NNY Business January 2016 by NNY Business

Y usIness // Annual outlook issue

JANUARY 2016 Volume 6 No. 2

nnybizmag.com

Nurturing

the seeds of growth

Region poised to see slow, steady gains in ’16

Development Health Housing care Tourism Manufacturing

Military Agriculture $2.95

/nnybusiness @NNYBusinessMag

n 20 Questions:

watertown mayor joseph m. butler jr.

n BUSINESS SCENE n NNY SNAPSHOT

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

2 | NNY Business | January 2016

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January 2016 | NNY Business

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THIS SPACE

AVAILABLE! 4 | NNY Business | January 2016

Inside january 2016 13

14 22

24 |

COVER |

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE |

14 OUTLOOK 2016 Regional experts say the year ahead will bring slow, steady gains across six sectors. |

12 AUTHENTICITY AWAITS A new Mexican restaurant will dish up tastes south of the border in Watertown. |

SMALL BIZ STARTUP |

13 the next chapter For one retired woman, opening a small business is a dream come true.

SMALL BUSINESS |

22 success uncorked For four friends, opening a wine and spirit store is an adventure in the making. AGRIBUSINESS |

24 A CALL TO New GRADS Job growth in the agriculture sector calls for new graduates. |

TOP TRANSACTIONS |

25 JEFFERSON COUNTY The top 10 property sales in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties topped more than $23m in November.

BUSINESS SCENE |

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

BUSINESS HISTORY |

44 A life on the rails For one Watertown native, a love trains became a wildly successful lifelong career. |

ONLINE |

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

January 2016 | NNY Business

Contributors

BusIness www.nnybizmag.com

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Editor & Publisher Ian Grant is population health program manager for Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. He writes about building healthier communities across the region. (pg. 32)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He recognizes 2015’s top north country Realtors. (p. 26)

Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He writes about investing in our communities for the greater good. (p. 33)

John B. Johnson

Co-Publisher

Harold B. Johnson II

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Magazine Associate Karee M. Magee

Photography

Justin Sorensen, Amanda Morrison Jason Hunter, Stephen Swofford

Director of Advertising Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 28-year IT veteran. She writes about the fast-changing “Internet of Things.” (p. 34)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp. He writes about a groundwater issue in the town of Orleans. (p. 35)

Sarah O’Connell is an advisor for the New York state Small Business Development Center at SUNYJefferson. She writes about a recent drive through Maine. (p. 36)

Michelle Bowers

Advertising Sales

Beth Hornbarger, Justin Sullivan, Mike Hanson, Laurie Denesha, Barb Loomis, Jim Homa, Katie Nelson Amy Rivera, Cindy Aucter, Yvonne Houppert

Advertising Graphics

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

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Joleene Moody is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. She writes about the importance of sacrifice on the path to success. (p. 37)

Norah Machia is a freelance writer and veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter. In Small Business Startup, she introduces Debbie Wood of Fabric and Sew Much More. (p. 13)

MARKETPLACE Bonnie Castle Resort ........... 25 Caskinette’s Ford ................. 37 Clayton Dental Office ........... 4 Coleman’s Corner ............... 20 Community Bank Wealth Management ....................... 48 Community Health Center at the North Country ............ 32 Creg Systems Corporation ... 9 Crouse Hospital ..................... 7 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home .... 18 Dr. Guitar Music ..................... 4 Fairground Inn ...................... 20 Foy Agency ............................ 4 Fuccillo Automotive .............. 8 Fuller Insurance ..................... 4 Garlocks Design Center ..... 25 GWNC Chamber

6 | NNY Business | January 2016

of Commerce ...................... 12 H.D. Goodale Co. .................. 4 High Tower Advisors ............ 30 Hospice of Jefferson County .................................. 45 Immaculate Heart Central Schools .................... 45 JCC Small Business Development Center .......... 33 Jefferson-Lewis BOCES ........ 23 NNY Auto Finder .................... 3 NNY Business 20 Under 40 ..... 31 Northern New York Community Foundation ...... 27 Northwestern Mutual ............. 9 Nortz & Virkler ........................ 8 Ridge View Inn ..................... 20 Sea Comm Federal

Credit Union ......................... 35 Shred Con ............................ 34 T.F. Wright & Sons ................. 16 Tunes 92.5 FM WBLH Radio .......................... 41 Volunteer Transportation Center ................................... 36 Waite Motor Sports .............. 40 Waite Toyota ........................ 43 Watertown Daily Times ........................... 4, 20, 42 Watertown Local Development Corp. ............ 26 Watertown Savings Bank ...... 2 Watertown Spring & Alignment ............................... 8 WWTI-TV50 ............................ 47 Ziebart Tidycar ....................... 8

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. © 2010-2016. 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.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year and 24 issues are $25 for two years. 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 mbowers@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2345 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail blabrake@ogd.com, or call 315-661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility. Please recycle this magazine.

INTERVIEW

About THE COVER

28 A new day for watertown He is only the second person to unseat longtime city mayor Jeff Graham; the first was his father in 1999. We meet newly elected mayor Joseph M. Butler Jr. for a look ahead in Watertown. |

COLUMNS

32 Economically speaking 33 NONPROFITS TODAY 34 BUSINESS TECH BYTES |

DEPARTMENTS

8 9 10 12 13

35 AGRIBUSINESS 36 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS 37 entrepreneur’s edge

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

26 38 40 44 46

real estate roundup CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE BUSINESS HISTORY What’s happening here?

For our annual economic outlook cover, photographer Stephen Swofford styled a newly planted amaryllis plant being waterted in our photo studio. The image illustrates steady growth that local experts have forcasted for the region’s economy in the year ahead. In our cover story, which begins on page 14, magazine associate Karee Magee examines the economic outlook in six sectors of the north country economy for 2016.

January 2016 | NNY Business

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fter a year that had many breathing a sigh of relief over troop cuts at Fort Drum, experts are looking ahead with renewed optimism that 2016 will bring steady growth in the local economy. In our annual outlook issue this month, magazine associate Karee Magee takes the pulse of six sectors of the north country’s economy. From health care to agriculture, military, to manufacturing, construction, housing and tourism, business leaders are positive that Ken Eysaman the region will post gains and end this year stronger than last year. Karee’s cover story begins on page 14. n

20 QUESTIONS — Joseph M. Butler Jr. grew up in Watertown knowing that one day he’d serve the city that blessed him with a great childhood. After eight years on the City Council, Mr. Butler was elected mayor in November, becoming the first person after his father, Joseph M. Butler Sr., to unseat longtime mayor Jeff Graham. On the eve of his swearing in as mayor, we sit down with the younger Mr. Butler to talk about his vision for a city that faces challenges and opportunities and what it’s like to follow in his father’s footsteps. n

BUSINESS SCENE — This month’s Scene section, which begins on page 40, features 46 faces from nearly three dozen business and organizations across the north country. On Dec. 3, we joined BCA Architects and Engineers, Watertown, and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation for the 21st

annual Children’s Gift & Fund Drive, which raised more than $20,000 in toys and cash contributions in a single night at Watertown’s historic Paddock Arcade. On Dec. 10, along with New York Air Brake, we presented the 5th annual NNY Business Magazine 20 Under 40 luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown, where nearly 260 people from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties gathered to honor the 2015 Class of Northern New York Emerging Leaders. The response and enthusiasm for this program is overwhelming and continues to build. On Dec. 16, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce at the historic Paddock Arcade for December’s Business After Hours. By some estimates, more than 200 people packed the Arcade for an evening of holiday cheer. Finally, on Dec. 17, we joined the Clayton Chamber of Commerce for its December Business With A Twist at the 1000 Islands Museum on James Street. n

20 UNDER 40 — One final thank you to the generous sponsors of our 5th annual 20 Under 40 event last month: New York Air Brake, the Northern New York Community Foundation, Watertown Savings Bank, BCA Architects & Engineers, Slack Chemical, RBC Wealth Management, Jefferson Economic Development, Hilton Garden Inn Watertown/Thousand Islands, Thousand Islands Young Leader Organization, Timeless Frames, Décor & Expressions, Watertown Family YMCA, Tunes 92.5 and 104.5 FM WBLH Radio, AUSA NNY/Fort Drum, and the Watertown Daily Times. Without their support we couldn’t have made the event such a success. Yours in business,

next month

n February, we look at the changing landscape of the automotive industry in Northern New York as a Honda dealership returns to the region and other dealers mark significant milestones. Also coming next month: n MILESTONES: Italian eatery Stefano’s Restaurant, with locations in Carthage and Pulaski, recently celebrated its 30year anniversary. We visit the owners. n 20 QUESTIONS: An in-depth interview with a north country business leader.

n BUSINESS HISTORY: A look through our archives at a north country business. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Entreprenuer’s Edge, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agribusiness, and Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at nnybizmag.com. Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

PEOPLE O N T H E M O V E

Named real property tax services director

Candy C. Akin, Lyons Falls, recently began duties as Lewis County’s real property tax services director Mrs. Akin, who has worked in the county office for the past 5½ years, will earn $48,000-per-year in her new position. She succeeds her Akin boss, Linda D. Hoskins, who was sworn in last month as the county’s first female county clerk. Mrs. Akin, who was appointed to a four-year term as office director, previously worked for eight years as secretary to Lowville attorney Earl B. Dunckel.

Ex-Pyrites man featured in Forbes magazine story

David Dafoe, founder of Flavorman, a beverage development company, brought in $14 million in revenue this year, a feat impressive enough to land him in Forbes. Mr. Dafoe, a Pyrites native who now lives in Louisville, Ky., said he owes much of his success to his north country roots. A story about Dafoe and his company is in the Dec. 14 issue of Forbes. “Practically all of my relatives owned farms, so it was a lot of hard work, especially in the summers,” Mr. Dafoe said, adding that his grandmother, Dorothy Dafoe, was a major source of motivation for him. Mr. Dafoe said his grandmother always encouraged him and always told him that he could do anything he wanted to do. “That stuck in my head,” he said. “I would attribute almost all of my success to my grandmother.” Mr. Dafoe’s career in the tasting business began when he was found to be a “super taster” after applying at a Cincinnati flavor house called Fries & Fries. “As it turns out, I have this remarkable ability to taste and smell, more than a normal human being,” he said. In 1992, Mr. Dafoe began his own business, which is now known as Flavorman. In 2012, he started Moonshine University, which trains other companies’ employees on how to open and operate distilleries. Mr. Dafoe said he still feels a strong con-

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.

nection to the north country, where he still has many relatives and friends. He said he enjoys visiting the area when he can. “I keep in touch with a lot of folks up there, and I visit as often as I can,” Mr. Dafoe said.

New Ogdensburg city manager

Former Yates County Administrator Sarah Purdy recently began her new duties as Ogdensburg city manager. Ms. Purdy will be paid $112,500 a year during each of the three years of her contract. She Purdy succeeds John M. Pinkerton, who left the post Dec. 31. Ms. Purdy was selected after a nationwide search that saw 32 people express an interest in the job. The city was aided in its search by the Bonadio Group, an accounting and consultant firm with offices in Syracuse and Rochester. Ms. Purdy left her job as Yates county administrator after 20 years. He said some of her accomplishments that stood out during the interview process were her role in supervising brownfield remediation of roughly 15 acres of property along Keuka Lake, and her involvement in a community waterfront revitalization committee to help spearhead an appropriate reuse plan for the property. Other accomplishments included implementing a five-year capital planning process in Yates County. In addition to her duties as Yates County administrator, Ms. Purdy served on the board of directors of the state Association of Counties from 2003 to 2010 and is a past president of the association. She is also a member of the Penn Yan Lions Club and holds a master’s in from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s in English and classics from Smith College.

