NNY Business July 2011

Y

Military students a third of JCC enrollment page 29

July 2011

n Retired soldier dishes up Mexican favorites Page 28 n 20 Questions with Dwight Davidson Page 42

Plus:

n Biz Tech n NNY Snapshot n Business Scene n Real Estate

Miyako N. Schanely

Executive director, SUNY Colleges in the North Country

Christopher E. Hornbarger Executive system administrator, Immaculate Heart Central School

The great brain gain Military personnel, retirees enrich community $2.95

Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly Vol. 1 Issue 8 | www.nnybusiness.net

Three Full Service Locations...

>>> Inside JULY 2011

16

28

34 COVER

32

16 SERVICE BEYOND SERVICE

Thousands of military veterans have stayed in the north country to build a better community.

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY

36

A SLICE OF HOME A Gouverneur

24

36

FEATURES

24 SOARING IMPACT Fort Drum has

contributed billions to the region since 1988.

26 SOLDIERS FIRST For a former Army pilot and wife, soldiers are still mission critical.

28 A FAMILY RECIPE The secret just

pizzeria is settling in on home turf and its owners are keeping it all in the family.

might be in the sauce for one retired sergeant.

University is set to open its latest experiment.

third of SUNY Jefferson is tied to Fort Drum.

37 INSIDE AN INCUBATOR Clarkson

29 EDUCATING TROOPS Roughly a

REAL ESTATE

32 RATINGS GAME North country TV

40

WILL THEY COME? What are the

key ingredients required to bring sustainable businesses to the north country?

stations are bucking a national ratings slump.

34 A SECOND ACT A Depauville firm

aims to re-invent itself in big, new ways.

July 2011 | NNY Business

|3

CONTRIBUTORS

BusIness

www.nnybusiness.net

Publishers

John B. Johnson Jr. Harold B. Johnson II Carl McLaughlin is executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.

He offers and inside look at his organization’s advocacy for Fort Drum over the past 20 years. (p. 45)

Peter J. Whitmore is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce. He writes about the contributions of many Fort Drum veterans to the north country. (p. 47)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp.

He writes about a program to help dairy farms hire local people. (p. 48)

Sarah O’Connell is an advisor for the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College.

She writes about how veterans contribute to small business. (p. 50)

General ManaGer John B. Johnson

executive editor Bert Gault

ManaGinG editor Robert D. Gorman

MaGazine editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

editorial assistant Kyle R. Hayes

advertisinG director Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He writes about how the military has strengthened the north country. (p. 46)

Jill VanHoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran.

She writes about how the Internet has evolved to aid soldiers as they transfer to Fort Drum. (p. 49)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He addresses fears of a still-softening real estate market. (p. 39)

Michelle L. Capone is deputy comptroller for DANC and vice president of communications for the Fort Drum-NNY AUSA chapter. She writes about AUSA’s mission and its support for soldiers. (p. 30)

Karen Romeo

advertisinG sPecialists

Clarissa Collins, Katie Nelson

circulation director Cindy Werner

PhotoGraPhy

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

ad GraPhics, desiGn

Rick Gaskin, Julia Keegan, Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules Nancy Madsen is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. In our cover story, she writes about veterans who stay in NNY and enrich the community. She also visits SpringDrive and details just what it takes to bring businesses to NNY. (p. 16, 34, 40)

Daniel Woolfolk is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. He charts the economic impact of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division on Northern New York and its economy from 1988 to 2010. (p. 24)

Andrea Pedrick is a freelance writer who lives in Dexter. She meets a retired Army sergeant who is dishing up traditional Mexican fare and shares what Fort Drum has meant for SUNY Jefferson. (p. 28, 29)

MARKETPLACE

A.G. Netto Realty …........ 41 Allen’s Liquor & Wine ...... 31 Ameriprise …................... 19 Antique Boat Museum ... 21 AUSA …............................ 25 Beardsley Design …........ 64 Bella’s Bistro …................ 54 Carthage Federal Savings and Loan …......... 2 Cheney Tire ...............….. 52 Christensen Realty …...... 41 Clarence Henry Coach ….......................... 55 Community Bank ….......... 5 Computer Doctor …....... 49 Condino Realty …........... 41 CREG Systems Corp. ….. 53 D&D Power Sports .....….. 31 Foy Agency Inc. …......... 31 Fuller Insurance …............ 7

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H&R Block ….................... 19 Heather A. Freeman Foundation ….................. 15 High Tower Advisors …... 27 Howard Orthotics …........ 46 Innovative Physical Therapy …........................ 47 JCJDC ….......................... 35 Johnson Lumber …......... 31 Lori Gervera Realty …..... 41 Lofink Ford Mercury ….... 56 Macars …........................ 11 NNY Business ... 37, 52, 58, 63 NNY Community Foundation ….................. 13 Northern Federal Credit Union …................. 22 Old McDonald’s Farm .... 59 The Paddock Club …..... 44 Peebles Realty …............ 39

NNY Business | July 2011

Joleene DesRosiers is a freelance writer who lives in Sandy Creek.

She writes about how a retired Army helicopter pilot and his wife are serving soldiers as they arrive at Fort Drum and serve overseas. (p. 26)

Regional Medical Management ….............. 50 SeaComm FCU …........... 57 Silver Bench Jewelry ...... 31 Slack Chemical Co. …... 48 Spring Drive ….............… 33 St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union …................ 37 T.F. Wright and Sons ….... 31 Thousand Island Realty ... 41 Thousand Islands Winery .........................…. 20 Truesdell’s Furniture ….... 12 UPS Store …...................... 35 Watertown Daily Times ... 23 Watertown LDC …........... 45 Watertown Savings …..... 38 Wells Communications ... 62 Westelcom ….................. 61 WWTI-50 …....................... 14

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), formerly Absolutely Business magazine, is published monthly by Johnson Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601.

Copyright 2010, Johnson Newspaper Corp.

All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Johnson Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

subscriPtion rates 12 issues are $15 a year for Watertown Daily Times and affiliate newspaper subscribers and $25 a year for non-subscribers.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery. subMissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net advertisinG For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, e-mail ccollins@wdt.net In St. Lawrence County, e-mail knelson@ogd.com Please recycle this magazine.

42

INTERVIEW

42 DRIVING FORCE Dwight Davidson has

been in the auto business since he graduated from Syracuse University in 1983. He shares his experience and offers some insight into the future of the fastchanging automotive industry.

COLUMNS GUEST ESSAY

10

ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING

45

AGRI-BUSINESS

48

NONPROFITS TODAY

46

BUSINESS TECH BYTES

49

COMMERCE CORNER

47

SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS 50

DEPARTMENTS EDITOR’S NOTE

6

CALENDAR

51

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

7

BUSINESS SCENE

53

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT

8

DINING GUIDE

58

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE

12

BUSINESS HISTORY

60

REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP

39

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

62

ON THE COVER Army veterans Miyako N. Schanley, executive director, SUNY Colleges in the North Country and Christopher E. Hornbarger, executive system administrator, Immaculate Heart Central Schools stand next to a Cobra helicopter outside Fort Drum’s Heritage Center.

{Norm Johnston photo}

July 2011 | NNY Business

|5

EDITOR’S NOTE

T

wenty years ago, on April 26, 1991, I stood before a Navy lieutenant at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Syracuse. I was 17 and, with my parent’s blessing, enlisted into the U.S. Army Reserve. During the 14 years that followed, I served in the Army Reserve in two states, the Army National Guard in Vermont, Massachusetts and Colorado, and completed four years of active duty.

By the grace of God, I never had to deploy to harm’s way, despite spending four years in the National Guard after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Fast-forward to October 2010 and I am back in Northern New York. Like many others who have left the north country I, too, have found my way home. I returned to New York for many of the same reasons that thousands who serve here decide to stay when their service is up: we have a pretty good way of life.

And it’s even better because of Ken Eysaman everyone who works tirelessly to make it one of the most attractive places to live, work and play. When we take stock of what we have, it doesn’t take long to figure out why so many in uniform want to call Northern New York home. Our communities are richer, more diverse places because for the past 25 years we have welcomed our soldiers not as transients, but as colleagues, neighbors and friends.

In this month’s cover story, business writer Nancy Madsen shares seven incredible tales of veterans who have chosen Drum Country as their permanent place of work and as their home. They are as diverse as their stories; men and women who work hard every day to make their communities better for all. Some have started businesses; some are leaders in business, while others have made lasting impacts in the nonprofit and civic arenas.

There is no denying that Fort Drum has left us a talent pool deeper than any could have imagined. In the near 27 years since the post landed the 10th Mountain Division, it has contributed $15.3 billion to our economy. But money isn’t wealth without the people who create the riches of community. With them we are stronger. 





ALSO THIS MONTH — Dwight Davidson goes under the hood of the auto industry to share some insights based on his 28 years in business in the north country. Local television stations share some good news as they buck a national trend of slumping ratings, posting increased viewership from May 2010 to this year.

And a Depauville business aims to re-invent itself as it sharpens its competitive edge. In real estate, you’ll learn

6|

NNY Business | July 2011

just what it takes to bring successful retailers to the area.

And officials in Watertown tell us how they’re saving taxpayers money after Moody’s Investor’s Service upgraded the city’s bond rating. 





BUSINESS SCENE — In this month’s Scene section, which begins on page 54, you’ll find 48 faces from more than 32 different north country businesses and organizations.

We joined the 1000 Islands Tourism Council for the 1000 Islands International Region Expo and Boldt Castle Open House, where Uncle Sam Boat Tours and Clayton Island Tours were kind enough to ferry folks to Heart Island for a fantastic event. We spent an evening with the South Jeff Chamber of Commerce for its annual dinner and business of the year celebration at the Arbor Restaurant overlooking the links at Adams Country Club. Without question, the chamber honored two outstanding South Jeff businesses as large and small business of the year: Hi-Lite Markings, Adams Center, and Honeyville Manor bed and breakfast. Congratulations to Richard Calvin McNeely III and wife, Rhonda M. of Hi-Lite, and to Fred Norfolk and wife, Marlene A. of Honeyville Manor.

Later that same week, we saw the 19-member Jefferson Leadership Institute Class of 2011 graduate at the Black River Valley Club. And if all that wasn’t enough, we joined Corry J. Lawlor, whose companies are behind the historic restoration and redevelopment of Sackets Harbor’s Madison Barracks, for the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at his Marina Inn & Suites. To cap off an eventfilled month of networking, we got a sneak peak at Regal Cinemas Salmon Run Stadium 12 as officials celebrated the re-opening of Watertown’s much-anticipated state-ofthe-art movie theater complex. 





RISING STARS — I have received a handful of nominations for our “20 Under 40” issue this fall. Keep them coming. I know we have a large crop of talented young people.

Drop me an e-mail at keysaman@wdt.net with your nomination, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ nnybusiness and share your nominee there. I look forward to meeting more talented north country men and women.

Yours in business,

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Promoted to CIO

Jill A. Van Hoesen has been named chief information officer for Watertownbased Johnson Newspaper Corp. She held the position of information security officer for the company since April 2008.

In her new job, Mrs. Van Hoesen is responsible for planning and Van Hoesen managing all operations and initiatives of the company’s information technology department.

A 25-year information technology veteran, Mrs. Van Hoesen joined the newspaper company after working in banking and government as an information systems manager.

Mrs. Van Hoesen holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Central Connecticut State University. She is secretary of the Theresa Rotary Club, a member of the United States Postal Customer Council of Central New York executive board and serves on the St. Lawrence County Information Technology Advisory Board. She lives in Theresa with her husband, Glenn.

Johnson Newspaper Corp., publisher of the Watertown Daily Times and NNY Business, publishes daily and weekly community newspapers and associated websites across New York.

Credit Union volunteer director honored

Steve L. Brooks, Beaver Falls, has been named New York’s 2011 Outstanding Volunteer in the $50 million to $250 million asset category by the Credit Union Association of New York at its annual meeting, held June 2 to 5 at Lake Placid.

Mr. Brooks is a member of the Northern Federal Credit Union board of directors and has served as a volunteer director for more than a decade.

He has been instrumental in the development of a Young Adult Advisory Board and the opening of a new ‘green’ branch in West Carthage that uses geothermal energy and solar panels.

Mr. Brooks has been a member of the credit union for more than 25 years.

Bankers promoted

Community Bank N.A. has named Rita J. Walldroff vice president and regional retail banking manager for the St. Lawrence market and Kent G. Backus vice president and regional retail banking manager for the Adirondack market.

The positions opened when Claire LaGarry retired as senior vice president and regional retail banking manager and north and branch services administrator.

Mrs. Walldroff joined Community Bank through the 1997 Fleet Bank acquisition as a retail services officer. She was named branch manager in Clayton in 2001 and district manager in 2005. She has 31 years of banking experience, with leadership positions at Jefferson National Bank and Fleet.

Mr. Backus joined Community Bank in 2007 as branch manager in Massena. He was named district manager for Plattsburgh in 2008 and was instrumental in the bank’s Citizens Bank acquisition there. He has 29 years of banking experience and held leadership positions at Key Bank and HSBC.

Open for business

Elizabeth Long has opened Hill Country Wedding and Event Planning in Watertown.

She expects to bring at least four jobs to the area. She can be reached at 523-8287.

Got business milestones? n Share your business milestones with NNY Business. E-mail news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

Named a ‘Rising Star’

Former Watertown resident Rachel A. Hillerman, Washington, D.C., has been named a 2011 Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections magazine.

The award goes to a select group of operatives age 35 and under who have an established track record of achievement Hillerman in political consulting or advocacy and the promise to achieve greatness.

The magazine selected 15 Republicans, 15 Democrats and 10 nonpartisan or international operatives for this year’s award. Rising Stars were first recognized in 1988 and have gone on to serve in the highest levels of government and political consulting. Past honorees include David Axelrod, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Rahm Emanuel and George Stephanopoulos.

Ms. Hillerman, 23, is vice president of political affairs at LVH Consulting.

She led fundraising efforts on Kelly Ayotte’s successful 2010 New Hampshire campaign for U.S. Senate, a position she took on just four months after starting with LVH as an assistant. In all during the 2010 cycle, she brought in $8 million for winning Senate candidates, including Ms.

Please see People, page 11

Offering 30 years of service to our neighbors

110 South School St., Carthage, NY Insurance for businesses, public entities and non-profits.

Contact Aaron Fuller, Michael Gillette or Adam Fuller for your Business Insurance Needs July 2011 | NNY Business

|7

ECON SNAPSHOT

NNY

8|

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers May ’11 $1.71 April ’11 $1.67 May ’10 $1.29

32.6%

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands, OgdensburgPrescott and Seaway International (Massena) bridges

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

451,113 in May 2011 413,476 in April 2011 433,008 in May 2010

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

Source: T.I. Bridge Authority, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, Seaway International Bridge Corp.

May ’11 $4.02 April ’11 $3.95 May ’10 $3.01

U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)

33.6%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil May ’11 $3.89 April ’11 $3.98 May ’10 $2.94

32.3%

4.2%

$0.97 on May 31, 2011 $0.95 on April 29, 2011 $1.05 on May 28, 2010

7.6%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.

Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane

Nonagriculture jobs in the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence counties area, not including military positions

May ’11 $3.26 April ’11 $3.29 May ’10 $2.99

92,600 in May 2011 90,200 in April 2011 92,600 in May 2010

9.0%

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

Source: NYS Department of Labor

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales

No airport data

78, median price $142,500 in May 2011 77, median price $117,000 in April 2011 97, median price $137,900 in May 2010

19.6% Sales

3.3% Price

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

n Passenger totals for Watertown International Airport were unavailable at press time.

Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

Jefferson County unemployment May 11

9.0%

April 11

10.0%

Mar. 11

10.9%

Feb. 11

11.6 % 11.8%

Jan. 11 10.3 %

Dec. 10

10.0%

Nov. 10 Oct. 10 Sep. 10 Aug. 10 July 10 June 10 May 10 Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)

NNY NNY Business Business || July April2011 2011

9.0% 8.6% 8.3% 8.8% 8.5% 8.7%

NNY

Economic indicators St. Lawrence county unemployment rates

Lewis county unemployment rates

9.9% in May 2011 10.4% in April 2011 10.0% in May 2010

9.1% in May 2011 9.9% in April 2011 8.2% in May 2010

0.9

0.1

Percentage points

Percentage point

Source: NYS Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)

Source: NYS Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales

Open welfare cases in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

46, median price $76,050 in May 2011 42, median price $71,400 in April 2011 51, median price $75,500 in May 2010

2,044 in May 2011 1,923 in April 2011 1,786 in May 2010

Sales

0.73%

14.5%

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

Source: Social Service Depts. of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

Real estate sales

The following sales were recorded in the Jefferson County clerk’s office:

Watertown city sales June 8

n 267 Ward St., Aaron M. Michaud and Sara G. Michaud, Schenectady, sold to Jeffrey W. Kimball, Watertown $133,000

June 6

n 150 Seymour St., Eric J. Almero and Gloria A. Almero, Watertown, sold to Nickalous Korbut, Watertown $149,000

June 3

n City of Watertown: 307 N. Hamilton St., David Bennett and Linda Bennett, Watertown, sold to Hui S. Mooney, Watertown $25,000

June 2

n Davidson Street, Michael P. Shannon and Ruby J. Shannon, Watertown; Ann E. Paige, Cape Vincent; and Betty J. Gould, Watertown, sold to James C. Harter, Calcium $33,000

June 1

n 714 Cooper St., Leland J. Carpenter, Black River, and Laurie Wayte, Watertown, sold to Leland J. Carpenter and Beverly J. Carpenter, Black River $42,500 n No acreage or address given, Arthur L. Jeffers, Crossville, Tenn.,

by Arthur C. Stever III, attorney in fact, and Earline F. Jeffers, Watertown, by Janice M. Vock, attorney in fact, sold to Jeremy R. Briggs and Lindsey L. Briggs, Watertown $90,500

May 31

n 0.138 acre, 114 Colorado Ave., Jeffry D. Frisby Jr. and Erin M. Frisby, Watertown, sold to Cecilio I. Collado, Watertown $145,000

May 26

n Two parcels, Flower Avenue East, Robert E. Thurston, Watertown, sold to Jeffrey Windsor Oneyear and Kristine Stacey Oneyear, Evans Mills $110,000

May 25

n 0.24 acre, 623 Holcomb St., Mary Jane E. Guthrie, Watertown, sold to John D. McLaughlin and Bonnie A. McLaughlin, Watertown $230,000 n 0.250 acre, 140 N. Meadow St., Matthew R. Lambert, Watertown,

TRANSACTIONS

9.8%

Turn to page 41 for a recent five-day look at real estate transactions in St. Lawrence County.

sold to Kenneth Hanners, Sackets Harbor $55,000

May 24

n 858 Superior St., James B. Clement, by Gene Ludlow, attorney in fact, Chaumont, sold to Waller Painting Inc., Ava $65,000

May 23

n Park Avenue, John M. Storey, The Villages, Fla., and Michael R. Callahan, Three Mile Bay, sold to Jennette L. Peters, Watertown $129,000 n 0.211 acre, South Massey Street, James David Smith, aka James D. Smith, aka J. David Smith, Watertown, sold to Jessica E. Hyde, Adams Center $110,000

May 20

n 1.265 acres, 576, 582, 594 W. Main St. (foreclosure) John Graham, Watertown, referee, California Fruit Markets Inc., sold to Zions First National Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah $290,000

n 0.236 acre, 1398 Cosgrove St., James A. Fanning, Adams, sold to Quasi L King, Watertown $135,000

May 18

n 0.102 acre, 117 Keyes Ave., Julie L. Frank, Watertown, sold to Trevor Garlock, Alexandria Bay $119,000

May 17

n 0.20 acre, Arsenal and Boon streets, Robert Anthony Hartz, Watertown, sold to Michael R. Clark and Penny B. Clark, Watertown $85,000

May 16

n 0.166 acre, 343 Flower Ave. E., Stephanie E. Macy, Watertown, sold to Nathan A. Lehman and Sarah M. Lehman, Watertown $158,000 n 149 Haley St., Russell Hamann and Carla Hamann, Watertown, sold to Andrew John Spring and Rebecca A. Spring, Carthage $185,000

$2,289,000 City real estate sales recorded over a 24-day period, May 16-June 8, 2011

July2011 2011||NNY NNY Business Business || 99 April

G U E S T E S S AY

Sustainability fuels Drum impact

A

s garrison commander of Fort Drum, economic impact isn’t about past success — it’s about future sustainability.

I’m often asked just what my function is here on post. The answer I most often give is that if you were to consider Fort Drum a city, I am the city manager. I often think of my mission in more personal terms — I am in charge of taking care of soldiers, families and our civilians here at home.

Our high deployment rate combined with our incredible amount of construction and steadily growing population has given a sense of immediacy to much of what we do in the garrison. We work at maximum capacity most days just taking care of day-to-day needs.

These day-to-day needs have, as demonstrated by the very content of this magazine, contributed greatly to our local economy. Please note when I say our local economy.

But it can’t stop there.

