NNY Business February 2015

B

Y usIness

// networking groups bring young

professionals together P. 22

FEBRUARY 2015 Volume 5 No. 3

nnybizmag.com

***

THE INTERVIEW Massena Mayor Timmy J. Currier p. 28

The north country’s

FIGHT for funding

Economic development battle between regions heats up $2.95

/nnybusiness @NNYBusinessMag

// Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly //

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February 2015 | NNY Business

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Inside FEBRUARY 2015

16

15

44 22

|

COVER |

16 a battle for bucks Since 2011, the north country has received $338.1m for economic development. |

GUEST ESSAY |

12 a real renaissance The competition for money to build a stronger region has meant a more focused effort. |

SMALL BIZ STARTUP |

15 A scented success A Colton pair has parlayed a one-time ‘back-up plan’ into a burgeoning business.

|

NETWORKING |

22 young pros connect Jaycees, TIYLO bring local professionals together. |

REAL ESTATE |

26 YEAR-END SALES REPORT After a sluggish start, home sales rebounded in 2014 to end the year ahead of 2013. |

TOP TRANSACTIONS |

27 JEFFERSON COUNTY The top 10 property sales in the Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties hit $11.2m in December.

|

BUSINESS SCENE |

40 NETWORKING, NNY STYLE From Jefferson to Lewis counties, businessmen and women connect for success. |

BUSINESS HISTORY |

44 A SPIRITED LOCAL ICON Hotel Davenport helped to shape Copenhagen with many owners through the years. |

ONLINE |

NNYBIZMAG.COM Connect with us online for daily updates, more photos and exclusive Web content.

February 2015 | NNY Business

|5

C o n tr i b u t o r s

BusIness www.nnybizmag.com

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Brian Marcolini is director of the the North Country Initiative at FDRHPO. He writes about regional health care reform efforts under way. (p. 32)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He writes about proposed rules for sprinklers. (p. 25)

Larry Covell is a professor of business at Jefferson Community College. He explains Limited Liability Company operating agreements. (p. 33)

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

VP News Operations Timothy J. Farkas

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Staff Writer / Editorial Assistant Lorna Oppedisano

Graphic Design / Layout Lauren Harrienger

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp. He writes about the 2015 outlook for agriculture. (p. 35)

Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. She writes about leading different generations. (p. 34)

Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 28-year IT veteran. She offers tips to guard data against potential network or cyber attacks. (p. 36)

Photography

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

Director of Advertising Michael Hanson

Advertising Graphics

Brian Mitchell, Rick Gaskin, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Jennifer McCluskey is an advisor for the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

She explains nine different social media platforms and how to choose the best ones to market your business. (p. 37)

Ted Booker is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer.

In our cover story, he writes about the state’s four-year-old Regional Economic Development Council system and how the north country has fared in the process. (p.16)

Norah Machia is a freelance writer and veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter. In features, she writes about two different networking organizations. that bring together young professionals in the north country. (p. 22)

MARKETPLACE Bach & Company .................... 13 Beardsley Design ..................... 46 Cantwell and Associates ........ 13 Cape Vincent Housing Corp. .... 24 Caskinette’s Ford ..................... 39 Center for Sight ........................ 20 CFS Eye Boutique of NNY .......... 9 CFS Hearing .............................. 33 CFS Medispa ............................ 18 Chiappone’s Tire ...................... 22 Christian Builders ..................... 13 Clayton Dental Office ............. 40 Clayton Distillery ...................... 13 Clayton Shurfine ...................... 13 Coleman’s Corner ....................19 Community Bank ................. 4, 46 Cortel Improvement ................ 26 Creg Systems Corp. ................... 8 DANC .................................. 32, 48 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home .... 38 Dr. Guitar .................................... 8 Dunn Glass Insurance ............. 21

Eagle Ridge Village ................. 24 Fairground Inn .......................... 19 Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization .................. 3 Foy Agency .............................. 21 Fuller Insurance ....................... 21 Gerald A. Nortz Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep .......................... 14 GWNC Chamber ..................... 47 Haylor Freyer & Coon .............. 21 HD Goodale ............................. 21 High Tower Advisors ................ 30 Hospice of Jefferson County .... 45 IHC Schools .............................. 45 Ken Piarulli / Ameriprise .......... 23 LTI Trucking ............................... 36 McLear’s Hearing Aids .............. 8 M. R. Gaebel ............................ 23 Nationwide Insurance ............. 21 NNY Community Foundation .... 14 Norstar Property Management ........................... 24

6 | NNY Business | February 2015

Nortz & Virkler Ford .................. 22 RBC Wealth Management ........ 7 Ridgeview Inn ...........................19 Ridge View Lodge ..................... 8 SeaComm Commercial Lending ..................................... 37 Shred Con ................................ 34 Shuler’s Restaurant .................. 19 Slack Chemical Co. ................ 35 S.T.A.T. Communications ........ 27 St. Lawrence Spirits .................. 13 Truax & Son Insurance ............. 21 Waite Motorsports .................... 43 Waite Toyota ............................ 42 Watertown Local Development Corp. ................ 25 Watertown Savings Bank .......... 2 Watertown Spring & Alignment ............................. 22 WPBS TV .................................... 41 WWTI-TV 50 ............................... 31 Ziebart Tidycar ......................... 22

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), is published monthly by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2010-2015. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

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Call 315-782-1000 to subscribe.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email mhanson@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2327 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail knelson@ogd.com, or call 315-769-2451 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

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|

INTERVIEW

|

|

ABOUT THE COVER

|

28 a prosperous path ahead With a 26-year career in law enforcement — more than 20 as Massena Police chief — Timmy J. Currier recently opened his second act as mayor of a village that faces many challenges. |

COLUMNS

|

32 ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING 33 BUSINESS LAW 34 COMMERCE CORNER |

DEPARTMENTS

8 9 10 14 15

35 AGRI-BUSINESS 36 BUSINESS TECH BYTES 37 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

|

EDITOR’S NOTE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE SMALL BIZ STARTUP

25 38 40 44 46

real estate roundup CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE BUSINESS HISTORY NEXT MONTH

For this month’s cover shot, photographer Amanda Morrison captured Justin A. Taylor, Clayton town supervisor, and Todd Buchko, 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel general manager, on the balcony of a guest room that overlooks the St. Lawrence River. The Harbor Hotel is one of the most high-profile projects to receive money from the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. Our cover story about economic development begins on page 16.

February 2015 | NNY Business

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EDITO R’S N O T E ince it began in 2011, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s competitive Regional Economic Development Council program has pitted 10 regions of the state against one another for millions of dollars in grant money. In the past four years, the north country region, which included Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties, has captured $338.1 million in aid for projects that range from market-rate Ken Eysaman housing to tourism initiatives and infrastructure that are ultimately aimed at job creation. Our cover story this month, by Johnson Newspapers Staff Writer Ted Booker, examines the success and challenges of battling for bucks to bolster our economy. Ted’s story begins on page 16.

20 QUESTIONS — This month we sit down with Timmy J. Currier, Massena’s longtime police chief who last fall was elected to the village mayor post. In a wideranging conversation, the newly minted mayor talks about the necessity for regional collaboration in north St. Lawrence County to advance the economy, tackling a growing drug problem and retaining quality jobs for local residents. Our interview with Mr. Currier begins on page 28.

BUSINESS SCENE — This month’s Scene section, which begins on page 40, features 37 faces from nearly three dozen businesses and organizations from across

the north country.

On Jan. 21, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce at the Carthage Savings & Loan Association Top of the Square branch in Watertown for January Business After Hours.

On Jan. 22, we joined the Clayton Chamber of Commerce at the Antique Boat Museum for the chamber’s January Business With A Twist networking event.

Finishing the week, on Jan. 23, we joined Watertown’s Downtown Business Association at Watertown Urban Mission for its annual Social Event. The awards were sponsored by the DBA and the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College.

Congratulations to the five businesses that received recognition.

Finally, on Jan. 28, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce at the Ramada Inn, Watertown, for the 2015 Economic Forecast breakfast.

A five-member panel representing the military, development, banking, government and manufacturing sectors presented an optimistic outlook for the coming year.

UPCOMING — We are reviewing plans to host a 20 Under 40 Alumni Networking event in early March. Visit us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit our website, nnybizmag.com, for details on this mustattend event. Our next two issues of NNY Business will feature Women in Business and Family Business. To ensure you don’t miss either, call our customer service team at 782-1000 to subscribe today.

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P E O P L E O N T H E M O VE

Nursing grads honored

Jefferson Community College held a pinning ceremony for weekend option graduates of the college’s nursing program Dec. 19. Students were honored for outstanding achievements with the presentation of various awards.

Matthew G. Sheldon, Wellesley Island, received the Madalyne and Donald Hess Excellence in Nursing award for academic and clinical achievement. Mr. Sheldon is a member of JCC’s Tau Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges.

Alyson R. Tighe, Pulaski, was awarded the North Country Professional Nurses Association District 6 award for commitment and leadership skills.

Amanda M. Terrillion, Croghan, received the Samaritan Medical Center HEART award for incorporating comfort measures for her patients.

Carmen Y. Pratt, Fort Drum, received the Marion Brennan Personal Growth in Nursing award for continuing education while meeting challenges of personal stressors.

CAH Foundation names new executive director

Brian Serota has been named executive director at Carthage Area Hospital Foundation. Mr. Serota will be responsible for promoting charitable gifts and ensuring excellence in community health care.

Mr. Serota previously served four years as a senior operations analyst Serota at General Dynamics. He is a retired army aviation officer,

having served in Korea, Germany and several army posts in the U.S. In 2003, he was stationed at Fort Drum with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and retired from command with the G-6 Calvary in 2010. Mr. Serota earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Iowa State and a master’s in business administration at Touro University.

Mr. Serota is a member of the American Legion, Carthage Elk’s Club, All-Sports Booster Club for Carthage High School and Army Aviation Association of America. He has also chaired the Carthage Area Hospital’s Fort Drum Advisory Committee.

NNY residents become professional drivers

Mark Peterson, Adams, and Jonathan Shearer, Carthage, recently graduated from National Tractor Trailer School, Liverpool.

Mr. Peterson now works as a tractortrailer driver for Crete Carrier Corporation.

Prior to completing tractor trailer school, he served in the military.

Mr. Shearer has joined U.S. Xpress, Inc. as a tractor-trailer driver. Before graduating, he was a full-time student.

Both men earned certificates completing 602 hours of training in NTTS’s advanced commercial drivers course, which included Department of Transportation rules and regulations, hours of service, trip planning and behind-the-wheel instruction.

Adirondack nurse earns excellence award

Brittany Pittman, a registered nurse at Adirondack Medical Center has been named the 2014 recipient of the Meghan E. Handler Excellence in Nursing Award.

The award is given annually to an Adirondack Health nurse with fewer than three

Got business milestones? n Share your business milestones with NNY Business. Email 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. years of experience who has demonstrated commitment to improve and expand their knowledge of patient care, technical skills, compassion, efficiency and rapport with patient’s families and colleagues.

Joins Haylor, Freyer & Coon

Lauren Marecek recently joined Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. as manager of its employee benefits division.

Ms. Marecek, who will be based in Syracuse, will oversee strategic planning and execution of employee benefits sales and service functions for all company locations.

She has worked in her field for more than 25 years, specializing in self-insurance, stop loss insurance, captive arrangements and voluntary programs.

Sackets Harbor resident commands Guard unit

Capt. Amanda Ponn took command of the Headquarters Support Company of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division during a change of command ceremony in mid-December in Troy.

The company provides support to the division. The division oversees guard units in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Ms. Ponn enlisted in the National Guard in 2004, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2008. In her command role, she will oversee about 200 soldiers.

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NNY

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers December 2014 $2.14 November 2014 $2.27 December 2013 $2.05

4.4%

ECON SNAPSHOT

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

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

377,653 in December 2014 396,801 in November 2014 363,131 in December 2013

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

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

December 2014 $2.94 November 2014 $3.22 December 2013 $3.65

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

19.5%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

10 | NNY Business | February 2015

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

December 2014 $3.33 November 2014 $3.46 December 2013 $3.89

14.4%

4.0%

$1.16 on Dec. 31, 2014 $1.14 on Nov. 28, 2014 $1.06 on Dec. 31, 2013

9.4%

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

December 2014 $2.84 November 2014 $2.88 December 2013 $3.50

91,400 in December 2014 91,000 in November 2014 91,300 in December 2013

18.9%

0.1%

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

Source: NYS Department of Labor

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales

97, median price $125,000 in December 2014 97, median price $148,000 in November 2014 87, median price $129,900 in December 2013

36, median price $108,000 in December 2014 54, median price $83,250 in November 2014 53, median price $79,140 in December 2013

11.5% Sales

3.8%

32.1%

Price

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

36.4%

Sales

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates Jefferson County

7.7%

December ’14

7.5%

November ’14 December ’13

9.1%

St. Lawrence County December ’14

7.2%

November ’14

7.2%

December ’13

8.1%

Lewis County December ’14

8.3% 7.4%

November ’14 December ’13

8.9%

Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.) ** Latest available data reported due to annual data updates at the New York State Department of Labor.