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January 2016 | NNY Business

Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers November 2015 $1.62 October 2015 $1.56 November 2014 $2.27

28.6%

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

366,487 in November 2015 411,282 in October 2015 391,210 in November 2014

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

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

November 2015 $2.26 October 2015 $2.29 November 2014 $3.22

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

29.8%

30.1%

16.7

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

November 2015 $2.37 October 2015 $2.33 November 2014 $2.88

91,700 in November 2015 91,700 in October 2015 91,300 in November 2014

17.7%

0.44%

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

96, median price $142,900 in November 2015 142, median price $115,000 in October 2015 98, median price $146,938 in November 2014

58, median price $75,000 in November 2015 60, median price $97,000 in October 2015 62, median price $89,000 in November 2014

2.7%

2.0% Sales

6.5%

Price

15.7%

Sales

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates United States

5.5

4.8 October 2015

November 2014

4.8 November 2015

4.5 October 2015

November 2014

4.7 November 2015

5.7

7.0

New York State

5.3 October 2015

5.9

Lewis County

November 2015

6.9 November 2014

5.6 October 2015

6.1

St. Lawrence County

November 2015

7.1 November 2014

5.7 October 2015

6.5

Jefferson County

November 2015

ECON SNAPSHOT

November 2015 $2.42 October 2015 $2.45 November 2014 $3.46

6.3%

$1.33 on Nov. 30, 2015 $1.31 on Oct. 30, 2015 $1.14 on Nov. 30, 2014

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

10 | NNY Business | January 2016

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

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

November 2014

NNY

Economic indicators

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.) Note: Due to updates in some â&#x20AC;&#x153;Econ. Snapshotâ&#x20AC;? 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 111 in November 2015 318 in November 2015 135 in October 2015 492 in October 2015 271 in November 2014 94 in November 2014

17.3%

NNY

18.1%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

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

2,593 inbound and outbound in November 2015 2,763 inbound and outbound in October 2015 2,492 inbound and outbound in November 2014

2,290 in November 2015 2,288 in October 2015 2,354 in November 2014

4.1%

DBAs

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. 2 to Dec. 31, 2015. For a complete list of DBAs filed in past months, visit www.nnybizmag.com.

Dec. 31: Eclectic Office Solutions, 48425 Goose Bay Road, Redwood, Valarie Komondy Jump, 48425 Goose Bay Road, Redwood. n Superior Process Service, 20 Public Square, Watertown, Jarrod C. Randall, 114 Katherine St., Watertown, Alissa A. Randall, 114 Katherine St., Watertown. n Kolt45 Motorsports, 23248 Swan Road, Watertown, Ronald P. Gamble Jr., 23248 Swan Road, Watertown. Dec. 30: North Country Massage Therapy, 22632 Summit Drive, Watertown, Shannon Marie Nevin, 401 E. Hoard St., Watertown. n Envision Renovations, 16 High St., Carthage, Blake Clayton, 16 High St., Carthage. Dec. 29: Vibrant Music Group, 232 Main St., Watertown, Brensley M. Gibson, 232 Main St., Watertown. n The Woven Bead, 2475 Alexandra Meadows, Watertown, Beverly Jean Horning, 2475 Alexandra Meadows, Watertown. Dec. 24: Garnsey General Construction, 11470 County Route 9, Clayton, Kevin Michael Garnsey, 11470 County Route 9, Clayton. n Karen Agnetta Photography, 1205 Ives St., Watertown, Karen Agnetta, 1205 Ives St., Watertown. n JTR Painting, 32434 County Route 179, Depauville, Jason T. Rarick, 32434 County Route 179, Depauville. Dec. 23: Nasty North Sticker Company, 594 West Main St., Watertown, Jason Gilmore, 24200 Perch Lake Road, Watertown. Dec. 22: Jim’s Livestock Ranch, 24990 County Route 37, Carthage, James Howard Brotherton, 24990 County Route 37, Carthage. Dec. 21: B and T Mechanical, 28572 State route 37, Evans Mills, William Tufo, 389 Pawling St., Watertown, Todd Anderson, 28572 State Route 37, Evans Mills. n Clayton County Jam, 39215 Farm Road, Bruce Thomas Macfarlane, P.O. Box 521, Clayton. Dec. 16: Schirmer Maintenance Services, 30451 Burnup

Road, Black River, Troy R. Schirmer, 30451 Burnup Road, Black River. Dec. 15: RLM Motorsports & Fabrication, 26328 Perch Lake Road, Watertown, Rodney I. McCready, 26328 Perch Lake Road, Watertown. Dec. 14: GK Contracting, 135 Girard Ave., Watertown, Guy A. Cacace, 135 Girard Ave., Watertown. Dec. 10: Creative Par-Tees, 642 Mundy St., Watertown, Angela M. Trombley, 642 Mundy St., Watertown. Dec. 8: Coffee Time, 21182 Salmon Run Mall Loop W., Watertown, Parviz Jafarov, 14833 Aspen Lane, Apartment D, Watertown. n Due North Vintage Event Co., 610 John St., Clayton, Beth Law, 610 John St., Clayton. n Halladay Home Creations, 106 General Smith Drive, Sackets Harbor, Jennifer Leigh Damon, 106 General Smith Drive, Sackets Harbor. Dec. 4: Mister Bigg’s, 65 Public Square, Watertown, Edirin Igho-Akiti, 124 Franklin St. Watertown. n Lmtosti Enterprises, 41875 County Route 21, Redwood, Lee Matthew Tosti, 41875 County Route 21, Watertown. n Sullivan Crafts and More, 221 State St., Watertown, Lynn Sullivan, 27735 Gould Coner Road, County Route 32, Evans Mills. Dec. 3: Dollar B International Market, 204 Franklin St., Watertown, Felix Osabohien Oduwa, 434 Bugbee Drive, Watertown. n Classic Cab, 808 Main St., Watertown, Ralph J. Lantier Jr., 403 Academy St., Apartment 1, Watertown. n Cleaning Rags and Dust Bunnies, 1104 Huntington St., Watertown, Rose Ann Foley, 1104 Huntington St., Watertown. Dec. 2: Jefferson County Homeschool Gym, 232 Brown Blvd., Brownville, Walrath Michael, P.O. Box 625, Brownville. n Pier Sound and Data, 23791 Forest Drive, Watertown, Tasha Marie Pierson, 23791 Forest Drive, Watertown. n Shaw Aviation, 883 State St., Carthage, Eric Shaw, 883 State St., Carthage.

transactions

Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

2.7%

January 2016 | NNY Business

| 11

business briefcase

Camino Real Mexican Restaurant to feature authentic cuisine Authentic Mexican cuisine is coming to Watertown — and in generous helpings. Camino Real Mexican Restaurant is slated to open early next month at 821 Arsenal St., taking over the building previously occupied by Arsenal Street Diner. Four Mexican-Americans teamed up to launch the restaurant, which has been painted in festive colors and will feature a remodeled dining area and all-new kitchen equipment. Roberto A. Espinoza — who co-owns the restaurant with Jose Castaneda, Joanna Leon

and Marissa Salazar — said he believes Watertown is in need of an authentic Mexican restaurant distinct from American restaurant chains in the area, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Taco Bell. Among other things, the menu will feature Mexican rice, refried beans, enchiladas, chimichangas and burritos made with ground beef, shredded chicken and steak. An assortment of seafood, steaks and soups will also be available. “We saw that there was a need for a real

ACCREDITED

2016 Speakers

Donald Alexander Chief Executive Officer of Jefferson County Economic Develepment, Denise Young Executive Director of Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Scott Kingsley Chief Financial Officer of Community Bank, N.A., Kenneth Mix Planning & Community Development Coordinator of the City of Watertown, Franz Philippe Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security of Fort Drum, and Stephen Hunt North Country Regional Director of Empire State Development Call in advance to register 315.788.4400 or online at watertownny.com Register by Friday, January 22, 2016

Presenting Sponsor

12 | NNY Business | January 2016

Media Sponsor

Supporting Sponsor

Mexican restaurant,” Mr. Espinoza, 29, said. The group leased the restaurant in November from investment firm KAD Realty, Alexandria Bay. The restaurant’s name, Camino Real, is Spanish for the “Royal Road,” a 600-mile historic road in California, Mr. Espinoza said. He said customers, who will dine while listening to traditional Mexican music, will notice affordable prices, quick service and generous helpings. He said the family-style restaurant — open seven days a week for lunch and dinner — will seat roughly 100 diners with a combination of booths and tables. The restaurant will initially be staffed by eight MexicanAmerican employees, he said. The employees were recruited from Mexican restaurants in Goldsboro, N.C. They were offered better pay as an incentive to move to Watertown. “They know how to do Mexican food, and that’s important ... it’s really hard work, and the orders need to come out fast,” Mr. Espinoza said, adding that he hopes soon to hire three additional local servers. All of the items on the lunch menu will be priced below $9 at the restaurant, he said, which will aim to provide speedy service. “If you only have 20 minutes for lunch, you can come here and have a fresh dish at your table in five minutes,” he said. While some items on the dinner menu will be above $20, Mr. Espinoza said, the meals come with “a lot of food.” “Our most expensive dinner item is going to be the double fajita at $26,” he said, “but it could serve three people. We do big dishes.” Mr. Espinoza said he believes people who frequent national chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill in Watertown will notice a difference in the burritos served at the Arsenal Street restaurant. “Compared to Chipotle’s burritos, ours are huge and have white cheese on top, burrito sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole on the inside,” he said. The 2,600-square-foot building has sat vacant since the fall of 2014, when Arsenal Street Diner closed after being open for about a year. Pizza Hut previously occupied the building. — Ted Booker

Small Bu siness sta rt up

“[My

husband] was my biggest supporter” in making the decision to open. — Debbie L. Wood, owner, Fabric and Sew Much More AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

BUSINESS

Fabric and Sew Much More After Debbie L. Wood, 56, retired last year from her maintenance job at the Clayton Recreation Park Arena, she decided it was time to turn her passion for sewing into a full-time business. During her tenure at the arena, Mrs. Wood did a variety of work, everything from running the Zamboni machine at the ice rink, to mowing the park lawns. But during her free time, she was busy creating handcrafted fabric items, such as embroidered towels and placements, aprons and towels, plastic bag holders, and clothespin bags. “I spent a lot of weekends traveling to craft shows,” she said. After many hours of discussion with her husband, Keith, she decided that her “retirement project” would be to establish a full-time business selling a variety of fabrics for sewing and quilting, along with many handmade craft items. “He was my biggest supporter” in mak-

ing the decision to open her own business, Mrs. Wood said. She opened “Fabric and Sew Much More” last November at 38648 State Route 12E, Clayton. She is renting the space for her business, and has stocked it with a large variety of fabrics for sewing and quilting projects. Mrs. Wood said she may start selling additional materials, such as rayon or polyester, depending on the demand, she said. New bolts of fabric are arriving each month, she said. “I’m hoping to save people a trip to Watertown” or even a further distance from the Thousand Islands region, she said. Mrs. Wood said the building also has a large vacant room that is available for use by different groups, such as quilting guilds. This would give them the opportunity to share their projects, she added. She also offers classes to those interested in learning more about the variety of craft items that can be created by sewing or quilting. When she decided to open her own business, Mrs. Wood first sought assis-

tance from the Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College to establish herself as a DBA operation. The Watertown SBDC serves residents of Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties, including Fort Drum. It has outreach offices at the Lewis County Industrial Development Agency, Lowville, and at SUNY Oswego. The SBDC offers a variety of assistance, including help developing a business plan, locating funding sources, creating a market plan, and earning about e-commerce. All services are free of charge. Mrs. Wood has also allowed other crafters to sell their items at her store. For example, there are a variety of fleece hats and scarfs, along with crocheted head wear. “I’m offering a few others crafters the opportunity to sell through consignment,” she said. The store hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or by appointment. Visit the store’s Facebook Page or call 686-3006 to learn more. — Norah Machia

WHERE 38648 State Route 12E, Clayton | OPENED November 2015 | WEB Facebook.com/

January 2016 | NNY Business

| 13

C OV E R STORY

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2016

Slow and steady growth wins the race Despite a few challenges, experts say the region is on pace for a positive year in 2016. Six sectors of the north country’s economy are ripe with opportunities for growth.

BY KAREE MAGEE | NNY BUSINESS

A grim fate cast a pall over the north country in early 2015, as federal budget sequestration threatened to cut up to 16,000 personnel from Fort Drum in an effort by the army to trim its active duty force from 490,000 to 450,000 by fiscal year 2017. Relief flooded the region on July 9 when Fort Drum officials announced in a news release that the post would lose only 28 soldiers. What appeared to be a catastrophic time for the north country evolved into a year of positive growth in the region, said Donald C. Alexander, executive director of Jefferson County Economic Development. “It’s going to be a mixed year,” he said of the region’s outlook for 2016. Health care, manufacturing and tourism saw an uptick in 2015, which is

14 | NNY Business | January 2016

expected to continue into the year ahead. Certain sectors of the region’s economy will see more growth than others, though, Mr. Alexander said. Agriculture, the dairy industry in particular, will see a tough year as prices farmers are paid for milk continue to fall into 2016 and an increase in the minimum wage is introduced. Concerns still remain for the growing sectors of the economy as well, Mr. Alexander said. “Divide a piece of paper. There are enough bad points to be of concern to me, but it will be OK,” he said. Despite some challenges the economy faces, though, Elle Hanna, CenterState CEO, director of communications and media relations said she expects Northern New York’s economy to continue in a positive direction.