Even with the high operation tempo, booming construction and immediate service requirements, the garrison leadership spends a good portion of time looking to the future, planning what the installation’s needs will be 10, 20, even 30 years down the road. We work to ensure that our economic impact isn’t an isolated event, but a sustainable, reliable drumbeat here in north central New York.

First and foremost, sustainability begins with our people. Having a dedicated, quality work force will always be the most important factor in running a garrison. On Fort Drum, that means training at all levels, succession planning and a dedication to providing a safe workplace.

We recently stood up a first-line supervisors training program that will expose our lower-level leaders to a higher-level view of how our post functions. We’re already seeing that wider perspective pay

dividends. Our workforce also participates in the Jefferson Leadership Institute, a program which allows garrison employees the opportunity to develop their Col. Noel Nicolle leadership capabilities, while continuing to foster strong north country relationships.

Building for the future may be our most visible sustainability effort. Not

American neighbors and even sugarbushing keep us grounded in the truth that true sustainability is found in taking good care of what you already possess.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that what makes us most sustainable is our incredible relationship with our local communities. Did you know that we enjoy one of the highest re-enlistment rates to stay at a duty place in the entire Army? The unwavering support of our north country neighbors makes this more than another stop in a transient military career. When our soldiers and families move here, they find a home. They want to stay. This support is enjoyed formally in organizations like the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, Fort Drum Health Planning Organization, our local chapter of the Association of the United States Army, Operation Yellow Ribbon and the 10th Mountain Division Association. It is also found informally, neighbor to neighbor, with every flying flag, the standing room only Armed Forces Day parade — the list is immeasurably long.

With great economic impact comes great responsibility. Rest assured we don’t take it lightly. We work, and will continue to work, to make sure that we’re an integral part of the north country economy for a long time to come.

Did you know that we enjoy one of the highest re-enlistment rates to stay at a duty place in the entire Army? The unwavering support of our north country neighbors makes [Fort Drum] more than another stop in a transient military career. When our soldiers and families move here, they find a home. They want to stay.

10 |

NNY Business | July 2011

a day goes by where I don’t meet somebody who hasn’t visited post for a while, who just cannot believe how much we’ve grown. Some of our more seasoned staff still fall back on calling the original cantonment area “old post” — which is confusing for some given the amount of new construction in that area. We’ve yet to enjoy an extended period of time where we’re all home, but we’re working right now to make sure when that happens all of our soldiers in barracks will have the best the Army has to offer. Our training ranges will be the envy of all other divisions, and our facilities will be postured to allow employees to offer the highest quality services to our soldiers, families and retirees.

Maybe our least visible, yet high impact, efforts fall into the category of environmental sustainability. Our natural resources branch was named best in the Army this year. Their work in endangered species threat remediation, cultural resources work with our Native

n COL. NOEL T. NICOLLE, U.S. Army, is garrison commander for Fort Drum. Col. Nicolle holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La., and a master’s degree in history from Louisiana State University. He was commissioned in 1984 and entered active duty in the Army in 1986 following an educational delay to attend graduate school. Col. Nicolle graduated with a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., in 2009, and until recently was assigned as the director of training and doctrine development for the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Okla. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Combat Action Badge.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Ayotte, Pat Toomey and Dan Coats. Now, she’s working on Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel’s Senate campaign.

Ms. Hillerman is a 2005 graduate of Watertown High School and a 2009 graduate of Ithaca College, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in radio/TV and speech communication fom the Park School. She is the daughter of Dr. Braxton Hillerman and Anne Hillerman, Watertown.

Entrepreneur honored

Tony O’Geen, owner of Tony’s Canvas and Leather, Massena, has been selected by the New York State Small Business Development Center as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year after working with the SBDC office at SUNY Canton.

The 1984 SUNY Canton graduate started Tony’s Canvas and Leather from his home in 2001 after realizing the demand for local sports equipment repair services. He expanded into manufacturing and repairing all variety of sports bags and equipment.

He began repairing hockey equipment for local colleges and expanded to work on leather saddlebags, boat and trailer covers, tack and shoes. He also began creating custom-printed and -embroidered apparel, bags, signs and banners.

Mr. O’Geen has worked with the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative to develop his website, www.tonyscanvas. com. It gave him access to a global market and he has attracted customers from as far away as Australia.

Mr. O’Geen retired this year from his full-time employment as a state corrections officer.

New bank manager

Alliance Bank N.A. has hired Laura Denny as branch manager in Pulaski.

Ms. Denny has more than 14 years of

retail banking experience and previously worked as an assistant vice president and relationship manager at Key Bank in Pulaski.

She is a lifelong resident of Pulaski and is actively involved in the community.

She earned an associate’s degree in busiDenny ness administration from SUNY Cobleskill and a certification in paralegal studies from Syracuse University.

Alliance Bank, Syracuse, has $1.5 billion in assets and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliance Financial Corp.

Promoted to ski center operations manager

Shawn Sherwin has been named operations manager at Titus Mountain, Malone, where he had been food and beverage director. He will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day business activities at the ski center.

Mr. Sherwin is a military veteran with extensive experience in the hospitality industry. He joined Titus Mountain in 2010 and made numerous improvements in its food, beverage and event-hosting business segments.

Mr. Sherwin, a native of Malone, spent his early childhood in the north country.

His family hails from the Moira area.

Promoted at Stream

Stream Global Services, 146 Arsenal St., Watertown, has promoted Jeffrey Maher, Watertown, from classroom training manager to operations team manager. He will supervise 20 to 25 support professionals.

Mr. Maher started working at Stream in August 2005 as a support professional, tak-

ing calls and handling customer inquiries.

The following December, he was promoted to senior support professional and, in January 2008, to classroom training manager.

Stream Global Services is a leading business process outsource service provider specializing in Maher customer relationship management services including sales, customer care and technical support for Fortune 1,000 companies.

Stream has about 30,000 employees in 50 locations in 22 countries.

Joins bank staff

Community Bank System Inc., DeWitt, has hired Jeffrey T. Fallon, Watertown, as vice president and commercial lending officer for Jefferson County.

He is responsible for originating commercial loans and banking, cash management soluFallon tions and providing professional lending counsel to current and potential business customers. He was most recently vice president and business relationship manager for HSBC Bank in Watertown.

Mr. Fallon is a board member of the United Way of Northern New York and the Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions.

Mr. Fallon has a master’s degree in business administration from Le Moyne College, Syracuse, a bachelor of science degree from SUNY Potsdam and an associate degree from Jefferson Community College, Watertown.

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BUSINESS BRIEFCASE River Parkway, is a private nonprofit agency that provides services to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties with a primary diagnosis of mental illness.

The agency was incorporated in 1977 to establish residential services for mentally ill people who were unable to live independently.

Transitional Living Services has grown into an agency with a budget of more than $6.1 million, 130 employees and a client base of more than 300 people.

Stevie Smith is the executive director.

Bank signs on for Concert in Park

Watertown Savings Bank, a long time underwriter of the “Concert in the Park” Independence Day celebration in Thompson Park, recently made a donation for this year’s event to the Northern New York Community Foundation.

This year’s event featured Symphony Syracuse, Fred & the Eds, and a fireworks display. Mark R. Lavarnway, left, WSB president and CEO, presents a check to the foundation’s T. Urling Walker.

Business of the month

Watertown’s Downtown Business Association and the state Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College named Transitional Living Services of Northern New York as business of the month for July, based on participation, downtown spirit and Smith business achievement.

Transitional Living Services, 482 Black

Zehr’s named Lewis business of the month

Zehr’s Flowers and Landscaping was named the June business of the month by the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. Zehr’s has been a family owned and operated business for nine years, and is currently operated by Timothy and Samantha Widrick.

The business offers perennials, shrubs and trees zoned for the north country, and plant installation, lawn installation, irrigation systems, paver walkways and retaining walls. Zehr’s is located at 8727 Van Amber Road, Castorland. For more information, call 376-3086 or e-mail zehrsflowers@hotmail.com.

Credit Union named DBA business of the month

Watertown’s Downtown Business Association and the state Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College honored Northern Federal Credit Union as its business of the month in June.

Northern Federal, 120 Factory St., is a nonprofit financial cooperative owned and governed by its 26,000 members. Profits made by the credit union are returned

to its members in the form of higher rates on deposit products, lower rates on loans and higher quality services. The credit union supports and assists building a stronger community.

Northern Federal Credit Union was chosen as business of the month based on Davis participation, downtown spirit and business achievement.

Natasha Davis is the branch supervisor.

Best in class

The new regional business attraction website, Drum Country Business, was named “best in class” at the New York State Economic Development Council annual meeting last month in Cooperstown. Drum Country Business’s promotional material was also given a certificate of excellence.

The site is www.drumcountrybusiness.com.

Maines award finalists

The owners of Maines Paper and Food Service Inc. have been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 New York Award finalists.

David and Bill Maines, co-chairmen of the board of the company, were selected as a finalist from nearly 70 nominations for the award, which recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and commitment to their businesses and communities.

Maines, based in Conklin, is one of the largest independent food service distributors in the country with an excess of $3 billion dollars in sales. The newest distribution location, Maines-Watertown, was created from the purchases of CFM Food Distributors Inc. and David Puccia & Co.

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NNY Business | July 2011

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE Wins project award

The Plastics Pipe Institute gave its Municipal & Industrial Division Project of the Year award to Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, Watertown, for its river runoff diversion pipeline project at the Marhi Mini Hydel Power Plant in New Delhi, India.

Gupta Narinder Gupta, chief operating officer, accepted the award at the trade group’s annual meeting, where several groups and individuals were honored for significant achievements and exceptional service involving the use of polyethylene pipe.

SBA Excellence Award given to Carbino’s

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently honored Carbino’s Jewelry and Diamond Center, Ogdensburg, with a Small Business Excellence Award.

The SBA and the New York Business Development Corp. hosted the 13th annual luncheon in East Syracuse to recognize the achievements of local small businesses. The state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton nominated Carbino’s Jewelry and Diamond Center for the award.

Carbino’s, a family business, had been in operation in the north country for nearly 100 years when David Carbino retired and closed the business in 1997.

Three years later, Greg Carbino decided he wanted to get back into the family business and with the help of the SUNY Canton SBDC and SBA, he and his wife, Brenda, purchased the original building, opening for business in 2000.

A few months after the opening, a fire at a neighboring business destroyed their building. Despite the setback, the Carbinos managed to open for the Christmas season at a temporary location. Carbino’s moved into a new building at their original location in 2003.

Government honors Otis

Otis Technology, Lyons Falls, has been recognized by the Defense Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio, for its outstanding performance as one of the government’s best product suppliers. The recognition for the Excellence Award is DSCC’s way of congratulating contractors who maintain high performance standards and supply the government with high-quality products.

Gold Award winners are businesses that have met stringent quality and delivery requirements that are established by the Defense Logistics Agency. An Automated Best Value System collectively reports on vendors past performances and delivery, translating the information into a numerical score ranging from 0-100. Otis Technology is honored by DSCC for quality performance as a government contractor.

In order to be eligible for an award, all vendors must have shipped 50 or more contract line items or products for DSCC during a 12-month period. To qualify for a Gold Award, a contractor must have a perfect score of 100. A score of 99.0 to 99.9 earns a Silver Award, and 98.0 – 98.9 will earn a Bronze Award. Otis Technology has displayed continuous improvement by earning a Bronze Award in 2006, Silver Award in 2007 and 2008 and now the Gold Award for the second year in row, 2010 and 2011.

Donates to museum

SeaComm Federal Credit Union, Massena, recently donated $500 to the Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg.

From left, Michael Gleeson, SeaComm financial services representative, Debbie Ormasen, Frederic Remington Museum finance manager, and Ed LaVarnway, museum executive director.

SeaComm also recently donated $1,000 to the Seaway Festival in Ogdensburg.

From left, Cathy Lewandowski, registered nurse and clinical coordinator, Denise Hirsch, plant operations assistant, Jon Schell, maintenance supervisor, Char Wernsdorfer, clinical analyst, Helen Todora, clinical coordinator, and Tom Ferguson, director of facilities.

Lewis Hospital donation

Lewis County General Hospital recently collected $2,245 in food items and cash to donate to the Lowville Food Pantry. A challenge among hospital departments for a $100 luncheon prize went to plant operations and information systems, whose employees joined forces to raise $453 in

Please see Briefcase, page 15

July 2011 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | July 2011

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE Briefcase, from page 13 cash and food. The departments donated their winnings to the food pantry.

From left, Chad Young, Waddington District Manager; Michael McGee, Corporate Manager accepting the Winner’s Circle award from Raynor Regional Manager Dan McConnell and Bud Shorette, Upstate Door Manager and Malone District Manager.

recognize the achievements of local small businesses. Empire State Certified Development Corp. nominated Comfort Inn & Suites for the award.

In 2009, Waterberry Lodging Company purchased and converted an existing Days Inn Hotel in Watertown to a Comfort Inn & Suites, a Choice Hotels franchise hotel. This is a family-owned and operated business led by Anthony Mangano and Carmen Emmi Jr. Small businesses are selected for the Excellence Awards based on their company’s

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n Share your business news with NNY Business. E-mail news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the tenth of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

longevity, innovation, sales growth, increased employment, ability to overcome adversity and community contributions.

Please see Briefcase, page 38

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HEATHER A. FREEMAN FOUNDATION

Upstate Doors honored

Raynor Garage Doors recently honored Upstate Doors of Waddington for superior sales achievement in 2010 with its Winner’s Circle award.

The Winner’s Circle award is presented to garage door businesses whose 2010 Raynor purchases rank them as one of the top 50 Raynor dealers in the world. For the award, Upstate Doors competed with more than 600 dealers from all 50 states, Canada and 53 countries worldwide.

Upstate Doors has two locations, 243 Lincoln Ave., Waddington, and 3137 U.S. Highway 11 in Malone, NY. Dixon, Ill.-based Raynor is an industry leader, manufacturing and marketing residential garage doors and openers, as well as commercial sectional and rolling doors and commercial operators.

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Comfort Inn & Suites garners SBA award

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n Service sharpen n

Sandra M. Caputo, right, owner of JK’s Roadhouse, stands with her children, who also help out, from left, Ralph J. Caputo, Dorothy M. Caputo, Charlene T. Kring, and Levi T. Kring.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

ent show

COVER STORY

members, military retirees north country workforce

S

By Nancy Madsen | NNY Business writer

SANDRA M. CAPUTO CAME TO THE north country in 1988, a few years before wrapping up nine years of active duty in the U.S. Army.

“I fell in love with it and decided that I’m not going to leave,” she said.

Ms. Caputo is one of more than 2,000 service members who have retired or plan to retire and make Northern New York their home, according to the 2010 Fort Drum Economic Impact Statement.

And those retirees contribute by starting new businesses, like Ms. Caputo, or by joining existing businesses in leadership roles and contributing to nonprofit and civic life.

July 2011 | NNY Business

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COVER STORY

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Isaac Alexis III outside his business, Showtime Skating, 144 Eastern Blvd., Watertown. Mr. Alexis retired from the Army after 20 years service.

existing businesses in leadership roles and contributing to nonprofit and civic life.

Ms. Caputo bought an old motel, now JK’s Roadhouse, at 24818 Route 26 in the town of Alexandria between Alexandria Bay and Redwood.

Because of the time and expense of renovating the hotel, she delayed her retirement as a civilian full-time unit administrator for a reserve battalion and from her reserve unit, where she has reached the rank of master sergeant after 28 years of duty. During her three-month leave of absence last summer while she worked to prepare the motel, the family all pitched in.

“My son was by my side every day from the time school got out,” Ms. Caputo said. “He was by my side every day and that was worth it.”

After months of work, JK’s was ready to open in late August. When she and her children talked about name options, they encouraged her to use the letters “J.K.,” in honor of her deceased partner, John M. Kring, and her second husband, Jerry King.

“Both have passed,” she said. “And both my mom and dad are J.K.’s. Every significant person in my life has been a J.K. They have made me who I am and I have guardian angels.”

During the winter, the young establishment survived on a snowmobile trail.

The spring was slower, with high gas prices and frequent rain. But Ms. Caputo didn’t waste the slow time. She improved connections with those in downtown Alexandria Bay and worked hard to overcome the poor reputation of the

18 |

NNY Business | July 2011

hotel’s previous incarnation.

“As people stay, they have been wonderful,” she said. “There are three places downtown that are small like me and when they’re full, they’ve recommended me.”

Now summer has come and the weather has improved. Visitors have started staying overnight and regulars are filling the dinner tables. The menu changes a little bit each day, with different specials on a different theme each night and karaoke on Friday nights.

“As people learn about us and check us out, I don’t think we have had anybody who hasn’t come back,” she said. “I’m very optimistic.”

F

ellow entrepreneurs Isaac Alexis III and Kip J. LaClair are trying to give back to the community through a roller-skating rink and a mattress store.

Mr. Alexis loves skating and music, which led him to open his second rink. He and his wife are from Houston and their families would love to have them home.

But the couple wanted to do some good in Watertown first.

“The skating rink keeps kids off the street because we don’t charge an hourly rate,” Mr. Alexis said. “Two of the kids who came to the rink now go to church with us at New Life” Christian Church.

Mr. Alexis joined the army at age 19 after finishing high school in 1990.

“I was in 20 years, four months and 11 days, but who’s counting?” he said, then grinned.

When he retired in August, Showtime Skating in Northland Plaza, 144 Eastern Blvd. had already been open nearly two months.

“The first year has been great,” he said.

“The winter was really good. We were running out of skates.”

Within a few weeks of opening, more than 150 people came to the rink on the weekend days. Families make it a day trip from as far as Syracuse and southern Ontario. And the target audience — children and Fort Drum families — turned out in droves during the winter.

“The snow and cold can be depressing,” he said. “This gives them somewhere to go. A lady lost 20 pounds in not even a month of skating.”

At the rink, they’ve hosted a Military Appreciation Day, a Gospel Explosion, when churches featured choirs and an open mic night over winter break. No matter what the event is, Showtime’s owners will make it wholesome.

“Everything here is positive,” he said.

“There’s no profanity.”

Children from the surrounding apartment complexes and neighborhoods are regulars, as are many families.

“A lot of people have said, ‘I’m glad I now have a place to take my kids,’” he said. “This is the positive place to go.

There’s someone to smile, someone to say kind words to the kids.”

M

r. LaClair, a native of Pamelia and five-year veteran, opened LaClair’s Beds and More after he saw fellow soldiers paying what he thought were unfair prices for furniture.

“A friend who was in the military with me had me build a bedframe for him and I didn’t realize that a mattress would cost a couple thousand dollars,” Mr. LaClair said. “But I found out he paid thousands of dollars for a $500 mattress. It didn’t set well with me. I didn’t realize what gouging was taking place.”

LaClair’s, 8711 Noble St., Evans Mills, has a narrow focus — only bedrooms, only hardwood, durable products made domestically. Over the past few years, it’s become harder to find furniture made in the country, as 30 percent to 40 percent of the furniture manufacturers have left the U.S., he said.

“They’re either overseas or they’re closed,” he said. “Just from watching the economy and jobs going overseas, I truly believe we’re falling into this.”

And the focus on quality extends to what fills the wooden furniture. Mr. LaClair is buying only Gold Bond

COVER STORY Mattress Company mattresses now — two-sided and made in Connecticut.

“I never realized what a good mattress would do for you — sleep-wise, health-wise,” he said. “You know what a good pair of shoes will do for you.”

Mr. LaClair rarely offers sales; he doesn’t advertise besides on the jars of candles he makes and sells. In 2005, he started the business a few doors down in the old Agway.

“My first mattress sale was to a farmer in Wegatchie,” he said. “He told his neighbor, who bought a mattress and it just grew from there.”

That word-of-mouth approach has led to consistent growth, including 18 percent last year. About 20 percent of the business is Fort Drum families, Mr. LaClair said, who frequently don’t move their beds and mattresses.

“In 2006, by population, this market had the most mattress sales in the state,” he said. “They’re not moving them and they’re not lasting.”

Mr. LaClair greets customers when they walk into the storefront, which was once Wink’s General Store. And he delivers the cribs, bunk beds and mattresses.

“Sometimes the customers are kind of shocked,” he said. “But I want to be the last one to shake their hand and say, ‘Are you satisfied?’”

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Kip J. LaClair, owner of LaClair’s Beds and More stands in the doorway of his store in Evans Mills. Mr. LaClair is an Army veteran.

TAX & FINANCE DIRECTORY

T

he north country doesn’t just retain Fort Drum retirees — it attracts retirees from other branches. Barry R. Smith, a 26-year U.S. Air Force veteran, found the region provided the quality of life and education he sought for his family.

“We picked upstate New York primarily because we had three children, all in high school or about to start high school and our research showed the region was a good area with education,” Mr. Smith said.

He and his family had lived all over the U.S. and the world during his service. For the last 10 years of his military career he was a flight chief for an explosive ordinance disposal unit, with assignments in all over the world.

He’s from New Jersey and his wife is from England — they met when he was stationed in California and she was visiting friends.