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

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County

Trucks Cars 127 in December 2014 338 in December 2014 94 in November 2014 271 in November 2014 357 in December 2013 76 in December 2013

5.3%

NNY

67.1%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

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

3,211 inbound and outbound in December 2014 2,492 inbound and outbound in November 2014 2,983 inbound and outbound in December 2013

2,407 in December 2014 2,370 in November 2014 2,053 in December 2013

7.6% Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

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

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office Dec. 30 to Jan. 29, 2015. For a complete list of DBAs filed in August and in past months, visit www.nnybizmag.com.

Jan. 29: Stoney Stream Farm, 31558 Rutland Hollow Road, Black River, Rita Louise LaBarge, 31558 Rutland Hollow Road, Black River.

Jan. 28: Red Letter Design, 39728 Route 12, Clayton, Jason J. Clement, 12291 County Route 5, Chaumont.

Northern TaeKwonDo, 2 VanBuren St., Antwerp, Tasha L. Plante, 416 Holcomb St., Watertown.

Jan. 27: Psalter Project, 4720 LeRay Drive, Fort Drum, Emily Briana Moore, 4720 LeRay Drive.

Tracy’s Services, 35033 Eddy Road, Theresa, Tracy Lynn Premo, 35033 Eddy Road.

Jan. 26: The Golden Cleat, 42830 Grove Ave., Thousand Island Park, Emilie J. Cardinaux, 42830 Grove Ave., Thousand Island Park.

Custom Cushions and Canvas, 45500 Barnes Settlement Road, Redwood, Cindy Jo Skinner, 45500 Barnes Settlement Road, Redwood.

Jet O Rooter, 14741 County Route 145, Sackets Harbor, Donald C. Pitcher and Victoria A. Pritty Pitcher, Sackets Harbor.

E.C. Carpet Clean, 35237 Jackson II Road, Carthage, Edmund J. Cummins, 35237 Jackson II Road, Carthage.

Thousand Islands Yacht Brokers, 42548 Route 12, Alexandria Bay, William W. Ball, 42544 Route 12, Alexandria Bay. Jan. 22: Blade Runner Fishing Tackle, 42548 Route 12, Alexandria Bay, William W. Ball, 42544 Route 12, Alexandria Bay. Darren Ellwood Britton Trucking, 46354 County Route 1, Alexandria Bay, Robert L. Britton Jr., 46354 County Route 1, Alexandria Bay. AE Bookkeeping and More, 15296 Fawdry Road, Sackets Harbor, Emily E. Gibeau, Sackets Harbor, and Amanda Battista, Watertown.

Jan. 21: Liquorland, 12 Bridge St., Carthage, Jamie L. Rohr, P.O. Box 7, Carthage.

Jan. 16: Healthy Horizons, 105 Canal St., Dexter, Diantha Kitto Velasquez, 105 Canal St., Dexter.

Little Owls Boutique, 15678 Maynard Ave., Dexter, Camilla Rose Moran, 15678 Maynard Ave., Dexter.

Jan. 14: Liquorland, 12 Bridge St., Carthage, Jamie L. Rohr,

P.O. Box 7, Carthage.

Dirty Secrets Cleaning Services, 35033 Eddy Road, Lot 2, Theresa, Jessica Jo Tutt, 35033 Eddy Road, Lot 2, Theresa.

Jan. 13: A Touch of Class, 14251 Military Road, Sackets Harbor, Vicemae F. Dearth, 14251 Military Road, Sackets Harbor.

Rae’s Tire Recycling, 38486 Route 37, Theresa, Raechelle L. Willix, 38486 Route 37, Theresa.

Jan. 12: Success Vineyards, 43298 Seaway Ave., Suite 1, Alexandria Bay, Jacob S. Conaway, 43330 Seaway Ave., Alexandria Bay. Jan. 9: The Blanc Canvas, 24970 County Route 37, Carthage, Danelle Foster, 24970 County Route 37, Carthage.

Jan. 8: Pillar to Post, 17599 County Route 66, Sackets Harbor, Randy J. Stevens Jr., 17599 County Route 66, Sackets Harbor.

T.J. Gill Specialty Welding, 41277 County Route 15, Plessis, Troyer J. Gill, 41277 County Route 15, Plessis.

Sewdandy, 782 Lansing St., Watertown, Joylnn Fiorentino, 782 Lansing St., Watertown.

Dalektables, 23361 Route 37, Watertown, Tanya C.M. Logan, 23361 Route 37, Watertown.

Jan. 7: Black River Livestock Company, 493 Bugbee Drive, Watertown, Patrick G. Robbins, 493 Bugbee Drive, Watertown.

Jan. 6: Quaint Somethings, 825 LeRay St., Watertown, Lindsey N. Slaten, 825 LeRay St., Watertown.

Jan. 5: Behring Jiu Jitsu New York, 26220 Route 283, Watertown, Curtis Mosely, 266 E. Main St., Watertown.

GGH Unlimited, 30476 Burnt Rock Road, Cape Vincent, Grace Hao, 30476 Burnt Rock Road, Cape Vincent.

Maua, 627 Addison St., Watertown, Jasmine Y. Gigas, 627 Addison St., Watertown.

Jan. 2: Victory Tattoos, 22088 Route 11, Watertown, Carlos Gonzalez, Richland, and Amber B. Fuller, Watertown.

Dec. 31: Lawn Mowing by Steve, 35281 Schell Road, Theresa, Steven Marcinkawski, 35281 Schell Road, Theresa.

Dec. 30: Lightdragon Enterprises, 1151 Superior St., Watertown, Britn T. Haviland, 1151 Superior St., Watertown.

The Rock Bar and Grill, 26006 New York St., Route 26, Plessis, Recor Enterprise LLC, 37996 County Route 13, LaFargeville.

transactions

DBAs

17.2%

February 2015 | NNY Business

| 11

G U EST E SS AY

Leading an economic renaissance

T

he North Country Regional Economic Development Council kicked off its 2015 planning cycle in January by assessing our progress and beginning discussions on the new initiatives proposed in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Opportunity Agenda and executive budget, including the Upstate Revitalization Fund and the Broadband Expansion Plan.

Composed of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, government and non-government organizations in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, the Council is one of 10 regional councils across New York formed by Gov. Cuomo and his administration in 2011. The councils serve as a central planning point for economic activity across the various regions.

This approach has redefined how New York invests in job creation and economic growth by putting in place community-based strategies that empower local leaders and citizens to develop their own economic roadmaps. Each region builds upon its own unique assets.

No region has embraced this opportunity to define its future more than the north country.

And when the process started, no region had more work to do to articulate a shared vision and build a comprehensive strategic plan.

Of the state’s regional councils, ours covers the largest geographic region, encompassing more than six-million acres of protected landscape in the Adirondack Park and the long international border along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway, then across to Lake Champlain. Both factors come with unique issues to consider in parallel with advancing economic growth opportunities.

The north country also began the process with a limited history of collaboration or unifying objectives. In fact, many members of our Council, municipal officials and the agencies that support us had never met or collaborated on projects.

This was the case between my co-chairman, Garry Douglas, president of the North County Chamber of Commerce, and me, who met for the first time at the governor’s announcement.

We turned that latter challenge into our advantage. Without a shared past or prior work plans to debate, we began with a clean slate.

Early on, the Council’s representatives from the public and private sectors made a full commitment to foster broad public participation in ideas and priority setting by engaging in dialogue at open forums around the region, a practice that continues to this day.

Today, with full recognition of the region’s assets and input from our communities, we have created a vision to lead the economic renaissance of New York’s small cities and rural communities. We are doing this by energizing our key manufacturing industries in aerospace, transit and biotech; leveraging our gateway to Canada;

12 | NNY Business | February 2015

catalyzing new business start-ups; investing in community development infrastructure; innovating our health care and education networks; activating tourism to diversify our regional portfolio; investing in agriculture and retaining our commitment to the environment by focusing on creating the state’s greenest energy economy.

Last year, our region was awarded $63.4 million to support 69 projects that advance our vision, reflect our priorities, and Tony Collins leverage private investment. To date, we have brought $338.1 million in state support of 291 projects in the statewide competition. Over four rounds of competitive awards, we have leveraged $1.7 billion in other funds and private investment.

Beyond the numbers, we can count among our regional successes strengthened statewide support for Fort Drum, New York’s largest singlesite employer and home to the nation’s most deployed servicemen and women since 9-11. The governor’s most recent budget proposal further advances Fort Drum’s readiness by improving the Route 26 corridor and land use surrounding the base. Thanks to a Council project with ReEnergy Holdings that converted a former coal-to-energy plant to use sustainably harvested local biomass, the U.S. Army awarded its largest contract ever signed for sustainable power and made Fort Drum the only military base in the country with secure, resilient power generation.

Our region’s strong sense of responsibility to our veterans does not end at Fort Drum. We have raised statewide appreciation for those who have served both symbolically and with new economic opportunities. Repairs are under way at Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway and legislation establishing goals for awarding state contracts to small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans is now in effect.

The north country has a strong track record of attracting investments from Canada and from Europe via Canada. The Council’s Global North Country initiatives further position our seven counties as New York’s “other” international region by using our location as the connector to Canada and the world through our St. Lawrence Seaway ports, border crossings and expertise in foreign direct investment and expansion in the U.S. market.

From expanded “I Love NY” advertising to events like the Adirondack Challenge, we have successfully advocated for a resurgence of statewide support for tourism and recreation in our

own backyard. With projects like Hotel Saranac and the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, we are accelerating private investment that spurs growth across the entire tourism sector.

Broadband is a key to connecting our region to global commerce activities and achieving a well-deserved recognition as a special place to live, work, study and visit. The governor’s latest proposal calls for a $1 billion investment to leverage public and private resources to ensure every New Yorker has access to high-speed Internet by 2019. We have a solid blueprint for getting this vital infrastructure completed by private sector companies like Slic Network Solutions, with its own investment and with state and federal support.

The Council has also provided innovative approaches to work with small businesses that were not typical of past state programs. We have launched seven loan and grant funds totaling $17.4 million to address a variety of regional needs, including revitalization and site mediation, value-added agriculture, broadband and digital film conversion for local theaters.

Across the Council’s work streams, the nine colleges and universities in our area have also launched new and expanded collaborations to support workforce readiness, environmental and policy studies, and technology education in our K-12 schools. Many of our institutions of higher learning are also advancing economic growth through research and commercialization support, such as the Innovation Hot Spot based in Clarkson University’s Shipley Center for Innovation. The center has facilitated more than 100 new start-ups and has more than 350 projects in its pipeline.

While our plans are still unfolding for how the Council will approach the Upstate Revitalization Fund competition Gov. Cuomo recently proposed, we are optimistic about our chances for success. Through our ongoing strategic planning process and implementation of our vision over the first four years of awards, we believe that the north country has established a model for collaboration and public participation in setting our priorities.

In addition to reviewing the approach our colleagues in the Buffalo region used for their own fund, we are taking steps to inventory projects in our pipeline and collect scalable ideas that will build the capacity for job growth across our sectors.

We encourage submissions of ideas and perspectives to our Website at www.ncredc.com that will be forwarded to our workgroups and will be the focus of further public forums in the spring before the final submission is made. n Tony Collins is president of Clarkson University and co-chairman of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.

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February 2015 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS BRIEFCASE

GYMO changes structure

Based on legislative changes finalized in 2012, Watertown-based GYMO, Architecture, Engineering and Land Surveying’s business status has changed, resulting in a shift in corporate business designation to GYMO, Architecture, Engineering and Land Surveying, D.P.C., or Design Professional Corp.

This state-authorized change allows nonlicensed staff to have the opportunity to participate in ownership of the firm, which previously was only available to New Yorklicensed professionals.

CAH accredited by Joint Commission

Carthage Area Hospital received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for hospital accreditation Dec. 8. The gold seal is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

The hospital underwent several unannounced on-site surveys, where expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards consisting of emergency management, infection prevention and control, environmental care, leadership and medication management.

Extension nets $4k grant

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently announced a $4,000 community health award grant for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County to fund the ‘4-H Choose Health’ program.

This research-based curriculum addresses the high percentage of overweight and obese children in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. The program promotes wellness, increased physical activity and nutrition education at 4-H Club camps, county fairs and after-school programs.

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Tucker Spring Organics THE INITIAL IDEA

It’s always good to have a back-up plan. Tucker Spring Organics coowners K. Chad Graham and Brent G. Carbino, a fifth-grade teacher in Massena and a massage therapist, respectively, knew that. They also knew three years ago that neither of their jobs were completely stable. With cuts being made across the board in the public sector, Mr. Graham knew that he wanted to capitalize on a venture he had more control over: a private business.

“We were looking for something more creative,” he added.

The pair explored the option of catering at first, but realized that the red tape and high hoops around the industry were strict and limiting.

While they were batting around the idea of starting their own business, a friend who specialized in handmade soaps moved out of the area.

Left without their own soap supplier, they realized that someone would have to fill that void.

“We started a few winters ago, experimenting in our kitchen,” Mr. Graham said, “and it kind of grew from there.”

TARGET CLIENTELE When a customer buys a bar of soap from TSO, they’re not just buying local. They’re also buying natural, cruelty-free products.

“Commercial soaps have so many chemicals.

