jimmy Morris of North Creek.  He graduated as the valedictorian at Johnsburg Central School and now attends Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he’s an accounting major and baseball player. He is the son of Jim and Debbie Morris, the owners of the sweetest enterprise in North Creek, Barkeater Chocolates. Last year,  Jimmy released three singles. Last week, he put out a full album entitled “James the Fifth,” available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and on his own a Pandora channel. http://bit.ly/JamesTheFifth

JUST HAPPY TO DANCE WITH YOU:  All you need is love and a couple of tickets. Manhattan’s Chevalier Ballet dances to the music of The Beatles performed by Across the Pond and a string quartet at North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center. http://bit.ly/BalletMeetsTheBeatles

WHY’S EVERYBODY ALWAYS PICKIN’ ON ME? Never let it be said that we in Upstate New York don’t wallow in the wisecracks about us. Is that our confident sense of humor — or our complete lack of self-esteem? The TU peels back The Onion. http://bit.ly/AlbanyOnion

ICONIC HOMES OF THE HUDSON: The Rockefeller family’s home for four generations. The home where President Martin Van Buren retired. The home (tap, tap, tap) of Samuel F.B. Morse. The homes of Edward Hopper and John Jay. If you think you know the great homes of the Hudson Valley, take another look. http://bit.ly/IconicHudsonHomes

CRASS QUESTION: Quick quiz: Who was wealthier in relative terms — John D. Rockefeller, Jeff Bezos or Marcus Licinius Crassus? Crassus who? Hint: Spartacus. http://bit.ly/CrassusVsBezos

UP ON UPSTATE: Say what you will about Upstate New York, you just can’t beat the many talk-about-later adventures to be had for a pittance. From the Million Dollar Staircase to Hot Dog Charlie’s, First Prize Mike’s and Uncle Sam’s grave, here are some spots for summer adventures. http://bit.ly/UpstateSummerFun

FROSTY RECEPTION: Theresa May is going to miss the rich tradition of British politics — like the treatment Brexit party leader Nigel Farage received this week. A protester was arrested for assaulting him with a banana and salted caramel from Five Guys. http://bit.ly/AssaultbyShake

WHAT A PLACE TO LAND: Saratoga Living takes an appreciative look at the “professional relaxer’s paradise” we know as Bolton Landing. http://bit.ly/BoltonParadise

POT? NOT!: The rolling hills of Columbia County, home to many local farms supplying fresh meat, eggs, herbs, and produce, will not be home to pot retailers.   http://bit.ly/ColumbiaToBlockPot

WEAVE THE PEOPLE: In our brokenness, pain and vulnerability, can we weave trust with other people and build more caring communities? Weave the people thinks so. http://bit.ly/WeaveThePeople

CITY IN THE BAY: It’s become so expensive to live in the San Francisco area that some people have taken refuge just off the coast. http://bit.ly/CityInTheBay

HIRE THIS MAN: Remember when George Costanza got the job with the Yankees? Now, he’s helping the Mets. http://bit.ly/ActorFirstPitchAtSyracuseMets

HONOR FOR MORCON: The U.S. Small Business Administration honors Joe Raccuia’s Washington County-based Morcon Tissue, a leading converter of napkin, towel, tissue and specialty products for the Away-From-Home market, now with three facilities in New York, South Carolina and Oklahoma. http://bit.ly/MorconHonor

SUMMER IS COMING: (Much more cheerful than the Game of Thrones’ “Winter Is Coming” as well it should be.)
- The Sembrich Museum in Bolton Landing opens the season featuring “Music of the World” Sunday, June 9th.
- Alive at Five is celebrating its 30th season of free concerts in Albany. Concerts are held at Jenning’s Landing Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning in June through August.

NEARLY FINAL WORDS

"I can't claim to know the words of all the national anthems in the world, but I don't know of any other that ends with a question and a challenge as ours does: Does that flag still wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? That is what we must all ask."
— President Ronald Reagan, Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982.

THE SIGNOFF

HAHA WAWA:  Coffee, doughnuts and belly laughs. That’s what’s on the menu every morning at this Wawa. http://bit.ly/HaHaWaWa

PLEASE SHARE: Feel free to pass this along to your friends and colleagues.

THANK YOU to our content contributors John Brodt, Bill Callen, Lisa Fenwick, Colleen Potter, Tina Suhocki, Bill Richmond and Pat Gormley.

FACING OUT: FACING OUT is what we do. We help companies, organizations and individuals work effectively with their most important external audiences – their customers, their shareholders, their communities, the government and the news media.  www.behancommunications.com

Facing Out features news and other nuggets that caught our eye, and that we thought might be of value to you, our friends and business associates. Some items are good news about our clients and friends, others are stories that we hope will leave you a bit more informed or entertained than you were five minutes ago. As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. 

Let’s make it a conversation: mark.behan@behancom.com