“It’s not dramatic. (The region) is moving in a positive direction,” Ms. Hanna said. “We’re going to see a steady growth. That will probably bear out in the next several years.” Military After seeing minimal cuts in 2015, Fort Drum remains a stable part of the region’s economy despite seeing a moderate decrease in its economic impact from $1.3 billion in 2014 to $1.22 billion. The decrease, mostly a drop in military payroll, according to Col. Bryan J. Laske, Fort Drum garrison commander, was small compared to the $1.6 billion full cuts would have cost the north country. “It’ll be a little less overall, but won’t impact jobs created in a significant way,” said Carl A. McLaughlin, executive director of Fort Drum Regional Liaison Orga-

C O V E R S T O RY

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / MILITARY: A soldier salutes during the presentation of the colors last year in an activation ceremony for the 10th Mountain Division Divarty. As the post avoided major cuts in 2015, Fort Drum officials remain positive that 2016 will be a healthy year for one of region’s top economic sectors.

nization. “The good news is it’s stabilizing at this point.” Although Fort Drum isn’t completely out of the woods, Mr. McLaughlin said the region can expect it to remain stable for the next two years while sequestration for defense purposes is postponed. “We all breathed a sigh of relief,” Mr. Alexander said. “There is no way to assess how much damage would have been done.” The region’s work isn’t over though, Col. Laske said. “We cannot stop talking about our value to the Army here at Fort Drum,” he said. “The Army is very open in saying that further reductions due to sequestration will impact every state where soldiers are currently stationed.” The National Commission on the Future of the Army, formed to conduct a

comprehensive study on the structure of the army will unveil its recommendations on a wide range of issues, including the size of the army, on Jan. 28. “Eventually they need to realize there’s a limit to how much you can downsize and still be ready to be utilized,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Meanwhile, Fort Drum is looking to more immediate plans. Col. Laske said payroll is expected to remain stable during the next fiscal year, which represents 85 percent of Fort Drum’s total economic impact, but military construction will continue on its downward trend. “We’ve been talking about it for the last couple of years,” he said. “Major construction projects on Fort Drum are drying up quickly.” There will be no more projects in the

FY19-FY21 military construction programs, Col. Laske said, though construction is ongoing on the Grey Eagle Hangar and work on a new noncommissioned officer academy will begin this summer. The slowdown in construction, though, isn’t a negative, Col. Laske said. “Our growth over the last decade has slowed, and it’s tough on one hand because it was such a boon for the economy, but on the other hand it’s proof that we’re where we need to be,” he said. Despite looking at more deployments this spring, Mr. Laske said further deployments will be spread out evenly in 2016 and the vast majority of the division will be home by Christmas, including soldiers presently in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, South Korea and soldiers serving in Africa. “While it’s hard to speculate exactly January 2016 | NNY Business

| 15

COV E R STORY

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / HEALTH CARE: The New York State Delivery System Reform Incentive Program begins its second year in March, which will bring changes to the north country’s health care system that take aim at improving patient outcomes while focusing on prevention and cutting hospital stays.

how our soldiers coming home will affect the local economy, I think we’re safe in saying it will be a good news story,” he said. Health care Over the next four years, regional health care will be in the midst of major expansions and investment as the fiveyear New York State Delivery System Reform Incentive Program begins its second year in March. The program aims to restructure the health care system by reinvesting in the Medicaid program with the primary goal of reducing hospital visits by 25 percent.

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“We’re moving from a health care system to a system for health,” said Denise K. Young, executive director of the Watertown-based Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. Up to $6.42 billion were allocated to DSRIP, $78 million of which was awarded to the North Country Initiative Performing Provider System, made up of Watertown’s Samaritan Medical Center, Carthage Area Hospital, River Hospital, Alexandria Bay, Clifton-Fine Hospital, Star Lake, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg and Massena Memorial Hospital, as well as 500 independent practices, clinics, schools and public

health agencies. According to Ms. Young, the program seeks to grow the health care system through collaboration to improve the quality of patient experience, increase community involvement, and decrease cost. “If we can do those three things, we’ll be in great shape,” she said. In order to do that and cut hospital visits, the new system emphasizes preventative care. “You pay attention to prevention, you cut down hospital visits,” said Ben Moore III, CEO of River Hospital. “If this works there will be less demand for the acute care services. They’re much more expensive than preventing illness.” The group will focus on three of the five target areas the DSRIP system seeks to improve: mental health and substance abuse, chronic disease and maternal and child health. Ms. Young said initiatives to facilitate this include creating more outpatient services that are conveniently located for those with chronic diseases like diabetes, as well as using telemedicine at hospitals and facilities like Lewis County General Hospital to contact specialists who aren’t available in the region. “It’s a great way to increase access to care that we don’t have,” she said. The Lewis County hospital is also using DSRIP money to build an assisted living facility behind the hospital, move the Copenhagen Health Center into a portion of Copenhagen Central School, upgrade the surgical suite, and acquire a 3D mammography unit that is unique to the north country. River Hospital is planning a $14 million project to build a three-story addition to its Fuller Street Building that will offer outpatient mental health services and primary care in the same place to better treat

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C O V E R S T O RY the whole patient. “Right now they’re all scattered,” Mr. Moore said. “It will be much more efficient for the patients.” Ms. Young said that part of the North Country Initiative’s plan focuses on education. The CARE Coordination program partners the North Country Initiative with FDRHPO, Jefferson Community College and SUNY Canton to train present care workers for the changing health care system. The first program ended in December with 30 participants. The second starts in the spring. Despite a number of projects underway, the program has a long way to go, according to David B. Acker, CEO of CantonPotsdam Hospital, which is part of another healthcare group participating in DSRIP along with Gouverneur Hospital. “There’s been a lot of work done,” he said. “Mainly getting organized is the biggest thing we’re trying to do. There is a lot DSRIP is trying to accomplish.” Canton-Potsdam Hospital is focusing its DSRIP projects on outpatient care, prevention and education, including improving its transitional care team. The transitional care team, Mr. Acker said, ensures people who are at high risk of repeat hospital visits get the outpatient care and education they need to avoid future visits. As the DSRIP program moves toward its second year, Mr. Acker said it’s still too soon to know if it will accomplish everything it set out to or how it will fully affect the north country. “It’s a bold agenda, but it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “It’s very resource intense.” Manufacturing The north country experienced a manufacturing boom throughout 2015 with a number of projects and expansions still in the works to bring more jobs to the region. Despite laying off 20 salaried workers and 15 hourly workers last fall, New York Air Brake’s planned $3.6 million expansion that will house an engineering test lab is among the many projects moving forward in 2016. Cuts were due to an expected decline in demand for the company’s brake systems over the next three years, according to a Watertown Daily Times report. Air Brake is allocating $2 million to build the addition. The remaining $1.6

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / MANUFACTURING: A New York Air Brake special process operator cleans a casted brake control valve machine at the Watertown facility in this 2011 file photo. New York Air Brake’s planned $3.6 million expansion that will house an engineering test lab is among the many projects moving forward this year.

million will go toward product testing equipment. St. Lawrence County has seen a large number of companies expanding in the region, including ACCO Brands Inc., which produces office products, and DelFasko Corp., producer of coating thickness gauges and inspection instruments. Expansion projects continue at Purine Pharma in Massena and the Canton Corning plant in DeKalb. Maxam North America, a subsidiary of Maxam Civil Explosives, opened its new location in Ogdensburg in September. The plant will initially employee three people, according to a Times article, but the workforce may grow depending on the success of the facility. According to CenterState’s Ms. Hanna, having a large number of smaller manufacturing companies expanding in the north country is a huge benefit because the region will not be solely reliant on one major employer in that sector. “The shift that happened in the last few decades was more small and medium manufacturers,” she said. “That means the economy is more nimble. If one of them was to go the economy would not be crippled.” St. Lawrence County is still largely dependent on Alcoa as a major employer, which employs about 750 people.

The proposed closure of the Massena East smelter and idling of the Massena West smelter in November would have cost the region 487 jobs. That plan was postponed in December for the next 3½ years due to a deal with Empire State Development after approving capitol grants of up to $20.6 million. The impact of larger companies on the region isn’t the only issue manufacturing faces in the north country, though, Ms. Hanna said. Manufacturers are facing a gap between jobs that exist and the skillset needed by those seeking those jobs. “The people looking for those jobs do not have the skillset that’s needed,” Ms. Hanna said. “There’s a disconnect.” The problem is leaving jobs in manufacturing companies unfilled. CenterState developed the Work Train program in the Syracuse area in 2014 to help create workforce development opportunities for low-income residents. The program aids employers in specific industries to address employment needs and develop strategies to engage local training with education partners. Though the program started in Onondaga County, Ms. Hanna said CenterState CEO hopes to include the other counties it serves. January 2016 | NNY Business

| 17

COV E R STORY

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT: An influx of new rental properties in recent years has helped to fuel a renters’ market in Jefferson County that experts say will lead to more vacancies in smaller buildings and falling rent prices. Despite the increase in supply, the housing market remains stable.

Housing and Development As of last March, 2,082 new rentals had been created within a 30-mile radius of Fort Drum four years after the housing crisis forced a scramble of development in Jefferson County. That number doubled the 1,035 units that local agencies recommended, according to a Times article, but now the situation has changed. “The housing market is a little overbuilt at this point,” said Brian Murray, real estate developer and CEO of Washington Street Properties, Watertown. “The city is going to face a challenge with a higher vacancy rate in the housing market within the city boundaries.” The housing peak is expected to cause a

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series of issues in the community including stagnant development in that sector, an overabundance of larger high-end apartments while there are fewer studios, pressure on older homes and properties to compete, and a decrease in home sales due to the increased options. “We’re going to face challenges, but they’re not insurmountable,” Mr. Murray said. Despite the concerns a housing glut brings, it also presents a number of positives, Mr. Murray said. More rental housing makes the city more affordable and it raises the standard of the properties if landlords have to compete, he said. According to JCED’s Mr. Alexander,

another benefit is that vacancies stabilize the housing economy and attracts more people and new companies. “As a consumer you have more choices,” he said. “That’s important when we go to attract companies to our area. It’s not a comfortable place if we don’t have choices.” The slowdown, though, has not stopped housing development completely. Washington Street Properties’ Arsenal Apartments opened in the spring, offering 44 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and with the opening of the Autumn Ridge townhouse complex off County Route 202, Morgan Management, Pittsford, began working on a sister development across the street that calls for a 359-unit townhouse complex. Washington Street Properties is also continuing work on its Washington Manor Apartments, which will include 28 high-end apartments with a mixture of studios and two-bedrooms. Despite the decrease in development in the housing industry and at Fort Drum, commercial real estate continues to perform well. Tree clearing and site preparation began in December at the Watertown International Airport for a new business park proposed by Jefferson County Economic Development, but construction won’t start in 2016 until planning efforts for infrastructure and access roads have been completed. Renovations continue at the Lincoln Building on Watertown’s Public Square, owned by Washington Street Properties, focusing on finishing retail space and the heating and sprinkling systems. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy in May. COR Development, Fayetteville, is set to demolish five vacant houses within four to six weeks near the site of its Mercy project, former home of Mercy Hospital

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C OVER S TORY and the Madonna Home. The $65 million to $70 million project will be turned into rental housing and commercial space. According to Mr. Murray, there is a lot of opportunity in the downtown area in the coming year because of a national trend that favors migration into city centers and urban areas. “It might be time to develop a strategy to promote economic development in the downtown areas,” he said. “There is a lot of space available and that gives companies options to relocate. It could end up being a pivotal year for future years.” Agriculture The north country’s dairy industry hit a low point in 2015 after dairy farms substantially increased production to take advantage of high milk prices and consumer demand in foreign countries. As demand fell this past year in countries like China, which import north country milk products, it left an oversupply of milk, dropping milk prices by 28.6 percent from November 2014. “The industry has become a global industry and we were able to take advantage of global demand for milk, but it catches up and drives domestic prices down,” said Jay M. Matteson, Jefferson County Economic Development agricultural coordinator. The decrease in global demand for milk is combining with a domestic drop in fluid milk consumption, which has fallen by 4 to 5 percent per year, Mr. Matteson said. “People aren’t drinking milk the way they used to,” he said. The drop wasn’t unexpected, though, according to Ronald C. Robbins, owner of North Harbor Dairy in Sackets Harbor. “We knew we would see some softening of prices in 2015, but the farms are beginning to feel the pain of lower prices,” he said. Milk prices are expected to remain low for much of 2016, stalling investments and forcing many farms to operate at a loss if their reserves from 2014 have dried up. “It’s going to be really important for farms to focus on fundamentals to maximize production and do what they can to control costs,” Mr. Robbins said. “We’ll ricochet back pretty quickly.” The dairy industry, though, is facing another concern with an increase of the state minimum wage to $9, which took effect on New Year’s Day, and the proposal by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to increase the minimum wage again to $15 in three years. The governor is pushing for his proposal to be enacted in 2016. “It’s not so much the milk price any-

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / AGRICULTURE: Gary Davis, co-owner of Bella-Brooke Vineyards, Hammond, talks about the grapevines at his vineyard. The outlook for niche agricultural products and farm and craft beverages is positive for 2016 while dairy farmers will see a challenging year a smilk prices remain low.

more,” Mr. Robbins said. “The costs of doing business here have become a bigger concern. A $15 minimum wage or a rising minimum wage would equate to $22 out of our pocket every paycheck.” If Mr. Cuomo’s proposal takes place, the total wage increase would equal $150,020 for six employees, according to Mr. Matteson. “That would cause us to seriously consider adjusting our business plan,” Mr. Robbins said. “Some of the bigger farms like us will find ways to survive, but it’s the mediumsized operations that really going to hurt.” Mr. Robbins said that the wage increase would make growth impossible and farms need to grow to stay ahead of fixed costs. The increase would also cost jobs, Mr. Matteson said, with smaller farms turning to robotic milking systems, which come with a one-time cost of $250,000. The most promising parts of the agriculture sector in the year ahead are food processing and niche products. Mr. Matteson is working to develop plans to build a meat processing plant in Jefferson County that could serve as the anchor for an agricultural park. “We’re seeing a lot of interest in local food consumption,” Mr. Matteson said. “People want those proteins coming from as local a community as possible.” Mr. Matteson said a meat processing plant could divert some of the trailers carrying cattle from Canada and the north county to Pennsylvania to a local facility.