[Natural soap] is better for your skin, and it doesn’t dry out your skin,” Mr. Graham said, adding that in the north country, this is especially important.

During the past three years, TSO has expanded its clientele through a grassroots effort, Mr. Graham said. The two men have brought natural products to anyone interested in learning about their company as people might have continued to buy their skin care products elsewhere.

Mr. Graham said his favorite part of the experience has been watching word spread to new customers and seeing them return.

“The most rewarding thing about the business is when you’re at an event, and you don’t have to do the marketing,” he said. “When customers come and basically sell it to other customers.”

THE JOURNEY The first year for TSO presented Mr. Graham and Mr. Carbino with more competition than they anticipated. At a weekly farmer’s markets, their fledging company was just one of many.

“That was one of the reasons we decided to push into the artistry of the soap,” Mr. Graham said, explaining that their product is more than just a bar that cleans your skin. “We think of it as art for your bathroom. Half of the fun is making it visually appealing.”

The duo shied away from making appearances at farmers markets, where their customer base was limited to people who frequented the markets each week, and focused on niche markets, like juried artisan events. They also started selling their products wholesale to local businesses.

Now, the breakdown of their sales is about

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

“So many of our collection is based off the north country, just from our memories in the north country, because we love this area so much.”

— K. Chad Graham, co-owner, Tucker Spring Organics 55 percent from one-on-one events, 35 percent wholesale to businesses and the remainder from their website, Mr. Graham said, adding that TSO can ship in the continental U.S. Products for sale online range from soaps to candles to lotions and scrubs, priced from roughly $5 to $15.

After three years, the two still run the business from their home, where they make and store the soap. They’ve gotten good at anticipating inventory in advance of orders — a batch of soap has to cure for four to six weeks after it’s made — but that’s not to say that they don’t still face challenges.

“The biggest challenge for us is just with the supply chain of getting products,” Mr. Graham said.

A lot of the company’s supplies come from the west coast, where the soap-making movement has really taken off. So the cost of raw materials, shipping and time it takes to deliver the products are factors they must take into account.

Despite the burgeoning soap-making industry to the west, TSO doesn’t plan to relocate. Mr. Graham is a Northern New York native, he said, and many of the company’s products are inspired by the region.

“So many of our collection is based off the north country,” Mr. Graham said, “Just from our memories in the north country because we love this area so much.”

And the area has returned that loyalty to TSO. The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce has been a big help in their journey, Mr. Graham said. The chamber has provided leads on places to sell their products and other opportunities.

Mr. Graham said that if he had any advice for entrepreneurs in the north country, it’s to seek help

like TSO did. “Really just use the resources out there,” he said.

IN FIVE YEARS The plan for the future is grassroots-based growth — not too much, and not too fast. But some sort of expansion is in the cards, Mr. Graham said.

“Down the line, we either see adding on to the house, or find a separate location,” he said.

Mr. Graham said that while his teaching schedule works well with TSO’s schedule, he would eventually like to transition out of the public sector and into the small business full time. He said since his partner’s massage therapy work coincides well with TSO, Mr. Carbino will probably never completely give up his day job.

The company recently forged a partnership with businesses that purchase their products wholesale, making custom lines that are branded with logos. They’re started to see growth in that, and hope to see it continue, Mr. Graham said.

Along with location and product expansion, Mr. Graham and Mr. Carbino — the entire workforce behind TSO — are considering hiring help, specifically to represent the company at the ever-growing number of events they attend.

All things considered, the key to TSO’s future is a responsible and incremental growth, Mr. Graham said.

“Our goal — not just Tucker Spring Organics, but a lot of the natural soap companies — is to show what a product it can be,” Mr. Graham said. “So hopefully it will continue to grow.” ­— Lorna Oppedisano

WHERE Colton | FOUNDED January 2012 | WEB tuckerspringorganics.com

February 2015 | NNY Business

| 15

COV E R ST O RY

The competition for economic development Since 2011, the north country has received $338.1m in state money to develop infrastructure, housing and projects that will lead to sustainable local jobs. Last month, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo raised the stakes with a new competition that could send another $500m to NNY. Officials say the region is prepared for a tough fight.

S

Since the state launched its economic development competition in 2011, the north country has received the second highest funding among the 10 regional councils. But Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo still described the region as one of the areas of the state in most dire need of economic development during his State of the State address last month.

Despite the $338.1 million in funding awarded to the regional council over the four-year period, numbers seem to indicate that the financial windfall hasn’t translated into job creation. And business leaders say that if the north country wants to maintain its reputation as a top performer in the governor’s competition, its primary focus should be on projects geared toward workforce development and creating year-round jobs.

Statistics from the state Department of Labor show that the number of jobs has 16 | NNY Business | February 2015

BY TED BOOKER | NNY BUSINESS fallen here during the past three years.

From December 2011 through December 2014, the number of jobs dropped from 43,600 to 41,200 in Jefferson County, 43,400 to 42,700 in St. Lawrence County and 11,100 to 10,300 in Lewis County.

And while the north country was named a top performer in three out of the four years of the governor’s competition, numbers show funding has fallen each year since 2011: from $103.2 to $90.2, $81.2 and $63.4 million, respectively.

Yet taken as whole, the region has been a highly successful player in the state’s competition, said Anthony G. Collins, co-chairman of the regional council and president of Clarkson University, Potsdam. “Four years ago, there was very little activity in terms of thoughtful economic development,” Mr. Collins said. “There was

really no strategic plan in the region, and economic development was relatively ad hoc. Jump forward four years, and we have a plan that’s brought significant economic development money to the north country.”

He added that while other regions stepped up their game in 2014 — taking larger amounts in the competition — he believes the north country will lift its game to a new level to remain competitive in future rounds.

“I think the region will benefit financially, but the question will be whether we can lift our game to be as competitive as we can,” Mr. Collins said.

HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE Regional business leaders say a foundation for job creation was established in 2011 and 2012 in the state competition, as

C O V E R S T O RY

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Brandon Cavellier, Karla J. and Junior J. Stefanini of Extreme Builders, Watertown. The company subcontracted to build townhouses at the Preserve at Autumn Ridge, a development off County Route 202 north of Sam’s Club that received funding from the Development Authority of the North Country’s Community Rental Housing Program. The program was established in 2011 with money it received through the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.

much of the regional council’s focus was on developing new housing complexes and replacing aging infrastructure. They say that part of council’s early success was due to funding it received to incentivize housing developers to create affordable rental housing to meet demands at Fort Drum.

In 2011, the north country received about $8.9 million toward housing development in Jefferson County. That funding included $4 million to the Development Authority of the North Country to establish its Community Rental Housing Program, which has provided funding to incentivize housing developers to build market-rate apartment complexes.

At the time, Fort Drum-related organizations made a strong push to fill a gap of 1,035 apartments needed for an increased number of soldiers returning from Afghan-

istan. A pair of the major projects aided by the fund were the 394-unit Preserve at Autumn Ridge townhouse complex by Morgan Management LLC, Rochester, on County Route 202, and the 296-unit Beaver Meadow Apartments project completed

by COR Development Co., Fayetteville, off outer Arsenal Street in the Towne Center Plaza behind Target.

“You had a lot of big housing projects coming online at the time,” said Michelle L. Capone, director of regional development for DANC. She said that the regional council — ranked second place for 2011 in awarded funding — was able to outcompete other regions because of a needed financial boost to make housing projects come to fruition.

“When we received the funding, there was a strong demand for housing in the

greater Fort Drum area,” Mrs. Capone said.

“And I think the regional council recognized that and accordingly awarded the area funding to move those projects forward.”

She added that it has been acknowledged that the north country’s housing needs have now been met thanks to large, multi-year projects to build market-rate rental housing units. “People now have more quality choices and the vacancy rate has been stabilized,” she said.

James W. Wright, executive director for DANC and a member of the regional council, said that the governor’s regional council competition helped address the housing crisis in the north country after previous governors failed to adequately address the issue. Mr. Wright said that while the north country has lost jobs in recent years, efforts to build new housing and infrastructure February 2015 | NNY Business

| 17

COV E R ST O RY have helped lay the foundation for job creation. He said that the economic development can’t only be measured by job creation.

“I think of the key metrics that have to be recognized,” Mr. Wright said. “But jobs are an ongoing evolution here, and if we didn’t have infrastructure projects from economic development dollars than we would have had a larger migration from the area and job loss. And specifically, if we didn’t have housing for Fort Drum that would have affected us dramatically.”

Mr. Wright, a former state senator who represented parts of Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties, said that the governor’s new regional council model has provided a better way for stakeholders from across the region to decide on what projects should be priorities. “I think the difference is that we work on a broader and more cohesive basis and have a more objective balance of priorities,” he said.

Under the former model, he said, “It was always a competition for funding among the members of the Legislature. The government’s equation then was seniority. The late senator [Ronald] Stafford did better because he had been there for about 35 years.

But Albany has now changed. Legislators are still advocating for projects, but this is more like a federal system where everything is part of an evaluation process.”

The multi-year housing boom across the region has been a boon, in some cases, for local contractors who’ve helped build apartment complexes. Extreme Builders of Watertown, co-owned by Karla J. and Junior J. Stefanini, boosted its workforce from about five employees to 30 since it was hired in May 2013 to build townhouses at the Preserve at Autumn Ridge, Mrs. Stefanini said. As a subcontractor for the project — led by general contractor DGA Builders of Rochester — she said the firm has completed the framework and trim

North Country awards YEAR 2011 2012 2013 2014

PROJECTS 70 82 70 69

DOLLARS $103.2m $90.2m $81.3m $63.4m

work for 50 townhouse buildings at the site since 2013.

“We went from being a small crew of six or seven doing new construction and residential builds to doing a commercial project,” Mrs. Stefanini said. “In our peak building season we’ve had nearly 30 employees.”

Other local subcontractors from Watertown involved in the project have been 84 Lumber and T.J. Clement Construction, Mrs. Stefanini said.

SOLVING THE JOB PUZZLE Regional council member Carl McLaughlin, executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, said that the north country was able to demonstrate it had a “very immediate need” for housing in 2011 and 2012 during the competition.

But to remain competitive, he said the council will now need to shift gears and focus on the north country’s hunger for jobs.

“I would tell you the next need we desperately have to have is job opportunities,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “We have to find some way to create and increase opportunities for manufacturing and other services. We have a large, underemployed, under-skilled labor market, and that should be our next focus: What do we need to do to create jobs?”

In some ways, Central New York has outcompeted the north country by providing new job opportunities for young people in emerging markets, Mr. McLaughlin said. As an example, the Utica-based

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“They’re going to be able to build microchips, and they have private partners who are going to build right next to them,” Mr. McLaughlin said, adding that the new center is expected to tap into the north country’s labor pool. “They’re making a pitch to our high school students about those locations down there. To me, that says something about our labor market and potential supply. It’s a natural fit, and maybe we could find ways to work together.”

The regional council has made some recent big strides toward job creation by securing funding needed to break ground on projects in recent years. The construction of the $24.5 million 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton, for example, has created about 90 jobs after opening last summer.

Clayton Town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said that the hotel project wouldn’t have come to fruition if its developers — Hart Hotels and Krog Crop. — didn’t secure $3 million through the regional council in 2011 that was needed to cover construction expenses.

“That award was critical to the developer purchasing the property and completing that development,” Mr. Taylor said. “When that was awarded in 2011, they didn’t own the property and had to purchase it, go through the planning process, and build the building. And that $3 million was critical to them making that happen.”

But the strides made by council-backed projects haven’t been large enough to meet the needs of the region’s labor pool, according to Cheryl A. Mayforth, executive director of the WorkPlace employment agency in Watertown. Mrs. Mayforth is not

C O V E R S T O RY a voting member on the regional council, she has attended meetings since 2011 as a representative of Jefferson County alongside regional council member Carolyn D. Fitzpatrick, who serves as chairwoman of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators.

Mrs. Mayforth said she recently expressed her dissatisfaction with insufficient state aid for workforce development programs to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul during the council’s Jan. 23 meeting in Lake Placid.

Mrs. Mayforth contended that funding to

tions will leave the region, Mrs. Mayforth said, if opportunities aren’t available here. Like Mr. McLaughlin, she cited the wealth of new job opportunities available in central New York for skilled workers.

As an example, she said a recruiter from the SUNY Polytechnic Institute made a presentation at an economic development conference in Lewis County last October to highlight job opportunities there.

“They will be picking our pockets,” Mrs. Mayforth said. “There are a lot

support workforce development initiatives should be provided by the state through the regional council competition.

“I think the council needs to focus on real, true economic development through our workforce,” Mrs. Mayforth said. “We really haven’t seen good workforce development funding, and we need it so that we can create job opportunities. And step two is being able to connect our youth locally with employers.”

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C OV E R ST ORY of companies short of skilled workers outside of our area. And another problem is that a lot of companies here are small, by other standards. [New York] Air Brake employs about 250 workers here, whereas bigger companies in Central New York may employ a couple of thousand.”

She maintains that the regional council needs to “switch gears” and focus on luring new businesses to the region. “Many people on the council think it could come from a combination of agribusiness, hospitality and tourism. But I think we need to also focus on bringing in manufacturing jobs and reviving our vacant buildings.”