He retired about four years ago and found a job with Con Tech Building Systems, Inc., where he is now assistant project manager. The family lives on an 80-acre spread in Macomb because

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July 2011 | NNY Business

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COVER STORY

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Barry R. Smith, safety and human resources manager for Con Tech Building Systems, Inc., outside the company’s office at 4524 State Highway 58 in Gouverneur. Mr. Smith is a 26-year Air Force veteran.

they wanted space for outdoor activities.

“We enjoy being close to 30 of the best fishing lakes in the country,” Mr. Smith said. “We enjoy the outdoor lifestyle so that’s what we were seeking versus subur-

20 |

NNY Business | July 2011

ban and city lifestyle.”

At Con Tech, Mr. Smith has used his military experience to build its government contracting and to manage the safety and human resources programs.

“We do a lot of work on Fort Drum, but we look for other opportunities to provide service,” Mr. Smith said.

The company has a General Services Administration contract to renovate the Robert McEwen Customs House, Ogdensburg, a Department of Homeland Security contract to build a new Land Port of Entry station in Cannon Corners and a contract at Rome Labs.

“What we’ve been doing as a company is try to diversify the portfolio by providing services to all agencies — public and private — that need services in Northern New York,” he said.

Con Tech has been in business for 23 years and provides general contracting services to public and private concerns. Its 95 employees, including President Robert J. Reddick, live in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis counties.

“It’s one of the largest employers in Gouverneur,” Mr. Smith said. “The boss’ vision is to create and maintain a sustainable company, to provide services and jobs for this generation and the next generation to come.”

C

hristopher E. Hornbarger, once a Cobra helicopter pilot for the 10th Mountain Division, returned to Watertown at the beginning of the school year to be the executive system administrator for Immaculate Heart Central Schools.

After marrying into a local family, “Watertown was a second home to me,” he said.

His 20 years of military service started with ROTC in college and ended in strategic planning, which included time at the White House, planning a national homeland security strategy, a terrorist watch-listing policy and developing the Department of Homeland Security. He served most recently as chief of plans and strategy at the U.S. Army’s Central Command near Tampa, Fla., and was an assistant professor of American politics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

After military service, “I strongly wanted to do something that served my values,” he said. “And the Catholic mission of the school pulled on me.”

A retired lieutenant colonel, he’s found that the officer training is a good fit for his new administrative position.

“You wouldn’t think that all that would apply, but many of them do,” he said.

“Many of the young soldiers you work with are 18 or 19 years old and leader-

COVER STORY ship is about getting to know them and being responsible for their development, which is the same fundamental job I have now.”

At West Point, he taught freshmen and sophomore cadets, experience that easily translated to teaching high school seniors.

But beyond any instruction, his main role with the Catholic, private school system is to build a strong foundation for the future.

“Strategic planning is nothing more than solving tough problems with the limited resources you have,” Mr. Hornbarger said. “It’s thinking about what are the core things you need to achieve, the resources you need to get there and the resources you don’t have, whether it’s money or a lack of community awareness.”

This first year, he’s set an agenda to improve enrollment, advancement and fundraising.

“Over the longer term, I’ll work with principals and stakeholders and we’ll be agreeing on what it is we want IHC to be — what are our areas of excellence and what we need to strengthen,” he said. “I will shepherd the process that provides us the answers.”

The first challenge is to grow enrollment, a common challenge for Catholic schools.

“With a declining birthrate and increased mobility, with the folks it’s attracting, we have to do it in a different way,” Mr. Hornbarger said.

Part of that may be reaching out to Fort Drum families more; children of service members now make up about 20 percent of the student body. Another is to widen the institution’s reach in the community.

“We’ve had a generous benefactor and that will lead to attractive opportunities for those who might have thought it wasn’t an option,” Mr. Hornbarger. “It may not pay immediate dividends, but we want to serve this community and the area, so we are broadening our ties in every dimension.”

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Christopher E. Hornbarger, executive system administrator for Immaculate Hearth Central, in his office at the school. Mr. Hornbarger is a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

carry over to community service.”

Military officers are ready to work for the greater team, show care and concern for fellow service and community members and often possess a predisposition to be aware

of and concerned about their neighbors and their friends, Mrs. Schanely said.

When she left active duty in 1993, she went to the University of Rochester for graduate school and came north in

M

iyako N. Schanely contributes to the north country as a volunteer and a professional.

“This community is just an amazing place where people who move here and settle here can be an accepted member of community,” she said. “It’s so easy to make connections here and, when I was thinking about this topic, in the military, some of the skills and attributes that make you valuable in military service July 2011 | NNY Business

| 21

COVER STORY 1998 after her engagement to another Army retiree, Steven C., now a financial advisor with MML Investors Services Inc. They love the community, quality of life and outdoor activities.

Her full-time job is executive director of SUNY Colleges in the North Country, a partnership of seven SUNY schools that brings different degree programs to Jefferson Community College, Watertown.

The consortium originally focused on the military, but then turned to expand educational access for many in the area.

On top of the demands of reserve duty and a full-time job, Mrs. Schanely, a colonel, has plunged into local civic involvement. She served as president of the Thousand Islands Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, is past president of Watertown Sunrise Rotary and has been involved in the United Way of Northern New York’s annual campaign. This year, she accepted the role of chairwoman for the United Way campaign in Jefferson County.

She first became connected to the United Way when she was on the Habitat for Hu-

manity board. Habitat is a partner agency with United Way. Then she served as the in-house coordinator for the United Way’s Samaritan Medical Center campaign.

“We ramped up our efforts and results quite a bit,” she said. “Samaritan as an organization has been very involved — a top corporate campaign and supporter in many ways.”

When she moved to the SUNY Consortium, she became a United Way account executive, where she adopted a few corporate campaigns and advised them on how to be successful. That spot has led to becoming campaign chair.

“The corporate campaign is huge,” she said. “It’s where the lion’s share for the United Way and partner agency comes from.”

The strategy this year, beginning in August, is to raise the number of participants, not the size of the donations.

“We’re sitting right at about 20 percent when you look at the employers and their total number of employees,” she said.

“That’s the average when we’re talking total population. Some have incredible participation.”

And the way to encourage participation will be to have those who have been helped share their stories.

“When you hear their life stories, it totally touches your heart,” she said. “The more we can get first-hand stories told in employer’s locations then I think people will respond.”

K

atherine E. Robertson also stayed in the region for family reasons.

She retired in 1997 after 20 years of active duty in the Army Nurse Corps for both her daughters. Her older one was entering her senior year at Indian River High School.

“There was no way we were leaving the area, not when she had gone to so many schools in such a short period of time,” Mrs. Robertson said.

And a cohort of families who had children with autism, including Mrs. Robertson’s younger daughter, had banded together to start the Northern New York Autism Center, Black River.

“My life revolves around autism, which makes this a wonderful area,” she said.

Mrs. Robertson looks forward to the north country’s winter, but not for the skiing or sledding; her daughter’s allergies and other aggravating factors

22 |

NNY Business | July 2011

COVER STORY subside in the cold.

The center is based on the work of the Neuro-Immune Dysfunction Syndromes Research Institute, run by Dr. Michael Goldberg in California. The institute and local center are rooted in a theory that most cases of autism are the result of a dysfunctional immune system.

“The clinic was started by a group of six families who lived in the area — all military, except one was retired at that point,” she said. “We wanted these services for our children and going to L.A. isn’t something we can do easily. We needed to find a physician who is willing to do this.”

The center’s doctor, Dr. Bruce L. Russell, travels from Texas periodically to see the patients, while a physician’s assistant does follow-up work. But for both Dr. Russell and Mrs. Robertson, the needs of their own and other children trumped their career aspirations.

“Both the physician and I do this because we have an ethical and moral obligation to do so,” she said. “Our children have been better because they had access to treatment that is not widely available in the U.S.” As a parent, she had no choice but to be interested in and focused on autism treatment.

“What I wanted to do was to go right back into public health,” Mrs. Robertson said. “I still know a few people in Jefferson County Public Health. My field in the Army was preventive medicine — that’s what all my work has been in. I always thought I’d be in public health and certainly my hope was to go to work for public health.”

And the community, which has opportunities for those with disabilities, is attractive.

“Other people just don’t have the services we have in the north country for individuals with special needs,” she said.

“JRC and DPAO do a magnificent job. It’s a question of ‘if we stay here, they have a life, but if we go somewhere else, they have nothing.’”

As director, Mrs. Robertson handles the administrative work and helps as a nurse.

“It’s not really different from what I was doing in the military,” she said. “In order to do this, I’ve had to use every skill I ever learned as civilian and in the Army.”

With the improvements she’s seen in her own daughter, Cindy E., she says she has to help other children.

“There are not a lot of people who

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Katherine E. Robertson, director of the Northern New York Autism Center, Black River. Mrs. Robertson retired from the Army Nurse Corps after 20 years of active service.

are interested in going into autism and treating autism in children,” she said.

“My daughter was an autism wreck and I knew other kids before I knew their parents through DPAO. How could I not

fight to save these children — these children I know?” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.

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July 2011 | NNY Business

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F E AT U R E S

Drum impact soars since ’88

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NNY Business | July 2011

$1.506b 2010

2007

2006

$821.4m 2005

$652.9m

$529.7m

$404.9m 1999

2003

$432.4m

2004

$392.9m 1997

1998

$519.9m

$397.3m 1996

2002

$389.3m 1995

$465.4m

$377.4m 1994

2001

$383.5m 1993

$441.5m

$365.7m 1992

2000

$371.8m

$317.3m 1990

1991

$332.1m 1989

$271.7m

Total impact of Fort Drum on Northern New York’s economy from 1988 to 2010

tor of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, knows well.

“Military consumers are very brand conscience,” he said.

The biggest economic engine Fort Drum produces, he said, is the spending power of individuals employed on post.

Of the $1.6 billion the installation pumped into the local economy, $1.2 billion of it was in payroll and the amount of soldiers and civilians on post is ever increasing.

In 2003, 10,729 soldiers called the north country home. In 2010, it was 19,447.

Those people buy goods and services in the local economy. They also rent and buy homes. In fact, 95 percent of Mr. Palmer’s sales are to soldiers and, because soldiers are notoriously nomadic, he often sells the same house more than

$1.502b

$1.463b $1.247b

$15.3 billion

1988

hristopher J. Palmer has maintained 8440 Willow St., Evans Mills, as his address all 47 years of his life. That is where a blaze orange building with blue trimming sits on a three-way intersection. Before it was his business, Brite Orange Realty, it was known as Palmer’s Market — a red store with white trimming.

As he looks out two large merchant windows, he constantly sees the way Fort Drum has affected his neighborhood — cars. Lots of them. He grew up on the property and learned to ride his bicycle on what used to be a quiet Willow Street.

“To see the growth here, the traffic, it’s simply amazing,” he said. “In those days, your dogs could lay half in the road and people just went around them … Nowadays, you wouldn’t dare send an experienced person from New York City without being run down.”

The amount of soldiers on post since the 9/11 attacks has nearly doubled to about 19,500 and is continuing to grow. Not only has the Fort Drum area changed in terms of traffic, Mr. Palmer said, but also the diversity of people and the landscape. The Route 11 Corridor is home now to a Super Wal-Mart that is surrounded by a myriad of businesses and Watertown has seen a boom in development on outer Arsenal Street. The areas are home to a selection of stores and restaurants more typically seen in much larger cities.

“If you would have said to me, 10, 20, years ago that they’re going to have a Super Wal-Mart here and we’re going to have a Candlewood (Suites) motel and a big mall between the two, I would have thought you were grabbing for the stars,” he said. “It’s almost a showpiece for our growth.”

Big franchises have made Watertown home because of a unique shopper, one that Carl A. McLaughlin, executive direc-

2008

C

NNY Business

2009

By DANIEL WOOLFOLK

$1.682b

n Army post contributed $1.5b to NNY economy last year

once.

“We have some of the best properties going on due to the influx of soldiers,” he said.

Growth is a word that is commonly used with Fort Drum and that is because the amount and size of units of the post’s 10th Mountain Division have increased.

In 2004, the Army went through what it called “transformation,” to make brigades more autonomous. To do that, it changed the DNA of the brigade by equipping it with assets that added muscle to each of the two brigades. A third brigade also came along that year.

The changes increased the population of soldiers by 5,321 between 2003 to 2006.

The boom was a welcomed surprise for Mr. McLaughlin.

“I don’t think any of us really

F E AT U R E S understood what transformation really meant when they started the process back in 2004,” he said. “But it started growing. You learned as you went (along).”

Along with uncertainty, a reliable constant for soldiers is change. It comes swiftly and often.

People are reluctant to predict how the post will affect the north country in years to come, but, Michael H. McKinnon, deputy to the garrison commander, can say with certainty that one major focus for the post is slowing down — construction, which made up 3 percent of the economic impact last year.

“That infrastructure is really reaching its culmination point. We’ve gotten to the point where we’re just about where we’re going to get” he said. “As our focus shifts away from building our infrastructure, we have been more and more focused on an increase in population.”

While President Barack Obama told 10th Mountain Division soldiers in June that “there’s still some fighting to be done,” and they will still be deployed to the region, the Army is shooting for two years of “dwell time” between deployments, which is expected to attract more families.

Since 2003, there has been roughly one family member per soldier living in the north country and Mr. McLaughlin is one of many members of the community who believe more time home — and more housing options — will mean more families join their soldier.

While north country retailers are known to look forward to soldiers coming home from deployments with overflowing bank accounts, having families here helps the economy more, according to Peter J. Whitmore, CEO of the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce.

“That splurge is nice but it’s very short term,” he said during a break from grilling burgers for soldiers last month at Boldt Castle. “If those folks are here, they’re spending more. They’re going out more with their families.”

And families want homes. That is why Mr. Palmer maintains a busy company.

In addition, more and more soldiers are calling the north country home. In fact, the amount of Army retirees has nearly doubled since 2001. As a kid, Mr. Palmer could look down the block and name every home owner. With military

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Christopher J. Palmer out front of his Evans Mills real estate office with his three-legged dog, Krypton, and one of his toys. Mr. Palmer has witnessed Fort Drum’s explosive growth for more than 20 years.

residents coming and going, he’s no longer able to do that.

But while the residents of the village are ever changing, one sign of friendliness has surprisingly stayed the same:

neighbors still aren’t building fences between their homes. n DANIEL WOOLFOLK is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at dwoolfolk@wdt. net or 661-2357.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 25

F E AT U R E S

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

John Norquist, a retired Army helicopter pilot, and his wife JoAnn Sanchez operate Fort Drum Vehicle Storage and Studio-Tels.

A ‘return to normalcy’ n Fort Drum Vehicle Storage, Studio-Tels serves soldiers

By JOLEENE DES ROSIERS

T

NNY Business

he life of a Fort Drum soldier cannot be defined with one word or one story. Every deployment is different and every tour of duty is different.

However, one thing remains constant: the men and women who serve our country need to come home sometime. And when they do, they require a warm bed and four wheels to get them there.

That’s where JoAnn Sanchez and John Norquist come in.

Ms. Sanchez and Mr. Norquist are the owners of Fort Drum Vehicle Storage and Studio-Tels, Watertown, and their objective is simple: to take care of area soldiers and their belongings.

“We know what it’s like to transfer from

26 |

NNY Business | July 2011

another state and not have a home,” said Mr. Norquist, a retired Army helicopter pilot. “So we go out of our way to help service members. There have been a number of occasions where a junior enlisted soldier comes from basic training to Fort Drum without knowing where to go or how to get there. And he or she has likely used their last paycheck just to get to Watertown.”

The business idea was born after Mr. Norquist and Ms. Sanchez had a permanent change of station from Fort Hood in Texas to Fort Drum in 2002. They had just gotten married and life was already pulling them in different directions. Ms. Sanchez was first to arrive in the north country while her husband finished school in Alabama. Alone and on strange ground, she struggled to find work, despite a 20-year career in banking under

her belt. Housing was also scarce. Eventually she landed on her feet. She found a home for the newlyweds and was hired as a manager at a mortgage company. While working as a lender, Ms. Sanchez noticed a number of soldiers would come in to apply for loans — and they were all applying for the same reason.

“They kept coming in to borrow money, usually about $3,000,” Ms. Sanchez said. “When I would ask them what they needed it for, they would tell me their cars were damaged because they had to leave them outside on base during their deployment.”

Sometimes that was for a year or more.

Dead batteries, ruined tires, even body damage because of ice and snow.

“All of this while they were gone and they were borrowing money for repairs,” Ms. Sanchez said.

F E AT U R E S Locations FORT DRUM VEHICLE STORAGE 753 W. Main St., Watertown

FORT DRUM STORAGE

44810 Teal Drive, Watertown

FORT DRUM STUDIO-TELS

505 Washington St., Watertown 23442 State Route 37, Watertown (Main office) 29613 State Route 12, Watertown 24098 State Route 12, Watertown 44810 State Route 12, Alexandria Bay

and his family, the duo also manages Sanquist Properties where one and two bedroom rentals are available.

“We’re a family business,” Mr. Norquist said. “Having served most of my life in the military taking care of soldiers, it’s something I’m compelled to continue to do. They’re like extended family. I may be retired but I still want to help these soldiers. So we take care of their stuff while they taking care of us in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

That mentality has people continu-

ally coming back to their business, and recommending their services to others.

“Thanks to word of mouth our reputation keeps growing and the soldiers have come to trust us very much,” Mr. Norquist said. “We pride ourselves on that. We’re here to take care of these soldiers — to ease them back to normalcy.” n JOLEENE DES ROSIERS is a freelance writer and public speaker who lives in Sandy Creek.

She is a former television reporter for YNN, NBC 3 WSTM and NewsWatch 50 in Watertown.

Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com.

SANQUIST PROPERTIES

505 Washington St., Watertown n For more information contact JoAnn Sanchez or John Norquist, 785-3678

When her job at the mortgage company came to an end, Ms. Sanchez remembered all of the soldiers that rolled through the doors looking for cash. It gave her the basic idea for her business: building a large enough space to store vehicles for the deployed so they didn’t have to worry about costly repairs when they returned home. She also remembered what it was like to find a place to land when she arrived in the north country. From the laundry room of her house she held a new baby in one hand and used the other to fold clothes and make calls. She was determined to bring her idea to fruition.

“I decided I would start looking for a piece of property where we could store cars,” she said. “Right about that time I started flipping houses. That was just before the 3rd Brigade came to Fort Drum in 2004. Buying and selling those houses are what gave me the idea of the studio-tels.”

And so from that little laundry room she began making progress. By 2005, Ms. Sanchez had purchased and developed a handful of properties that are now Fort Drum Vehicle Storage & Studio-Tels. Today she and her husband manage five different studio-tel locations and a large warehouse where hundreds of vehicles are stored. A studio-tel is a group of studio-sized living spaces, much like efficiency apartments. The couple also offers standard storage for personal belongings and furniture. And if studio-tels are too small for a soldier July 2011 | NNY Business

| 27

F E AT U R E S

Tico’s dishes up authentic fare

n Retired Army sergeant shares family recipes in two locales

By ANDREA C. PEDRICK

J

NNY Business

ose A. Gamez and his wife of more than 20 years, Elizabeth O., had always dreamed of owning their own restaurant. As Mr. Gamez, a sergeant first class, inched closer to retirement from the Army, the couple’s dream became a reality.

More precisely, Mrs. Gamez delivered the news to him by telephone while he was deployed to Iraq as a combat engineer: They were opening a Mexican restaurant on Watertown’s historic Public Square.

“I was half way through my deployment in Iraq and she said, ‘Oh, by the way, we have a restaurant now.’ It was sooner than expected, but it was a great move,” said Mr. Gamez, who retired in 2009 after 21 years in the military. Mrs. Gamez, with the support and guidance of Jose’s mother, Maria G. Lara, developed the menu, and she and Jose put all the other pieces together before opening Tico’s Mex Mex Grill, 65 Public Square, in 2008.

“When my mother and my wife team up — it’s all over,” Mr. Gamez said.

When he was building his business plan he always knew the restaurant would be called Tico’s. Tico is his nickname given to him by his grandfather.

Mr. Gamez is the mastermind behind the name while his mother is the heart and the soul of the kitchen.

For Mrs. Gamez, success in the restaurant business means her family will be well cared for in the future.

“I think being involved with the entire family and knowing we are working for the future of our kids [is most important],” she said.

As for her favorite dish on the menu: “Anything with mole sauce, from your typical mole with chicken, enchiladas mole or our latest new dish, flautas extra with mole. For some reason now that I am pregnant that’s all I want.”

While the restaurant is proud to cater to a diverse clientele, Mr. Gamez has a special interest in serving soldiers and their families.

“The military has done so much for me and my family it’s hard to not be involved with them,” Mr. Gamez said.

28 |

NNY Business | July 2011

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Jose A. and Elizabeth O. Gamez with their children, Lucero S., 13, and Jose A., 6, in front of their Great Bend restaurant, which opened last month. The family’s flagship restaurant, also Tico’s Mex Mex, is located on Public Square in Watertown.