“That’s a market that we’re missing,” he said. “If we could provide a meat processing plant here, we may be able to capture some of that livestock.” Building the plant hit a roadblock last year when Car-Freshner Corp. threatened to move its headquarters if the facility was built at the Jefferson County Corporate Park off outer Coffeen Street because the company’s counsel claimed odor from a meat plant would be detrimental to CarFreshner, which develops fragrances for its air fresheners, according to a Times article. Developer Michael E. Lundy, Carthage, was awarded a $50,000 federal grant to assess the feasibility of building the plant, and Mr. Matteson said those involved are looking at two new sites. “It was a setback, but I’m still optimistic that we can locate a USDA-certified meat processing plant in Jefferson County,” Mr. Matteson said. One bright spot for the north country as it heads into 2016, is the rise in niche agricultural products. The number of breweries, wineries and distilleries has increased in Jefferson County to 14 at the end of last year from just two wineries in 2004. “That’s significant,” Mr. Matteson said. “Each becomes a marketplace for local products. Homestead Heritage Cheese, part of the certified organic dairy farm Homestead Fields, started producing organic cheese January 2016 | NNY Business

| 19

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C O V E R S T O RY in LaFargeville last fall. The 130-cow, 700-acre farm is presently only making cheese curd, but plans to expand in the spring include cheddar and possibly blue cheese production. Niche agriculture businesses are also experimenting with different and regionally unique products, according to Mr. Matteson, including infusing honey with different flavors, similar to what the Spicy Wench, Watertown, does with its pepper jams. Clayton’s Coyote Moon began marketing wine in a can, available in packs of four 250-mililiter cans, while wineries are experimenting with new grapes, called cold-hardy hybrids and frigid picking to produce sweet wine. “All of those niche products are very important to help our agriculture industry to be strong and grow,” Mr. Matteson said. Tourism A recent survey from the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council identified the low Canadian exchange rate as a dampening effect on the north country’s tourism sector last year. The value of the Canadian dollar has consistently fallen since August and is now trading at 72 cents U.S. According to Gary S. DeYoung, executive director of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, this has caused fewer Canadian to cross the border for vacations, decreasing business for restaurants, retailers and hotels. At the same time, though, Mr. DeYoung reported a positive tourism season in 2015 and expects to see another this year. “This year we’ve got a pretty good response with this being a better than average year,” he said. “My gut is that our business from the U.S. side was probably stronger this year.” In place of fewer Canadians traveling to the region, a strong U.S. dollar has increased American travel domestically. Other positive factors included favorable weather, low gas prices, a stronger economy and stable water levels on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, Mr. DeYoung said. “Things are fairly stable,” Mr. DeYoung said. “As long as the economy stays on the same direction we should see a pretty good year.” Growth of sustainable and recreational tourism in the region was another factor in the strength of the tourism industry. Northern New York is placing a large emphasis on this type of tourism, in particular for agri-tourism, parks and outdoor

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

OUTLOOK 2016 / TOURISM: Seasonal business owners attribute Clayton’s 1000 Island Harbor Hotel, seen here at sunset, with boosting tourism in the area. The regional tourism outlook for 2016 is positive.

areas, and downtown projects. The north country’s largest form of agritourism comes from its wineries, breweries and distilleries. St. Lawrence Wine Trail opened in October, taking advantage of experience tourism rather than a singular destination. The trail features Black Lake’s Bella Brooke Winery in Morristown, Lisbon’s River Myst Winery and High Peaks Winery in Winthrop. It will also include restaurants, orchards and lodges. The St. Lawrence Wine Trail joins 18 designated wine trails in the state, including the 1000 Islands Wine Trail in Jefferson County. Three sisters, Brenda L. James, Danielle M. Durant and Elizabeth R. Sharpe, also launched a wine, brewery and distillery tour business in December for the St. Lawrence and Thousand Islands region. Lady Slipper Wine Tours will offer guided bus tours to the local businesses, lasting six to eight hours with a maximum of four or five destinations. An 18-month “I Love NY” marketing campaign that began in September will promote at least 13 craft beverage businesses in Jefferson County as part of a $182,000 Craft Beverage Industry Tourism Promotion Grant from Empire State Development. The project is designed to spotlight the craft beverage industry in the county by using social media, online promotional videos, a promotional booklet and a 30-second television commercial to air this fall. “That’s very sustainable stuff,” Mr. DeYoung said. “The No. 1 thing we can do is keep our product fresh.” Other sustainable tourism projects include

improvements to regional parks like the trailhead project at River Bend Park in West Carthage, which will include a new boat launch, dock, retaining wall, handicapped walkway and two additional parking areas. Market Square Park in Sackets Harbor has also been considering adding a villageowned marina. The village was awarded a $40,000 state grant in August to study seven potential sites along the waterfront. Three state parks in the Thousand Islands region received $4.6 million for improvement projects, including beautifying the beachfront and campgrounds of Wellesley Island and Grass Point state parks in Orleans, and for an accessible trail at the Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area in Massena. North country downtowns have also been making use of Main Street grants for restorations and improvements that will help to attract more visitors. “There’s this kind of pushback to urban centers in the area,” Ms. Hanna said. “People want that sense of place, that sense of uniqueness.” The village of Canton received $300,000 as part of its Main Street Grant to renovate buildings within the Main Street historical district and it received $47,500 to build upon the Canton Grasse Waterfront Revitalization Plan by updating the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and creating a marketing plan for the Grasse River Blueway. n KareE magee is a magazine associate for NNY Magazines. Contact her at 6612381 or kmagee@wdt.net. January 2016 | NNY Business

| 21

F e atures

Salmon River Wine & Spirits owners, from left, Nina Zehr, Gary Zehr, Brian Mellis, and Elaine Smith, in their Pulaski store on Rome Road. STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY BUSINESS

A vision uncorked

Pulaski liquor store celebrates adventurous first quarter By Joleene Moody

NNY Business

t happened on a cold night last January. Four friends, talking over a bottle of Ménage a Trios’ Midnight Dark Red wine, decided they would throw caution to the wind and embark on a new adventure. That adventure would include wine, spirits, and the uncharted territory of owning a business. It was new ground for the two couples, but no matter. Gary Zehr, wife, Nina, Brian Mellis, and Elaine Smith have gumption, a powerful trait that moved them to start a business in Pulaski that was crisp and fresh and could thrive from the influx of tourism dollars in Oswego County. Within days of their decision, the foursome began to take some first steps toward realizing their vision. “We got really excited and started to look for a location,” Ms. Smith said. “We liked a property that used to be a real estate office on Rome Road. To ensure we were choosing a good spot, we looked at

22 | NNY Business | January 2016

some logistics and traffic reports. The fact that an average of 10,000 cars a day would pass that location during the summer months was attractive. Not to mention that $40 million in tourism money is pumped into Oswego County annually. A great deal of it circulates during the fishing season. We wanted to tap into that.” Further discussion among the adventurers revealed that bulk discount sales for wines or bourbons and other spirits weren’t available in the greater Pulaski area. This, coupled with their love of good wine and liquor, spurred them to go all in, buying the former real estate building outright. “There aren’t any volume liquor stores in Pulaski or the surrounding areas,” Mr. Zehr said. “We talked about the need for a full service liquor store. When you buy in bulk you get a better price. We personally like to take advantage of those kinds of deals and we know others do, too. But to get those deals, one has to go to bigger

liquor stores in Syracuse.” And so the adventure began. The property on Rome Road was bought and renovations started soon thereafter. By last September, Salmon River Wine & Spirits was ready to open to customers. Interestingly, the doors were barely ajar when locals started pouring in, eager to see what the new owners brought to the village. “We had to keep a tarp over the sign outside until we got our liquor license,” Mrs. Zehr said. “But so many were curious. The day we finally took the tarp off the sign, cars were going by and beeping. Others were bringing us gifts and flowers. And before we were even ready with the registers, people were pulling into the parking lot.” Inside the store, handmade, stained wood shelves line the walls, holding clean and colorful bottles of liquor. In a separate room toward the back of the store, wines from across the north country and other hot spots in the state fill the shelves. This

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Owners: Gary and Nina Zehr, Brian Mellis and Elaine Smith WHERE: 3849 Rome Road, Pulaski HOURS: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily CONTACT: 298-5600 ONLINE: Facebook.com/salmonriver winespirits

is the “New York Room,” an ample cove designed and stocked by Ms. Smith and Mrs. Zehr, the stores’ wine connoisseurs. Gift baskets, complete with choice bottles and other local treats, cover a table in the center of the room, attracting customers in search of the ideal gift. While Salmon River Wine & Spirits stocks the most frequently purchased wines and liquors in Oswego County, it honors single requests, too. It’s part of the business model. Customer service goes without saying in the store, Mr. Mellis said. Running a store is a peoplebased business, and engaging with clientele is key. “We treat everyone like a personal friend,” Mr. Mellis said. “We want them to feel very comfortable when they come in here so we try and provide a high standard of service. That has been in our business plan all along.” All four owners still hold full-time jobs. They have trusted workers behind the counter by day, while they take the helm on rotation in the evening and on weekends. Not far from retirement, the friends look at the store as a fun hobby and a big piece of their retirement plan “We’re all getting older,” Mrs. Zehr said. “We need to start thinking about what we want in our future. Our goal is to do well enough that we can go to places like Napa Valley and do what we enjoy most; drink wine and help others experience and enjoy it the way we do.” The village of Pulaski and other local businesses have welcomed the new store with open arms. n Joleene moody is a professional keynote speaker, author, and freelance writer who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at joleenemoody.com.