A fundamental challenge to creating jobs here has been the north country’s heavy reliance on the public sector employment, Mrs. Mayforth added. “We have been heavily dependent on Fort Drum, prisons, education and local government. But we can’t rely on that forever,” she said.

FUTURE JOB GENERATORS The north country has several irons in the fire, however, when it comes to jobgenerating projects.

The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, for example, has been working since 2011 on a multi-year project to rebuild the 46-mile rail line from Newton Falls to Carthage after receiving a $9.9 million state grant through the regional council in 2011. Patrick J. Kelly, agency CEO, said that the $1.3 million first phase of the project to clear and prepare the line for reconstruction is almost done.

He said reconstruction of the line, owned by the IDA and operated by Mohawk Adirondack and Northern Railroad Corp. is expected to begin this summer and be completed by the end of 2016.

Mr. Kelly said the rail project should help

On the Web / Interactive n Visit nnybizmag.com for an interactive look at the top 10 projects in Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties that have received funding through the North Country Regional Economic Development Council since it began in 2011.

restart Newton Falls Fine Paper and the J&L mining site in Star Lake. He said the project would also assist other manufacturers by enabling them to handle larger and heavier volumes of freight along the line, which crosses through Lewis and Jefferson counties. The paper mill, an off-and-on operation since 1897, was closed in the fall of 2013 by parent company Scotia Investments, Nova Scotia.

“As we’re trying to develop these sites and bring economic activity and jobs there, one of the key advantages we hope to offer is rail infrastructure, because it provides a way to get raw materials in and finished products out of the paper mill facility and J&L site,” Mr. Kelly said. “It’s a 46-mile line, so the opportunity to connect the threecounty region by rail to the CSX rail line in Carthage hopefully will provide a longterm opportunity for existing facilities and some of the potential sites on the line.”

Other projects backed by regional council funding in the county have included the development of the Canton Industrial Park and rehabilitation of buildings in the Massena Industrial Park, Mr. Kelly said.

The Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, meanwhile, is spending much of its time and resources on the development of a corporate park at Watertown International Airport off Route 12F in the town of Hounsfield, said David Zembiec, deputy CEO for the agency. The agency, which has acquired roughly 140

acres for the park, is conducting preliminary environmental studies and planning infrastructure there.

Mr. Zembiec said the agency could apply for regional council funding for the project as early as this summer, depending on progress that is made. For example, it could seek funding to extend three-phase power and natural gas lines on Route 12F to reach the entrance of the park.

“We’re hoping that by the summer we’ll have plans to apply for funding, and it would most likely be for infrastructure,” said Mr. Zembiec, who has served on the regional council’s Priority Project and Plan Implementation Committee for the past three years. “You have to have a project ready to go for it to get funded, and that’s why we haven’t applied for funding yet.”

Mr. Zembiec added that he thinks finding ways to train the north country’s workforce is a priority of the JCIDA and regional council. But he said the state needs to allow more flexibility for innovative approaches to workforce development programs.

“In Jefferson County, what we see as the major needs are infrastructure to spur business activity and workforce training,” he said. “It’s difficult to get funding for workforce training because a lot of the state funding is pretty restricted and limited in how it can be used.”

He continued, “We as a community and region of the state need to be more nimble in how we respond to economic challenges … We need to be more innovative and flexible to identify the kind of workforce training that is needed. We also need to find better ways to make youth aware of the opportunities in manufacturing in ways that encourage them to take that training.” n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

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oung business professionals throughout the north country have been “re-energizing” their efforts to network among themselves, promote leadership development and give back to their communities.

The Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization was started in 2008 by a group of six young professionals in Clayton who wanted to find ways to help in their community. The organization targeted ages 18 to 40, but welcomed volunteers outside that age range to help with their volunteer efforts.

The organization has since expanded to

“

Central Schools and the Hearts For Youth Program in Alexandria Bay. “Right now we are focusing on rebranding our group and its image entirely,” Mrs. Bach said. “This is our first year under completely new leadership and our numbers remain steady.”

The organization has seven people on its steering committee, with an additional 20 to 30 who participate in volunteer and outreach efforts and about 460 followers on its Facebook page (Facebook.com/ TIYLO.org). Plans call for continued growth by increasing active membership in the next year, Ms. Bach said. More information can also be found online at www.TIYLO.org “We strive to be stewards of our mis-

Each and every one brings a tremendous amount of influence and assets to the table.

We have a very well-respected leadership team, with various educational and career backgrounds.

— Terra L. Bach, chairman, Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization

cover the entire Thousand Islands Region, including Alexandria Bay, Cape Vincent and Hammond.

It has held many fundraising events over the years, and has established two “signature” events, an annual Christmas Masquerade Ball held in December and the annual golf tournament held in July, said Terra L. Bach, chairman.

“Last year we had a banner year for the Christmas Masquerade Ball, being able to give back over $10,000 to our respective river communities in one year alone,” she said. “We could not do that without support from our members, sponsors, volunteers and contributors, who all believe in our mission.”

The most recent Christmas Masquerade Ball raised money for the Clayton Christmas Fund; food pantries in Clayton, Depauville, Cape Vincent, Alexandria Bay, Redwood, Orleans and Hammond; the Paytner Senior Center of Clayton; the Backpack Programs of Alexandria Central, Indian River and Hammond

sion,” she said. “Through volunteerism efforts, leadership development and the establishment of relationships, we provide opportunities for our young leaders so that they will truly embrace and engage the Thousand Islands regions and therefore enhance the quality of life here.”

The organization has seen “the greatest amount of fresh, new faces in the past one and a half years” and is presently developing a membership outreach, she added.

Its growth reflects the fact that more young professionals have decided to stay in the north country, Mrs. Bach said, executive assistant to the Town of Clayton supervisor.

“Our current membership is a testament to this,” she said. “It includes young professionals who all have unwavering ties to the region with a variety of scenarios.”

These include people born and raised in the Thousand Islands area who left the area for school or work, and then returned to be closer to family. Others went to college in the north country and decided to stay in the area, and some

N E T WO R K I NG vacationed here during their childhood and came back, she said.

“Each and every one brings a tremendous amount of influence and assets to the table,” Mrs. Bach added.

The group welcomes “any young, energetic individual who wants to truly make a difference in our communities and to become a part of our team,” she said. “We have a very well-respected leadership team, with various educational and career backgrounds.”

Mrs. Bach said “the best reasons to be involved in and join TIYLO are the networking opportunities and the gratification that comes along with being able to positively shape the Thousand Islands in a variety of simple, yet important ways.”

A second organization, the Greater Watertown Jaycees, also offers the opportunity for young professionals to develop leadership skills and to network with others, as well as support nonprofit agencies in their communities.

The Watertown chapter was established in 2003 and is affiliated with the U.S. Jaycees, founded in 1920. The local chapter’s Web site is www.watertownjaycees.org.

“It was started at a time when there really weren’t other organizations aimed at young professionals in the area,” said Taylour Scanlin, a board member and past chapter president.

The organization was formed as a response to the growing number of young professionals who were returning to the north country, or deciding to stay in the region, she said.

“This area has a lot to offer, a little bit of everything,” Ms. Scanlin said.

The Jaycees, an organization for professionals ages 21 to 40, has sponsored annual meetings for young professionals called “Emerge Northern New York

Summits” to provide participants with the opportunity to network and learn more about leadership development.

“Those summits have been open to the general public as well, because many people are interested in professional development opportunities,” said Ms. Scanlin, Carthage Area Hospital marketing director.

The organization has about 25 active members, but is in the process of expanding its membership, she said. The best way to join the Greater Watertown Jaycees

is to check out their website, send an email and sign up for the newsletter.

The Jaycees have sponsored annual Toys for Tots parties at the Black River Valley Club, along with other fundraisers to support a variety of nonprofit agencies.

The organization also offers Emerge NNY Scholarships for High School Seniors. n Norah Machia is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist and former Watertown Daily Times reporter.

Contact her at norahmachia@gmail.com.

Cheryl Howard

PT, Cert. MDT, Owner

February 2015 | NNY Business

| 23

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RE AL E STAT E RO U ND UP

Let consumers decide on sprinklers

R

ecently, there has been publicity surrounding a push by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York to have the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council update the state Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code to mandate that builders install low-flow automatic sprinklers in all new one- to two-family homes and any home that undergoes substantial reconstruction of 50 percent or more.

While there is not presently a statewide mandate, there is nothing to prevent a consumer from installing sprinklers if they desire based on their economic resources and construction design. In addition, local municipalities may also adopt laws that require sprinklers in new construction if, after review of existing local factors including water source, supply, farming, flow, pressure, access and other considerations, they deem it appropriate.

Looking at the north country, this mandate would have a tremendous impact on the cost of building a new home. This is especially true in areas where no municipal water system is in place. The region has a number of areas that are not served by municipal water systems. Homes being built where there is no municipal water source would be required to have additional equipment installed to comply. This includes, but is not limited to, a pump to provide the necessary water pressure to the sprinkler system and a water storage tank the size of a one-car garage to provide the necessary volume of water.

Our area also has many seasonal cottages, hunting camps and other seasonal



residences. In some cases, there is no regular water supply to the structure.

Regardless, these would also be included.

Builders estimate the cost to install a residential sprinkler Lance Evans system is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. The National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Research Foundation’s 2013 Cost of Residential Sprinkler Final Report, which was issued in September 2013, states that the cost to install fire sprinklers in three houses in Greenburgh, N.Y., averaged $13,333 per house, and ranged from between $8,000 and $21,000.

Of course, this does not take into account the additional hidden costs for homebuyers. According to the National Ground Water Association, about 1.9 million New Yorkers live in a home served by a private water district. For these new homebuyers, a sprinkler mandate would mean tap fees of up to $4,500 that are mandated by local water purveyors, larger water lines, and storage tanks for private water. Another concern is antiquated infrastructure.

In August, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed Realtor-supported legislation that requires builders who are building a one- or two-family residence below three stories in height to provide the buyer with information prepared by the Office

of Fire Prevention and Control regarding the installation of fire sprinklers prior to entering into a contract for construction of such dwelling. Providing information regarding the benefits of sprinkler systems, while explicitly lining out what it will cost homebuyers, is a transparent and common sense approach to increasing fire safety while respecting consumer choice.

Although the legislation was signed in August, it did not go into effect until Dec. 3. Taking action on a statewide fire sprinkler mandate would be imprudent and irresponsible as New York residents have barely begun to benefit from the intent of the legislation. This new law is a reasonable approach that gives consumers an informed choice.

It seems clear that requiring sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes would be an unfunded mandate on the backs of new New York homebuyers.

Mandatory sprinklers will unquestionably increase the price of building, owning and maintaining a home and will therefore negatively impact New York’s housing sector and overall economy as well as state and local tax revenues. In addition, the mandate may also deter investors and homeowners from rehabilitating existing homes as sprinklers will be required for any home that undergoes a substantial reconstruction of 50 percent or more.

The Realtor community urges that the state not enact this type of regulation. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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RE AL E STATE

Sales rebound, finish strong in ’14 But St. Lawrence County didn’t follow that positive trend, according to that county’s Board of Realtors: 2014 home sales fell from 2013 by 51 units, or 9 percent, from 567 to 516. Fourth-quarter sales fell by 9 units, or 6 percent, from 152 to 143.

The full nest of Fort Drum troops here last fall helped brokers boost home sales in Jefferson and Lewis counties, Mr. Evans said. Statistics show many stationed at Fort Drum chose to buy homes.

During the fourth quarter, for example, Department of Veterans Affairs loans were used to purchase 90 homes, or 29 percent of the 308 houses sold between Jefferson and Lewis counties. That figure is up from the 65 units sold using VA financing during the fourth quarter of 2013, which accounted for 25 percent of the 260 sold in the two counties.

Though many rental options at new apartment complexes in the Watertown area are available to soldiers, some have found buying homes to be a more affordable option, Mr. Evans said. To illustrate, he said he recently met a soldier with a family

By TED BOOKER

A NNY Business

fter getting off to a slow start in the first quarter because of last year’s long winter, real estate sales in Jefferson and Lewis counties rebounded during the rest of 2014, with the number of homes sold exceeding 2013 totals.

“We were down from last year by 35 homes at the beginning of the year in Jefferson County, but each quarter increased after that,” said Lance M. Evans, executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors.

Compared with 2013, home sales in Jefferson County increased in 2014 by 35 units, or 4 percent, from 872 to 907, according to the Jefferson-Lewis board. Sales during the fourth quarter jumped by 39 units, or 17 percent, from 228 to 267. In Lewis County, 2014 home sales climbed from 2013 by 13 units, or 8 percent, from 157 to 170; during the fourth quarter, they increased by nine units, or 28 percent, from 32 to 41.

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who bought a home during the fall on East Flower Avenue in Watertown. He said the soldier plans to live in the area for a long time, which made buying a home more logical than renting an apartment.

Mr. Evans said that an increasing number of homeowners in Jefferson County have decided to find tenants for their houses, rather than sell them. On Monday, a search of the Jefferson-Lewis board’s website showed there are 79 homes for rent across Jefferson County. Rental prices are as low as $500 a month for a one-bedroom home, and up to $2,300 for a six-bedroom home.

