What caught our eye - 7/27/19

July 27, 2019

IMG_3894.jpegSummer mornings are the gift that stretches out before you, all opportunity and promise,
big blue sky and big plans, as seen on the water connecting Kayaderosseras Creek
and Lake Lonely in Saratoga Springs. (Tara Hutchins photo)

QUAKE NEWS: So, no need to panic (or move), but Upstate New York had an earthquake last week. If you missed it, you are not alone. It was mild at a reported 2.2 magnitude, hardly enough to mix a martini. According to the U.S. Geological Service, the quake was centered east of Lake Pleasant in Hamilton County and occurred at 2:47 p.m. on Friday, July 19. More than 500 earthquakes have been reported in New York since 1737, with particular damage from a 5.8 magnitude quake centered near Massena, N.Y., and Cornwall, Ontario, in 1944. Upstate New York also had a good shake during quakes in 1983 and 2002.  A small quake also was reported off Manhattan June 26. http://bit.ly/EarthquakeShakesUpstateNY

FOREVER YOUNG: Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs is, at nearly 60 years in operation, the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States, and the most celebrated. The Library of Congress called it an “American treasure.” And it continues to innovate. From its former woodworking shop headquarters, now beautifully transformed, Caffe Lena is offering live streams of its concerts and videos of the “Late Night Sessions” (after the people leave, they light a few candles and make some more music). Among the guests this summer: Judy Collins and Bela Fleck. Lead on, Lena. http://bit.ly/CafeLenaSummerGuests

NEVER ENDING STORY OF SUCCESS: A young woman steals the hearts of millions with her cameo as “Suzie” during the final episode from Season 3 of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. And she’s from Schenectady. Sixteen-year-old Gabriella Pizzolo began acting on Broadway at 10. Her fan-favorite scene — a rendition of The NeverEnding Story with Dustin — lit up the Internet. http://bit.ly/StrangerThingsLocalActress

COMEBACK KID: Victory never tasted so sweet. Eight-year-old Brendan Mulvaney is back in business, selling lemonade (both pink and yellow) at the stand in front of his home in Ballston Spa. He’s well on his way to generating $500 in sales that he intends to split between Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which funds research into childhood cancer, and his own trip to Walt Disney World to meet Goofy and Donald Duck. The state Health Department took a lot of national media and political heat last summer for putting the squeeze on Brendan when they shut down his stand for lack of a permit.  Not to be too tart, but there’s a twist: DOH was acting on complaints from vendors at the Saratoga County Fair. http://bit.ly/BoysLemonadeStandBack

SUN SHINES ON SARANAC: Big public investment in the future of Saranac Lake, with help from Gov. Cuomo and Sen. Betty Little. The community is in line to receive $10 million as part of the the state’s downtown revitalization initiative. The funds will support creation of a children’s museum, waterfront park, a downtown brewery, rehabilitation of the Dr. Edward Trudeau Home as a historical museum, and will position the pivotal Pendragon Theatre as the community’s cultural anchor. http://bit.ly/BigInvestmentinSaranac

ADKS BY AIR: How does one disappear into the deepest reaches of the Adirondacks to, say, a place of natural tranquility and splendid isolation like Pine Lake? Well, you call Tom Helms and book a float plane to a remote camp site on what was once land owned by Finch Paper. But better act fast. http://bit.ly/AdksByAir

TRAVERS TRIVIA: The Travers is the oldest stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbreds in American horseracing (1864), and it’s run at America’s oldest and most beautiful race track.  Many of the great names in racing have won it: Man o’ War, Whirlaway, Native Dancer, Birdstone and Alydar, for example. It is named for William Travers, who was president of the Saratoga Association when the race was inaugurated. Conveniently, his horse Kentucky won. This year’s Travers will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24. All of this leads to the trivia question: When was the Travers not run at Saratoga and why?  http://bit.ly/NonSaratogaTravers

LakeGeorge_6985.jpgLake George dominates the lakefront property market in upstate New York,
with nearly a quarter of all lakeside listings across all lakes,
and a third of New York's $1 million-plus lakefront property listings.