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January 2016 | NNY Business

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agrib u siness

Anna Bica, 14, a member of the South Jefferson FFA, is pursuing agricultural education opportunities. Local experts say job opportunities in agriculture will continue open up in Northern New York and nationwide, but more college graduates will be needed to fill them. Organizations like FFA play a pivotal role in educating students about opportunities available in the field. STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY BUSINESS

Ag jobs need new grads USDA: Too few earn degrees required for agriculture roles By TED BOOKER

NNY Business

obs in the agriculture industry will open up in Northern New York and across the country, but more college graduates will be needed to fill them, local experts say. And it’s a trend backed up by data. Nearly 60,000 jobs are projected to open in agriculture, food and natural resource industries each year for the next five years in the U.S. for graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree in those areas, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Purdue University. But there remains one glaring problem with that outlook: not enough college graduates to fill the jobs. The report projects an average of 35,400 graduates are expected to fill about 61 percent of the anticipated 57,900 openings each year until 2020. 24 | NNY Business | January 2016

Alissa C. Donnell, agribusiness instructor and coordinator at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, said she is not surprised about the report’s findings. “I’ve been seeing reports like this regularly for the last five years, and I think that’s why we’re seeing a jump in the willingness of colleges to offer agriculture programs,” said Mrs. Donnell, who runs JCC’s new associate degree program in agribusiness that was launched in the fall. She said 10 students enrolled last fall in the two-year program, which is designed to prepare them for a wide range of agribusiness jobs. Mrs. Donnell said she believes the main obstacle that deters some high school students from pursuing careers in the agriculture industry is a misconception of opportunities in the field. Though she believes many high schools in the region have a strong emphasis on agriculture,

including FFA programs, she contended they can do a better job informing students about career opportunities. “I think there’s a disconnect even in the school district,” Mrs. Donnell said. “Teachers should know about the food system — where your food comes from and how it gets to you. When some people say they’re interested in agriculture, the first assumption that comes to mind is that they’re going to be a dairy farmer.” Some students enrolled in the college’s agribusiness program plan to be entrepreneurs who will start their own businesses, Mrs. Donnell said, while others might go on to earn a bachelor’s degree after narrowing down their career interests. But while their interests vary, she said, students are optimistic that opportunities should be available when they finish their education. “I think there’s a carrot that says if you

a gribusiness have a degree in this industry, you will get a job,” said Mrs. Donnell, who taught agriculture for eight years at Carthage High School before joining JCC. “It might not be in Watertown, but there are tons of opportunities” across the state and country. As an example, she cited the Kraft Heinz cream cheese plant in Lowville as an employer in the north country with job openings. This fall, an agreement was reached between the state and the company to preserve the plant’s employment base of 340 and add 110 jobs over the next five years. William C. Stowell, an agriculture teacher for about three decades for South Jefferson High School in Adams, said that in recent years he has noticed a decline in students interested in pursuing careers in the industry. “I think we’re getting into a generation now where there’s no connection with the farm,” said Mr. Stowell, who leads the FFA program at the school. “It used to be that someone had their family with the farm, or they knew someone who was connected.” Mr. Stowell said students often aren’t aware of the diverse jobs in the agriculture sector that support dairy farms. In Jefferson County, for example, “you have vineyards, mechanics and places like Cazenovia Equipment and Monroe Tractor,” he said. “You have veterinarians and milk truck drivers for Great Lakes Cheese. It’s a sevenfold job increase for every farmer out there.” Mr. Stowell said that each year he teaches a pair of 10-week introductory agriculture courses in which he tries to capture their interest in career opportunities. “My big push is with that group. I show them all of the jobs and hope they will be interested in taking more classes,” he said. Jay M. Matteson, Jefferson County agricultural coordinator, said that when he speaks to groups of young people about the industry, he tells them that those who graduate with a four-year degree have a “98 percent job placement rate, as long as they’re willing to travel. ... But we still face the issue of people not understanding what the career opportunities are.”

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n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

January 2016 | NNY Business

| 25

R EAL E STATE ROUNDUP

Realtors honor service, change officers

ach December, the JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors thank their volunteers, install new officers and directors, award special honors, and raise money for local charities.

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors On Dec. 3, the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors held its annual holiday and installation dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown. Donald Radke, New York State Association of Realtors 2016 regional vice president, installed 2016 board members. Heading the association is Randy Raso, Raso Real Estate, president; Vickie Staie, Staie on the Seaway, president-elect; Al Netto, Weichert, Realtors — Thousand Islands Realty, vice president; Mary Adair, Exit More Real Estate, treasurer; Nancy Rome, Rome RSA Realty, recording secretary; Lisa Lowe, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CNY Realty, corresponding secretary; Vicki Bulger, RealtyUSA, Katharine Dickson, Front Porch Realty, Elizabeth Miller, Century 21 Gentry Realty, Gwyn Monnat, RealtyUSA, and Cindy Moyer, Century 21 Millennium Realty, directors. Jennifer Dindl, Humes Realty and Appraisal, and Nancy D. Storino, Nancy D. Storino Real Estate, whose terms expired Dec. 31, were thanked for their service. The association also singled out a Realtor and an affiliate for special recognition. The Realtor of the Year, the association’s highest honor, is bestowed annually on a member who has been a Realtor for at least five years and who has expended effort, time, and talent in the interest of fellow Realtors, the profession, and the community. This year’s honoree is Nancy Rome,

Rome RSA Realty. Nancy has served as the association’s recording secretary for the past several years. She chairs the board’s community service committee, which raises money and Lance Evans collects food and other items yearround for local charities. Nancy regularly attends regional, state and national meetings. In her community, she volunteers with the Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce and her church. In 2014, she was honored as Carthage Citizen of the Year. Watertown Savings Bank was honored as Affiliate of the Year. The bank is very supportive of local Realtors and the association as a regular supporter of educational events and the Women’s Council of Realtors NNY chapter. Shelby Morgia, mortgage loan officer, serves on the association’s education committee, helping to plan classes and events for Realtors. In addition, the bank has donated to the New York State Association’s Housing Opportunities Foundation that assists New Yorkers with down payments. Their donation is earmarked for grants in the local area. Money and food donations were also collected for various local charities.

lead the board as president. The rest of the governing body includes: Cheryl Yelle, Yelle Realty, vice president; Doug Hawkins, Sandstone Realty, secretary; Linda Fields, Linda J. Fields, Broker, treasurer; Korleen Spilman, Century 21 Millennium Realty, immediate past president; Gail Abplanalp, Pat Collins Real Estate, Linda Dufrane, Dufrane Real Estate, LLC, and Richard J. Wood, RJ Wood Real Estate, LLC, directors. Lorraine Streeter, New York State Association of Realtors regional vice president, installed the new board. Michael Kassian, Kassian Real Estate, whose term expired Dec. 31, was thanked for his service. The lunch also featured an auction that raised $2,300 for local food pantries.

St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors The St. Lawrence County Board held its installation during its holiday lunch on Dec. 11 at Sabad’s Restaurant in Norfolk. Debbie Gilson, County Seat Realty, will

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.

n n n The New York State Association of Realtors honors members based on association recommendation through the Realtor Honor Society. The recognition is based on involvement during the previous elective year. If an individual is approved for the award, a pin and certificate are sent to the local association. Nine north country Realtors were honored: Walter Christensen, RealtyUSA, Jennifer Dindl, Humes Realty and Appraisal, Linda Fields, Linda J. Fields, Broker, Mike Kassian, Kassian Real Estate, Lisa L’Huillier, Hefferon Real Estate, Elizabeth Miller, Century 21 Gentry Real Estate, Gwyn Monnat, RealtyUSA, Korleen Spilman, Century 21 Millennium Realty, and Jennifer Stevenson, Blue Heron Realty.

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RE A L E STAT E / top transactions The following property sales were recorded in the Jefferson County Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office in the month of November: $14,450,000: Nov. 16, City of Watertown: Two parcels, no acreage listed, 826 Washington St. at Woodruff Street, Rothschild Breuer Associates LLC, Syracuse, sold to Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown. $1,800,000: Nov. 2, Village of West Carthage: Three parcels, 6.234 acres, 60 High Street, Anis I. Obeid individually and as trustee of Anis I. Obeid M.D. Profit Sharing Plan and Trust Roll Over Account, Jamesville, sold to Golub Properties, Inc., Schenectady. $1,300,000: Nov. 16, Village of Clayton: 3.2 acres, North Shore Drive, Philip J. Randazzo and Mary S. Randazzo as trustees of Randazzo Family Trust, Clayton, sold to Charles G. Caprara and Maureen A. Caprara, Manlius. $625,000: Nov. 12, Town of Watertown: Three parcels, 6.221 acres, state Route 12F (Coffeen Street Road) at County Route 200, LLWK Inc., Watertown, sold to Grindstone Group LLC, Clayton. $575,000: Nov. 19, Village of Sackets Harbor: 0.929 acres, General Smith Drive, C. Richard Hubbard and Joan May Hubbard Revocable Trust, Terrell, N.C., sold to 1818 Sackets Harbor House LLC, Sackets Harbor. $531,925: Nov. 17, City of Watertown: 0.371 acres, Washington Street, Black River Valley Club, Watertown, sold to NNY Philanthropy Center LLC, Watertown. $382,800: Nov. 10, Town of Watertown: 1.362 acres, Ridgeview Road, Karen C. Nevills, Watertown, sold to Christopher R. Page and Jessica L. Page, Watertown. $378,500: Nov. 25, City of Watertown: 0.301 acres, 322 Flower Ave. W., Thomas H. Carman and Irene C. Carman, Watertown, sold to Zeeshan Salam and Alasifa Arshad, Watertown. $370,280: Nov. 24, Town of Rutland: Seven parcels, 80.419 acres, Archer Road, Sawyer Farms Real Estate, Watertown, sold to Milk Street Dairy LLC, Adams. $305,000: Nov. 25, Town of Ellisburg: 9 acres, Balch Place Road, Andrew E. Fair and Beth M. Fair, Mannsville, sold to Russell C. Koster and Nicole R. Koster, Lowville. The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office in the month of November:

$251,000: Nov. 25, Town of Hammond: 0.9 of an acre more or less, bounded by Allen Road, David Boyd (executor), Irene J. Wachowiak, Potsdam, and Lois A. McDonald, Canton, sold to Greg R. and Catherine Peterson, Doylestown, Pa. $220,000: Nov. 20, Village of Potsdam: Unknown acres, Mile Square 57, bounded by Pierrepont Avenue, Arthur R. and Mary W. Frackenpohl, Pittsford, sold to Stefan J. Grimberg and Jan E. DeWaters, Potsdam. $210,000: Nov. 12, Village of Canton: 0.30 of an acre more or less, bounded by Judson Street, Anne Monck and Richard R. Gardner, Canton, sold to David Murphy and Kathleen Halleron Murphy, Canton. $205,000: Nov. 12, Town of Canton: Unknown

acres, Lot 12, Christine Lumbard, Canton, sold to St. Lawrence University, Canton. $201,000: Nov. 20, Town of Lisbon: 4.04 acres more or less, bounded by County Route 14, Peter C. and Sondra R. Smith, Canton, sold to James B. and Michelle R. Gould, Canton. $200,000: Nov. 17, Town of DeKalb: Parcel 1) 24.30 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 60.50 acres more or less, Parcel 3) 11.87 acres more or less, Parcel 4) 37.80 acres more or less, Parcel 5) 4.90 acres more or less, Parcel 6) 45.60 acres more or less, Lot 201 and Lot 202, bounded by Blinkbonny Road, Karen Murray (administrator), Fabian A. Bulsiewicz, DeKalb Junction, sold to Eric J. and Kiera E. Warner, Ogdensburg.

Because of YOU... Community Foundation donors make Northern New York better for everyone. Thank you for your support throughout 2015, especially at year-end. We look forward to our continued work together in 2016.

$394,000: Nov. 24, Town of Colton: 0.28 of an acre more or less, Section 13, bounded by Higley Flow, Frank S. and Joanne S. Filotas, Port Orange, Fla., sold to John P. and Kathleen Heinemann, Potsdam. $350,000: 25, Town of Parishville: 489.27 acres more or less, Mile Squares 14 and 16, bounded by White Hill Road, Barbara Moselle Stover, Wichita, Kan., sold to Seaway Timber Harvesting Inc., Massena. $313,000: Nov. 23, Town of Hammond: 10.3 acres more or less, bounded by Route 12, Sally A. McElhearn, Canton, sold to Gary E. and Cindy A. Burkhart, Camillus.

Northern New York

Community Foundation JEFFERSON, LEWIS & ST. LAWRENCE COUNTIES 120 Washington St., Suite 400, Watertown, NY 13601 1 Main St., Suite 102A, Canton, NY 13617

$275,000: Nov. 30, Town of Oswegatchie: 2 parcels, unknown acres, known as Fell Farm, Patrick N. Regan, Ogdensburg, sold to William H. and Deborah A. Nygard, Dexter.

January 2016 | NNY Business

| 27

20 qu estions

STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY BUSINESS

Charting a new course

n the eve of his swearing-in as mayor of Watertown, Joseph M. Butler Jr. is decidely optimistic about the city’s future while talking about its challenges. In short order, he hopes to see a city where people talk more about “our victories over drugs opposed to our defeats.” He also envisions a downtown “that flourishes morning, noon, afternoon and evening.” After serving two terms as a city councilman, the 48-year-old financial advisor took the same oath of office on Jan. 1 that his father, Joseph M. Butler Sr., took in 2000. We sat down with the young mayor hours before he began a new four-year term, taking the reins from the same man the elder Mr. Butler defeated in 1999 to become mayor.

NNYB: What drew you to public service?

BUTLER: My father gave me a lot of exposure. Growing up, my dad was a supervisor, when there were supervisors, and then became legislator. I saw the good deeds and the enjoyment he received from it. I thought it could be fulfilling and rewarding as well. I always knew that I would at some point seek elected office, but truth be told, Jeff Smith called me eight and a half years ago and said you should run for City Council. I said I’ll consider it and a few days later I decided that the time was right and its history as they say. That phone call was a big part of why I’m here today and a day before I’m getting sworn in as mayor. Although it was on my radar that happened to be fire to get it going.