“For some people, homes have been harder to sell than to rent,” Mr. Evans said.

The 2014 median home sale price in Jefferson County was down from the previous year by $7,000, or 5 percent, from $152,000 to $145,000; in Lewis County, the median price fell by $1,750, or 2 percent, from $112,000 to $110,250.

Real estate brokers have sold houses at lower prices this year for clients in response to the greater availability of new rental housing countywide, Mr. Evans said. Large rental housing projects in Watertown with units that began to open during the summer of 2013 include the 296-unit Beaver Meadows complex on Towne Center Drive and the 394-unit Preserve at Autumn Ridge on County Route 202.

Though 2014 home sales were down in all four quarters in St. Lawrence County from 2013, the median home price climbed over the period by $4,860, or 6 percent, from $79,140 to $84,000.

“There have been fewer sales, but each home is going for more money,” Mr. Evans said. “It wouldn’t have been too bad of a year based on the other quarters, but the first quarter just killed it.”

The number of sales brokers who are able to close in Jefferson and Lewis counties during the first quarter of this year will depend on what kind of winter weather Mother Nature brings, Mr. Evans said. As last winter demonstrated, lake-effect snowstorms can slow sales in a major way.

“We’ll have to see if the strong sales continue this year,” he said.

The Jefferson-Lewis board has about 325 members and the St. Lawrence County board has 190, Mr. Evans said. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

RE AL E STAT E / top transactions Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office in December 2014:

Sandra M. Gilman, Norfolk, sold to Gordon S. Theisen, Potsdam.

neur, sold to The Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Syracuse.

$1,300,000: Dec. 15, Town of Orleans: 5.25 acres, County Route 191 (Old State Road), Wellesley Island, Thousand Islands Tower LLC, Wellesley Island, sold to SBA Towers VI LLC, Boca Raton, Fla.

$270,000: Dec. 29, Town of Oswegatchie: 2 Parcels, unknown acres, in Lot 4, bounded by Old Stone Church Road, Michael A. and Deborah Y. Delduchetto, Weston, Mass., sold to Alexander G. Tschumakow and Jennifer L. Bracy, West Roxbury, Mass.

$220,000: Dec. 30, Village of Canton: 3 Parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Park Street, Sharon A. Lawrence, Canton, sold to MacKay Service Inc., Russell.

$410,000: Dec. 19, Town of Alexandria: Two parcels, 0.82 acres, Lot 3, Birches on the River, Carnegie Bay Road, Clarke MacArthur, Rochester, sold to Sara Schoellig and Benjamin J. Maslona, Phoenix, NY, and Robert M. Maslona and Carol A. Maslona, Sun City, Fla. $350,000: Dec. 31, City of Watertown: 0.38 acres, Bugbee Drive, Kenneth G. Bodah and Beth A. Bodah, Watertown, sold to Justin D. LaMora, Clayton.

$233,000: Dec. 16, Town of Potsdam: 18.048 acres more or less, Mile Square 55 and Mile Square 65, bounded by South Canton Road, Jerry and Jane Ferrar, Potsdam, sold to William Emmett and Diane Marie Collins, Potsdam. $230,000: Dec. 3, Town of Fowler: 5.73 acres more or les, Lot 116, bounded by Island Branch Road, Shawn P. and Clara P. Cummings, Gouver-

$195,000: Dec. 17, Town of Brasher: 577 86/100 acres more or less, bounded by O’Neil Road, Robert L. and Lisa A. Miller, Massena, sold to Joseph Scarlata, Columbus, N.J. $185,000: Dec. 3, Town of Louisville: Two parcels, 1) 1.40 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, in Mile Square 45, bounded by West Hatfield Street Road, Richard P. and Sandra L. Laba, Massena, sold to Lydia S. Marlar, Massena.

$330,000: Dec. 8, Town of Watertown: 4.334 acres, 17100 County Route 155 (Dry Hill Road), Margaret Wade Harryman, Watertown, sold to George P. Piper, Hammond. $289,000: Dec. 9, Village of Dexter: 1.70 acres, Grant Street, Converse Construction Don Inc., Watertown, sold to Bryan D. Dupee and Janelle R. Dupee, Dexter. $282,400: Dec. 19, Town of Hounsfield/Village of Sackets Harbor: No acreage, Route 3/Dodge Avenue, Sackets Meadows LLC, Latham, sold to Matthew D. Maynard, Sackets Harbor. $280,400: Dec. 15, Town of Adams: 17721 North Adams Heights, Todd R. Demar and Torrie G. Demar, Calcium, sold to Glen E. Taylor and Barbara J. Taylor, LaFargeville. $280,000: Dec. 23, Town of Hounsfield: 1.002 acres, Military Road, Gregg A. Townsend and Eileen Townsend, Sackets Harbor, sold to Patrick R. Ward and Kristin M. Ward, Ellisburg. $277,900: Dec. 29, Town of Champion: 0.512 acres, Lewis Loop, Champion Heights Subdivision, Harold D. Brown Jr., Clarksville, Tenn., sold to Joseph Martynek and Carrie Martynek, Theresa. $275,000: Dec. 3, Village of Sackets Harbor: Broad Street, Lonny E. Eggleston and Marjory R. Eggleston as co-trustees of the Marjory R. and Lonny E. Eggleston Revocable Trust, Marina Del Rey, Calif., sold to Robert L. Schrader and Luann Schrader, Gouverneur.

Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the St. Lawrence County Clerk’s Office in December 2014: $4,830,508: Dec. 22, Town of Oswegatchie: Unknown acres, in Block 4, bounded by Canton Street, Woodbranch Seaway LLC, New York, sold to West Fresno/Bullard L.P., Clovis, Calif. $800,000: Dec. 29, Town of Brasher: Unknown acres, bounded by Hopson Road and LaClair Road, Salmon River Holdings Inc., Bombay, sold to Seaway Timber Harvesting Inc., Massena. $385,000: Dec. 3, City of Ogdensburg: 4.984 acres more or less, bounded by Route 37 and Commerce Park Drive, 830 Proctor LLC, Denver, Colo., sold to Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, Ogdensburg. $274,000: Dec. 30, Town of Norfolk: Parcel 1) 1 acre more or less, Parcel 2) 3.49 acres more or less, Parcel 3) 1 acre more or less, Lot 87, bounded

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20 questions

MELANIE KIMBLER-Lago | NNY BUSINESS

renewed optimism

M

assena Mayor Timmy J. Currier will never stop serving. After retiring as chief of police — a position he held for more than two decades — Mr. Currier handidly won election for mayor last fall. He recently sat down with us to talk about the power of optimism, his plans to combat a growing drug problem and slowing economy in Massena, and how he envisions the village and area to look in four years.

1

NNYB: You spent 26 years as a Massena police officer, sergeant and, ultimately chief of police. You have seen people at their worst and at their best. What continues to inspire you to be so optimistic?

CURRIER: The capacity of human beings.

No matter what people’s challenges are, if given the right opportunity or right motivations, people can overcome those challenges. What inspires me is when you look around every day in Northern New York, the way people help people. It’s remarkable to me how people take care of their neighbors when there’s a cause.

2

NNYB: In December, you turned 49. That’s pretty young to retire. Why is now the best time for you to serve as mayor?

CURRIER: It really was a personal decision with my family. The police chief job is an incredibly demanding job when it comes to the interruptions in your personal life. I always will love that job. It was time to do something different. There are only so many things I think you can do in any particular career before you think, ‘Jeez, I’d like to do something different.

I’d like to continue to serve citizens, but how can I do it differently?’ When this opportunity came about to run for office, I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’

28 | NNY Business | February 2015

Massena Mayor Timmy J. Currier eyes paths to prosperity for village n

3

NNYB: From the start of your campaign, you tried to get one message out, the same message that you shared as chief of police: to look forward with optimism instead of negativity. What is the No. 1 reason for optimism right now?

CURRIER: Optimism brings people to the table. When you are negative from the start of any issue and any problem, people tend to stay away from that. But if people know their views are going to be valued, you will bring more people to the table. The more people you have around the table, the better ideas you get, the more ideas you get, and the more efficiently you can solve a problem.

4

NNYB: You grew up in the era of large-scale manufacturing plants here. What was that Massena like in comparison to today?

CURRIER: Much different. We all had people living on our street that worked at the plants.

There certainly was plenty of money, and people were spending money. We’ve since seen an increase in our crime rates. The dynamics of our community have changed. And the challenging part is that there’s no one easy fix to it all.

It’s going to take a comprehensive approach.

We have to look at the way we’ve been doing village government for years, which we haven’t changed largely since I’ve been here. We have to really look at the way we’re spending money here locally in the village.

5

NNYB: You have said that change can happen, but that it won’t come easily. What is needed most to unlock positive economic change in Massena?

CURRIER: It starts with getting people to the

table to solve those problems. The village and town weren’t communicating in the most efficient manner, in my view. My department heads meet now monthly. But I meet with all of my department heads weekly, individually.

Some of them I see almost every single day.

Very few days have gone by since I have been mayor that I haven’t met with the police chief, and same thing with the fire department’s foreman and DPW superintendent.

Ultimately, I see my job as being the leader, trying to steer this ship.

6

NNYB: While campaigning, you said that if elected, you’d “get people engaged” to be a part of the solution. How do you plan to engage residents to build a prosperous future?

CURRIER: I am about to launch a program called ‘Massena 20/20.’ We’re going to be inviting key business leaders in this community, trying to create a broad coalition of people to come to the table and bring their ideas.

I’ve been trying to read as much as I possibly could on previous plans. All that, and then of course tapping the various people in this community who sat in this chair or were in office.

I’m hopeful the Massena 20/20 group will bring some great ideas to the table.

7

NNYB: You have said that now is the time to reinvent the village while looking forward.

What will a reinvented Massena look like?

CURRIER: Reinventing the way we look at economic development. There are still some people who are stuck in the industrial model — and that footprint and that model are gone today. So it’s tourism and recreation that we have left. It’s grant writing. And that has

2 0 q uestions to be a key piece. Those are very effective ways to bring money into Massena to enhance what we already have and perhaps to develop more jobs. Then there’s going out there and figuring out where we find these small businesses that are willing to relocate up here. I think for years we’re stuck in ‘It’s about Massena.’ Any success now has to be done on a regional level.

8

NNYB: You’ve been very open and vocal about the heroin and opiate problem in this part of the north country. What’s behind the rise and what can be done to combat it and help secure a more stable environment?

CURRIER: Back in 2005, 2006 — certainly in 2007 — we really started to see the numbers spike. But a lot of the stuff that was going on was not being reported. Or it was dealer-ondealer, so to speak, so it wasn’t really rolling over to the public. But we were concerned about it. And then all the sudden it was here, this opiate problem, and at the time it was prescription pills. So back in 2011, I started a prescription drug task force to really address it. Now it’s heroin. When pills became difficult to get, heroin became the drug of choice because of its availability. People are openly addicted. That’s one of the reasons I think our task force, and now our drug-free coalition — which just got a federal grant last year for $625,000 — is going to have a great lasting impact on this community.

9

NNYB: You support prevention education. In what form is that most successful?

CURRIER: Comprehensive. It’s educating parents as we address the problem with their kids. You have to deal with parents in a careful way, to try to educate them in understanding, ‘Here’s the key: keep these people from becoming addicts in the first place.’ And sometimes that’s a lot easier said than done.

Second is educating kids to the dangers of it.

Giving kids something to do that’s positive. But one in four kids at Massena live at or below the [federal] poverty level. So those kids most typically can’t participate in many of those programs that are available to them. We’re really confident that the Boys and Girls Club can fill that void. And we think it’ll have a positive lasting influence on preventing kids from becoming users in the first place.

10

NNYB: You helped transform the police department into a modern agency using technology. What are some examples of how we can use technology to improve public safety?

CURRIER: Any computerized format that’s out there is one way. We’re meeting this week to talk about the village office staff’s archaic computer system. This is a priority, and we have to solve it. And that’s money you have to spend. You have to have up-to-date software that’s supported, so that we can run day-to-day operations and do things.

MELANIE KIMBLER-Lago | NNY BUSINESS

Massena Mayor Timmy J. Currier in his office at the village municipal building.

11

NNYB: You are a staunch supporter of organized labor. Labor has taken a beating up here in recent years. What should companies like Alcoa do to care for its employees?

CURRIER: Organized labor built this country, and we should treat them with the greatest respect every single day. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to have challenging negotiations. But it should be a fair process. We should make sure that our employees are treated properly.

We should pay them a fair wage.

12

NNYB: Massena Memorial Hospital is a cornerstone of the economy here and access to quality health care like MMH provides is vital to the village and region’s future. What does the near- and long-term future look like for MMH? CURRIER: They are a cornerstone of our local economy. Quality health care is vital to any success in a community. We’re very close to getting more information as to the long-term viability its current format, whether or not it will stay publically owned. They have a new CEO there. I’m sure they’ll be looking at things differently than the retired CEO. So I think we have to give him an opportunity. I’m sure that the town council will be getting that information soon. And they’ll be looking at it very carefully.

13

NNYB: Massena and northern St. Lawrence County have become a one-industry region.

How can you reverse that?