Tico’s Mex Mex / fast facts OWNERS: Jose A. and Elizabeth O. Gamez LOCATIONS: 65 Public Square, Watertown and routes 3 and 26, Great Bend.

HOURS: Watertown: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. FridaySaturday Great Bend: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday -Friday PHONE: Watertown: 782-9569; Great Bend: 519-3114 ONLINE: www.ticosmexmexgrill.com

The restaurant often holds fundraisers for soldiers for programs that support their health and well-being. This soldierfriendly attitude may be why he estimates that 80 percent of his customers are military.

That attitude, combined with an authentic Mexican menu and live Latin entertainment is what keeps them coming back. Tico’s features a Mariachi Band and Latin music dance nights several times a month at the restaurant.

“Many soldiers at Fort Drum have had contact with larger Hispanic communities. They are looking for that type of food and music. You cannot fool a

soldier.” Mr. Gamez said.

The Gamez family recently opened a second Tico’s location at the intersection of routes 3 and 26 in Great Bend. It is a good sized piece of land on a corner lot.

Being so close to Fort Drum, the business is presently focused on a soldier’s lunch and a light dinner menu. Eventually, the new restaurant will feature an outdoor patio for dining, dancing and entertainment.

The Gamez family is one of many who call this region home after retiring from the military. Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, Mr. Gamez grew up near mountains and fresh water. He finds a similar balance here.

“We love the area,” Mr. Gamez said.

“My wife and I want open space for our kids to grow. The educational system here is very good and we are able to live and work and enjoy our community.”

The Gamezes live in Cape Vincent with their four children. They are expecting their fifth child soon. Mr. Gamez’s mother also lives in Cape Vincent. n ANDREA C. PEDRICK is a freelance writer and former television reporter who lives in Dexter. Contact her at abrped@twcny.rr.com.

F E AT U R E S

One in three at JCC tied to Drum

n 10th Mountain a boon to college enrollment

By ANDREA C. PEDRICK

T NNY Business

he small lobby at Fort Drum’s Robert C. McEwen Education Complex is packed with people waiting to see an academic adviser from one of several higher education institutions housed in the Army Education Center.

Phones ring constantly as staff work busily to accommodate appointments.

For soldiers, education can pave the way to promotion or a slot in a career-enhancing service school. Today’s military men and women don’t serve in your grandfather’s Army. The modern-day fighting force values the classroom as much as time in the field honing critical skills for combat.

And for Watertown’s SUNY Jefferson, Fort Drum’s explosive growth has had an indelible impact on the 50-year-old community college since the north country landed the 10th Mountain Division in 1984.

Of SUNY Jefferson’s total enrollment — about 3,400 full and part time students last fall — 33 percent, or more than 1,000, boast a connection to the military. One in three students is somehow tied to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. They are soldiers, veterans, spouses, retirees or children of a soldier. For most, the first stop they make is the Army Education Center.

That’s where Terry A. Heagle and Donald R. Johnson represent SUNY Jefferson.

On post, Mr. Heagle and Mr. Johnson provide the same college services as they would to those who come to the Watertown campus. They advise prospective students about

JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTO

A former 10th Mountain Division soldier studies on the first day of classes at SUNY Jefferson in this 2008 file photo. Officials say one in three enrolled at the college have ties to the Army division.

JCC’s degree programs, help students apply for admission, financial aid and register for classes. Several options are available with classes scheduled at Fort Drum, the main campus off Watertown’s Cof-

“

with soldiers for more than 20 years and at JCC since October 1996 when he was appointed coordinator for the college’s Fort Drum Extension Site.

Before joining SUNY Jefferson, Mr. Johnson was an education

The military community has benefited from a local college that is dedicated to meeting its higher education needs.

—Donald R. Johnson, director of military programs, SUNY Jefferson

feen Street or online.

“The military community has benefited from a local college that is dedicated to meeting its higher education needs,” said Mr. Johnson, director of military programs for SUNY Jefferson. “I have heard hundreds of times, ‘I am the first-ever in my family to earn a college degree.’ These soldiers and spouses have said it would not have been possible without the flexibility of Jefferson’s programs and [faculty’s] understanding of the challenges military students face in our current world.”

Mr. Johnson has worked

counselor on Fort Drum. He previously served as an education counselor at Seneca Army Depot in Romulus.

One unique option for soldiers is the opportunity to convert military education to accredited college credit hours for promotion purposes. Mr. Heagle manages that service for soldiers.

“I convert college credits listed on their Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript to civilian [credit hours]. Each college credit is worth a promotion point,” Mr. Heagle said. “It is a service JCC offers for those looking

for promotion points who are unable to attend college.”

He also teaches introduction to American government via the Internet.

“This is a fun job. These people are intelligent and motivated. They really want to take college courses,” Mr. Heagle said.

The Army’s impact on higher education has opened opportunities for civilians to attend classes at Fort Drum, too.

“Jefferson’s five eight-week sessions per year at Fort Drum also allow campus students to complete two course sequences in math, English, history and psychology in one semester,” Mr. Johnson said.

SUNY Jefferson’s efforts have been recognized by its peers in higher education.

In 2007, the college received the Ray Ehrensberger Award for Institutional Excellence in Military Education from the Commission on Military Education and Training, American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.

Pittsburgh-based G.I. Jobs also has recognized the college as a “military-friendly school.”

“Jefferson is collectively part of a military family,” said JCC President Carole A. McCoy. “It says a lot about this community that it has embraced Fort Drum. What I hear a lot from family members is that they see Jefferson’s campus as an extension of their own family. Friends and relationships are important to them. Perhaps their soldier is deployed — we offer them opportunities to stay busy and focused.” n ANDREA C. PEDRICK is a freelance writer and former television reporter who lives in Dexter. Contact her at abrped@twcny.rr.com.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 29

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

A ‘win-win’ for soldiers, businesses

n NNY-Fort Drum AUSA chapter serves military, community

By MICHELLE L. CAPONE

M

Special to NNY Business

erriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a “win-win” as something that is advantageous to all parties involved.

So, what would result in a win for soldiers and a win for businesses that would be advantageous to both?

Answer: The programs and services offered by the Northern New York-Fort Drum Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.

The NNY-Fort Drum Association of the United States Army is a local chapter of the national Association of the United States Army.

AUSA is a private, nonprofit educational organization that supports America’s Army — active, National Guard, Reserve, civilians, retirees and family members.

Since 1950, AUSA has been an advocate for America’s Army on issues such as defense spending, pay increases for military and federal employees, equipment and housing for soldiers, health care needs and retirement benefits.

Issues on a local level are presented in Washington, D.C., for inclusion into the Resolution’s Book. This book is used to affect change in policy for soldiers locally, and across the globe, with much success.

Membership to AUSA is open to any business, soldier, individual, or organization that wants to support the men and women who serve our nation and support our freedom.

“AUSA creates a win-win environment where we [Bradley’s Military] can increase our exposure while giving back to the military community,” said William G. McKinney, Bradley’s Military president, and an AUSA member.

This win-win environment is cultivated through programs that link businesses with soldiers. One example is the AUSA Green Card.

The Green Card allows businesses like Bradley’s Military to offer discounts to members of the local AUSA chapter.

With a membership roster that tops 1,200 people, the chapter provides businesses with market exposure at a relatively low cost, while giving members discounts at local businesses — a win-win situation.

Another win-win for soldiers and businesses is the chapter’s Adopt-a-10th

30 |

NNY Business | July 2011

10th Mountain Division soldiers unpack a care package sent overseas as part of the NNY-Fort Drum AUSA chapter’s “Adopt-A-Platoon” program.

To date, more than 180,000 Fort Drum soldiers have been adopted.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO NNY BUSINESS

AUSA / How to join

n To join the Northern New York-Fort Drum Chapter of the Association of the United States Army visit www.oneausa.org. Dues start at $14 a year for junior enlisted soldiers.

Mountain Platoon program. Created in 1992, the program allows organizations and businesses to “adopt” deploying platoons by providing support and care packages to soldiers while they are away.

To date, more than 6,500 platoons, or approximately 180,000 soldiers, have been adopted, and all platoons that have deployed with the 10th Mountain Division have been adopted.

“The program allows members of the community to support their soldiers and show that they appreciate their service and sacrifice. It shows the soldiers and their families that the community supports them,” said retired Army Col. Michael Plummer. “It is a win-win for our soldiers, our community, and our nation.”

Soldiers benefit from the care packages and support while businesses benefit from the sense of responsibility in giving back to our Soldiers.

The chapter’s annual Riverfest held in June with its partner, the Fort Drum FMWR, is another win-win for soldiers

and businesses. Riverfest provides soldiers and their families with a day of fun in Alexandria Bay with boat tours of the Thousand Islands and a barbecue at Boldt Castle. Businesses benefit by serving soldiers and their families a day of relaxation in appreciation for the service that soldiers provide. In return, soldiers can spend a day with friends and family away from the stresses of duty.

The chapter also has established a fund for fallen and wounded soldiers, most recently providing $2,400 to the 10th Mountain Division Association for backpacks to recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area.

Other local programs include “SaluteA-Unit,” which recognizes the outstanding soldiers and volunteers in a unit; “A Day in the Life of a Soldier,” where people spend the day training with soldiers in the field; and “Soldier 101” where participants learn basic Army protocols.

The chapter’s motto is “ONE Army; ONE Voice; ONE Community.” The chapter’s growing membership speaks as ONE Voice for the soldiers and families of the Fort Drum area representing our ONE Army as a unified ONE Community.

Being an AUSA member is a win-win for soldiers and businesses. n MICHELLE L. CAPONE is deputy comptroller for the Development Authority of the North Country and vice president of communications for the NNY-Fort Drum chapter of AUSA. Contact Michelle at mcapone@danc.org.

FINANCE

Moody’s upgrades city’s bond rating n Comptroller: Watertown already seeing savings on interest

By CRAIG FOX

Bond ratings / snapshot

hile some communities across the state are seeing their bond ratings slip, the city of Watertown recently was upgraded to possibly its all-time highest rating.

In mid-June, city officials got some good news when Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the city’s bond rating from A1 to Aa3.

City Comptroller James E. Mills believes it might be the city’s highest rating ever.

“It’s very good news,” City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said, adding that it’s already rewarding dividends to the city.

“This is something that we all should be proud of.”

Mr. Mills determined that the city already saved about $40,000 on interest that would have been paid on a current $2.035 bond associated with the $2.3 mil-

n n n n

W NNY Business

Jefferson County Lewis County St. Lawrence County Watertown

Aa3 Aa+ A Aa3

lion revamping of the J.B. Wise parking lot, some sidewalk improvements and two other city projects.

According to investor’s report, Moody’s “anticipates that the city’s financial position will remain strong, given two years of healthy operating surpluses of $2.2 million and $900,000.” Sales tax revenues outpaced 2010 budget projections, with the help of Canadian shoppers being lured to Watertown through a marketing program, it said. Moody’s was also impressed with the city’s a manageable debt burden.

Mrs. Corriveau noted that the city has focused on lowering debt in the past several years. Before she became city manager, the city borrowed for such things as

police cars every year and now pays with cash. Since 2006, the city took $4.7 million off its debt burden, lowering it from $35.6 million to $30.9 million, Mr. Mills said.

“We put together a plan, business wise, that affects long-term savings to the taxpayers of the city,” she said.

Councilman Joseph M. Butler Jr., a financial adviser with Community Bank, said that the new bond rating can also be attributed to the city’s decision in March to refinance $8.575 million in 15-year loans with better interest rates, a move that saved the city about $180,000 this year and as much as $600,000 over the next 15 years.

During interviews with Moody’s representatives, city officials were asked about such subjects as the city’s financial management and budget strategies, the city’s and region’s economy, employment picture and Fort Drum’s impact, they said. n CRAIG FOX is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at cfox@wdt.net or 661-2383.

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July 2011 | NNY Business

| 31

REGION

Stations buck trend with ratings

n Viewership up from ’10 for three north country channels

By NANCY MADSEN

N NNY Business

orth country television stations are running against conventional wisdom and an ever-splintering market as they post consistently strong viewer ratings.

WWNY-TV7, WWTI-TV50 and WNYFTV28 all had more viewers in May 2011 than in May 2010, according to the May ratings report released recently by Nielsen Media Research.

“We feel fortunate that we are kind of bucking the trend,” said Cathy M. Pircsuk, vice president and general manager for WWNY and WNYF. “Our market has grown, including with young people.”

Nielsen Media Research determines the ratings for the Watertown market by distributing diaries to several hundred viewers in the region. Each chosen household is given a diary for each television in the house and told to fill out what programs, if any, are being watched at any particular time of the day. In the four-week period of April 28 to May 25, Nielsen sent out 2,175 diaries in the market and 398, or 18 percent, were returned and used for the ratings.

Watertown’s market, which comprises Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, is No. 176 of 210 in the rankings.

The market has 95,750 television homes in 2011, up from 93,970 last year. Each rating percentage point translates into 957 households. Share is the percentage of TVs on at times that are tuned to a particular station.

CBS affiliate WWNY’s 6 p.m. “7 News This Evening” garnered a 27.2 rating, meaning an average of 26,030 households watched it during the rating period, and had a 58 share, meaning 58 percent of the households with a television on in that time frame were tuned to Channel 7. During the same period in 2003, the newscast drew a 27.3 rating and 52 share. For the last 12 years, ratings for the evening news had a rating of between 24 and 29. The only outlier is last year’s 19 rating and 46

32 |

NNY Business | July 2011

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

David Males, vice president and general manager of WWTI-TV50, stands by the station’s satellite dishes behind their studio off Arsenal Street.

percent share.

WWNY’s six o’clock news has the fourth-highest household share in the country, while its noon news is No. 9 in the nation, with a 44.0 household share.

The “7 News This Morning” show generated an 8 rating and 46 share, while the “7 News Tonight” at 11 p.m. had a 4 rating and 40 share and the 10 p.m. newscast on WNYF had a 3 rating and 7 share.

“It’s pretty widely believed across the country that the local news rating in the last 10 years has dropped,” said Scott D. Atkinson, news director for WWNY and sister station WNYF. “When I started in ’98, people said we had the benefits of the broken dial — that older viewers never changed the TV channel. But 13 years later, a lot of folks have died and a lot of cable stations have come in and we’ve changed how we broadcast the station and people are still watching. We’ve had a lot of opportunity to have people not watch Channel 7.”

In the market, the top-ranked non-news show was “NCIS,” which airs on WWNY. It registered a 19.7 rating. “American Idol,” on WNYF, was the top-rated shows for viewers between the ages of 18 and 49,

with a 17.3 rating.

WWTI’s top-rated show was “Dancing with the Stars,” which averaged a 10.3 rating. It reached up to an 11 rating and 23 percent share during its finale and would win Monday night 8 to 10 p.m.

“It’s a program that I think kind of resonates in a family and takes us back to old-time viewing habits, when a family sits down and watches it together,” WWTI Vice President and General Manager David J. Males said. “Normally, what we see is the parents on one set and kids on another set.”

The last May that the station produced its own newscast was 2004. Compared to then, the market has gained about 4,200 households. Then the WWTI newscast averaged above a 2 rating, or about 2,700 people, Mr. Males said, with a 5 percent share. Now, the station carries WSYRTV 9, the ABC affiliate in Syracuse, for the 6 p.m. news. After two years of that practice, the broadcast attracts about 1,100 households.

“It’s still a long, long ways from what the other guys have, but it’s gaining momentum,” he said. “It’s an alternative.”

The station carries WSYR’s morning

REGION program at 6 to 7 a.m., which compared to “ABC World News This Morning,” its predecessor, increased the “Good Morning America” share by 60 percent at 7 to 9 a.m.

WWTI’s sister station EWTI-TV14, a CW network, attracts a younger demographic.

The most popular show, “Vampire Diaries,” garners at 3 rating and 4 share.

“They have some long-range work cut out for them,” he said. “But it gives us an option and an alternative.”

Since it ended locally produced news in 2004 for economic reasons, Mr. Males said the two stations are in a stronger position.

“For viewers and advertisers, we are in a better position,” he said. “We do have value in the market.”

WPBS-DT, the local nonprofit public television station transmits signals over the air and through cable to about 650,000 households in Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. Lynn Brown, director of programming and development, said the station no longer subscribes to Nielsen.

“We use national demographics from PBS, which are not specific to the market,” she said.

YNN, likewise does not subscribe, but has proprietary numbers of viewers, regional communications manager Stephanie Salanger said in an email.

In February, WWNY carried the top weekly unique visitor estimates among stations in the Watertown market, at a 70.1 rating. WNYF followed at 53.8 rating, WWTI next with 37.8 rating. After that, three cable channels followed before WSTM-TV3 in Syracuse, then YNN at 18.6.

EWTI had a 14.5 rating and WPBS had a 14.4 rating. For comparison, ESPN had a 17.9 rating and CNN had an 8.8 rating.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Beth Hall, Diane Rutherford and Jeff Cole conduct the lunch-hour news broadcast at the WWNY TV7 studio last month.

“The biggest change in the evolution we can see in our market place is what we see in networks that until the past couple of years, they used to all write off the summer season,” Mr. Males said. “It was repeat heaven. Networks develop now a series of first-time programming of the summer. I think that’s a direct reflection of the broadcasters having to be more competitive among themselves, but also against those outside sources.”

Television networks have had to “step up their game” to compete with sources that include cable, satellite and the Internet. While concerns have grown about a fracturing market with more cable and satellite viewing options, it looks like local viewers haven’t rejected broadcast television. In 2004, 73 percent, or 66,634,

of the households in the market had cable service; now it’s 69 percent, or 66,067 households. Satellite service has grown from 22 to 24 percent.

“About a year ago Dish Network announced it would have local service in the marketplace, which is obviously advantageous to local stations,” Mr. Males said. “Along those same lines, we got word recently that DirecTV is scheduled to go online with local to local service in October of this year. DirecTV has a larger distribution base of satellite customers in Northern New York than Dish does, so this is going to be a huge windfall for local broadcasters and advertisers.” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 33

F E AT U R E S

Company puts spring in step

n SpringDrive re-invents itself to sharpen edge with competition

By NANCY MADSEN

A NNY Business

high-tech Depauville business has re-invented itself to increase its share of local business.

CAD & Facilities Services Inc., which offers computeraided drafting, scanning, graphic design and training, has become SpringDrive.

SpringDrive continues to provide those services, but the owners wanted to show off a broader range of offerings it could provide and be accessible to potential customers, near and far.

“CAD & Facilities Services Inc. is too many syllables,” owner Thomas M. Brennan said. “We had started to return to our fine arts routes we had pursued in college.

We used the equipment for screening and printing.”

The new name, SpringDrive, was “punchy, clear and short.”

Wife and office manager Julie Brennan said, “It comes from where he grew up — Silver Spring Drive.”

As opposed to the old name, no customers or prospects have asked the Brennans to spell the new name.

“It’s accurate for what we do,” Mr. Brennan said.

And the name change gives the business a fresh face to show the north country, too.

“Locally, we’re not doing the high-end services,” he said. “When we decided to market locally, we found that a lot of what we do is filling the gap left by Severance Photo closing.”

Mr. Brennan and the Rev. Kirk Gilchrist started the business in 1999, when the Brennans moved to Depauville so Mr. Brennan could be an assistant pastor of New Life Christian Church.

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NNY Business | July 2011

Thomas M. Brennan, president of SpringDrive Digital & Print Graphics, prints a large photo reproduction from an HP Z3100 PS photo printer at the production facility in Depauville.

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

CAD & Facilities Services, built on offering low-cost CAD services competitive to clients in large cities, was named the New Business Venture Award winner by the Jefferson County Job Development Corp. in 2009.

And a new name means a new logo.

SpringDrive’s new eye-catcher has the digital primary colors: red, green and blue, on the other side of an “s” from the printing primary colors: magenta, yellow and cyan.

The SpringDrive services include largeformat scanning, exterior and interior banners, graphic design, business print-

ing, web design and publishing on top of the computer-assisted drafting services.

SpringDrive, 32377 Route 12, has a 54-inch scanner, which Mr. Brennan has heard is the only one commercially-available in the region. It scans to a resolution of 12,000 dots per inch. The scanner can handle color, black and white and items up to a half-inch thick “It’s a layer of security for those who have records,” Mr. Brennan said. “If there’s a fire or flood and you have paper files, the info is simply lost.”

After items are scanned, they can be restored and corrected. They’ve used

F E AT U R E S On the Web

n ONLINE: www.springdrive.net

this for archival work and old photographs. The information can then be stored in print or on a CD or DVD. From scanned images or created graphics, SpringDrive can print on any paper from business cards to posters and on vinyl or Tyvek banners. The banner printer, an HP Z3100 plotter, uses 12 colors for clear high-resolution prints up to 42 inches wide and 12 feet long. A second plotter prints primarily CAD plans and blueprints.

They’ve enjoyed perfecting the process on century-old posters, photos of generations past and drawings by Vince Perez, an illustrator who drew the logo and covers for the Grateful Dead. They’ve scanned templates of woodworking projects and artwork.