GOLD COAST: Which Upstate New York lakes are the most expensive for lakefront property? You know already. What you may not know is where the buyers are coming from. http://bit.ly/BuyersOfUpstateLakefront

LIFE: IT GETS COMPLICATED

WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL: The distinguished professor is an expert in reason and judgment. He teaches civil procedure. His ex-wife, with whom he lives, is an assistant U.S. attorney. How then did a chance Saturday morning encounter with a stranger in a hardware store lead to losing his home and now, possibly, his job? This you must read. http://bit.ly/HarvardProfessorDownfall

LUCKY FIN: This summer one-year-old soccer fan Joseph Tidd met Orlando Pride player Carson Pickett. Turns out they have a lot in common, and the photo of their meeting is flying across the Internet.  http://bit.ly/PlayerandToddlerConnection

THE BELL TOLLS: The sentries of the superhighway, New York’s toll collectors, are going away, their jobs eliminated by cashless toll technology. They were midnight’s companions, dispensing directions and advice, watching the roads for cars wanted by the cops, even using their own money to bail out drivers who could not pay the toll. http://bit.ly/LastTollCollectors

NEVER HERE: Three children, ages 12 and 15, two boys and a girl, are blindfolded and dropped off in a dense forest in the darkness. The adult who accompanied them flees, speeding so fast the tires squeal. The children are abandoned to find their own way to safety.  In the United States, the police would be called. Not in the Netherlands where kids are taught to fend for themselves. http://bit.ly/NetherlandsChildDropping

WHERE’S SAMMY? Who steals a one-winged Bald Eagle? The authorities on Long Island area investigating, and a reward is offered. http://bit.ly/EagleKidnapping

THE BEER BEAT

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: What do you get if you brew beer from glazed donuts? Well, Glazed and Confused, of course. http://bit.ly/GlazedDonutBeer

GUINNESS OF GRANVILLE: The Washington County community that gives us delicious apples and stylish patio furniture now offers a Dry Irish Stout and Black Currant Blonde. Pull up a chair and savor the natural ingredients in the beer brewed by Slate Town Brewing Co., the fifth brewery in Washington County. http://bit.ly/GranvillesNewBrew

LEADERSHIP NOTES

HELLO, LIGHT: Volkswagen is trying for a U-turn, and doing it with dramatic style. In a new television commercial and print ads, the German automaker is seeking to lock scandal in the trunk and put its new line of electric vehicles up front. http://bit.ly/VolkswagenUTurn

RESILIENCY BREEDS SUCCESS: Resiliency has found a new gig. It’s the hot topic in urban planning. And it’s big in the management literature. Old-fashioned staying power, stick-to-itiveness, take a licking and keep on tucking, that’s what it’s all about.  Researchers surveyed almost 2,000 NCAA coaches to get their perspective on how they build resilient teams. They worked with hundreds of team leaders across many industries. They discovered four common characteristics. http://bit.ly/ResilientTeamsSuccess

BETTER PEOPLE = BETTER LEADERS: “Successful leaders today and in the decades to come,” the author writes, “must possess triple-threat leadership capability: IQ+EQ+DQ. In other words, they must possess a combination of two familiar attributes — intellect and emotional intelligence — and one that I believe must be recognized and elevated: decency.” http://bit.ly/DecenyImprovesLeadership

EXECUTIVE SESSION: Executive presence: All leaders want it, not all have it. It’s not about alluring charm or likeableness; rather, it’s the product of temperament, competencies and skills, all of which can be learned. http://bit.ly/ImportanceofExecutivePresence

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

BOOKINGS: Glens Falls’ Park Theater lands Grammy winner Loudon Wainwright III for
Sunday, November 24. http://bit.ly/GrammyWinnerAtParkTheater

CAPITAL CITIZENS: The University at Albany’s Foundation has chosen its 2019 Citizen Laureates: Harry and Anne Rosenfeld, he the author and former editor of The Albany Times Union who oversaw the Watergate coverage for The Washington Post, and she a leader in many Capital Region civic organizations; David Alan Miller, the Grammy-winning conductor and music director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra; and Marlene Belfort, an internationally acclaimed molecular geneticist, National Academy of Sciences member and UAlbany Distinguished Professor. They will be honored at the 40th annual Citizen Laureate Awards dinner on Oct. 30. http://bit.ly/UAlbanyCitizenLaureates

SIGNOFF:

LOO AND BEHOLD: Have you ever wondered about the Pilgrims’ last steps on British soil in the moments before they departed the old world for the new in 1620? They walked to their ships on steps that have long been lost. Now you are privy to a secret: The original steps are said to have been located in a most unusual location. http://bit.ly/MayflowerStepsToBathroom

NEARLY FINAL WORDS:

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud."
 — Coco Chanel

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

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

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 conversationmark.behan@behancom.com

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