NNYB: Your father served a term as mayor. What advice has he given you as you prepare to take office? BUTLER: He’s proud. He’s extremely proud of

28 | NNY Business | January 2016

n Mayor Joseph M. Butler Jr. shares his

vision for a city that celebrates its victories his son following in his footsteps and it’ll probably be emotional for him tomorrow, probably for me as well. It’s not often that something like that happens. I think it’s only the second time in the history of Watertown it’s happened. My dad’s an honorable, upstanding citizen. I love him and to follow in his footsteps just means a great deal to me.

NNYB: You served two terms on City Council, why is now the best time for you to serve as mayor of Watertown? BUTLER: You have an incumbent that’s been in here for five terms. It was evident that people wanted change and given my eight years of experience on the council and my track record I thought that at that point I would be a viable candidate. Mayor Graham is a seasoned veteran, a very intelligent man and knows city government as well as anybody. He’s a hard campaigner too and he has the time to campaign, so I knew it would be a tough challenge, but in the end it worked out better than I expected. I worried maybe too much.

NNYB: What is the No. 1 reason for optimism today in Watertown? BUTLER: The development you have in the downtown corridor is a significant amount of money by any terms and that’s in conjunction with the rebuild of Factory Street and there’s a very good chance we’re going to develop Western Boulevard and connect Coffeen and Arsenal streets. It could be the major retail hub of the area. Then, you have the Mercy project that will hopefully be unveiled in the near future and that could be $60 million to $70 million of investment. You have the redevelopment of Wool-

worth Building and the Lincoln Building. There is a tremendous amount of investment unlike what we’ve seen in decades in the downtown area, as well as some on the outskirts. There’s a lot to be excited about.

NNYB: What is needed most to unlock positive economic change in Watertown and the surrounding region? BUTLER: There is an opportunity to bring manufacturing back to the area because the cost of land is lower. We’ve seen manufacturing leave China and come back to the U.S. We need them to relocate to Jefferson County. It’s difficult in the state because we’re infamous for high taxes on a number of levels, but we have a good labor force, we’re well located, land can be cheap and we have an excellent source of water. The Black River is our biggest natural resource and there’s a tremendous amount we can do based off of that. You’re going to have to make it enticing for them to come back, but I think once people come they fall in love with the area. We need to do a better job promoting the economy, promoting the benefits of living here, working here, playing here and enjoying life here. That’s what life is all about and we can do a better job from the downtown area out.

NNYB: How do you plan to engage residents to build a prosperous future? BUTLER: You start when they’re young. There’s a lot of apathy among the 20 to 35 year old crowd. I think most of the voters and the people that attend City Council meetings that I received phone calls from, they’re people that have children or they’re retired. You don’t get a lot of young people doing things like that. There

2 0 q u estions are youth philanthropy groups that run through the Northern New York Community Foundation that I think are very good. We do volunteer days. I think ultimately parents are going to be the best advocates for their children and letting them know. Teddy Roosevelt once said everyone should spend at least a few years in public service. He thought that was an obligation and that every citizen should follow up on. I don’t think that’s going to happen, be we certainly can get people more involved in the political process.

NNYB: What will Watertown look like in five to 10 years? BUTLER: A city where I don’t receive a text, email, or phone call about an overdose of heroin. A city where we’re talking about our victories over drugs opposed to our defeats. That’s important to me. A downtown that flourishes morning, noon, afternoon and evening. A place where you’re raving about how great it is to live in the city of Watertown. That’s the legacy we’re trying to leave. Trying to restore what I think we had several decades ago which is just a great place to work and a great place to raise a family.

NNYB: Drug crimes have increased during the past decade. What needs to happen to reverse that trend? BUTLER: It’s a regional problem. It’s going to be solved on a regional basis. There are things that we’ll consider, which would be an increase of personnel on the drug task force. I’ve lobbied the lieutenant governor to help provide us with state police support, personnel-wise, not just sharing information and being cooperative, but also having an understanding where we have personnel that can help us day-to-day. We don’t have any treatment centers in the area. That needs to change. We don’t need to be sending people to other counties and outside the state if we have a treatment center. That’s something we need to look at.

NNYB: What can technology help to improve government efficiency?

STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY BUSINESS

Joseph M. Butler Jr., talks about his vision for Watertown during an interview in the conference room at his Community Bank office on the eve of his swearing-in as mayor of the City of Watertown.

The Joseph M. Butler Jr. file AGE: 48 JOB: Mayor, City of Watertown; financial advisor, Community Bank Wealth Management, Watertown FAMILY: Wife Sandie, a math teacher at Sackets Harbor High School; daughters Allyson, 16, and Margaret, 12; dog, Lola, a Shih Tzu. HOMETOWN: Watertown EDUCATION: Immaculate Heart Central High School, 1985; St. Lawrence University, 1989; Master of Business Administration, LeMoyne College, 1999 CAREER: Financial advisor, Community Bank Wealth Management, 1997 to present; two terms as a councilman on the Watertown City Council; elected Mayor of Watertown 2015

BUTLER: On a small scale, I’ve always looked at tablets instead of having a packet of papers delivered to your house. Paperless agendas, they do it elsewhere. I’ve talked about that in the past. In my last eight years, I lobbied for the use of credit cards in city hall to pay bills, to pay taxes and to pay your water and sewer. Electronic banking is now a bigger part of our city where it was absent in years past. We’ve come long ways on making it more efficient both on the consumer side and on our side. We can continue to do that as we go forward. If you look at city hall chambers, we’ve talked about having a state-of-the-art video screen because we do a number of presentations there and it’s a lousy setup the way it is now. It wouldn’t take a significant investment to make it very professional and user-friendly.

NNYB: What should done for the area’s legacy firms like Car-Freshner and New York Air Brake to ensure they remain in Watertown?

NNYB: How can the city and region work to diversify the economy so we’re not so dependent on Fort Drum?

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BUTLER: We’re fortunate to have those businesses here. We just need to reach out and let them know we’ll be good partners. We want to help them when we can. We want to be responsible for maintaining and continuing that legacy and not be disruptive. Sometimes it’s a hands-off approach. Other times we do need to get involved. It could be in negotiating a pilot or some type of arrangement where we can provide water or sewer.

BUTLER: You’re talking about unraveling decades that have gotten us here where we are as dependent on Fort Drum. You’re talking about a monumental economic shift in thinking. A lot of good people, a lot of smart people doing the right thing on a daily basis can start to make small changes that in the long run can be significant. I want to try to be part of that role, working with our folks at the state level or federal level, finding ways to promote Watertown from a business perspective. If you look at the retail sector on the outskirts of the city you’re going to see phenomenal numbers. People are in the area. We’ve got to divert them to the downtown area.

NNYB: We’re almost a one-industry region. How can you reverse that? BUTLER: There’s a variety of laws and exemptions that exist on the books to make it somewhat attractive to relocate your business here. We don’t have a mixed-use exemption right now for retail and for commercial residential. That’s something we’ve talked about in the past and that’s something we should probably look at in the near future. It will give people a little more incentive to relocate in the downtown area. We’ve got to think about doing things differently.

NNYB: Are you concerned that the redevelopment of downtown is not attracting sustainable retailers as the majority of the apartments around the Square are income restricted? BUTLER: The low- to moderate-income projects that we’ve done throughout the city are needed. You’re not necessarily going to build an empire downtown based on those demographics, so we need to bring people into downtown that don’t necessarily live in downtown. There’s going to be a certain number of people that live downtown and will shop in downtown, January 2016 | NNY Business

| 29

20 qu estions but when it comes to the afterhours shopping, eating and drinking, other than the Paddock Club and the Crystal it’s downhill from there. That could be changed.

NNYB: It’s been said that government doesn’t create jobs it merely helps to create the conditions in the marketplace that can help to create jobs. At your level what can be done to improve conditions for job creation in the region? BUTLER: We’re the facilitators. We can help provide some of the necessary infrastructure: water, sewer. We can work with the on pilot programs and find them places to locate their

business. We can do a better job of promoting Watertown. We’re proactively out there talking to developers throughout the country.

NNYB: You’re a finance guy who took some heat for such a calculated decision-making process on the city arena. What was important to you about getting that project right? BUTLER: You don’t want to compromise the financial integrity of your city. That’s extremely important because we’ve worked hard to reduce our debt. You can’t generate significant revenue unless you were to raise taxes significantly and obviously we don’t want to do that. I always

worry about the financial strength of the city because it affects your borrowing and it will affect the demand you place on taxpayers. You look at the arena and that’s probably $500,000 a year in additional expenses for a longtime. We can afford it. I wouldn’t have voted for it if we couldn’t, but it ramps you up on debt and puts you in a position to be careful going forward. I don’t want to be the one that unravels the good financial standing of the city.

NNYB: What inspires you? What is most inspiring to you as you settle in as mayor? BUTLER: I care deeply about the city where I was born and raised. I love the community and to be able to be the mayor of a community that’s has given me and my family so much is just an honor. Words can’t express the gratitude I have.

NNYB: What’s the best advice you’ve ever followed and who gave it to you? BUTLER: The day that I told my mother that I was going to marry my wife, Sandie, she said that’s probably the best decision you’re ever going to make. After 20 years, I would have to say that that heart-to-heart my mom and I had was pretty darn good advice that I followed through on.

NNYB: Are you in your dream job now?

BUTLER: I love my career at the bank and I’ve been very fortunate to make a career in the wealth management business, but it’s funny because when I was in college they said I always talked about the city where I grew up. The joke at the time was you’re going to be mayor of Watertown someday. I’ll be damned if it didn’t come true. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to come true and it has. It’s a dream come true.

NNYB: What have you learned from the people you work with in terms of leadership? BUTLER: Follow through on what you say you’re going to do. Treat people with respect. Every person I try to treat with respect and make it important whether they have a few dollars or a million dollars. I try to make them feel like they’re getting the best they can from me. It’s their city, so if they have something they want to talk about they can take as long as they want to tell me about the issue that’s of importance to them.

NNYB: What keeps you motivated during challenging times? BUTLER: I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a good job and to do the right thing. I’m trying to build a career based on character, principle and professionalism. I guess fear of failure has been a motivator. I care about the legacy I leave. You just want to conduct yourself as a professional and do the right thing because someday you’re not going to be here and they’re going to talk about how you lived your life. I want that to be a real good conversation. — Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length and clarity to fit this space.

30 | NNY Business | January 2016

20UNDER40 NORTHern new yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging leaders

BusIness NNY

MAGAZINE

Thanks its generous sponsors for making the 2015 20 Under 40 event a success! PRESENTING sponsor:

Gold-level sponsors:

Bronze-level sponsors:

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January 2016 | NNY Business

| 31

Economically spe aking

A healthy community: our best investment

hen asked what surprised him most about humankind, accomplished writer and world traveler James L. Lachard expressed concern that “[people] lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore health.” In his simple response, Mr. Lachard accurately summarizes the phenomena highlighted by our regional health statistics. Health data for residents of Northern New York reveal that we devote insufficient attention to staying healthy and spend heavily on treatment for preventable conditions. We skip our annual check-up and recommended screenings then cringe when the bills show up for the hospitalization that was potentially avoidable. Good health is a great investment and a healthy population is one hallmark of a strong economy. Our community is burdened by poor health. Out of all 62 counties in New York, Lewis County ranks 21st for health outcomes, Jefferson ranks 31st and St. Lawrence ranks 55th. Typically, a county is deemed unhealthy when there are high rates of smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and teen births. The rankings also account for socioeconomic challenges that impact health — high unemployment rates, high poverty rates, and insufficient social support. In our tri-county region we observe most of these health and socioeconomic challenges and can add diabetes, colorectal cancer, heart disease and mental disorders to the list of health concerns. We also know that we need to do a better job focusing on wellness, ensuring that our children and adults go to all their an-

32 | NNY Business | January 2016

nual check-ups, and make time for preventive screenings. A closer look at our health data indicates that 25.4 percent of the deaths in our region occur before age 65. Health experts Ian Grant consider deaths before age 65 as premature. Simply put, over a quarter of the deaths in our community occur before the individual would naturally retire from the workforce. Against the backdrop of strained state, local and organizational budgets, premature death impacts our workforce and slows economic growth in the north country. Our local economy is burdened by poor health. Take just two of our health challenges — obesity and tobacco use. Some 32.3 percent of north country adults are obese while 20.2 percent of our residents smoke tobacco. While those numbers are alarming and exceed statewide averages, the impact on employers is often ignored. In terms of lower productivity while at work, obesity costs employers $506 per obese worker per year. Separately, workers who smoke cost their employers $5,800 a year in absenteeism, productivity lost to smoking breaks, and extra health care expenses for self-insured employers. Many of our region’s medical care expenditures could be avoided through effective prevention activities. When we invest in health, we protect our region’s most important resource — our work-

force. According to the Trust for America’s Health — a health policy think-tank — for every dollar we spend on prevention in New York, we see a seven-to-one return on investment in five years. With regard to workplaces, for every dollar spent on wellness programs for employees, medical costs drop by more than three dollars. Small investments in prevention have sustainable returns and produce significant health care savings. In addition to worksite wellness programs, employers can invest in health by allowing staff to take time off for annual check-ups and preventive screenings, or even hosting prevention services on-site. Hosting onsite services protects productivity, reduces absenteeism, and enhances a company’s reputation as a desirable place to work. Let’s work together to build a healthier community where we invest in health wherever we work, learn, and live. Let’s create a community that defies the rural stereotype of poor health. Let’s all endeavor to develop a healthy community that supports economic growth and attracts prospective employers and businesses. Let’s strive to get as many of our fellow north country residents to age 65 and beyond so that they can enjoy more time with their grandchildren and loved ones. To learn more about health in our community and how you can take control of your own health visit ncnyhealthcompass.org. n Ian Grant is the population health program manager for Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Watertown. Contact him at igrant@fdrhpo.org or 755-2020. Visit fdrhpo. org to learn more. A column from Fort Drum Regtional Health Planning Organization staff appears every other month in NNY Business.