“The things that matter to you, whether it’s an heirloom or for business, are the things that matter to us,” Mrs. Brennan said.

With a staff of 11, customers will talk to the same people who complete the project.

“The way we offer service, you’re talking to the people who are actually going to do it,” Mr. Brennan said. “We have the ability to turn things around quickly because it’s just us.”

The business has just gotten into website design, too.

“We’ve got a number of designers we work with who are itching to do that kind of work,” he said.

In the year since the re-branding, it seems to have worked.

“The local business has increased pretty dramatically,” Mr. Brennan said.

“It’s amazing what treasures are out there.” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 35

S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y

Bryon J. Dashnaw, co-owner of Dashnaw’s Pizzeria, 174 E. Main St., Gouverneur, poses for a portrait at the new pizzeria.

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Pizzeria a slice of home

n Family affair: Dashnaws happy to be back in Gouverneur

By GABRIELLE HOVENDON

T

NNY Business

he location is different, but the family name and the homemade sauce are exactly the same.

Dashnaw’s Pizzeria, formerly on Church Street in Alexandria Bay, opened at 174 E. Main St., Gouverneur, this spring. Operated by Glenna F. and Rodney E. Dashnaw and sons Bryon J. and Dominick E., the business has long been a family affair.

“My kids have always had a love for it,” Mrs. Dashnaw said. “They just have an interest in making the pizzas and stretching them. It went from something little to a little bit bigger; it just kept snowballing.”

The restaurant specializes in thincrust pizza with homemade dough and sauce and also offers chicken wings in homemade sauce, French fries, salads and more. Traditional toppings aside, the Dashnaws have introduced a few unusual twists to their menu, including a bacon chicken ranch pizza and a buffalo chicken pizza covered in wing sauce and creamy

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NNY Business | July 2011

Dashnaw’s Pizzeria LOCATION: 174 E. Main St., Gouverneur PHONE: 287-9464 HOURS: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays,

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

bleu cheese.

Though the enterprise is new to the village, the Dashnaws are not new to the restaurant industry. Mrs. Dashnaw has worked as a waitress at Casablanca Restaurant, and the family operated the Eponymous Pizzeria in Alexandria Bay from April 2010 to this March, when they decided to move closer to home.

“It’s been wonderful; it’s really nice being in our hometown,” Mrs. Dashnaw said. “We started in Alexandria Bay and we loved the people there, but we had that travel back and forth in the winter, and there was so much worry involved.

It means a lot for this to be working out.

We’ve given it all of our heart and soul.”

In addition to event catering and its 20-person dining space, Dashnaw’s Piz-

zeria provides free delivery to village businesses and will deliver for a small charge to homes within an 8-mile radius.

According to Mrs. Dashnaw, New York Pizzeria is the only other pizza shop in the village, although several village restaurants also serve pizza.

Renovation of the pizzeria’s facility was done by Rodney Dashnaw and was funded in part by a microloan from the Gouverneur Area Development Corp.

The corporation has been providing microenterprise funds for town entrepreneurs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rural Housing and Economic Development Program since 2005.

“A lot of times people have a good idea and they just do not have all the assets,” said C. Korleen Spilman, president of the Gouverneur Area Development Corp. “It’s economic development, and we need to provide as many jobs as possible. We’ve had such success with most of them.” n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer based in St. Lawrence County. Contact her at ghovendon@wdt.net or 661-2517.

S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y

Clarkson ready for business tenants

n Peyton Hall to house university’s Small Business Incubator

By GABRIELLE HOVENDON

I

NNY Business

t’s no Peyton Place.

Clarkson University’s newly renovated Peyton Hall, Main Street, began accepting tenants for the Clarkson Small Business Incubator July 1. The incubator will provide a variety of services to fledgling technologybased enterprises, allowing area students, faculty and residents to transform their business plans into reality.

“The focus is definitely on startups and commercializing technology,” said Matthew E. Draper, deputy director of Clarkson’s Shipley Center for Innovation. “The beauty of an incubator is that it serves a specific purpose: it’s not ‘you move in and you stay for fifteen years.’ This will be a completely new purpose for the building.”

The renovation, which was undertaken with the help of $2.2 million from former Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer’s City-by-City Economic Development Plan, transformed Peyton Hall from mainly vacant space into two conference rooms, three customizable laboratories and 41 offices. As an incubator, the facility will be home to a variety of budding technological enterprises ranging from software development to agricultural sustainability.

The Shipley Center will oversee the incubator as part of its mission to accelerate the commercialization of Clarkson’s research projects, and its services will be open to all tenants. Among the incubator’s offerings are mentorship, networking with Clarkson alumni, marketing, branding, legal counsel about intellectual property rights and processing for patents, copyrights and trademarks.

To learn more SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR n Contact George E. Giordano, director of risk management, purchasing and special projects, at 268-7722 or ggiordan@clarkson. edu, for leasing information.

Although many business incubators exist in the state, Clarkson’s will be the only one in the north country and, due to its proximity to Canada, will serve as a useful entry point for businesses to expand internationally.

“Innovation is an iterative process, and the more you can de-risk with each step the greater chance of success,” Mr. Draper said.

The Shipley Center will evaluate the viability of all tenants’ business plans before they are approved for the incubator, and periodic reviews will ensure that the enterprises develop successfully. After each

tenant’s business reaches a predetermined benchmark in its development, it will move out to make way for a new startup.

Clarkson anticipates about one-third of the Main Street facility will be devoted to the work of Clarkson faculty and students, with the rest of the space open to area entrepreneurs as well as students and staff at SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University. According to Mr. Draper, the incubator will be an especially useful source of legitimacy for student startups.

“Every year we train these students, and then they leave and it’s a brain drain.

President (Anthony G.) Collins’ focus is how do we get them to stay here and develop the north country?” he said. “You put a successful student entrepreneur next to a budding student entrepreneur and they’re both prospering.” n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer based in St. Lawrence County. Contact her at ghovendon@wdt.net or 661-2517.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 37

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE Briefcase, from page 15

SUNY Potsdam among greenest in nation

SUNY Potsdam is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to the Princeton Review.

The education services company selected SUNY Potsdam for inclusion in the second annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton

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NNY Business | July 2011

Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition.”

On the list of initiatives already being implemented at the college is the purchase of $300,000 in local produce and goods each year by PACES, the dining services for SUNY Potsdam. The college has also gone to Zero Sort recycling, allowing plastics, paper and metal to be mixed.

In the residence halls, Residence Life has established a sustainability-themed

floor for those students that want to immerse themselves in a sustainable lifestyle. For those students not so daring but still interested in helping, can join Middle Ground, the college’s environmental club, and learn more about climate change.

The free guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide. aspx. For more information about sustainability at SUNY Potsdam, visit www. potsdam.edu/about/sustainability.

R E A L E S TAT E R O U N D U P

Is the (real estate) sky falling?

W

e have recently been bombarded in the national media by a series of “Henny Penny” stories about real estate. These typically say that real estate is dropping in value, home sales are plunging and foreclosures are rising. While that may be true when looking at the national picture, the local report is much different.

In this respect, real estate is like the weather. Although it is good to see nationwide temperatures, trends and fronts, most of us are usually concerned with what the weather is like outside our front door. As a secondary concern, we may want to know about the weather front to our west that might impact us later in the day or the near future.

When we break down the nationwide real estate picture into smaller areas, a different image frequently emerges. Take Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties as a case in point. They are where most of the membership of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors practice.

Looking at single-family home statistics from 2001 to 2010, the median price for a home has usually been higher than the year before in all three counties. There have been several exceptions. In 2002 and 2009, the price in St. Lawrence County dropped before advancing even higher the following year. Lewis County also posted declines in 2005 and 2008 before going higher the following year. Overall, from 2001 to 2010, the price in Jefferson County has increased 121 percent, 36 percent in St. Lawrence County and 157

percent in Lewis County.

Meanwhile, prices statewide peaked in 2005 and then dropped until staging a partial recovery in 2010.

The price for a single family home increased Lance Evans 45 percent from 2001 to 2010. However, it is still down 16 percent from its 2005 peak.

A similar trend happened nationwide with the peak occurring in 2006 and in the Northeast with the peak in 2007. Again, the price recovered somewhat in 2010, but is still down 22 percent nationally and 13 percent in the Northeast from their respective peaks.

Another measure of the market’s health is number of units sold. Our area has fared better than the rest of the state and nation. From 2001 to 2010, the number of properties sold increased 26 percent in Jefferson County, 98 percent in Lewis County and 63 percent in St. Lawrence County. Like the rest of the state and nation, all three counties experienced a peak in sales in 2005. Unlike most areas, Lewis County sales peaked again in 2009.

While sales in New York have declined 44 percent since 2005, mirroring the national drop, sales in area counties have fared better, dropping 13 percent to 31 percent.

A final item of note is the foreclosure rate. While it has been a problem in other parts of the country, it has not hit our

state or our area as hard. The states most impacted by the foreclosure crisis have consistently been Nevada, California and Arizona.

RealtyTRAC, an online marketplace of foreclosure properties, gathers data from around the nation on housing units that receive a foreclosure filing. It expresses them in two ways – as a gross number and as a ratio of properties that received notices to total households. Here again, New York fares well. Not only is it one of the lowest in the country, but it is also lower than any other state in the Northeast, except Vermont. Our three counties are very low in the number of filings and the ratio of foreclosure. In fact, in December 2010, the three counties combined had one foreclosure notice for every 20,757 households while the state had one for every 3,042 households and the nation one for every 593. By contrast, Nevada led the nation with one out of 84 and Vermont was the lowest with one out of 20,841.

All in all, this points to a healthy housing market in our area. Interest rates continue to be low. Going back to my weather analogy: Skies are generally clear; however, just as Northern New York is different from other areas, your locale within our area might also be different.

You should check with a Realtor, a member of an Association of Realtor, to find out what is happening in your location. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He has lived in the north country since 1985. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 39

R E A L E S TAT E

Commercial growth sees boom n Fort Drum a ‘real catalyst for interest’ in north country

By NANCY MADSEN

Frankie A. DeYulio, of Kassis Signs, Syracuse, attaches the last piece of the letter “T” to Watertown’s Target at Towne Center off outer Arsenal Street in November 2006.

Several national retailers have been drawn to the north country in recent years for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is Fort Drum.

F

NNY Business

rom Route 11 near Fort Drum to Route 3 west of Interstate 81, commercial growth has boomed in part through the young and growing population of Fort Drum. And more new businesses are taking notice.

“Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division are well-known around the country, but we have to connect Watertown to them,” Mary P. Dudo, Salmon Run Mall manager, said. “No companies have targeted us specifically= because of Fort Drum, but we include any Fort Drum statistics we have when we’re sending out information.”

Census statistics, typically a first source for demographics for retailers, have not counted some soldiers stationed at the Army post due to deployments. So retailers are frequently surprised by sales that are stronger than they expect.

“Retailers start with Census demographics, which there are a lot of it, and then they make their own projections before they come in,” said Steven F. Aiello, president of COR Development Co., which runs Towne Center. “In Watertown, they have always trended up, even in a difficult economy.”

He said retailers seem to know the words “Fort Drum” and “Watertown” equally.

“Fort Drum would be the equivalent to having a major employer in your vicinity,” Mr. Aiello said. “They look at not just living population, but the working population and it takes the place of a large manufacturer. Fort Drum provides a real catalyst for interest.”

The military population does indicate a healthy base for sales.

“It plays a role primarily in terms of heightened interest in the region,” he said.

But the interest doesn’t stop with Fort Drum. As they dig into the numbers, property managers point to a broad region that shop in Watertown.

“The trade area is much bigger than people realize,” Mr. Aiello said. “Clear up to the river, what other options do they

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NNY Business | July 2011

JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTO

have? Coupled with the base, it is a broad region.”

Salmon Run Mall has had several new stores whose focus is toys and goods for young people. The Children’s Place opened in April and Toys “R” Us Express opened in mid-October, while Vanity, a clothing store for young women, plans to open by September.

Vanity shows strong sales especially in towns with Canadian and military demographics, marketing specialist Kaylyn Stroh said.

“With Watertown having both of those, it was very appealing for us,” she said.

The new Olive Garden restaurant did include the Fort Drum population in consideration.

“We consider several factors when looking for a new Olive Garden restaurant location,” said Heidi Schauer, Orlando, Fla., manager of media and communications for the chain. “Some include the area’s population growth and new business development, and how these factors and others support each other.”

“I’m not sure Fort Drum is a specific reason that they do come, but I think it’s the reason they perform so well,” Mrs. Dudo said. “The stores perform really well in this market.”

The 20- to 25-year-old demographic performs particularly well, she said.

Soldiers and their families are “very vocal in what they want to see in local shopping,” according to Mrs. Dudo.

Some chains that would seem to be an obvious winner in the young market don’t immediately latch onto the idea of coming to Salmon Run Mall.

“It took a bit of time in explaining the success of Watertown as a whole,” she said.

Watertown is traditionally considered a secondary market, Mr. Aiello said, but the sales reach and pattern reaches a little higher.

“There is a correlation between the fact that Watertown was definitely in the need of new retail, but more importantly, there is a wide region that depends on this city to do its shopping,” he said.

The center’s most recent announcement is for the addition of Ulta Beauty next to Michaels.

“We were thrilled Ulta would consider going to Watertown at this juncture,” Mr. Aiello said.

The retailer has been stretching across the state, starting in the bigger cities. But chain retailers, once they open in Watertown, seem to perform well.

“Target is happy, Kohl’s is happy, they’re all happy,” he said. “The only reason there is a delay in filling the center is that a lot of new retailers backed off their expansion plan because of the economy, not because of Watertown. But we continue to do deals in the difficult times here.” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.

R E A L E S TAT E / S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y St. Lawrence County

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office

May 31

n City of Ogdensburg: Unknown acres, being a part of Lot 8 and Lot 9, bounded by Ford Street, Marion T. Dawson, Ogdensburg, sold to Lucille A. Schwartfigure, Ogdensburg $40,280 n Town of Lisbon: 1.37 acres more or less, known as Lot 8, bounded by State Route 37, Michael L. and Christine A. Thomas, Ogdensburg, sold to Henry W. and Roberta L. Polniak, Ogdensburg $105,000 n Town of Potsdam: 2.174 acres more or less, bounded by West River Road, Yuzhuo Li and Ning Gao, Potsdam, sold to Jennifer L. ThomasSassone, Norwood $252,000 n Town of Canton: Unknown acres, bounded by Hermon-Eddy Road, Donna J. Mouthorp, DeKalb Junction, sold to Jesse M. Whitmarsh and Pamela M. Gravett, Hermon $25,000 n Town of DePeyster: 26.76 acres more or less, bounded by County Route 10 and Mayhew Road, Donald P. and Christine E. McAlister, DePeyster, sold to Enos M. and Lizzie E. Swartzentruber, DePeyster $30,000

May 27

n Village of Massena: Unknown acres, known as Lot 8, Elizabeth L. Blanchard, Massena, John A. Alden, Massena, and Geraldine A. Alden, Massena, sold to Craig A. Brannen, Massena $80,000

n Town of Massena: Unknown acres, being a part of Lot 2 and bounded by Lot 3, Sharon Smythe, Massena, Murray Armstrong, Massena, and Craig Armstrong, Lawrenceville, sold to Richard T. Belgard, Rooseveltown $50,000

Sand Hill, Harry G. and Dawna M. Clark, Palm Coast, Fla., Richard T. Cline, Waynesboro, Pa., Albert S. Molnar, Suprise, Ariz., and Gerald F. Cline, South Port, N.C., sold to Seaway Timber Harvesting Inc., Massena $33,600

n Town of Louisville: 2 Parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Wilson Hill, Steven Durocher, Palm Coast, Fla., sold to Justin R. Tredo and Erinn M. Green, Massena $144,000

n Village of Canton: 39/100 of an acre more or less, bounded by State Street, David A. and Jean Y. Baker, Canton, sold to William Scott and Michelle E. Wilson, Canton $120,000

n Town of Lawrence: Unknown acres, bounded

by Cemetery Road and Williams Road, North Lawrence Dairy Inc., North Lawrence, sold to North Country Dairy LLC., Buffalo $2,056,000

n Town of Norfolk: 7.22 acres more or less, situate in Mile Square 55, known as L. Buck Lot, Frederick L. and Josephine M. Bestor, St. Augustine, Fla., sold to Derek E. Spellan, Massena $53,000

n Village of Massena: 0.13 of an acre more or less, bounded by Jefferson Avenue and Roosevelt Street, Kenneth Leroy Jacks Family Trust, Massena, sold to Rebecca R. and Clayton R. Plourde, Massena $80,000 n City of Ogdensburg: 0.56 of an acre more or less, situate in Block 45, bounded by State Street, Mary Fay Allan Trust, Chicago, Ill., sold to William M. and Marianne T. Bruyere, Ogdensburg $122,500

May 26

n Town of Louisville: Unknown acres, being a part of Lot 1, Lot 2 and Lot 3, Phillip A. Ashley, Massena, and Madeline Dunn Ashley, Potsdam, sold to Dana E. Grammo, Coxsackie $58,500 n Town of Norfolk: Parcel 1) 5.05 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 19.70 acres more or less, both Parcels are situate in Section 10, bounded by

n Town of Louisville: 0.49 of an acre more or less, bounded by “A” Street, Mark Manchester Jr., Massena, sold to Sandra A. Gale, Bombay $74,500 n Town of Potsdam: Parcel 1) 11/8 acre more or less, Parcel 2) 1.94 acres more or less, both Parcels are bounded by Potsdam-Canton State Road, J.C. Palermo and Mary Ann Cawley, Potsdam, sold to John P. Zeh III and Carol Zeh, Heuvelton $120,000

$3,444,380 County real estate sales recorded over five-day period, May 26-31, 2011

NNY REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY Bridging the gap between buyers and sellers through old-fashioned values.

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • HARD WORK

Office 315-686-5500 Fax 315-686-5505 306 James St.,Clayton, NY 13624

www.nywaterfronthomes.com thousandislandsrealty@gmail.com

A.G. NETTO REALTY 786-1900

“When it really matters..who do you want to represent you?

605 Washington St. Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 782-8296 Fax

(315) 786-1900 ext 46 (315) 767-1420 cell VICKI BULGER Associate Broker

Vicki@LoriGervera.com

www.LoriGervera.com

Call A.G. Netto Realty 782-0199 or visit our website at Tony Netto Lic. R.E. Broker/Owner

agnettorealty.com

716 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 783-1028 July 2011 | NNY Business

| 41

20 QUESTIONS

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Driving into the future

I

n 1983, Dwight E. Davidson graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing and headed north to Watertown where his family had jumped into the fiercely competitive automotive industry. Mr. Davidson talks about working in a family business and the challenges of an ever-evolving industry.

1

NNYB: How did the Davidson brand begin?

DAVIDSON: Our first store opened in Rome in 1962. That was a Chevrolet store. We really expanded past that when I graduated from SU. I came up here and opened up a Chevrolet store here, that’s how we got started in Watertown.

Watertown has been a great market to do business in. We’ve done some good business here.

2

NNYB: What family members are you in business with and what’s it like to work in a family business?

DAVIDSON: There are five of us: My brother, Don, who also went to Syracuse University, my brother, Doug, my sister, Diane, all work out of our Rome building, and my nephew, Eric, who works up here with me. It can be very challenging, but it’s extraordinarily rewarding. For me, I can walk away and know that my back is covered. I’ve got people I can trust who are going to take care of things if I want to go on vacation, or just for a day. To me, that’s the biggest advantage.

3

NNYB: Was it always a foregone conclusion that you would go into the automotive business?

DAVIDSON: It’s in our family, it’s in our blood. For me, there really wasn’t a whole lot of question of whether I’d enter the family

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NNY Business | July 2011

n Dwight Davidson, 28-year auto industry vet, shares vision for family dealerships business or not. Obviously, cars are exciting. I grew up in that atmosphere; I like cars and the challenges of business. My degree is in marketing and accounting, there is a lot of marketing in the car business.

4

NNYB: How large is your business? How many people do you employ?

DAVIDSON: We employ about 200 people between here, Rome and at our car wash business also. That fluctuates a little bit but it’s pretty steady. That didn’t change a whole lot in the recession. We spent our time looking for non-employee expenses that we could cut before employees. That’s because we knew the economy would come back. If the economy comes back and you let go of your talent, where are you going to find it? That was our priority: Keep our employees intact to weather the storm and cut expenses in other places. You look at your purchases; you use your supplies more efficiently. It forces you to be more efficient. It’s amazing what you can cut out of your expenses just by thinking about it and working at it.

5

NNYB: Are you seeing consumers respond to higher fuel prices in their purchase choice?

DAVIDSON: Absolutely. Consumers respond very quickly to higher or lower gas prices.

When we see gas heading toward $4 per gallon, we see a very quick turn to small cars. We see some people not trading in their trucks or SUVs. They’re holding onto them. They’re buying smaller cars to do their longer traveling, but

holding onto their other vehicles for when they need them. Conversely, when gas goes down, the truck buyers go right back into the market.