CURRIER: The industry model as we know it in this country has changed significantly. I really think that tourism and recreation has to be a focus of ours. We can go out there and market Massena for whatever we want. But the reality, is — what do we have here? What are our strengths? What can we offer people?

The Timmy J. Currier file AGE: 49 JOB: Mayor, Village of Massena FAMILY: Wife, Emily; son, Nathaniel HOMETOWN: Massena EDUCATION: Associate degree in criminal justice, Mater Dei College, Ogdensburg PROFESSIONAL: retired as Chief of Police after 26 years with the Massena Police Department, serving as a patrolman and sergeant before appointment to chief.

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So recognizing what our strengths are and tailoring the way we market ourselves to that is the way to do it. I know that’s happening to some degree. But what’s our broad plan?

And what’s our regional plan? Just on a small Massena scale, we’re not going to have very much success with economic development.

But if we work regionally with other groups, we increase our chances.

14

NNYB: Do the economic woes of this part of the north country have root causes at the New York Power Authority or do leaders have to move beyond the NYPA fight and look to ways to partner for a brighter future?

CURRIER: I don’t think there’s any question that we have to move beyond that fight. The village is a small part of this entire thing, but nonetheless we’re part of it. I think we have to move beyond it and find ways to work with NYPA and get them to work with us to improve economic development in some ways. But it’s imporFebruary 2015 | NNY Business

| 29

20 questions tant to understand NYPA is not responsible for economic development in Northern New York.

It is a business. The government plays a role certainly, but it’s not NYPA’s responsibility to build our local economy, it’s ours.

15

NNYB: Are you concerned with the state of the St. Lawrence Centre Mall? What could be done to attract quality, sustainable retailers to the property?

CURRIER: We started to see the migration several years ago of businesses leaving not just Massena, but leaving St. Lawrence County.

But we all play a role in shopping local when

we can, because some of those dollars come back in the form of sales tax. I’m concerned at the condition of the mall, but I don’t know that village or town government really can play a role in that. Really, it’s going to be about businesses, whether they can succeed or not.

We have a plaza in Massena, Harte Haven Plaza, that’s full. So there’s bad things that are happening, but there’s still good things that are happening. It’s a matter of sustaining what we have, and then rebuilding from there.

16

NNYB: At your level what can be done to improve conditions for job creation in the region?

CURRIER: First, we start with the atmosphere

of your community. Is it a place where people want to come to do business? Secondly, what do we offer? There are various programs available. So how do we line those people up? So we have to have the key people in place. That’s the environment we create. And then, what are the services we provide? We have a great hospital, a great education system, good local government, good services. Those are all plusses for us, and that’s where government comes in. We provide good services. We provide a safe community. Our public works is getting the job done. That’s the role that we play.

17

NNYB: Earlier this month it was announced that EAS was approved for Massena Airport to see Cape Air through 2017. What would you like to see with respect to improvements to the airport?

CURRIER: It would be great for us to find a way to expand that runway so we could bring in bigger service. I know the town has struggled with that for a number of years, and trying to find the resources to make that happen is the challenge. But if we could do that, it could be an effective way of improving our local economy.

18

NNYB: What is most inspiring to you as you settle in to your job as mayor?

CURRIER: What inspires me is the opportunity. Just like when I was police chief, it’s the opportunity to come to work every day and make people’s lives better. Public service.

Serving constituents. I’m a pragmatist. I see a problem and I like to develop the plan to solve it. I’ve always described myself as a humanist. I believe in human beings and I believe that we should treat people well and do everything we can to help people, no matter what their circumstances are.

19

NNYB: What’s the best advice you’ve ever followed and who gave it to you?

CURRIER: I’m going to refer back to my grandmother. She used to say, ‘Surround yourself with good people.’ If I had to pick one piece of advice — I’ve had lots of advice and lots of good advice — that’s the one that I’m so happy I got and I’ve tried to follow.

NNYB: Where do you hope to see the village at the end of four years?

20 151 Mullin Street Watertown, NY 13601

CURRIER: I hope we have found a way to control government spending. I hope that we have found a way to bring economic development that’s successful here to Massena. I hope that we have found a way to change the tone.

I hope that when people look back four years from now, they say that we’re better off because we all played a part in making Massena a better place to live.

— Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length and clarity to fit this space.

30 | NNY Business | February 2015

February 2015 | NNY Business

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EC ON OMI CALLY S PEAKIN G

Make sense of health care reform

H

ealth care reform comes in many different shapes and sizes. More than ever before, individuals are debating how to transform, what programs to be part of and with whom to partner. Nationally, people debate all varieties of reform, when in reality there are pros and cons to each option.

So who is right? That’s the challenge, no one answer will work for all systems.

Health care systems are prepared to take on differing levels of transformation and collaboration.

In the north country, the partners of North Country Initiative and Health Care Partners of the North Country are poised and prepared to take on what appears to be exciting times in health care while preparing this region’s health care system for the future.

One simple question is routinely asked when determining the direction of reform in the north country: What is best for the patient?

With this single question guiding the direction and holding the organization to the mission, the North Country Initiative and Health Care Partners are taking the difficult strides toward lasting health care reform. Additionally, decisions are also being made to create sustainability through collaboration so that our providers, health care systems and community support systems are in place for our patients in the future. The path isn’t always clear or smooth, but meeting the needs of patients will remain the top priority as we develop a sustainable system and

meet the challenges that face the business of health care.

At this point you are asking yourself “how is this organization becoming part of the solution?” Like Brian Marcolini any topic that addresses the business of health care there are multiple answers and complexities.

One initiative is the formation of an Accountable Care Organization. Accountable Care Organizations are partnerships between doctors, hospitals and other health care providers designed to work together to provide higher-quality coordinated care to their patients, while helping to slow the growth in health care costs.

Health Care Partners of the North Country will be one of 405 Accountable Care Organizations participating in a shared savings program.

Health Care Partners of the North Country is presently a collaboration of five hospitals and six independent offices. Partners include: Carthage Area Hospital, ClaxtonHepburn Medical Center, Clifton-Fine Hospital, River Hospital and Samaritan Medical Center. Joining these five hospitals are Family Medicine of Carthage, Internal Medicine of NNY, Lowville Medical Associates, Watertown Internists, Howard T. Meny Family Practice and Edward Reason Internal Medicine.

Accountable Care Organizations were created around the principle of holding a group of individuals responsible for the care their patients receive and to be held accountable for monitoring the cost of that care. Accountable Care Organizations receive a portion of the Medicare savings generated from lowering the growth in health care costs when they meet standards for high quality care.

They can share in any savings they generate for Medicare if they meet specified quality targets.

“Health Care Partners of the North Country will be joining a program that is one part of this administration’s vision for improving the coordination and integration of care received by Medicare beneficiaries,” said Sean Cavanaugh, deputy administrator and director for the Center for Medicare.

Earlier I mentioned the one question that is always asked: “What is best for the patient?”

That’s answered simply with the stated goals of Health Care Partners of the North Country. Patients can expect improved communication, shared health care decisions, coordinated care, improved outcomes and, most important, the enhanced confidence that comes from knowing your health care provider is part of a team and a collaboration that is being held to provide high-quality affordable care. n BRIAN Marcolini is director of the North Country Initiative and Health Care Partners of the North Country at the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. Contact him at bmarcolini@fdrhpo.org.

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www.NorthCountryRecycles.org 32 | NNY Business | February 2015

BU SIN E S S L AW

Review LLC operating agreements

A

s a result of changes in the Limited Liability Company law and a recent court decision, members of LLCs should review their operating agreement to determine if revisions are necessary.

There are two situations that north country LLC owners should consider. The first is the ability of a member to withdraw from ownership of the LLC. Prior to the revision, any member of a LLC had the right to withdraw from the business and be paid a “fair value” for their interest. The LLC’s operating agreement could limit the right or establish procedures for withdrawal.

In the absence of an operating agreement limitation, the right of withdrawal was unrestricted. This statutory right was useful if a member wanted out of the business for personal reasons, and it was particularly advantageous when there was a “falling out” between the members. The LLC statute was changed in 1999 because of estate and gift tax implications. The present law provides that a member may withdraw only if the operating agreement provides for it.

North country LLC owners should check the status of their operating agreement to determine if it complies with the statutory revision.

Members of a LLC in the case of “In the Matter of 1545 Ocean Avenue LLC” did not revise their operating agreement to conform to the revised law and when there was a falling out between the two members, the only option was judicial

dissolution of the LLC. According to LLC law, a court can judicially dissolve a LLC whenever “it is not reasonably practicable to carry on the business” in Larry Covell conformity with the articles of organization or operating agreement.

The legal question becomes what does “not reasonably practicable to carry on business” mean?

The plaintiff tried to convince a court to use the same standard that shareholders of corporations use when they seek dissolution of a corporate business. The Business Corporation Law provides two instances where a shareholder can ask for judicial dissolution. The first instance, which is most frequently used, occurs when a shareholder or shareholders who are owners of 20 percent or more of stock petition a court for dissolution if the directors are guilty of illegal, fraudulent or oppressive actions or if they loot or waste corporate assets for non-corporate purposes. In the second instance, shareholders of 50 percent or more of shares can petition a court if the directors or shareholders are so divided that they cannot carry on their appropriate duties or there is so much dissension that dissolution would be beneficial to the shareholders.

The court rejected the plaintiff’s con-

tention that Business Corporation Law standards should be used for dissolution.

Instead, the court defined “not reasonably practicable to carry on business” to mean that the petitioner “… must establish in the context of the terms of the operating agreement or articles of organization, that 1) management of the entity is unable or unwilling to reasonably permit or promote the stated purpose of the entity to realized or achieved, or 2) continuing the entity is financially unfeasible.” The court rejected the notation that a dispute between the members is sufficient to justify a judicial dissolution.

A member of a LLC should review two important matters with their attorney.

First, does the LLC operating agreement permit a member to exit the business and if so under what circumstances? A “falling out” of members is not the sole reason to review the language. There are other reasons why a member may wish to leave the business, such as retirement, a change in personal circumstances or health reasons.

Second, does the operating agreement define what events must take place in order for a court to order judicial dissolution of the business?

The court in this case held that the LLC operating agreement or articles of organization is the key language that is examined when a member wishes to seek judicial dissolution. n LARRY COVELL is a professor of business at Jefferson Community College and an attorney.

Contact him at lcovell@sunyjefferson.edu. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

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commerce corner

Understand the new generations

M

illennials, Generation X, Generation Y, and now Z. They’re common labels that designate different generations of our population, but who are they and what does all the alphabet soup really mean?

GenERATION X Generation X is described as people born after Baby Boomers between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s.

This generation is well known for its openness to diversity and a willingness to embrace cultural differences regarding race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class and religion. But what’s more important is what we should expect from Gen X as it relates to work ethic and values.

Gen X-ers are known for productivity and high-quality end results. They see themselves as marketable and they can accept authority figures but titles don’t particularly impress them and they are technically competent. Generation X seems to find a nice balance between work and life. They work to live not live to work, which could be different than the beliefs of their Baby Boomer parents. Gen X-ers are relatively knowledgeable about finances and some use it to their advantage — think 401(k) and other savings — but many wonder if they’ll be as generous as the previous generation.

Interestingly dubbed the “middle generation” due to their place between Millennials and Baby Boomers, this group will never grow in numbers of either Boomers or Millennials. However, Gen X-ers are arguably the best educated with 29 percent obtaining bachelor’s degrees or

higher, according to William J. Schroer, The Social Librarian.

GENERATION Y OR MILLENNIALS Millennials are often described as the generation born between 1982 Lynn Pietroski and the early 2000’s. With many things, there is always overlap and it appears that Generation Y covers individuals born between 1980 and 2000. The categories are more about what one prefers to be called. Millennial is catchy, appeals to the young or even young at heart. They are tech savvy and ethnically diverse but were they sheltered to some degree as they were immersed in technology?

Millennials want to influence change and make a positive impact. They are multi-task and are active and want things happening all around them. Their work ethic ranges from a preference for relaxed environments, such as those with open seating to the more personal with flexible work hours and dress code. They are socially responsible and an environment that promotes teamwork is more suited to them. They have a high desire to continue to learn. A potential downside is that they want everything now and some boast a lingering sense of entitlement.

So what makes Millennials unique?

Most are born to Baby Boomers. They’re hard-working, stress-tolerant corporate employees. But what has this done to our

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Millennials? In many cases it’s made these youngsters more in tune with the need for a proper work-life balance.

GenERATION Z So in sequence, it only makes sense that Generation Z would be the group of people born after the year 2000. Realistically, it has been hard to learn a lot about this group as they have not been around long enough to really determine what they embody. However, technology is looks like a bright future for them, especially if you look around and see that this group is forever connected to their gadgets. The question remains, what added value will they bring to the workforce and the world as we know it today?

Citing population projections released by the U.S. Census Bureau in December, the Pew Research Center’s Richard Fry noted in a Jan. 16 report that Millennials are projected to top Baby Boomers this year as the nation’s largest living generation. Baby Boomers peaked in 1999 at 78.8 million but Millennials will pass that number.