N onprofits T od ay

Be what’s right with our region this year “Those who invest in our treasures are what’s right with Watertown. Make it your resolution to be a part of what’s right with Watertown.” — Mark Walczyk, newly elected Watertown city councilman

t is common at this time of year to look back and dream forward. During the New Year’s Day swearing-in ceremonies at Watertown’s Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library, one didn’t have to listen too hard to find a theme emerge — hope and optimism for a greater community. Those assembled were gathered in a building that itself serves as a living example of civic pride, love of community, respect for heritage and giving back. It is hard to be in that space and not sense the importance of thoughtful stewardship. The best way we honor those who have led before us is by ensuring that this generation and the next recognizes the great responsibility, privilege, honor and joy of being a trustee. We honor yesterday by advancing tomorrow. Why is this relevant to this column? A lot of time and energy is spent thinking about ensuring that the nonprofit organizations in our community — including libraries — remain relevant and viable so they can continue to enhance our region’s quality of life. What causes individuals to answer the call to lead and serve in support of our nonprofits? I believe it is quite simple. Many, many good people love the place they live. Not just a little. Not just casually. They make it a priority of life to build stronger, healthier, more vibrant

communities. They choose to invest in it, as Emma Flower Taylor did. I am fortunate that one of the honors of the position I am currently blessed to hold is to have the Rande Richardson opportunity to see people love their communities all across Northern New York. I am thankful, too, that in a previous career, I was able

community service and told great stories of the power and meaning of community heritage. We are often bound together by something greater than ourselves and by rejecting the status quo. We must continue to grow, nurture and cultivate that desire. At the Northern New York Community Foundation, we see it as an important responsibility to look for opportunities to do that. There isn’t just one way to make an impact and everyone is capable of making a positive impact in the lives of others. Once you strip away labels, titles and designations, this is what our region’s nonprofit organizations do best. With the help and support of engaged citizens, they invest in our community’s treasures- its people, places and institutions. That is just how it should be. Identity, purpose, place. There is no better time than now to shape the future of your community. As you look for your intersection of passion and purpose, you can be what is right with your community and you can inspire others and the generations that come after you to care for something you invested in. Communities of choice take their cue from that type of shared leadership. For our collective future, consider taking Mr. Walczyk’s sentiments to heart. Choose to make 2016 the year to be what’s right with your community.

We are often bound together by something greater than ourselves and by rejecting the status quo. We must continue to grow, nurture and cultivate that desire. to have a front row seat to the honoring of lives lived for family and community. When a life is lost, communities come together to mourn. You quickly realize we are one big, connected family. Connected, we stand; divided we fall and connecting leads to cooperation and collaboration. I have been reminded very clearly in the last half of the year of the way this calling is imprinted on the DNA of certain people and hope for the promise of a continual wave of this kind of citizenship into the future. During this time, there were several obituaries written that told stories of lives lived for family and community. These stories paid homage to the fulfillment of

n Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident and former funeral director. Contact him at rande@nnycf.org. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

Wake to the New Year With Your Small Business Dreams *Business planning *financial analysis *marketing *sources of financing*

NYS Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING COURSE ON JCC CAMPUS 7 Thursday evenings, 6-9 pm Jan. 14 Feb. 25, 2016 Cost: $195* Register by January 11.

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING COURSE ONLINE! 7 Online Modules over 14 Weeks Feb. 1 – May 9, 2016 Call 315-782-9262

Upon successful completion of the course, qualified applicants are eligible to apply for a microloan up to $40,000. Startups or existing businesses!

January 2016 | NNY Business

| 33

b usiness tech bytes

‘Big data’ will drive transformational change

s 2015 trends appear in 2016 goals, fostering personalized customer engagement will continue to rise to the top. Tim Crawford, CIO and strategic advisor for AVOA, believes the Internet of Things, or IoT as its known, has changed the age-old saying “the customer is always right” to “customers care about their individual needs, not those of others.” “In today’s digital age, customers want rich, right now, and personalized experiences. The market of one concept requires you to tailor your engagement to each individual, because that’s what they expect.” Though the IoT is still in its early stages, we are beginning to see a growing number of specific IoT application developments. Salesforce IoT Cloud is already capable of providing very detailed and specific insights to what an individual customer is doing or interested in. Development advances in applications like this will be vital to a business’s market of one personalization strategy. Individual, personalized, market of one? This will drive some of the biggest trends we’ll see in 2016 and shift how IT responds to the rest of a company that wants and sometimes requires solutions and services in days or minutes, not weeks or months. The demand to expand capabilities to and for the customer will force IT to look hard at its culture and organizational structures. Forward thinking IT leaders will look beyond what is now thought of as traditional IT and seek assistance from their business colleagues who should be driving data-centric philosophies. This teamwork approach will foster

the cultural and organizational movement needed to leverage technology throughout an organization. Information technology will need to become more businesscentric but, in Jill Van Hoesen many cases, the rest of your enterprise will need to become more business-centric, too. A transformation is underway where facilitating customer engagement, new revenue streams or other opportunities are guided by good data and driving interactions with customers via mobile, social, and most every other available channel. Information technology teams must help lead business strategies by enabling technology that will make the market of one not just possible but successful. Infrastructure strategies will need to change and shed some of the most tedious tasks involved in supporting corporate infrastructure, and refocus on application development and support. This will continue to give momentum to the increasing number of organizations getting out of the data center business altogether. Over the next few years the cloud will continue an upward usage path, but most businesses will not move their traditional corporate data centers to the public cloud anytime soon. There are still too many other priorities and challenges to even make it feasible for most of us for five and 10 years down the road. Hosted private

clouds are still poised to become an attractive alternative to a company’s internal data center, but with IT continuing to operate on tight budgets, where many are remaining static or still even decreasing, it will take time to get there. Smart organizations will use these financial constraints as a change catalyst. As we see more consolidation of frameworks and architectures throughout 2016, cloud services will continue to mature into collaborative solutions. This will bring affordability to purchase or lease solutions that take the best-of-breed solution X and Y and offer a combined product at a lower price point. App development will continue to be a budget casualty in 2016 and any new development is expected to focus on enterprise data-analytics apps. This development is predicted to overshadow all other software categories in the year ahead. Key here is the term “big data.” Don’t mistake this for a marketing trend. Almost all of your business decisions, whether it is about new products, services or markets, all are increasingly made based on this big data. It is becoming increasingly crucial that you have the right data at the right time, available to the right people in a way they understand it. Tech teams must lead this transformation by managing the technical complexity of exponentially growing data available. In 2016, your business must move toward becoming more data-driven and analytical in strategic planning and decision-making, because this is one of the new realities of IT and what is happening on the IoT. n Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspaper Corp. and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

Locally Owned and Operated ~ Mobile Shreds Onsite ~ Fast, Safe & Secure. Call to set up free estimate or schedule service ~ Servicing Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence and parts of Franklin and Essex Counties ~ WE PROVIDE RELIABLE, TIMELY SERVICE, AND STAND BEHIND THAT. 34 | NNY Business | January 2016

agrib u siness

Orleans needs a new clean water supply

eople’s lives and businesses in Orleans near Collins Landing are suffering because of a water pollution problem. An underground salt contamination plume is affecting many local residents. They are using water contaminated with salt, and possibly arsenic and other metals, to bathe in and clean with. No one should consume it or use it to cook. Our largest farm winery, Thousand Islands Winery on Seaway Avenue, is in the middle of the contamination plume. It does not use the groundwater for wine-making. Instead, it uses 5-gallon jugs of clean water paid for by the New York State Department of Transportation, to make wine. This is a very labor intensive problem. Philip N. Reed, county legislator for District 3, which covers the towns of Orleans, Alexandria and parts of LeRay, lives in the contamination zone. Mr. Reed’s well water tests at 1,000 parts per million for sodium chloride or salt. To compare, the average salinity of seawater is 0.000035 parts per million. Mr. Reed’s water is more than 1,000 times saltier than ocean water. Mr. Reed said he believes the source of the contamination is a salt storage pile at a state DOT garage near Exit 50 off Interstate 81. Thousand Islands Winery owner Steve Conaway says he has proof that the DOT’s highway facility on NY State Route 12 just across from the winery, is the source of the contamination. Mr. Conaway commissioned a study, called a water report, to determine where the contamination plume originated. He hired Dr. Samuel Gawan from Alpha Geo Sciences Inc., one of the top groundwater salt migration experts in the United States. The report, according to

Mr. Conaway, concluded that the groundwater contamination originated from the DOT facility. Mr. Conaway said the report demonstrated that the contamination was from the salt used Jay Matteson as a deicer on roads, not any naturally occurring salt that could possibly be in the bedrock. Chemical compounds, such as arsenic, could be traced from the contamination plume to the chemical makeup of the road salt. Mr. Conaway said he cannot continue to invest in his winery operation, which employs approximately 35 people. Thousand Islands Winery uses roughly 2,000 gallons of water each week, which is coming in 5-gallon plastic jugs. The winery plans to expand and Mr. Conaway would like to stay in his present location. However, if a municipal water line is not built this year, he will be forced to examine facilities elsewhere in the state for a major portion of his operations. This is the year he has to make a decision. I asked him if he has brought legal action against the DOT for the contamination he claims it has caused. He said he has and initially won the lawsuit, but when DOT appealed, the same judge overturned her ruling because the statute of limitations passed. Kevin Rarick, Orleans town supervisor, said a municipal water line project is too expensive for town residents. He doesn’t believe residents should pay for a line that

is needed because of a problem the DOT allegedly caused. Mr. Rarick said the burden should be on the state, not Orleans residents. He said the state has promised $11 million in “zero interest loans.” Unfortunately, town taxpayers will have to repay the loans and and he believes that’s wrong. Mr. Rarick said that if $2.5 million in grant money could be secured, digging for the waterline could start immediately. As I follow this issue, I sit in wonder at the double standard applied here. A dairy farm had a major manure spill into the Black River and thousands of fish died. Within days the contamination was gone. Within a year, according to the Nov. 7, 2014, restoration and spending plan report for the case, the fishery was almost completely restored, if not better. The farm paid a hefty fine, which covered the costs of fishery restoration and building and restoring fishing access sites. If the same standard is applied to this groundwater contamination case, why doesn’t the state pay for the water line? The lives of local residents are being harshly impacted and many will never be able to sell their homes. Thousand Islands Winery, the second largest employer in the town and a significant employer in Jefferson County, may have to move part of its operation. The burden of providing clean drinking water should not fall back on the local businesses and residents. The state should pay for a clean water line. 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.