This is a big truck market up here with a lot of farms and the weather. Even if you go to Rome or Syracuse, this market sells a lot more trucks and SUVs than Rome or Syracuse, they’re selling more cars than trucks.

6

NNYB: You have a lot of vehicles that can run 40 miles per gallon or more that are not hybrids. Has there been any one model that’s standing out right now?

DAVIDSON: The Chevy Cruze, the replacement for the Cobalt. It’s getting many accolades.

That car can get 50 miles to a gallon and it’s not a hybrid. It’s interesting, I went to the national convention for Ford last year and they said, “We used to be a V8 company with a few 6-cylinders and a few 4-cylinders. Now we are transitioning ourselves into a 4-cylinder company with a few 6-cylinder and V8s.” What’s driving that is the green movement and the cost of energy. It’s like anything else. When you’re forced to change, you change. All of the manufacturers are doing a great job of making fuel efficient cars. The hybrid vehicle versus the non-hybrid vehicle is an interesting scenario. Really, hybrids theoretically use less fuel, at least that’s what the public believes. But now you have cars that are doing 50 miles per gallon and you have some hybrids that don’t even do that. The only hybrid that right now is going to really give you a bang for your dollar is the Chevy Volt. The Volt is rated at 100 miles per gallon.

20 QUESTIONS

7

NNYB: What’s the demand been for the Volt?

Have you sold any locally?

DAVIDSON: We have. We’re seeing people come in, but you’re going to see more of those sold in the metro markets or markets like a Vermont, where they’re very eco-friendly. Every dealer is only getting 1 or 2 for the year, it’s a very limited production vehicle. When you’re buying a hybrid, you’re paying a premium for the technology. Generally, the payback for the hybrid, most people are financing 60 months, some 72 months. The payoff on the purchase of the hybrid when compared to some of these gas cars can exceed five, six or seven years.

The Volt is an interesting vehicle, because it’s a little different twist on the hybrid. The electric engine always drives the car. The car has an engine, but it’s primarily a generator for the battery. They run at the most efficient rotations per minute to charge the battery. If you lose the battery engine, then it will drive the car. Every time you have new technology, you see the price go down over time. But if you pay $30,000 for a Toyota Prius, and you can buy a Cruze or a Ford Focus or a Nissan or a different Toyota that gets 40 or 50 miles per gallon, the premium doesn’t pay. Hybrids will evolve over time. You’ll see more technology with hybrids over the next 5-10 years than we have seen in our lifetime.

8

NNYB: Your family has dealerships in the Rome area, what was it like when the old Griffiss Air Base closed? Talk about the impact that had on the micro-economic conditions of Rome and on business.

DAVIDSON: When you lose something like the Griffiss Air Force Base out of a market area, obviously it’s a concern. You do feel it. There’s a lot of industry at the base now and a lot of businesses up there. You lose one thing but it’s been replaced. You have a big company up there who has been refurbishing big airliners, a lot of technology companies that have moved up there or are moving up there. Rome Free Academy is up there now. I pretty much spend most of my time here, but I go down once a month for meetings and I drive through base and it’s astounding how busy it’s gotten down there.

It’s bounced back and it’s a great market down there, just like here.

9

NNYB: What is driving the decision for building three new dealerships in Watertown Center?

DAVIDSON: It’s driven by two things: One, the buildings that we have been operating out of are 40, going on 50, years old. In the case of Rome and Watertown, we have GM stores in both locations and every GM dealer, depending on the condition of their facility, is required to refurbish or rebuild and GM really dictates what you’re going to do. Because of the age of our building, especially in Watertown, we were pretty much going to be building new buildings.

So we just thought that it was a good time and opportunity to get our stores together so they’re side-by-side. From a management standpoint it’s very helpful and from a consumer standpoint they can shop a lot of different brands in one location. Rather than try to re-work an old building, or knock down an old building, we decided

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Dwight E. Davidson, co-owner, Davidson Auto Group, Watertown, talks about his company in a temporary sales office at the Davidson Collision Center on outer Washington Street. that it was an opportune time to build brand new, get them together. The most convenient thing for the consumer on the new buildings will be the indoor service drives instead of driving up to the building and getting out of your car in a snow storm, you are going to be able to drive right into your building.

10

The Dwight E. Davidson file AGE: 50 JOB: Co-owner, Davidson Auto Group HOMETOWN: Watertown

NNYB: What kind of impact did cash-forclunkers have?

FAMILY: Wife, Barbara; two daughters, Sarah, 24, and Alexandra, 14.

DAVIDSON: It had a positive impact on our business. It took a lot of inefficient vehicles off the road. They were destroyed; they had to be taken off the road as a requirement. The reason the government subsidized that program was to get the oldest, least fuel efficient vehicles off the road. I could not sell that car to you when it was traded in. It was a lot of work, paperwork-wise with the government, I’m not sure I would want to do it again because of that.

EDUCATION: Marketing and accounting degree at Syracuse University, 1983.

NNYB: How has your industry changed with the advent of the Internet and pricing availability to consumers online?

CAR: Cadillac Escalade EXT pick-up

11

DAVIDSON: The Internet has changed how we live and absolutely changed how we do business, how we bank, how we shop for cars, how we do anything. I think it’s been a positive for our business. We’ve always been a business that’s about full-disclosure to our customers.

There’s always been the perception that we have 20 percent markup on our cars. We’re like any other industry, over time the manufacturer has been shaving our margin. If I have an educated consumer because they’ve done their homework and come into my establishment, a lot of times they know what they should pay and what my cost is. We discuss what a fair profit is. It makes for a much easier sale, where 20 years ago I had a lot of people come in and say ‘I want 20 percent off’ because they didn’t have access to this information. What’s interesting is, when the Internet exploded they predicted that it was going to put car dealerships out of business because people were going to buy cars online.

But what you have to remember, a car purchase, other than a home, is the second biggest

PROFESSIONAL: Attended General Motor Dealers Executive School, Detroit, then returned to Watertown to open a Chevrolet dealership as part of Davidson Auto Group.

LAST BOOK READ: “Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region” by Wayne Grady.

HOBBIES: Boating, quality family time. purchase a family can make. They want to touch and experience what they’re going to purchase.

12

NNYB: Why did it become necessary for the federal auto bail out?

DAVDISON: In the case of GM, everyone likes to say that they weren’t making good cars. That’s not the case. I will submit to you that the data — whether it’s Ford, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai — if you look the quality ratings, as in defects per 100 vehicles, if you look at them together, it’s miniscule. All of the manufacturers are making very high quality vehicles today. What worked against them was that at one time they weren’t making quality cars and once you have that reputation it’s hard to turn consumer sentiment back to your court. A lot of the products GM came up with after the bankruptcy people were under the impression that this is the new company; these are the new company’s products. All of those were in the pipeline before the company went bankrupt. So really, years and years ago the executives July 2011 | NNY Business

| 43

20 QUESTIONS at Ford, GM and Chrysler gave away the farm to the unions. The legacy cost of these retirement plans was extraordinary. The cost per vehicle to produce a car when you included those costs, which you had to, made them uncompetitive with other manufacturers that weren’t providing those types of retirements to their workers. That was probably one of the biggest causes of their trouble. It’ll take time, but that money will come back and the government will get their money back and more. As a businessman, isn’t that a good investment? And it kept you from going into a depression, which probably would have happened.

13

NNYB: There had to be concerns when it was all going on, what was that like? Did you ever experience anything like that?

DAVIDSON: I, personally, had not. My two brothers did in about 1980, interest rates were more than 20 percent. There was a gas shortage around that time, too. Car sales just stopped. I was still in college at that time. I witnessed it but I wasn’t at the dealership trying to work my way through it. This was my first time at a true downturn and it was scary, but our approach was: If you stay the course, you built your business, you worked hard and you built your reputation. If you just stay focused and stay calm, you work your way through it. Sure, there was the question that nobody knew what GM dealers were going to be kept. We felt pretty comfortable; a lot of smaller dealers or metro dealers did get cut. Our market area didn’t get

Historic Paddock Arcade

touched a lot. You had Theresa, that was almost already out and you had Clay, they were very rural. If you’ve done your due diligence in building your business, you’ll be fine, and if you built your relationships with banks and credit lines things like that. We were fortunate enough to have a solid reputation in the community, with our banks and with the people we work with.

14

NNYB: How has this all affected the leasing end of the business?

DAVIDSON: Manufacturers in the downturn backed off of leasing, primarily because they were overvaluing the residuals on the cars so the payments would be lower. Now they were going to the auction and losing money. Now you have car companies losing $3,000 to $5,000 on buyback rentals from the rental company at the auction and $2,000 to $4,000 on a lease turn. It doesn’t take much time before it erodes your cash reserves. They did back off of leasing. That has come back, too. The northeast of the country really depends on leasing. Without leasing, the northeast of the United States wouldn’t be able to be as successful as we are.

It’s coming back, but they’re doing it right so they don’t have those kinds of losses again.

15

NNYB: What’s the best business advice you have ever followed?

DAVIDSON: Stay to your true north, to your convictions and your philosophies, because that’s what got you to where you’re at. Don’t ever forget what got you to where you are.

What I mean is your passion, honesty and integrity and most importantly, your employees and your customers.

16

NNYB: Was credit ever an issue for you locally with consumers? Has it loosened up?

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NNY Business | July 2011

DAVIDSON: Credit has loosened up exponentially. Not only availability of credit to the businessman but availability of credit to the consumer has really opened up. We are starting to see the lenders look at the lower credit scores again. As you see that happen you’ll see car sales expand nationally. They were more concerned than they were before, whether it was auto lending or mortgages, they were really putting themselves out there and that’s what got us in trouble. Creditors are being a little more conservative and taking a good look at the consumer, but they are lending.

17

NNYB: How is your collision center business developing?

DAVIDSON: It’s been between five and seven years since we decided to get into the collision business in a big way. This building was actually a Chevrolet dealership back in the 1960s and it was vacant for years. Our collision business was growing so we bought it. It was a 17,000-squarefoot building and we’re now at about 35,000 square feet. We work with probably 25 insurance companies now and we do direct repair on the consumer’s behalf with those companies. That means that instead of an adjuster, you call the insurance company when you have an accident.

We are an adjuster on the insurance company’s behalf and we have computer software that does

that for us and communicates with the insurance company. They come here, they don’t have to get their repair done here but we write the estimate on the insurance company’s behalf as long as the consumer is OK with that estimate, they’re free to have it done here or go somewhere else. We’re also currently in the middle of changing over to water-based paint instead of solvent-based paint.

That is not mandated by the state. Solvents are bad for the environment. Water based doesn’t hurt the environment. Someday that will be mandated, but we are trying to stay ahead of that curb as far as environmental concerns go.

We prepared for it instead of having people tell us we have to do it.

18

NNYB: Do you think Watertown will get a Honda dealership again? Are you looking at adding Honda?

DAVIDSON: Honda will eventually come to Watertown. I don’t know when. We’re interested in Honda. It appears it’s been a long, drawn-out process. They’ve been gone from the market for at least a year and a half now. Honda won’t leave this market without a Honda dealer. I’m sure there will be all kinds of interest in that franchise. What we’re using the Drum Honda building for is to centralize our used car processing. If we take a car in on trade or buy a car at auction, it all goes through one facility. They do everything from mechanical to clean and prepare it for the lot, take pictures for the Internet, it’s all in one facility.

19

NNYB: Where do you see your industry trending in 5, 10 or 20 years?

DAVIDSON: I think you’re going to see an incredible amount of innovation. I don’t know if the manufacturers even know what’s going to surface. There are all kinds of things they’re working on. You’re seeing some of it. There are buses that generate hydraulic energy off of the brakes and the drive system of the wheels as they turn.

You have natural gas, propane and you have the current hybrids. There’s a multitude of other innovations that the manufacturers are working on. It’s going to be an exciting time, with more changes than anyone has ever seen, in my opinion.

20

NNYB: What kind of innovation would you like to see in your own business?

DAVIDSON: If you don’t change and innovate, you die. We constantly have to be assessing where the market is going and what consumers wants. Obviously, the green movement is going to be more and more important for all of us. We don’t want to leave our environment and economy a mess for our kids. We need to innovate in our energy resources in our own buildings. One of things we’re going to look hard at is green energy in our new buildings.

Possibly heating our buildings with the oil that comes out of the cars and recycling oil instead of throwing it out. Of course there’s the Internet, the Internet will continue to innovate and change and we have got to be a part of that.

— Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length.

Know someone who we should interview for 20 Questions? Contact NNY Business Editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net or 661-2399.

E C O N O M I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

Advocationg for Drum Country key

F

ort Drum Regional Liaison Organization began nearly 21 years ago on Sept. 1, 1990, when the former steering council went out of business and FDRLO became a nonprofit membership organization. During its first decade it was tucked away in the Watertown Chamber of Commerce under the watchful eye of retired Army Col. Terry Roche, former executive director of the steering council and then chamber president.

That first decade saw its fair share of Defense Department base realignment and closures. The first was in 1991, and was quickly followed with additional rounds in 1993, 1995 and 1998. FDRLO was Fort Drum’s advocate. It successfully argued that Fort Drum was so unique and so new that it didn’t fit the Army’s closure model.

In spring 2002, the DOD readied another round of base closures to begin in 2005.

This round of Base Realignment and Closures would be the largest and most comprehensive, covering all branches of service and determining a facility’s “military value” to our national defense.

Then U.S. Rep. John McHugh was working to define “military value” and in FDRLO’s first newsletter he wrote: “BRAC Round for 2005 – A Reality.” The congressman detailed changes in the closure process.

He also gave FDRLO its first public charge: “Just as soldiers train for war, FDRLO must utilize this time to ensure our ‘readiness’ and ‘combat effectiveness’ are up to standard. Fort Drum’s future viability will depend on how well we are prepared.”

BRAC fighting became serious business.

Meanwhile, the Army and DOD introduced other initiatives. The Residential Community Initiative was a plan to privatize Army housing to bolster housing quality for an all-volunteer force. Additionally,

the Army was “transforming” or “modularizing” its fighting force as it prepared to increase involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Few fully understood the total impact of these changes.

Carl McLaughlin The confluence of these changes required FDRLO to change its operating posture. It hired staff for a full-time office. It would no longer be a ward of the chamber.

FDRLO adopted a strategic plan. Its mission: “To foster effective communication, understanding, and mutual support by serving as the primary point of coordination for resolution of those issues which transcend the specific interests of the military and civilian communities of the Fort Drum region.”

For BRAC, it meant a new working group: “Drum 2020,” which began as a speaker’s bureau to promote Fort Drum and was later designated to prepare a public advocacy campaign. Funding to support these efforts came from a growing membership and significant pledges from the Jefferson County Board of Legislators and Empire State Development Corp.

The agency soldiered on, establishing a housing task force. This as-yet undefined project was expected to add new housing for service members. Officials also knew that leases of 2,000 units of 801 Housing would end between 2008 and 2010. Concerns over a housing imbalance had to be calmed.

These developments proved to be FDRLO’s way to directly add to the

“value” of Fort Drum. FDRLO leveraged its membership to create additional work groups to address a wide range issues.

After the May 2004 announcement of a third brigade headed to Fort Drum, those issues grew. The third brigade and transformation would nearly double the population assigned to Fort Drum between 2004 and 2010. FDRLO led or partnered with several agencies to promote, advocate, and yet again add “value” to a Drum Country experience.

Some of significant measures include: n Community housing, which continues to be FDRLO’s top priority, brought private and public agencies at the local, state and federal levels together to meet the goals of a housing strategy. While Fort Drum’s RCI added on-post housing, hundreds of new homes, rental units and rehab projects have met the growing demand for adequate housing off post. n In 2005, a Growth Management Task Force engaged cities, towns and villages of Fort Drum’s three neighboring counties to plan for “smart growth,” as they experienced changes caused by Fort Drum’s rapid development. Efforts continue with more training and a public transit study now under way. n An Economic Development Task Force promoted the Fort Drum spousal workforce, marketing to the government, and an analysis of compatible industries for a defense community. It has evolved into a public-private partnership that markets Drum Country Business a brand and location for business in north central New York.

Drum 2020 continues to promote Drum Country and works to add value to the experience of all who visit and live in the community. n CARL McLAUGHLIN is executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization. Contact him at cmclaughlin@fdrlo.org.

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| 45

N O N P R O F I T S T O D AY

Military strengthens our community

A

s I was entering high school in the mid-1980s, I recall all of the conversations surrounding the possibility of the reactivation of 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. I remember the community forums before and after the announcement regarding the impact on our region and the work being done by the Fort Drum Steering Committee to manage it.

Many of us are familiar with the annual Fort Drum Economic Impact Statement.

Although the focus is predominantly the pure dollars and cents of it all, each year a significant portion is devoted to the many ways Fort Drum partners with the community, not only for the benefit of soldiers and their families, but also their outreach efforts that support various nonprofit organizations. In the 2010 report, seven of the 28 pages of the report detailed these partnerships. Recent beneficiaries include the Adams Food Pantry, Carthage Augustinian Academy, Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity, Sackets Harbor Fire Department, South Jefferson School District, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Indian River Central School and Watertown Urban Mission.

It is a reminder that there are few, if any, facets of our north country that are not in some way affected by having a community within a community. Despite the increased capacity required by the nonprofit sector, it has responded in amazing ways and seen benefits as well.

The expansion has encouraged us all to grow and adapt, especially in the areas of health care, education and human services. In nearly every way, the people and

organizations of our area have risen to the occasion. It has never been a one-way street.

The infusion of new ideas, different ways of thinking, diverse backgrounds and exRande Richardson periences have all served to improve and uplift us as a region. Many of our nonprofits have had the wisdom and foresight to embrace military neighbors as members, volunteers and leaders.

Undeniably, a multitude of organizations, businesses and individuals have benefitted financially from the expansion.

This has, in turn, enabled them to return greater investments in the work of nonprofit organizations. It has also brought about locally strongly supported endeavors such as the Rotary Purple Heart Scholarship, Adopt a Platoon and the 10th Mountain Division Scholarship programs.

The YMCA’s Project Strong Communities has helped increase the awareness of the multitude of resources available in the north country. It is a model of how seriously we view our role and responsibility in integrating and immersing the military into the places where they live.

All funders, including the Northern New York Community Foundation and the United Way, have recognized their role and responsibility in caring for all of the north country’s citizens. Even though the nature of military life often makes it

difficult to establish long-term relationships, while here, they are our neighbors, our friends and an integral part of our community. For any nonprofit that has “community” as part of their mission, support of service members and their families is a non-negotiable. At the community foundation, some of the largest grants over the last two decades have been made to help organizations respond to the increasing demands of a growing community.

Last fall, I attended a Council on Foundations conference at which there was much discussion regarding Michelle Obama and Jill Biden’s “Joining Forces” initiative, intended to raise public awareness of the needs of military family members. The prevailing message was that, as we ask our soldiers and their families to do more, we have a collective responsibility to respond accordingly. I was filled with great pride knowing that my hometown has been fulfilling that promise that for decades now.

Is there more to do? Always. However, based on what I have observed from the actions of our nonprofit and civic organizations, schools, churches and individuals, we have set the bar high. We have let our actions speak louder than words. The way we treat all of our neighbors is a prerequisite for the honor and privilege of calling ourselves a truly caring community. n RANDE S. RICHARDSON is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident and former funeral director. Contact him at rande@nnycf.org. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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NNY Business | July 2011

COMMERCE CORNER

Fort Drum an engine of opportunity

T

here isn’t anyone who can dispute the economic impact of Fort Drum, but I continue to be impressed by the other influences of having such a large and diverse population as neighbors and customers.

I want to quantify this by saying that the more I have committed to understanding military lifestyle and challenges the clearer the big picture becomes. It’s not enough to just think, “Fort Drum is good for business.” It’s critical to understand the movement of troops and their families; it helps to plan for this with extra inventory or labor during redeployment or the opposite during deployments. It’s understanding that we are blessed with diversity and committing to hiring a diverse staff and consider ethnic goods and services within your traditional offerings. It also means reaching out to the military beyond the customer relationship and realizing they are a significant part of our neighborhoods, schools, civic organizations and they help the north country define who we are.

I grew up here and have witnessed the good and bad, I am so pleased to see the changes related to Fort Drum and while it’s not all rainbows, it has allowed me to stay here. It also gives our youth a real opportunity to start and maintain a career in this area.

I encourage you to support local groups or volunteer time, perhaps at the USO, Northern New York-Fort Drum chapter of the Association of the United States Army,

Operation Yellow Ribbon or with the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.

These are all organizations whose mission is to support our military and strengthen Peter Whitmore the militarycommunity relationship.