With some information on Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y or Millennials, and now Gen Z, where do we go from here? How do employers and employees of these generations relate to each other? A good leader will work to draw strengths from each of his or her team members, regardless of generational characteristics and stereotypes. Knowing what makes the generations tick will only serve as help on the road to success.

n Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ceo@watertownny. com. Her column appears monthly.

agri - business

What’s ahead for local agriculture?

W

e are coming off a good year for agriculture in Jefferson County and across Northern New York. Our dairy farms prospered, the Afgritech Plant in Watertown completed an expansion, and another agriculture-related business opened its doors on Bradley Street.

On balance, 2014 for most was an upbeat positive growth year locally and across the state. As we focus on the year ahead, a few more challenges face our dairy farms that will slow growth, but in other ag sectors we should see the excitement continue.

Prices paid to our dairy farmers for the milk they sell is dropping precipitously.

We are coming off record high prices last year. According to Dr. Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin, prices for “all milk” in the U.S. in 2014 approached $26 per 100 pounds. These were astoundingly high, record prices. Locally, dairy farms used these profits to reinvest in their operations, improving cow comfort, environmental stewardship practices and buying land.

Dr. Stephenson reported that high prices didn’t go unnoticed by consumers in the dairy isle of the supermarket but consumers didn’t run away from consumption.

Of course with high prices received at the farm gate, milk production ramps up, putting a flood of milk into the “milk shed.”

A milk shed is the area of land from which a dairy processing plant draws its supply of milk to meet manufacturing demand. Farms also retained cows, sending fewer cows to become meat products, which helps to continue high milk production per farm and keeps the milk shed flooded. During a recent webinar sponsored by Farm Credit East, Dr. Stephenson

reported that in 2015 the Northeast All Milk Price is expected to drop by about $7.60 per hundred pounds. For a 100-cow dairy farm where cows produce approximately Jay Matteson 20,000 pounds of milk a year, the farm will lose about $152,000. Low prices are expected to continue throughout 2015 and possibly into 2016. This decline in prices is not a surprise. The industry expected prices to fall, especially when our export market began diminishing because of the strength of the U.S. dollar and increased production by other dairy-producing nations. We remain excited about the overall opportunity for the dairy industry. Jefferson County is well situated to remain a leader in the industry and we see our dairy manufacturers remaining strong.

In our local wine and grape industry, there is a mixed feeling for 2015. At least two new wineries plan to break ground in Jefferson County while two other wineries that we are aware of are being planned.

It’s exciting to see the continued interest and growth in the industry. It is important though, that we continue to look for ways to attract new visitors to the wine trail. This will be a challenge facing our farm-based beverage industry in Northern New York. We also need to produce more grapes to support our wineries.

Local foods will be a hot topic in 2015.

The Watertown School District Farm-to-

School program is in the planning process to bring local, nutritious foods to students.

There are other farm-to-school programs already operating and it is good for everyone if we can maximize having locally grown and produced food on our school lunch menus. There is a lot of work being done to help farms look for ways to work together to aggregate and distribute their products. Food hubs have been a method talked about to help with product aggregation and they are being considered in Northern New York.

Opportunities to grow our livestock and meat production are being explored. Sorely needed is a USDA-inspected and certified meat-processing facility. Farmers in Jefferson County now transport livestock hours to USDA facilities for processing.

The closest USDA meat-processing plant is in Lewis County but it is operating at capacity. Modern meat-processing plants are clean, efficient, humane and provide good employment opportunities for the surrounding community. With our area’s ability to support a great livestock industry, another USDA processing plant is critical to the success of the industry.

This year will be a year of change for agriculture. Much of the change will be positive, but as our farmers are used to, they will have to adapt. Farmers are fantastic entrepreneurs. There is opportunity to thrive if we continue to position ourselves for a bright future. n Jay M. Matteson is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Local 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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business tech bytes

Guard against network attacks

J

ust a few short weeks into 2015 and we’ve had the “The Interview” Sony hack and the Central Command Twitter and YouTube account breaches, just to name a few. This is all the more reason to ensure your business and customers are not the target of cyber criminals. Last October, USA Today featured s report headlined: “Hacking a big danger for small businesses,” which highlighted the reason why cyber attacks are increasingly not just reserved for large enterprises. As breaches at Home Depot and Target dominated news reports in 2014, you and your business continue to be targets that are more at risk than ever.

Most cyber attacks succeed because many small businesses don’t employ the time and resources necessary to prevent them. We must raise awareness in the small business community that the cyber world is a much smaller place today. A 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association stated that “44 percent of small businesses have been attacked and of those, cost on average was $8,700 per affected company.”

What are you going to do to ensure your systems are secure? Cyber criminals succeed most when you do nothing.

Many attacks can be prevented by raising security awareness and arming yourself with security knowledge through processes aimed at improving data security and reducing the odds of becoming the next hacking statistic. Each day brings something new in the information security field. Google the words cyber, network or application security, and you’ll find no shortage of websites, blogs and subject matter experts and firms discussing the latest security trends and events. Do you want to be even more proactive in improv-

36 | NNY Business | February 2015

ing security in your business?

There are some good tools and resources available to increase your security awareness and knowledge that will help you guard against future threats.

Jill Van Hoesen Founded in 1989, the SANS Institute provides not only security training, education and research, but the Internet Storm Center, a global cooperative cyber threat/Internet security monitoring and alert system. Not sure you’re ready for SANS certification? SecureZoo might be for you. Follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook or connect with them on LinkedIn. Here you will get a brief overview of the “knowledge-based” tool environment. You can read a brief summary of selected security topics, along with guidance and best practices designed for you to put to immediate use.

Maybe it’s time to explore more in-depth security guidance to meet regulatory compliance requirements that pertain to your business. There are many resources, depending on your security compliance requirements. Take credit cards from your customers? Store credit card data? The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is multifaceted and includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures to protect payment card data. Are you in the health care industry? Does the Health

Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 pertain to you? It was established to set health care data protection standards and regulatory requirements for various health care providers and companies that handle health care data. Financial institutions have their own data protection requirements per the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council or the National Credit Union Administration.

To be successful with information security management, you should regularly check for security advisories on the information technologies deployed in your business and patch immediately when appropriate. TechNet, Microsoft’s security bulletin brings you “Patch Tuesday” and other ongoing monthly or interim security patch announcements. Apple, Google, Adobe and Red Hat also all provide security advisories and update releases for their product lines. Another invaluable knowledge resource is the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, which “leads efforts to improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture, coordinate cyber information sharing, and proactively manage cyber risks to the nation while protecting the constitutional rights of Americans.”

Security doesn’t always have to be as monotonous and grave as the headlines portray. It can actually be intriguing to learn not only of security technologies but the human element involved as well. Good luck in your pursuit to improve your security knowledge while protecting your business’s systems and data. 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.

small business success

Develop the right social media mix

I

t can be difficult to decide which social media outlet you should use to get the message out to your customers. You may feel overwhelmed by the different options, especially if you are not someone who regularly uses social media. This brief overview may help you pick which ones are most likely to reach your target audience. Trying out a new social media platform could be a good way to expand your marketing during a slow winter season.

Facebook While Facebook is still the most popular social media outlet, it has been noticed that young people may be starting to shift toward other sites. Facebook tends to draw more women than men, and also is becoming more popular with people 50 and older.

It continues to be one of the first social media outlets most businesses consider, and can reach a wide range of target client demographics.

YouTube YouTube now reaches a wide variety of audiences and is very popular. Its videos are a great way for business owners to introduce themselves to their customers and also inform them about certain aspects of their business. According to an article on ymarketingmatters.com by Yasmin Bendror, YouTube is the second-ranked search engine behind google — above Bing and Yahoo — so having a presence there will help your website rankings.

TWITTER Twitter is best for businesses that can provide non-visual, regular, short updates about their products or services. Twitter can help businesses with a large customer

base, such as restaurants, move quickly to meet customer needs or share promotions.

Twitter is not a good way to reach older adults. According to an April 2014 Pew Jennifer McCluskey Research Center Study by Aaron Smith, only 3 percent of American seniors use Twitter. Twitter is especially useful for businesses involved in communication and businesses who sell to other businesses.

LINKEDIN LinkedIn seems to be most useful for networking and keeping your business top-of-mind with other business owners.

A BusinessInsider.com report also states that LinkedIn is actually more popular than Twitter among U.S. adults. LinkedIn’s users are generally between 30 and 49 and are more likely to be well educated. LinkedIn can assist businesses whose primary clients are other businesses.

PINTEREST Pinterest is a social media site that focusing on visual communication. It is particularly useful for businesses that have a visual product, crafting focus, or are involved in the wedding industry, sell food items or DIY products. Many Pinterest users are women in the 25 to 35 age bracket. According to an article by Neil Patel on quicksprout.com, moms are 61 percent more likely to visit Pinterest than the average American, making Pinterest a great resource for businesses

selling products for families.

Tumblr, Instagram, and Snapchat Business owners who regularly post visual content and who are looking to reach a young demographic should take a look at these three platforms. While users can post text on Tumblr, visual content usually gets shared most often. Graphic files can also be shared on Tumblr in addition to static photographs. Instagram also focuses on visual posts. It primarily attracts an audience of women younger than 35. Some examples of popular Instagram hashtags include themes of fashion, travel, style and food. Snapchat is a newer social media tool that will let you send images and videos to a user’s smartphone that will self-delete after a set period of time (which makes it great for limited-time coupons). Snapchat’s users are primarily college students.

GOOGLE+ Google+ is Google’s version of Facebook.

It has been slow to gain traction, but seems to improve with increased users. It helps users connect with communities of people who share interests, so if there is a strong Google+ community for your business type, this might be a social media platform for you. Having a Google+ page could also significantly help boost your SEO rankings, so any business that depends heavily on Internet traffic should consider it.

Finally, there are other tools like Hootsuite and Social Media Suite that help you coordinate all the posts to these different social media outlets. n JENNIFER McCLUSKEY is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

Contact her at mccluskeyj@canton.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

February 2015 | NNY Business

| 37

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Carthage Friday, April 10

n Bake sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Carthage Savings & Loan Association, 313 State Street #1. Sale to benefit Woolworth United Methodist Church. Information: Carthage Savings & Loan, 1- (800) 232-0450.

Clayton Saturday, Feb. 21

n Taste of the Town, 4 to 8 p.m., 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. Presented by Rotary Club of Clayton. Proceeds donated to Rotary International. Silent auction to benefit Dodge Pond Special Needs Camp. Cost: five samples, $5; military discount, $4.

Information: rotary, 771-7440.

Saturday, March 7

n Annual meeting of T.I. Decoy Collectors Association, noon to 3 p.m., Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St. Meeting to include speakers, displays of vintage decoys and more. Visitors and non-members are welcome. Free. Information: Tom Humberstone, info@timuseum.org.

Wednesday, March 18

n March Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. Cost: pre-registered members $10; unregistered members, $12 at the door; non-members, $15. Information: Michelle Carpenter, 788-4400 or events@ watertownny.com.

Fort Drum Monday, March 2

n Boots 2 Business, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Clark Hall, Mount Belvedere Blvd.. This is a two day course for soldiers transitioning out of the service and interested in starting a business. Course offers information on business opportunities in the area, including home-based, retail, service industry and online. Participants will learn about

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38 | NNY Business | February 2015

researching the potential market and how to find licensing and funding opportunities. Requirement: three day DOL ACAP briefing. Information/register: ACAP, 7723434 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.

Thursday, March 12

n Build Your Own Business, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., ACS Building. Workshop aims to teach participants how to research the potential market, find licensing and funding opportunities and business planning. Information/register: ACAP, 7723434 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.

Monday, March 23

n Mom Can Shoot: A Basic Digital Photography Course, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Commons on Fort Drum. North country photographers Amanda Lessner and Danielle Kama teach fundamentals to using a DSLR camera, including exposure, aperture, ISO and white balance. Cost: $245. Information: info@daniellekama or amanda.lessner@me.com.

Old Forge Friday, March 13 & Saturday, 14

n Snofest, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Hiltebrant Recreation Center, 225 North St. Sponsored by Central Adirondack Association. Ski Doo, Yamaha, Polaris and Arctic Cat plan to premier their 2016 models. Event slates to include emos rides, conditions permitting.

Information on days and times of demos: Big Moose Arctic Cat & Yamaha, 3572998; Don’s Polaris, 369-3255; Smith Marine, 369-9911.

Syracuse Tuesday, March 3

n ‘Developing a compelling pitch’ workshop, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Tech Garden, 235 Harrison St. Presented by the Tech Garden’s entrepreneur in residence, John Liddy, program aims at teaching

how to create a stronger pitch essential to gaining customers, obtaining funding or finding potential partners/employees.

Cost: CenterState CEO members, $10; non-members, $20. Information/register: CenterState CEO, 470-1800 or CEO@ centerstateceo.com.

Tuesday, March 17 through Thursday, March 19

n Eastern Winery Exposition, Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, 800 S. State St. Trade show and conference offers workshops, social and networking events and more aimed at Eastern U.S. and Canadian wineries and vineyards. Cost: $10 to $475. Information/register: 401-8858788 or easternwineryexposition.com.

Tuesday, March 31

n Nonprofit awards 2015, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Oncenter, 800 S. Salina St. Event presented by M&T Bank plans to recognize individuals and organizations based on their excellence, leadership, fiduciary responsibilities, management practices, creativity and impact in the nonprofit world. Information: Joyl Clance, jclance@bizeventz.com or 579-3917.

