By Jill nagy

A new bakery in Saratoga Springs has opened on Putnam Street.

After several years of baking in a rented kitchen and selling online, Alex Gaertner opened Indulgence Bakery at 63 Putnam St. The  official opening took place in May.

Much of her business is still done online, but Gaertner said she wanted to be able to meet and talk to her customers, so she opened the shop. 

She also plans classes, workshops, and parties at the new space.

House specialties include custom cakes, cupcakes, and sugar cookies. 

Now that wedding season is getting into full swing, she and her staff are also creating a lot of wedding cakes. Indulgence has four employees, including Gaertner: bakers, a decorator, and someone to take orders and look after the online business. 

In addition to the baked goods, Indulgence has a coffee station. Seating is outside on the patio where there are four chairs and a ledge to perch on.

Three special honorees were recognized at the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce annual gala in May at the 1863 Club at Saratoga Race Course.

Representatives from area businesses and nonprofit organizations attended the gala, which this year was a newly reimagined event replacing the former annual dinner. The new trackside venue offered guests the chance to experience one of the New York Racing Association’s newer luxury facilities, located at the clubhouse turn of the race course.

Honored were 2023 Joseph Dalton Community Service Award recipient Dr. Bill Long, 2023 Impact Sector Volunteer of the Year Richard Ferguson and the Chamber’s immediate past chair of the board Tara Anne Pleat of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC.

The gala also serves as a networking opportunity for event goers. 

“Beyond the celebration and recognition of Tara, Bill, and Rich for their tremendous volunteer efforts, this gala is meant to be a powerful and productive networking event for the organizations who sponsored and the individuals who attended,” Chamber President Todd Shimkus said. “This is one of the Chamber’s signature events and an important fundraiser for our organization, so I want to thank NYRA, Mazzone Hospitality, our sponsors, and attendees for continuing to support the work we do to help our members and the community to succeed, grow, and thrive.”

The owner of Northeastern Fine Jewelry, a destination for fine jewelry for more than four decades, has purchased Olde Saratoga Coin  and upgraded his new stores.

Olde Saratoga Coin  has storefronts at 1593 Central Ave. in Colonie and 385 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

“Coins have always been one of my passions and how we got our start in business back in 1980,” said Ray Bleser, owner of Northeastern Fine Jewelry. “Our original store was Northeastern Coin Gallery in Schenectady. For me, returning to my roots is deeply nostalgic, intensely gratifying and truly exciting.”

In its heyday, Northeastern Coin Gallery carried an inventory of hard-to-find currency, jewelry and estate pieces. In 1985, the business was reincorporated as Northeastern Fine Jewelry, which has evolved into one of the Capital Region’s leading, independently owned jewelers, featuring an extensive selection of world-renowned brands, diamonds, engagement rings, wedding bands, watches and estate items.

Northeastern Fine Jewelry will continue to operate under its own banner with three locations in Albany, Schenectady and Glens Falls, according to Bleser.

The Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA) has named Doug Bohannon of Queensbury its 2023 National Proprietor of the Year.  

Bohannon, along with his wife Alison, own Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center in South Glens Falls along with Kingpin’s Alley in Latham.  

Bohannon is a native of Glens Falls and is a 1985 graduate of Glens Falls High School. He has been in the bowling business for the past 25 years.  

In 2013 Doug and Alison purchased their first bowling center in South Glens Falls. Over the past 10 years, the center has been transformed from a traditional bowling alley into a modern family fun center.

Bohannon credits his success primarily to his previous employer, Bowl New England, from which both of his centers were purchased.  

“Having worked for one of the industry leaders for 13 years prepared me for what owning my own center would be like”, Bohannon said.  “The knowledge and insight that I gained during my time with Bowl New England has been invaluable in growing a successful business.”

Bohannon is no stranger to award recognition as his South Glens Falls business was awarded the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 2018. Also, in 2018 he was named the New York State Bowling Proprietor of the Year.  

By Christine Graf

United Ag & Turf and United Construction & Forestry are now located under one roof in a brand-new facility located at 20 Deere Lane in Clifton Park. The 27,000-square-foot retail store is located just a short distance from Northway Exit 10.

Prior to relocating, United Construction & Forestry was located at 14 Crossing Boulevard  in Clifton Park. The store operated as Nortrax before being acquired by Fernandez Holdings in 2021. Fernandez Holdings’ portfolio includes both United Construction & Forestry and United Ag & Turf. 

Before moving to Deere Lane, United Ag & Turf was located on Route 9 in Clifton Park, the longtime home of Hudson River Tractor. 

Prior to selling the company in 2020, Hudson River Tractor operated five stores in the Capital Region.

Headquartered in Fairfield, Maine, United Ag & Turf has 42 locations throughout the northeast. In addition to offering a full line of John Deere equipment dealer, they sell and support other brands including Stihl, Honda, Western Plow, and Ariens.