There is real value in being engaged and learning how to be better business people and making sure we understand

strategic planning and civic initiatives, along with Ret. Col. Terry Roche and his wife Maria, outstanding citizens. Joe McLaughin, a retired command sergeant major who continues to volunteer and help in the private sector. Ron Klusacek —UPS store, Issac Alexis III — Showtime Skating, Kurt Hauk — City of Watertown, Ret. Col. Dave Clark — General Dymanics, Lee Hector — an attorney, Keith Caughlin — also an attorney, Miyako Schanely — North Country Consortium, Steve Schanley — Mass Mutual, Randy Fipps — Samaritan Medical Center, Dwane Delosh — DS2, Timothy Ruetten — Credo, Mike Russel — AmeriCu, Penny Plant — Columbia College, Mike Richardson — Fort Drum Garrison, to name a few who found their way here through Fort Drum and decided that this is good enough to call home.

These former Fort Drum military personnel are important to who we are today and who we will be tomorrow. I am privileged to call many of them my friends.

Fort Drum isn’t just an economic engine, it’s an engine that protects our country, creates opportunities and leaves us with bright, friendly people that have made our community a better place to live.

Hooah!

There is real value in being engaged and learning how to be better business people and making sure we understand all of our customers’ needs. all of our customers’ needs.

There is another very significant contribution from Fort Drum. I am referring to the former military personnel who have decided to retire or simply leave the service and make Northern New York their home. These seasoned folks have used their years of expertise, travel and experience to enrich our community, whether they stay here or merely pass through.

It’s a long list and I couldn’t possibly name them all, but I would like to recognize a few as examples. Ret. Col. Mike Plummer has been a tireless supporter of our community, using his military background to help organizations with

n PETER S. WHITMORE is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce. He is a longtime small business owner and Jreck Subs franchisee who is also active with the Fort Drum chapter of the Association of the United States Army. Contact him at ceo@watertownny.com.

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| 47

AGRI-BUSINESS

Program to help farms hire locals

D

airy farms across New York State are expressing concern about finding people willing to work on the farm, especially milking cows. Farm owners advertise in local papers, online and through a variety of other publications but are frequently disappointed with the results. Even though the starting pay is respectable and good benefit packages are offered, positions go unfilled or farms are forced to hire workers, whose documentation may not be authentic, to fill the void left by a lack of local people willing to work in available positions.

In Jefferson County, an effort is underway to help dairy and other farms find local people willing to work. Through the Jefferson County Workforce Investment Board and in cooperation with the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp., Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, the Agricultural Workforce Development and Training program was recently started.

The goal of the program is to help connect farms looking for help and willing workers who have received an orientation program and basic training on farm work.

The program utilizes the WorkPlace, located at 1000 Coffeen St. in Watertown, across from Byrne Dairy.

The agencies plan to introduce farms to the use of the New York Department of Labor Job Central website at www.jobcentral.com/ny. This tool is widely used in other industries to attract people looking for jobs but is virtually unknown in the farming community. In addition to listing jobs on the website and matching up with individuals who might be interested in

farm work, the WorkPlace staff may also accept employment applications on behalf of farms.

Farms with vacancies will contact the WorkPlace with their job openings. Farm Jay Matteson owners will work with the staff of the Workplace to post a listing on the Job Central website. The WorkPlace will receive applications for the position, screen them and forward the applications to the farm owner. During this process, job applicants will have the opportunity to participate in an orientation program so they are more aware of the requirements of farm work. Farm owners will then select job applicants to interview and, if satisfied with an applicant, hire someone to fill the vacant position. Basic training for applicants will be offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County and intensive training will be provided by the farm, specific to farm operations.

Individuals interested in potential farm jobs will have the opportunity to participate in an orientation program, Introduction to Agriculture, which provides participants with a glimpse into the ag industry and the employment opportunities within the trade. Topics of the orientation program focus on working with dairy cattle. The workshops will give potential farm employees an overview of farm work and a very basic understanding on

the proper care of dairy cattle. Participants will see how the use of technology, such as the computer systems used to monitor milk production and cow health, are an integral part of the daily process of dairy farming. The importance of caring for animals will be a major portion of the orientation along with following correct operating procedures to maximize milk production. Anyone interested in participating in workshops may call the WorkPlace at 782-9252. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County is planning further training that will offer a stronger introduction to farm work, especially milking and caring of cows. The additional training will help job applicants gain more knowledge beyond the orientation program, prior to starting farm work.

The goal of the new program is for job applicants to have a strong familiarity with farm work by the time they first step onto the farm. The farm will still provide the detailed training necessary to their particular business.

It is intended that the Jefferson County Ag Workforce Development and Training program will help farms find local people willing and able to work the jobs available on the farm. The farm labor issue is growing into a crisis for our farms and the impacts ripple throughout the industry and surrounding communities. Possibly, the development and training program might be one small step in helping solve some of the workforce problem. n JAY M. MATTESON is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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NNY Business | July 2011

BUSINESS TECH BYTES

Internet a welcome tool for soldiers

I

t was 1987 when our family’s orders came down for Fort Drum. It had been four years and two babies since we had set foot on U.S. soil. Little did we know we would become some of the firsts — first to be assigned to the newly reactivated 10th Mountain Division (LI), first to live in brand new 801 Housing and some of the first to decide to make the north country our home.

It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the Internet became commonplace in homes and businesses, so in 1987 our information about Fort Drum and our new assignment was scant to say the least. Today a Google search for Fort Drum returns 3.6 million results in 0.08 seconds. This is almost information overload compared with the “Welcome Packet” we received via U.S. mail 24 years prior.

Fort Drum has embraced technology and it is evident on the website www. drum.army.mil. With one click you will find helpful links to housing, benefits and the family readiness program. To get you started, numerous other links to in-processing, vehicle registration and health care also are readily available. Unlike 1987 when we found ourselves in the World War II-era “trailer park” on old post, Fort Drum is much better prepared with temporary housing options from the Fort Drum Inn and Cottages, to the RV sites and cabins at the much-improved Remington Pond Recreation Park. Last, but certainly not least, is a link to the electronic version of the Mountaineer, the weekly newspaper produced by the Army Civilian Enterprise Newspaper. It even includes an archive section dating back to 2003.

Indeed, the post website is chocked full of relevant information for newcomers, retirees and civilians alike. The Fort Drum

Resource Guide is an A-to-Z listing of services available on Fort Drum and the surrounding communities, from the Army Air Force Exchange to the Watertown Veterans Center, this resource Jill Van Hoesen provides operating hours and further links to get you to the specific pertinent information you may be seeking.

Technology in 2011 — not even thought of in 1987 — provides still another website, I would have found most beneficial when I was a newbie to Fort Drum and the north country.

The Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization a community-based membership organization founded in 1990 with the intent and mission to foster and preserve positive inter-relationships and communications between civilian and military communities and leaders, effectively uses the Internet to further its mission with www. drumcountry.com.

Drum Country, New York, which refers to Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, is named for Fort Drum. The Drum Country concept focuses on the deeply enmeshed character, culture and economy between the region as a whole and the army post. This site is a valuable gateway to the post and the communities that surround it, from discussion on the impact that soldiers and their families have on continued economic growth and development of Drum Country to the

civilian employment opportunities now numbering more than 4,700 and generating more than $1 billion dollars annually.

A photo gallery features amateur photos of recreation, schools, community, arts and culture. This hodgepodge of quality photos is sure to please not only the newcomer to Northern New York, but those who have always called it home. A 21-minute video does a magnificent job of highlighting military and civilian opportunities and services alike.

Like many of you, Fort Drum is still a constant in our lives. My husband is no longer an active duty soldier, but he, like many others, still passes through the airfield gates each day as a proud civilian employee. I spent 12 years of my information technology career with the Army Air Force Exchange before moving into the private sector.

And, like many other military families, our oldest son chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and right out of high school enlisted to pursue his dream of becoming a military policeman. Unfortunately, like many returning from the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our son’s career was cut short. Luckily, quality veteran health care and other services are readily available to him as he transitions back to civilian life.

In the true north country way, staying true to the adage “everybody knows everybody else in Northern New York,” my son works for Dwight Davidson, featured in 20 Questions this month. Little did we know we would all become part of the “brain gain” in Drum Country. n JILL VAN HOESEN is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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| 49

SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

Veterans help grow small business

I

t’s a big moment when a soldier’s tour of duty comes to an end, and all military personnel who transition out of the service at Fort Drum are required to attend a Transition Assistance Program class to investigate their options for education or career building. For many veterans, self-employment is one option they want to investigate. To that end, the Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College travels on-post several times every month to present information about entrepreneurship.

In fact, in 2010, 22 percent of local SBDC clients were identified as military, which includes this group of soldiers transitioning out of the armed forces, as well as members of the Warriors in Transition Unit (wounded veterans), reservists and retirees. This statistic does not include our many military spouse clients also looking into business startups.

Research from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics backs up this trend. According to a report in the June 2011 Small Business Advocate, “for more than 30 years, veterans have had and do have a higher rate of self-employment than non-veterans.” A further study didn’t link military training or culture to a predisposition of veterans to entrepreneurship, but suggested more that it was “something within the individuals themselves. Those who choose to join the military seem also to be those who later choose self-employment.” It also found that those who serving for 20

years or more increased the incidence of self-employment, which the authors proposed might be due to the size of the retired veteran’s pension.

Sarah O’Connell As with all of our clients, the types of businesses veterans want to start vary, from restaurants to retail shops to crafts. Some want to introduce a type of business that was popular where they were previously stationed, such as a particular Southern restaurant chain or an outlet for a style of clothing not available locally. Our challenging winter weather has motivated others to want some type of indoor family entertainment. Sometimes they’re actually looking at starting a business in another part of the country, in which case we give them basic startup information and then refer them to the closest SBDC (via the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website, www.sba.gov) for specific information on that area’s particular legal requirements and local funding sources.

The SBA offers a variety of support programs for veteran businesses, which must be at least 51 percent veteran-owned. This includes counseling through the SBDCs, SCORE and the Veterans Business Outreach Program. The SBA is also a partner

in the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities, locally offered at Syracuse University.

The SBA’s loan initiative, the Patriot Express Loan, was launched in 2007 and has already supported almost $500 million in loan guarantees to veterans, reservists and spouses. These loans for up to $500,000 are approved through a commercial lender and can be used for startup, expansion, equipment, working capital, inventory or real estate. In federal contracting, the government has a goal of awarding at least 3 percent of prime and subcontracting dollars to certified service-disabled veteranowned small businesses each year.

We’re still awaiting word on the proposed legislation “Veterans Business Ownership Act of 2011,” which would allow veterans to use their G.I. Bill benefits to fund a business startup rather than for college tuition. This could provide a great financial boost for military entrepreneurs and only add to the great group of entrepreneurially-minded veterans who add so much to our local business community.

The NYS Small Business Development Center offers individual, confidential counseling at no cost for people with new or existing businesses, as well as other workshop opportunities. We can be reached at 782-9262 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu. n SARAH O’CONNELL is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She is a former small business owner and lifelong Northern New York resident.

Contact her at soconnell@sunyjefferson.edu.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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NNY Business | July 2011

TUESDAY, JULY 19

n Speed networking event, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Thousand Islands Winery. Sponsored by Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Free. Limited space, register

by Friday, July 15. Register: www.alzcny.org/ speed. Contact: Julie, 782-8755 ext. 117.

THURSDAY, JULY 21

n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Singer Castle, Chippewa Bay. Sponsored by Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Must register by noon Wednesday, July 20. Register online at www.watertownny.com or by phone at 788-4400. Cost: Members, $8; non-members, $12.

CHAUMONT SATURDAY, JULY 23, AND SUNDAY, JULY 24

n Lyme Community Days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, throughout the town of Lyme.

Sponsored by Chaumont-Three Mile Bay Chamber of Commerce. Craft fair, fishing derby, classic car show, Vendors: Amanda Miller, 778-1191, or chaumontchamber@ yahoo.com.

FRIDAY, AUG. 5, TO SUNDAY, AUG. 7

n Hospice Charity Cup Regatta, Crescent Yacht Club. Junior race competition, 5 p.m.

Friday, followed by cocktail reception, dinner and live entertainment. Reception and dinner tickets: $25; ages 12 and younger, $15. Registration: 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday.

Ships set sail at 10:30 a.m. Shore reception 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Sackets Harbor Bandstand, with food, beer, wine and live entertainment. Shore reception tickets: $20.

Tube race registration: noon Sunday, Liberty Sackets Harbor Marina, races from 3 to 5 p.m. Tube race registration: $20 for two-person team. Contact: Lynn Dobbins, 788-7323 or lynn@jeffhospicefoundation.org.

from 10 a.m. to midnight daily, Lewis County Fairgrounds, Bostwick Street. Free admission.

Daily parking: $3; five-day parking pass, available at the fair office, Countryside Veterinary Clinic and Griffith Energy, $10. Information: 376-8333 or www.lewiscountyfair.org.

OGDENSBURG SATURDAY, JULY 23, TO SUNDAY, JULY 31

n Ogdensburg International Seaway Festival, throughout the city. Parade, fishing derby, 4K run, daily events, concerts, vendors, food and exhibits. Information: www. ogdensburgseawayfestival.org or Chris and Sally Cole, 393-3518.

SUNDAY, JULY 24

n 37th Annual Antique and Artisan Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., E.A. Newell Golden Dome, State Street. Sponsored by Ogdensburg Area Zonta Club. Artisans, handmade products, vintage clothing, antique dealers from throughout the state. Refreshments available. Proceeds benefit local scholarships. Admission: $4. Information: Debbie Abel, 393-7156, or djabel@verizon.net.

POTSDAM THURSDAY, JULY 14, TO SATURDAY, JULY 16

n 44th annual Potsdam Summer Festival, throughout the town. Sponsored by Potsdam Chamber of Commerce. Live music, sidewalk sales, food and entertainment all three days.

Craft show, antique car show, flea market in Ives Park and 5 p.m. parade on Saturday. Information: Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, 274-9000 or www.potsdamchamber.com.

PULASKI TUESDAY, JULY 26

CLAYTON

n Business After Hours, 6 p.m., Rainbow Shores Restaurant. Sponsored by PulaskiEastern Shore Chamber of Commerce. Food, coffee, soda, beer, wine and music. Cost: $5.

Register: Chamber of Commerce, 298-2213.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, AND SATURDAY, JULY 16

SACKETS HARBOR

n 43rd annual Decoy and Wildlife Show, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, Cerow Recreation Park Arena. Hosted by the Thousand Islands Museum. Admission: $5; children ages 12 to 16 and senior citizens, $3; children younger than 12 and military, free.

GOUVERNEUR MONDAY, AUG. 1, TO SUNDAY, AUG. 7

n 159th Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair, St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds, 85 E. Barney St. Free admission. Parking inside gate: $3; season parking pass, $12. Information: 287-3010 or www.gouverneurfair.net.

LOWVILLE TUESDAY, JULY 19, TO SATURDAY, JULY 23

n 191st Lewis County Fair, grounds open

SUNDAYS IN JULY

n Sackets Harbor Historical Society Concerts on the Waterfront, 3 to 5 p.m., Battlefield State Park. Free. Concerts: July 10, Ioan Harea, Classic Gypsy and Tango; July 17, Atlas; July 24, Tas Cru, Americana Blues and Country; July 31, Norwood Firemen Brass Band.

WATERTOWN TUESDAY, JULY 12, TO SUNDAY, JULY 17

n 194th Jefferson County Fair, grounds open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds, Coffeen Street.

Admission: Tuesday, free; Wednesday to Saturday, $5; Sunday, $4; children ages 5 and younger, free. Mega pass: Before fair starts, $19; after fair starts, $23. Parking: Free at JCC; $3 on grounds. Information: 782-8612 or www.jeffcofair.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 16

n Historic House Tour and Elegant Garden Party, 4 to 7 p.m., home of Karen and David Walton, 17428 Old Rome Road. Sponsored

by Friends of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Rain date: Sunday, July 17. Food provided by Farm House Kitchen, Sackets Harbor, beer, wine, garden music and summer drinks. Tickets: $40. Reservations: 782-3491. n Michelle Salisbury Memorial Golf Tournament, 9 a.m., Willowbrook Golf Club. Sponsored by Northern Federal Credit Union, benefits the Michelle Salisbury Scholarship Fund at Belleville Henderson Central School. Registration required by Friday, July 8. Cost: $65 per person or $260 per team, includes 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch at the pass, dinner buffet, door prizes, raffles and contests. Registration form available at www.northernfcu.com. Information: Nellie Mathous, 779-3149.

SATURDAY, JULY 23, AND SUNDAY, JULY 24

n North Country Arts Council Summer Gala, 6 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Thompson Park.

Sponsored by North Country Arts Council.

“Enchanted Gardens,” a gala celebration of the arts. Cocktail reception with entertainment, silent auction and dinner from the Farmhouse Kitchen on Saturday evening.

Information: Mike Miller, 777-4383.

MONDAY, AUG. 8

n Children’s Home of Jefferson County Golf Tournament, 8 a.m., Ives Hill Country Club. Cash prizes and lunch is being catered by chefs Christopher Manning and Geoff Puccia. Registration begins at 6:45 a.m. Cost: $400.00 per foursome, includes entrance fee, 18 holes and card, participation gift, complimentary food on the course, closest to the pin contest, longest drive contest and lunch. Register: Fawn Hubbard, 788-7430, or fhubbard@ nnychildrenshome.com.

WELLESLEY ISLAND THURSDAY, JULY 14

n 11th annual Hospice Charity Golf Tournament, 10 a.m., Thousand Islands Country Club. Four-person captain and crew with prizes for first through fifth place. Cost: $1,500 per team. Teams must be registered before the day of the tournament. Register: Lynn Dobbins, 788-7323 or lynn@jeffhospicefoundation.org.

SUNDAY, JULY 24

n Festive Evening 2011, 5 to 9 p.m., Joey’s at the Thousand Islands Country Club. Benefits River Hospital Foundation. Gourmet food stations, open bar, wine tasting, live entertainment, silent and live auctions. River casual attire. Cost: Advance, $85; at the door, $95. Tickets: 482-4976 or www.riverhospitalfoundation.org.

n GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar item? E-mail editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www.face book.com/NNYBusiness for updates to our business events calendar.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS EVENTS CALENDAR

ALEXANDRIA BAY

July 2011 | NNY Business

| 51

CHAMBER / WEB DIRECTORY

NNY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE  ALEXANDRIA BAY

7 Market St., Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; 482-9531, www.visitalexbay.org

 BOONVILLE

122 Main St., P.O. Box 163, Boonville NY 13309; 942-6823, www.boonvillechamber.com

 CAPE VINCENT

175 N. James St., P.O. Box 482, Cape Vincent, NY 13618; 654-2481, www.capevincent.org

 CARTHAGE AREA

120 S. Mechanic St., Carthage, NY 13619; 493-3590, www.carthageny.com

 CENTERSTATE CEO

572 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202; 470-1800, www.centerstateceo.com

 CHAUMONT-THREE MILE BAY

686-3771, www.1000islands-clayton.com

 GREATER WATERTOWNNORTH COUNTRY

1241 Coffeen St., Watertown, NY 13601; 788-4400, www.watertownny.com

 GOUVERNEUR

214 E. Main St., Gouverneur, NY 13642; 287-0331, www.gouverneurchamber.net

 HENDERSON HARBOR P.O. Box 468, Henderson Harbor, NY 13651; 938-5568, www.hendersonharborny.com

 LEWIS COUNTY

7576 S. State St., Lowville, NY 13367; 376-2213, www.lewiscountychamber.org

 MASSENA

50 Main St., Massena, NY 13662; 7693525, www.massenachamber.com

 MALONE

 OLD FORGE

3140 Route 28, P.O. Box 68, Old Forge, NY 13420; 369-6983, www.oldforgeny.com

 POTSDAM

1 Market St., Potsdam, NY 13676; 274-9000, www.potsdamchamber.com

 PULASKI

3044 Route 13, P.O. Box 34, Pulaski, NY 13142; 298-2213, www.pulaskinychamber.com

 SACKETS HARBOR

304 W. Main St., P.O. Box 17, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685; 646-1700, www. sacketsharborchamberofcommerce.com

 SOUTH JEFFERSON

14 E. Church St., Adams, NY 13605; 232-4215, www.southjeffchamber.org

 ST. LAWRENCE

101 Main St., First Floor, Canton, NY 13617; 386-4000, www.northcountryguide.com

P.O. Box 24, Three Mile Bay, NY 13693; 649-3404, www.chaumontchamber.com

497 East Main St., Malone, NY 12953; 1(518) 483-3760, www.visitmalone.com

 CLAYTON

 OGDENSBURG

1 Bridge Plaza, Ogdensburg, NY 13669;

907 Route 11 C, P.O. Box 297, Brasher Falls, NY 13613; 389-4800, www.tritownchamberofcommerce.com

JEFFERSON COUNTY JOB DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

517 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624;

BIZ WEB DIRECTORY CITEC MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS www.citec.org

CLARKSON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP www.helpmysmallbusinesstoday.com www.facebook.com/CUEntrepCtr www.twitter.com/CUEntrepCtr

DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY www.danc.org

LEWIS COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

www.jcjdc.net

www.northcountryptac.com

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT SUNY JEFFERSON

www.slrvra.com

www.sba.gov www.facebook.com/SBAAtlantic www.twitter.com/SBAAtlantic

WATERTOWN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY IDA / LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.