Tuesday, March 31 n Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series presents Julia Alvarez, 7:30 p.m., Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. Julia Alvarez is a poet, novelist, essayist and author, whose work ‘How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent’ has been selected as a Notable Book by the American Library Association (1992) and a Best Book for Young Adults by the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association (1995).

Cost: $36.55 to $51.90. Information/tickets: foclsyracuse.com or 435-1832.

Watertown ongoing

n Registration for 1812 Challenge and Half Marathon open. Information/regis-

(315) 782-4910 • 1-800-772-4201 • Fax: (315) 785-8248 www.dlcalarco.com • francee@dlcalarco.com

Wednesday, Feb. 25

n February Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Page Fitness, 19472 US Route 11 (Outer Washington St.). Cost: members, $10; non-members, $15. Information: Michelle Carpenter, 788-4400 or events@ watertownny.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 25

n New AgVentures programming: high tunnel agriculture options, 6 to 8 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 North Hamilton St. Session plans to teach basic high tunnel production and opportunities with these structures. Information: Steve Ledoux, Swl73@ cornell.edu or 788-8450 ext. 324.

Saturdays, Feb. 28 & March 7 n Intro to Adobe Photoshop CS5.5 workshop, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Extended Learning Center, E-129, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Course plans to teach editing techniques such as layers, brush tools, effects, retouching, textures, color and color manipulation. Students are asked to bring digital photos. Instructor: Sara Carpenter. Cost: $115. Information: continuing education, 786-2438.

Saturday, Feb. 28 n SUNY Financial Aid Day, 9 a.m. to noon, Jules Center (Building 6), Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Students planning to attend JCC or any other SUNY institution are invited to learn about higher education funding opportunities, including loans, grants, student employment and scholarships. Check in planned for 8:45 a.m. Information/register: financial services office, 786-2355 or suny.edu/studentevents.

Thursday, March 5

n Business of the Year Awards Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Savory Downtown,

300 Washington St. Awards for business of the year, entrepreneurial business of the year and farm and craft market vendor of the year are to be presented by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce and other sponsors. Cost: $22 per person; corporate table of eight, $200. Information: Michelle Carpenter, 788-4400 or events@watertownny.com.

Saturday, March 7

n Northern New York wines workshop, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., McVean Student Center, 4-009, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Wine and food pairing plans to showcase red and white varietals of north country wine. Instructor: Julia Purpura. Cost: $85. Information/register: continuing education, 786-2438.

Wednesday, March 11 n New AgVentures programming: cooperative marketing of your agricultural products, 6 to 8 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 North Hamilton St. Session plans to teach options and opportunities in marketing your products. Information: Steve Ledoux, Swl73@ cornell.edu or 788-8450 ext. 324.

Monday, March 16 n Women’s empowerment series event: ‘Misrepresentation’ film, 6:30 p.m., Student Lounge, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Screening of ‘Miss Representation,’ an American documentary written, directed and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, which premiered in the 2011 Sundance Film Festival documentary competition.

Information: college, 786-2200.

Tuesday, March 17

n Women’s empowerment series event: vendor fair, 11 a.m., Commons, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Information: college, 786-2200.

Thursday, March 19

n Women’s empowerment series event:

‘Who does she think she is?’ workshop, 12:30 p.m., student lounge, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Presenter Alyssa McKenzie-Chery plans to discuss problematic intersections, including mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, and economics and art.

Information: college, 786-2200.

Tuesday, March 24

n North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center Matchmaker 2015, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center, 1291 Faichney Drive. This event aims to connect businesses with representatives from the military, federal agencies and state and local governments. Open to all businesses. Register by 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. Cost: $18 per person. Information: northcountryptac.com or 788-4400.

Thursdays, April 2 through May 14

n Small Business Development Center’s entrepreneurial training course, 6 to 9 p.m., Extended Learning Center, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Class plans to offer instruction on business topics from area business professionals. Instructor: SBDC advisor. Cost: $195. Information/register: continuing education, 786-2438.

Thursday, April 9

n Job and career expo 2015, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center 1291 Faichney Drive. Planned to be the largest hiring event in the north country. Vendor cost: $130 per booth. Registration and payment due by Friday, March 27. Information: Michelle Carpenter, 788-4400 or events@watertownny.com.

 GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar item? Email nnybusiness@wdt.net. Deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/NNYBusiness or www.nny bizmag.com for events calendar updates.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

ter: 1812challenge.com. First-come, firstserved registration limited to 812 runners.

February 2015 | NNY Business

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business scene GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Carthage Savings & Loan

Sara Del Signore, RealtyUSA, Watertown, and husband, Max, Northern New York Community Foundation, Watertown.

Alex Hazard and Michaela Richards, both of WWTI-TV50, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Fe Seamon, New York Air Brake, and Amanda Miller, Lake Ontario Realty, Chaumont. Carthage Savings & Loan Association hosted the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce January Business After Hours at its Watertown branch in Top of the Square plaza.

From left, Robert Dalton, owner, The Paddock Club, Watertown, and Lizy Caldwell and James Trapiss, also of The Paddock Club.

Missing teeth? Can't eat foods you love? Call today to learn about dental implants.

40 | NNY Business | February 2015

business scene Clayton Chamber of Commerce Business With a Twist at Antique Boat Museum

From left, Francesca Spiotta, Thousand Islands Sun, Alexandria Bay, and Terra Bach, Town of Clayton.

From left, Tricia Cassidy, Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Watertown, and River Golf Adventures, Clayton, and Kelly Cantwell, Cantwell & Associates, Clayton, DiPrinzio’s Italian Market, Clayton, and River Golf Adventures.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Tori Klock and Emily Gould, both of Watertown Savings Bank, Clayton. The Clayton Chamber of Commerce held its January Business With A Twist at the Antique Boat Museum on Jan. 22.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Alicia Dewey, Jefferson Community College Foundation, Watertown, daughter, Harper, and Jake Tibbles, Thousand Islands Land Trust.

February 2015 | NNY Business

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business scene Watertown Downtown Business Association Awards at Watertown Urbam Mission

From left, David Winters, Watertown Audiology and DBA president, presents Andrew Mangione, Watertown Urban Mission with the President’s Award.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Rugmani Kutty and Nadia Garib, Satyana Yoga Studio, Watertown, Jeff Rule, owner, Satyana Yoga Studio, and Julia Bonisteel, Watertown. Satyana Yoga Studio was named 2014 Downtown Business of the Year, during the Downtown Business Association’s Membership & Awards Night on Jan. 23, hosted by the Watertown Urban Mission.

A truck that works hard to serve you.

Don’t be fooled by this modern interior though: Beneath it all lies the legendary power and capability Tundra is famous for.

OUTER WASHINGTON ST. WATERTOWN NY 315-788-6022

WaiteToyota.com 42 | NNY Business | February 2015

Sarah O’Connell, Small Business Development Center at JCC, presents Stephen C. Foy, Stephen C. Foy Inc., with the Downtown Institution Award.

Let's Go Places

From left, Rick Weist and son, Tim, co-owners, Tae Kwon Do Training, with an Honorable Mention Award. Belinda Cornell, owner, Salon on the Square,

Watertown, also earned an Honorable Mention Award.

THE 2015 TOYOTA

TUNDRA

business scene GWNC Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast Breakfast at Ramada Inn

From left, Katie Clough, NextGen Justice, Watertown, and Col. Gary Rosenberg, Fort Drum garrison commander.

From left, Christina Meagher, Community Bank, Black River, and Rita Walldroff, Community Bank, Watertown.

LORNA OPPEDISANO PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

LORNA OPPEDISANO PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Dani Baker, Cross Island Farms, Wellesley Island, Andrew Rice, Community Bank, north country, and Jay M. Matteson, Jefferson County Local Development Corp., Watertown. The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce presented its 2015 Economic Forecast at the Ramada Inn, Watertown, on Jan. 28.

From left, Cheryl Mayforth, The Workplace, Watertown, and Rob Oram, CITEC Business Solutions, Potsdam.

18014 GOODNOUGH ST., ADAMS CENTER, NY

MOTORSPORTS Come See The All New Polaris Brutus At Waite Motorsports

315-583-5680 HOURS: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8-5, THURSDAY & FRIDAY 8-6, SATURDAY 8-2

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Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2014 Polaris Industries Inc.

February 2015 | NNY Business

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business history

Watertown DAILY TIMES ARCHIVES

A postcard shows the Hotel Davenport in Copenhagen in its heyday during the mid- to late 20th century.

A community icon Hotel Davenport played role in shaping Copenhagen

By Lorna Oppedisano

T

NNY Business

he Hotel Davenport, or Davenport Hotel, depending on your source, quietly closed its doors in November 2013. And in the passing of a day, there was one less restaurant to choose from in Copenhagen. But during its lifespan, the Davenport was much more than just a place for dinner with family and friends.

When brothers William and John Davenport built the hotel in approximately 1850, records don’t indicate the exact date, the Davenport was a three-story woodframe structure with a front porch wide enough to extend the entire Main Street side of the building, according to a July 2,

44 | NNY Business | February 2015

1975, Republican Tribune article.

After the brothers built the business, it remained in their family’s estate until roughly the turn of the 20th century. During those 50 years or so, a wide variety of people managed the business. According to the Tribune, a man from Lowville named Warner did business there for a brief period of time. Silas Curtis then managed the business. Next, Herbert B. Chidester operated it for eight years before it was sold out of the Davenport family’s hands.

During its first 50 years of existence, the Davenport played a role in the history of the Copenhagen Grange 90, an organization that promoted local agriculture, which was in operation from 1874 to 1954.

According to its charter, the organization was formed in Feb. 4, 1874, with 11 members. The first meeting was held at the Davenport. An account from the November 1999 millennium edition of the Watertown Daily Times noted how “the room was locked tight and the shades fastened down to keep the curious from seeing and hearing what went on.”

At the turn of the 20th century, the Davenport left the hands of the founding family when it was sold to Charles Clark.

It was later operated by his son, Robert Clark, a Copenhagen automobile salesman.

Then the era of prohibition hit the north country. While not a great deal of the hotel’s history from this period was recorded, the Davenport’s last owner, Carol

business history A. Harris, told the Times in 2013 that the hotel and restaurant was an “old sneaky bar” and a stopping point on train and stage coach routes during that period.

At the onset of prohibition, Mr. Clark sold the Davenport to Adelbert Vrooman.

Mr. Vrooman then quickly sold it — “disposed of the property,” as the Tribune reported — to the “trottin’ horse man,” Elbert Wheeler, who ran the establishment with his sons, Leo and Herbert.

The Wheelers owned the Davenport for some time before selling it to Robert “Bob” Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs then put the hotel on the market, and Copenhagen’s Hugh Archer purchased it. He then in turn sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gill in 1938. After residing above the property for less than a decade, the couple sold the Davenport to their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Darring, in 1944.

The Tribune reported that in 1950, the Darrings sold the hotel to Francis J. Sheehan of Little Falls for $30,000. Mr. Sheehan eventually passed ownership of the establishment to his son, Bill. Finally, the Davenport exchanged hands one last time when the younger Mr. Sheehan turned the operation over to his daughter, the aforementioned Mrs. Harris, and her husband, George, in 1998.

Then, about 15 months ago, the choice was made to permanently close the Hotel Davenport when the owners decided to retire. According to a November 2013 Watertown Daily Times article, the closing was quiet as customers who had visited the Davenport during its last weekend open had no idea of its imminent shuttering.

As of now, the building remains empty.

But as community member Melissa Harper said via Facebook at the time of the Davenport’s closing, “nothing is as constant as change and this may be an opportunity for another business in that location to open and enrich the community. Here’s hoping!”

Immaculate Heart Central Schools • Pre-K to 12 • Academic Excellence • Devoted Teachers • Unique Learning Environment • Scholarships and Aid Available • Free Busing in Local Area & Ft. Drum

www.ihcschools.org 315-221-3785

“A foundation for life since 1881”

n LORNA OPPEDISANO is staff writer and editorial assistant for NNY Magazines. Contact her at loppedisano@wdt.net or (315) 6612381. Business history is a monthly feature from the archives of the Watertown Daily Times. Visit www.watertowndailytimes.com to access digital archives since 1988, or stop by the Times, 260 Washington St., Watertown to research materials in our library that date back to the 1800s.

February 2015 | NNY Business

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I

N E X T MON T H

n March, our annual Women in Business issue, writer Norah Machia talks with a handful of women who embody the entrepreneurial spirit of the north country.

Also coming next month: n celebrating 15 years: Watertown firm Aubertine & Currier Architects, Engineers &

Land Surveyors, a certified SBA WomenOwned Small Business, marks a milestone. n SMALL BIZ STARTUP: A feature story about a recently opened north country small business in Lewis County. n 20 QUESTIONS: An in-depth interview with Cathy M. Pircsuk, WWNY-TV 7 general manager, as she looks ahead to retirement. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History and Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at www.nnybizmag.com.

Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at www.issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

Ron Bacon

•

315-456-9173

46 | NNY Business | February 2015

February 2015 | NNY Business

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