WATERTOWN SCORE

www.slcida.com

788-6840

839 State Street, Watertown

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NNY Business | July 2011

 TRI-TOWN

www.watertown.nyssbdc.org www.facebook.com/WatertownSBDC www.twitter.com/nys_sbdc

www.lcida.org

52 |

393-3620, www.ogdensburgny.com

www.watertownldc.com

www.scorewatertownny.org

BUSINESS SCENE 2011 Hospitality Expo and Boldt Castle Open House

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left Jean T. Couglar, Tibbets Lighthouse Hostel, and Shelley F. Higgins, Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce. Above, from left, Ruth Warner, Northern New York Agriculture Historical Society at Stone Mills, and Mavis Knox. The 1000 Islands Tourism Council presented the 1000 Islands International Region Hospitality Expo and Boldt Castle Open House last month.

Top, from left, Deborah L. Sholes, Clayton Island Tours, Barbara R. Peterson, Clayton Island Tours, and Kimberli M. Johnston, Clayton Chamber of Commerce. Above, from left, Katharine F. Dickson, Front Porch Realty, and Lisa P. Reiss, executive director, Clayton Opera House.

CREG SYSTEMS n VISIT NNY BUSINESS on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness to view more than 160 additional Business Scene photos from events across the north country since we launched in December. Tag yourself, tag your friends and tag your friends’ friends.

Like us on Facebook and be the first to see the front page before it hits newsstands, learn who we’re interviewing, what we’re covering and join in the discussion about business in Northern New York.

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| 53

BUSINESS SCENE South Jeff Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner & Business of the Year Celebration

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Richard Calvin McNeely III and wife, Rhonda M., coowners, Adams Center-based Hi-Lite Markings, Marlene A. Norfolk and husband, Fred, owners, Honeyville Manor bed and breakfast, Adams Center. Above, from left, Dr. Diane Ferry, South Jeff Veterinary Hospital, Adams, Terry Rendell and wife Barb, Elliott Realty, Watertown. The South Jeff Chamber of Commerce named Hi-Lite Markings and Honeyville Manor large and small businesses of the year, respectively, during its first business recognition dinner on June 2 at the Arbor Restaurant, Adams.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Lisa Reed and Lori Wells, co-owners, Cafe Mira, Adams, and Liz Cappon, Rodman. Above, from left, the Rev. Nevario “Bud” Masters, Adams Village Baptist Church, and wife, Marvel.

Bella’s Clayton - 315-686-2341

Serving Breakfast & Lunch Daily 8am to 4pm

Fine Dining On The River Thursday-Monday 5pm to 9pm Web: bellasonlinenow.com

54 |

NNY Business | July 2011

Email: mringerhardy@yahoo.com

BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute graduation

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, GWNC Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute graduates Bonnie J. Belfield, Northern Federal Credit Union, Nathan P. Hunter, Northern Federal Credit Union, Jeany Danielsen, Rose & Kiernan. Above, from left, Gary W. and wife, Jill L. Parker, owners, City Electric, Watertown. The Black River Valley Club hosted the annual graduation dinner on June 9.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Rena L. Richardson, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum, and husband, Michael, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum and Jefferson Leadership Institute graduate. Above, from left, Jefferson Leadership Institute graduate Sonja E. Draught, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum and Michael H. McKinnon, deputy commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum.

July 2011 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Marina Inn & Suites

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Jeff Anthony, www.jeffanthonydesign.com, and Taylour Scanlin, Carthage Area Hospital. Above, from left, Beth A. Mac, district manager, Kelly Services, Watertown, and board member, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and Lisa Bowhall, Kelly Services. The Marina Inn and Suites, Sackets Harbor, hosted the chamber’s June Business After Hours on June 16.

56 |

NNY Business | July 2011

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Stephanie Elliott, Watertown Savings Bank, Sackets Harbor, Michelle Parks LaBrake, Watertown Housing Authority, Barbara Yerdon, Doldo Brothers Inc. Above, from left, Marya S. Baker and Kelly N. Dault, Marina Inn & Suites.

BUSINESS SCENE Regal Cinema Salmon Run Stadium 12 grand opening

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Michelle Bowen and Denise Comins, Regal Cinemas Salmon Run Stadium 12. Above, from left, Lynette Karcher, district administrative assistant, Regal Cinemas, Jewel Gallagher, regional marketing manager, Regal Cinemas.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Adam Taddeo and wife, Megan, Regal Cinemas Salmon Run Stadium 12. Above, from left, Jim Sacco, Pyramid Corp., Rob Stewart, Pyramid Corp., and wife, Terri.

July 2011 | NNY Business

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DINING GUIDE Brookside Diner 1873 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9824

Fiesta Mexicana 566 State St., Watertown (315) 779-7577

Ives Hill Restaurant 435 Flower Ave. W., Watertown (315) 775-4837

Brownville Diner 114 W. Main St., Brownville (315) 786-8554

Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn 26561 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 782-8401

Jean’s Beans 259 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 788-7460

Café Mira 14 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4470

Fung Hing Chinese 225 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9689

Cam’s Pizzeria 25 Public Square, Watertown (315) 779-8900

Gary’s Restaurant 5424 Shady Ave., Lowville (315) 376-6612

Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge 380 S. Railroad St., Parish (315) 625-4005

G&F Italian Pizza and Restaurant 2972 E. Main St., Parish (315) 625-7177

Cavallario’s Cucina 133 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 788-9744

Gold Star Deli 343 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-6155

Cherry Tree Inn 8541 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-7281

Goodfellos 202 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3463

China City 1125 Arsenal St. Suite 2, Watertown (315) 788-8289

Gram’s Diner 13 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4881

Church Street Diner 107 Church St., Carthage (315) 493-0997

Great Wall Chinese 300 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-7668

Coleman’s Corner 849 Lawrence St., Watertown (315) 782-6888

Harby’s Hots Outer Washington Street, Watertown (315) 788-2250

Crossroads Diner 22474 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 782-9591

Herrings Inn 35802 State Route 3, Carthage (315) 493-9829

Crystal Restaurant 87 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-9938

Highland Meadows Country Club 24201 State Route 342, Watertown (315) 785-0108

Daily Buffet (Chinese) 1283 Arsenal St. Stop 8, Watertown (315) 786-8598

Hops Spot 214.5 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-BEER (2337)

Dano’s Pizzeria and Restaurant 24411 State Route 971V, Felts Mills (315) 773-3266

Home Deli Pizza & Subs 305 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 782-6340

Boathouse 214 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2092

Erin’s Isle Restaurant 928 State Route 11C, Brasher Falls (315) 389-4100

Hot Diggity Dogs Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 788-4844

Boondocks Restaurant and Bar 3950 State Route 12, Lyons Falls (315) 348-4040

Fairground Inn 852 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7335

India Palace 1196 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-8457

n A directory of independent coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

Full-service restaurants 1025 Ruyi Japanese Steak House 1025 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 405-4501 1844 House “An American Bistro” 6885 U.S. Route 11, Potsdam (315) 268-1844 2000 Chinese Restaurant 22070 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 788-2000 Arbor Restaurant 10700 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-4842 A & J’s Diner 455 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-4811 Andy’s Caribbean Cuisine 302 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-8658 Apollo Restaurant 1283 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-3569 Art’s Jug 820 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 782-9764 Bella’s Bistro 602 Riverside Drive, Clayton (315) 686-2341 Bernardo’s Pizzeria 702 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9500 B J’s Grill 610 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-8126 Black River Valley Club 131 Washington St., Watertown (315) 788-2300 Blue Heron 12050 Route 12E, Chaumont (315) 649-2240

Joey’s at the Thousand Island Club 21952 Club Road, Alexandria Bay (315) 482-9999 Johnny D’s 1 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-6108 Johnny D’s Bistro 108 108 Court St., Watertown (315) 755-2333 Karen & Jasper’s Bar & Bistro 1322 Washington St. Plaza, Watertown (315) 788-4110 King Star Food Oriental 22265 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 786-0246 Korean Grill 525 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 681-4226 Lake Ontario Playhouse 103 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2305 Leanna’s at the Manor Store Route 11, Pierrepont Manor (315) 465-4400 Limerick Hotel 16331 State Route 12E, Limerick (315) 639-6804 Lloyd’s of Lowville 7405 S. State St., Lowville (315) 376-7037 Lucia’s Italian Restaurant 11613 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-2223 Maggie’s on the River 500 Newell St., Watertown (315) 405-4239 Mariano’s Pizza 981 Waterman Drive, Watertown (315) 788-8088 McCarthy’s Restaurant 5821 U.S. Route 11, Canton (315) 386-2564 Midway Ice Cream 891 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 405-4996 Mo’s Place 345 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-5503 Morgia’s Pasta 22560 Fisher Road, Watertown (315) 788-3509 Mr. Sub Sandwich Shop Public Square & Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1760 NuPier 13212 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3312

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NNY Business | July 2011

DINING GUIDE Original Italian Pizza 222 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 786-0000 Papa Tino’s Pizzeria 716 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-7272 Pete’s Restaurant 111 Breen Ave., Watertown (315) 782-6640 Pizza Shack 12699 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2267 Rainbow Shores Restaurant 186 Rainbow Shores Road, Pulaski (315) 298-5110 Rajit 262 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5513 Ramada Inn 21000 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-0700 Riccardo’s Market & Deli 710 Holcomb St., Watertown (315) 782-7810 Riverhouse 4818 Salina St., Pulaski (315)509-4281 Roberts Family Pizzeria 839 State St., Watertown (315) 786-2006 Roma Restaurant 19 Bridge St., Carthage (315) 493-0616 Romalato’s Gourmet Deli 450 Gaffney Drive, Watertown (315) 681-6653 Ryan’s Lookout 9290 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-5151 Sackets Harbor Brew Pub 212 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2739 Sandy’s Luncheonette 5 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-2935 Savory Café 1511 Washington St., Watertown (315) 785-6464 Savory Downtown 300 Washington St., Watertown (315) 782-8000 Sboro’s Restaurant 836 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1728 Shorty’s Place 1280 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7878 Shuler’s Steak & Seafood 802 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1429 Soluri’s Pizza 526 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-2888

Violi’s Restaurant 209 Center St., Massena (315) 764-0329

Crazy Legs Saloon 536 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 777-8333

Village Inn 8208 Main St., Harrisville (315) 543-9382

Edge of the River Pub 519 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 788-0695

VV’s Mexican Kitchen Noble Street, Evans Mills (315) 629-4652

Fat Boys 743 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 779-0087

Walsh’s Pub & Grill 101 E. Main St., Brownville (315) 782-6065

Fort Pearl Inc. 557 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 786-3333

Stonefence Resort 7191 State Route 37, Ogdensburg (315) 393-1545

Watertown Golf Club Grill and Bar 1 Thompson Park, Watertown (315) 782-5606

Hitchin’ Post Tavern 404 Court St., Watertown (315) 782-9656

Stone Jug Pizzeria 104 Bartlett Road, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-1008

Willowbrook Golf Club 25075 State Route 37, Watertown (315) 782-8192

Suk Hui Hi’s Korean 1301 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9740

Wing Wagon 71 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-3205

Super Wok Chinese Restaurant 20991 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-5389

Coffee Houses

Read the reviews

 Log on to www.watertowndaily times.com to read restaurant reviews

by Watertown Daily Times restaurant critic Walter Siebel.

Get on the list

 Call NNY Business advertising specialist Clarissa Collins at (315) 661-2305 or e-mail ccollins@wdt.net to have your restaurant or bar listed in our monthly dining guide today.

Teriyaki Experience 21852 Towne Center Drive, Watertown (315) 785-9254 Thailand Thai Restaurant 1857 State St., Watertown (315) 788-6688 The Place 1612 Ford St., Ogdensburg 315-393-3080 Tico’s Mex Mex Grill 65 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-4778 Tilted Kilt 1050 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5458

Brew Ha Ha 468 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1175 Chrissy Beanz Bakery 105 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2330 Coffee Shop Carbone Plaza, Watertown (315) 782-0450 Danny’s Coffee 21181 Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 782-7057 Paddock Coffee House 4 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 836-1508

Hometown Pizzeria 4 W. Church St., Adams (315) 232-3000 Joe’s Tavern 548 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9709 Kicker’s Lounge 498 Factory St., Watertown (315) 785-9392 Mick’s Place 204 Factory St., Watertown (315) 786-1992 Paddock Club 5 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 786-6633 Pappy’s Bowlmor Lanes 227 E. Orvis St., Massena (315) 769-9877 Pewter Mug 1120 Gill St., Watertown (315) 782-0200

Bars / drinking establishments

Seth’s Pub 558 State St., Watertown (315) 681-6645

Tin Pan Galley 110 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3812

Artie’s Tavern 329 High St., Watertown (315) 782-9616

Shootie’s Bar 504 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 782-9724

United China Restaurant 144 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 782-4432

Clueless 545 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-9006

Time Warp Tavern 302 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9784

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Ride the Pony... Play Mini Golf...Eat in our Café - Ice Cream, Hot Dogs, & Hamburgers! Shop in our Barnyard Boutique Open Daily 10:00am • Sackets Harbor • 583-5737 www.OldMcDonaldHasAFarm.com July 2011 | NNY Business

| 59

BUSINESS HISTORY

A military success story

n From Camp Hughes to Fort Drum, Army has trained in NNY for 104 years

By BONI SHAFER

T

Jefferson County Historical Society

he military presence in Jefferson County originated with the War of 1812. At the height of the war, the village of Sackets Harbor housed more than 4,000 troops. Following the War of 1812, Madison Barracks was constructed in Sackets Harbor to provide a lasting military presence. The region once known as “Pine Plains,” which Fort Drum now occupies, was a route for transporting supplies from the Adirondacks to Madison Barracks. In 1906, Col. Philip Reade, while stationed at Madison Barracks, approved Pine Plains as a training location. On Aug. 31, 1907, National Guard units began to conduct training maneuvers at Camp Hughes, which was named for then-New York Gov. Charles Hughes.

The General Order outlining the purpose for Pine Camp in 1908 was for the instruction of troops in the Army and National Guard in conditions that resemble those existing in war. The site was brought to the attention of the War Department by former colonel, Gen. Reade. When government agents sought to purchase this land, the asking price was more than what the government wanted to pay. The Watertown Chamber of Commerce and the local land agent of the New York Central Railroad stepped in to secure more reasonable rates for the government.

The government was able to purchase 10,893 acres at about $6 per acre. The first use of the reservation was in the summer of 1908 and involved 8,000 men.

The units consisted of signal corps, engineers, infantry, artillery and cavalry.

Maj. Gen. Frederick Dent Grant, son of former President Ulysses S. Grant, at that time commanding General of the Army’s Department of the East, served as commandant of Pine Camp.

Few credit the Watertown Chamber of Commerce for its role as facilitators of Pine Camp. However, the chamber was quite instrumental in securing reasonable land rates for the military. As part of their commitment to bring a training camp to the community, each member of the chamber contributed $5 to establish a campaign fund of $300.

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NNY Business | July 2011

New York Gov. Charles Hughes and Gen. Frederick Dent Grant at Pine Camp, June 20, 1908.

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

A special committee was formed on June 1, 1906, to persuade the War Department to select Pine Plains. Committee members included attorneys John N. Carlisle and George H. Cobb; David M. Anderson, president of Taggart’s Paper Co.; Nathaniel P. Wardwell, cashier at Watertown National Bank; James S. Boyer, clerk with Agricultural Insurance Co.; James H. Hustis, superintendent with New York Central Railroad; civil engineer Frank A. Hinds; wholesale grocer Lewis W. Day; Samuel F. Bagg, secretary of Watertown Steam Engine Works; clothier James R. Miller; Willard D. McKinstry, president of the Brockway Co., publisher of the Water-

town Daily Times, and Edward N. Smith.

For 30 years, Pine Camp was used for summer field training by small units of the regular Army with units of the National Guard, C.M.T. and ROTC. In 1934, Col. Briggs informed the Watertown Chamber of Commerce of plans being made to conduct a massive summer field training maneuver that would involve a much larger number of Army and National Guard troops. These maneuvers would include tanks, artillery, infantry and aircraft. Such maneuvers would require a great deal more land. Col. Briggs requested trespass rights for local land.

The Chamber of Commerce quickly

BUSINESS HISTORY approved the land use.

The massive scale maneuvers held that year proved what an effective area Pine Camp was for training and paved the way for later expansion. In 1935, the largest peacetime maneuvers ever conducted up to that time took place at Pine Camp with more than 36,500 troops trained in an area extending from Watertown to Plattsburgh.

It was clear that more land was needed to adequately train combined Army units.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1941 Pine Camp expanded to meet the needs of the war. The government purchased 75,000 acres that absorbed villages in the towns of LeRay, Antwerp, Philadelphia, Wilna and Diana in Lewis County.

Farms were abandoned and 3,000 buildings, including 24 schools, six churches and eight cemeteries were closed, reducing many towns to half of their original size, along with a significant loss of farmland for both Jefferson and Lewis counties. Five hundred and twenty five families where relocated to other communities. With the cost of $20 million, 800 buildings were constructed, 240 barracks, 84 mess halls, 86 storehouses, 58 warehouses, 27 officers’ quarters, 22 headquarters buildings and 99 recreational buildings, as well as guardhouses and a hospital.

A prisoner of war camp was constructed at Pine Camp in 1943. It was designed to house up to 1,000 prisoners. The POW compound was constructed immediately adjacent to the railhead, in the southwest corner of Pine Camp.

On Sept. 20, 1943, the first trainload of POWs arrived, carrying 999 Italian prisoners. Ten days later, Italy surrendered to the Allies and declared war on Germany.

The prisoners had a choice: remain prisoners until the end of the war or join the Italian Service Units ISU for non-combative work in the United States. Ninety-five percent of Italian prisoners opted to join the ISU. They wore regular Army uniforms with an oval Italy shoulder patch on their service jacket and a circular Italy patch on their garrison cap.

The first German POWs arrived at Pine Camp in March 1944. Like the Italian POWs, these German prisoners had been captured in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in North Africa, Sicily and southern Italy. The POW camp was torn down in November of 1946 and no trace of it remains. Today, NY MATES storage facilities occupies that location.

Pine Camp became Camp Drum in 1951, named after Lt. Gen. Hugh A. Drum who commanded the First Army during World War II. During the Korean War, a

Mr. and Mrs. Merton Hoover in their Sterlingville store and Post Office in August 1941.

The Hoovers moved out of the Pine Camp expansion area to a small house in West Carthage.

Sterlingville was one of the several towns that were eliminated for the growth of Pine Camp.

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

number of units trained at Camp Drum.

The post was renamed again in 1974 to Fort Drum and a permanent garrison was assigned. On Sept. 11, 1984, Fort Drum became the new home of the 10th Light Infantry Division. The 10th Light Infantry Division was renamed the 10th Mountain Division in 1985. From 1989 to 1992, 130 new buildings, 35 miles of roads and 4,272 family housing units were constructed at

the cost of $1.3 billion.

Today, Fort Drum includes 107,265 acres of varied terrain, and stretches from Black River to Lake Bonaparte to Spragueville. n BONI SHAFER is a volunteer for the Jefferson County Historical Society, 228 Washington St., Watertown. For museum hours and program updates and to learn more about the Jefferson County Historical Society, visit www.jeffersoncountyhistory.org.

July 2011 | NNY Business

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W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G H E R E ?

ULTA BEAUTY STORE & SALON LOCATION: Towne Center Plaza, Route 3, Town of Watertown SIZE: 10,000 square feet of retail space with 90 feet of storefront and a 950-squarefoot full-service salon OWNERS: Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc., Bolingbrook, Ill. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: Early fall 2011 LOCAL JOBS: Several dozen construction jobs; about 30 full- and part-time retail and salon jobs when opened.

DEVELOPERS: COR Development Co. LLC, Fayetteville ONLINE: www.ulta.com.

— Compiled by Kyle R. Hayes

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Construction is under way on Ulta Beauty, which will fill out a line of stores in Towne Center Plaza on Route 3. The cosmetics, hair care and skin care products retailer is being built next to Michaels. The store will cover 10,000 square feet and have 90 feet of storefront. Ulta offers more than 21,000 prestige and mass beauty products and salon hair care products, along with a full-service salon.

NEXT MONTH

I

n our August cover story, we examine the impact of education on the north country and its business community, nonprofits and government and civic organizations.

Also coming next month: n BETTING ON INNOVATION Clarkson University has made substantial investments in commercializing technology over the past decade, We take a look at what’s paid off and what the next big venture might be.

n SIZING UP SUNY The SUNY system provides 6,700 jobs and $604 million in annual economic activity to the Northern New York region. We take a look at the numbers. n GETTING TECHNICAL Education in 2011 also means technical training for hundreds of critical-skill jobs. We examine technical training and how it contributes to the region’s education sector. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History, Business Scene and more. n FOLLOW US ON Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness.

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NNY Business | July 2011

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