January 2016 | NNY Business

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s m a ll business success

It’s Maine-ly business in New England

ast October, I took a 1,500-mile solo road trip through New England to visit a small entrepreneurial venture way up in Down East Maine, and I’ll be sharing his story in my March column. For now, I want to share a little bit of my adventure through the beautiful state of Maine. What I discovered was, you can take the small business advisor out of the office, but you can’t take the small business perspective out of her. Because of the unseasonably warm autumn, New England was still in glorious peak foliage as I drove up through Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine and returned home through Vermont and the Adirondacks. Central Maine was mostly pines and fields, with glowing yellow tamaracks mixed with other conifers and rocky hills covered with the brilliant red bushes of harvested blueberries. While New York State has a land area of 47,224 square miles compared to Maine’s 30,865, Maine’s tidal shoreline, which covers all the bays, coves, sounds and offshore islands, is nearly twice the length at 3,478 miles compared to New York’s 1,850. The roads along the coast were slow and winding, but the views of the Atlantic, the rocky coves and the small fishing villages were worth every inch. But somehow Maine seemed so much bigger than New York, maybe because I wasn’t zipping along an interstate and also because its population is so much smaller. Discounting New York City’s 8.5 million people, our state would rank in population size between 7th and 8th

36 | NNY Business | January 2016

compared to Maine’s 41st. Even the largest city of Portland at nearly 67,000 people is only about the size of Schenectady, our 8th largest Sarah O’Connell (Watertown is 31st). Like Northern New York, Maine has seen a lot of changes in its economy during the past 30 years. As in our area, paper manufacturing was devastated when most of that industry went overseas. Lumbering is still an important part of the Maine economy, however, including manufacturing wood products. I passed several custom furniture and cabinet enterprises. While the seafood and shipbuilding industries have been markedly reduced, the lobster business is still viable and dairy, blueberries and potatoes are important agricultural products. Maine, like us, also benefits from seasonal tourism, mainly along the coast, although it’s too remote to draw the winter visitors that we here (normally) can. So a major asset we can offer that Maine lacks is that ease of access. The New York State Thruway and Interstate 81 allow visitors, residents, developers and suppliers from all over to travel to our region while airports in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and

Watertown offer other entry points. This has made possible the establishment of a variety of businesses from national chains of retailers and restaurants to manufacturers and smaller retail, hospitality and service businesses. It’s enabled those manufacturers and our own dairy, maple and other ag producers to get their goods to external markets as well. It’s also made it possible for us to promote another local asset: tourism. Whether it’s taking the Seaway Trail, visiting a distillery, cidery or brewery, visiting Boldt Castle or snowmobiling in Lewis County, our north country road system has helped foster that growth. Of course, another key asset is Fort Drum, which provided the stimulus for infrastructure improvements like those roads and airports, and also offers a customer base for businesses as well as offering us the benefits of the inherent diversity in a populace that comes to our area from around the nation and the world — another thing noticeably different in rural Maine. But Maine does love its entrepreneurship, and I could have easily spent another week browsing the many small shops I passed. Next time, I’ll introduce you to one of those entrepreneurs, Steve the Sea Salt Guy. n SARAH O’CONNELL is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She is a former small business owner and lifelong Northern New York resident. Contact her at soconnell@sunyjefferson.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

entrepreneu r ’s edge

What are you willing to give up to achieve?

hen I started my business as a speaker and coach in 2010, I floundered like a dying fish. I accepted speaking engagements for less than a tank of gas or a day old turkey sandwich. I customized talks for organizations that didn’t pay me and I coached clients that scoffed at my then-fee of $75 an hour. As I floundered, I wrote articles for magazines and newspapers to supplement my meager income. I even subjected myself to writing online “How To” articles for $25 dollars a pop. I once wrote one on how to spread webbing for a Halloween decoration. Can you believe “How to Spread Webbing” was typed into Google that many times, it warranted an article? Google it. Amuse yourself with my article. I worked this trifecta of income streams for two years before I fell to my knees in desperation. I needed to grow. I needed to make more money. I needed to let go of my “How To” article gig and put highly paid speaking engagements in its place. But I didn’t know how. And then one day I met the man who would become my business coach and mentor and he asked me, “Joleene, what are you willing to give up to achieve the success you desire?” I stared at him blankly. “Apple pie and ice cream?” Nope. That wasn’t the answer. He moved closer to my face and looked into my eyes, into the very depths of my heart and soul and asked me the question again: “What are you willing to give up

to be the speaker and writer you want to be? What stories are you willing to let go of so you can achieve the success you say you want so bad?” I sat back and Joleene Moody took a deep breath in. It was a loaded question. A double, triple loaded question. It hit me hard, too. What was I willing to give up? As the answers came to me and I shared them with him, one by one, I felt very raw. I was being honest with myself in the purest form and it was hard. “I have to give up my negativity,” I told him. “I have to give up my belief that no one will ever pay me to speak. I have to give up the money stories that have me stuck. And I have to give up the people in my life that don’t believe in me.” He nodded. As he nodded, I began to realize how my limiting beliefs and my playing small were keeping me stuck. I had friends who told me I couldn’t make money as a writer. I had more tell me I was a fool for leaving my news job. My own brother told me I couldn’t start a business as a speaker because “it didn’t make sense.” I let their limiting beliefs become my limiting beliefs. So I stayed with writing $15 dollar articles, praying that the almighty writing gods would allow me

to someday be discovered by Writers Digest or Random House. But deep down I knew if I wanted to make my mark as an author and speaker, I had to give up the debilitating stories and meager pay to take the stage by storm and show up for my worth. If this column was a movie, this would be the part when the montage would take place. Over the next four years, I started to show up. For me. I gave up friends who didn’t love me, jobs that didn’t pay me, and beliefs that didn’t serve me. Much of it was painful. I read somewhere once that that kind of pain is referred to as joy-filled pain, and is worth feeling more than the kind of pain that leaves deep marks of regret. I wholeheartedly agree. I would take joyfilled pain any day. So here I am today, asking you the very question my mentor asked me five years ago: What are you willing to give up to have the success you want? Or the peace you want? Or the fulfillment you so deserve? Who are you willing to walk away from? What stories are you willing to burn? Be true to your answer. Meanwhile, Google “How to Carve a Pumpkin Bassinet.” As you read that old article, remember that I chose to give that $15 dollar an article gig up to go after what I really wanted. Now it’s your turn. n Joleene moody is a professional keynote speaker, author, and freelance writer who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at joleenemoody.com. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

January 2016 | NNY Business

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COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Adams Monday, Feb. 15

n South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting, 6 p.m., Community Bank, 26 E. Church St. Information: South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, 232-4215.

Alexandria Bay Friday, Feb. 5 to sunday, Feb. 7

n Labatts-1000 Islands Pond Hockey Festival, Clayton Marina. This is a three-onthree hockey tournament with a maximum of four players per team. $400 entry fee. Family-friendly event includes youth skating and hockey and on-site food and drinks. Six co-ed divisions with eight teams per group. Divisions include: 21-plus open, 21-plus recreational, 30-plus recreational, 40-plus open, 40-plus recreational. Registration closes Monday, Jan. 18. Mail checks payable to River Hockey Classic to: River Hockey Classic, LLC, P.O. Box 401, Clayton, NY 13624. Information: riverhockeyclassic.com or email: riverhockeyclassic@yahoo.com.

Carthage Saturday, Feb. 6 n 18th annual Winterfest, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Carthage Park, Outer State Street. Event will be held with or without snow and includes pet photo contest, scavenger hunt, cardboard sled races, family games, raffles, food, drinks and more. Information: Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce, 493-3590 or carthageny.info

Clayton Friday, Jan. 29 to Sunday, Jan. 31

Saturday, Feb. 6

n Save The River’s 27th annual Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper Winter Environmental Conference, 9:30 to 4 p.m., 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. Event brings together more than 200 policymakers, scientists, elected officials, and residents to discuss the most critical

38 | NNY Business | January 2016

issues facing the river. Conference plans to highlight topics of “stop the sewage,” oil and water don’t mix,” and “updates on the state of the river.” Registration and coffee scheduled for 9:30 a.m.; conference, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; cocktail reception with cash bar, 4 p.m. Cost: $50, includes coffee, lunch and cocktail reception with light hors d’oeuvers at reception. RSVP to Save The River by Friday, Jan. 29, Information: Save The River, savetheriver.org or 686-2010. Registration form at: blog.savetheriver.org/ wp-content/uploads/Website-Invite.pdf

Saturday, Feb. 13

n 8th annual 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. Admission: $5 for five samples.

Thursday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 20

n Fire & Ice Extravaganza, 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. The charity event offers fireworks, music, food, drinks and an outdoor ice bar. This year’s charity recipient is Troopers Assisting Troops. Information: 1000 Islands Clayton Area Chamber of Commerce, 517 Riverside Drive, 686-3771, info@1000islands-clayton.com or 1000islands-clayton.com.

P-4330 Conway Road. The Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College partners with enterprise resource planning to provide information on starting a new business. Registration/information: 772-9611.

Saturday, March 19

n One Night, One Diamond, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m., The Commons on Fort Drum. An elegant evening of dining, dancing and a chance to win an exquisite halfcarat diamond donated by Waterbury Fine Jewelers. Event proceeds will purchase designated medical equipment for use at Samaritan Medical Center. Information: ONOD@shsny.com.

Gouverneur Thursday, Jan. 28

n Greater Gouverneur Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting, noon, Lawrence Manor, 214 E. Main St. Information: Greater Gouverneur Area Chamber of Commerce, 287-0331 or gouverneurchamber.net.

Lowville Saturday, Jan. 30 through Saturday, April 16

Monday, Jan. 25

n 2016 Black River Valley Concert Series, 7:30 p.m., Lewis County Historical Society, Blue Room, 7552 State St. Featuring Letizia and the Z Band, Gwen Tracy, Creole Stomp, Searson, Tas Cru, The Cadleys, The Buskers. Cost: Individual season tickets, $110, includes one guest pass; at the door individual tickets, $20; at the door, family tickets $45. Information: lewiscountyhistory. org or 376-8957.

Tuesday, Jan. 26

Old Forge

Fort Drum n Resume Start to Finish, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Army Community Service, P-4330 Conway Road. Program designed to teach the basics of writing a resume. Registration/information: 772-9611.

n Fort Drum Business Networking Group, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Army Community Service, P-4330 Conway Road. Join other Fort Drum business owners for an opportunity to connect and network. Registration/information: 772-9611.

Monday, Feb. 8

n Boots 2 Business, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Clark Hall, Mount Belvedere Blvd., Fort Drum. 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 researching potential markets and how to find licensing and funding opportunities. Requirement: three-day Department of Labor SFL-TAP briefing. Information/register: ACAP, 7723434 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.

Thursday, Feb. 11

n Building Your Own Business, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Army Community Service,

Saturday, Jan. 23 n 17th Annual Snowmobile Poker Run, held by Inlet Barnstormers Snowmobile Club. Players may pick up a card at any sponsor location. Have each sponsor stamp the back of the card and bring your stamped card to Daikers, 161 Daikers Circle, Old Forge by 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. Information: Fred or Carolyn Trimbach, 369-2444.

Syracuse Thursday, Feb. 11 to Sunday, Feb. 21

n Syracuse Winterfest, throughout Syracuse. Ten-day event includes games, sports, family activities, food, music entertainment and a treasure hunt. Information: syracusewinterfest.com.

Tuesday, Feb. 16

n Working and Learning Across the Generations, 8 to 10 a.m., Palace Theatre, 2384 James St. The CNY Association for Talent

Thursday, Feb. 25 to Saturday, Feb. 27

n New York Farm Show, New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd. The three-day event showcases products from the state’s agriculture & forestry industry, including equipment, plant products and technology. Cost: Free. Tickets are available from many northeast equipment dealers or by writing to: New York Farm Show, P.O. Box 3470, Syracuse, NY 13220. Information: newyorkfarmshow.com.

Every Tuesday

n Syracuse Business Connections, 3:30 to 5 p.m., North Central Assembly Church, 7463 Buckley Road. Information: Deb Angarano, dangarano@tsys.com.

First Wednesday of EACH month

n Business Innovation Days meeting, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Tech Garden, 235 Harrison St. Entrepreneurs and small business owners meet with a counselor from the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College for advice and assistance opportunities. Information / registration: 498-6070 or SBDC@sunyocc.edu.

Every Wednesday

n Introduction to Business Startup, Small Business Development Center, 4 to 6 p.m., Mulroy Hall, Onondaga Community College, 4585 West Seneca Turnpike. Information: 498-6070 or onondagasbdc.org.

5:30 to 7:30 p.m., location TBA. Members of the Downtown Business Association and community are invited. The Watertown DBA plans to present several awards, including downtown business of the year. Information: Sarah O’Connell, Small Business Development Center at JCC, 782-9262, or publicsquare.com.

Wednesday, Jan. 27 n Economic Forecast 2016, 8:30 to 11 a.m., Ramada Inn, 21000 NYS Route 3. Speakers include Donald Alexander, CEO, Jefferson County Economic Development; Denise Young, executive director, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning organization; Scott Kingsley, CFO, Community Bank; Kenneth Mix, planning and community development coordinator, City of Watertown; Franz Philippe, director of plans, training, mobilization and security, Fort Drum; and Stephen Hunt, north country regional director, Empire State Development. Sponsored by Community Bank, Visual Technologies Corp. and NNY Business magazine. Cost: members, $10; non-members, $15. Register by Friday, Jan. 22. Register/information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@ watertownny.com.

Thursday, Jan. 28 n NNY Emerge Professional Group mixer, 5 to 7 p.m., Savory Downtown, 300 Washington St. Event includes food, networking and prizes. Register by noon, Jan. 27. Cost: Free. Information: watertownny.com or 788-4400.

Friday, Jan. 29 & Saturday, Jan. 30

n Syracuse Business Networking, 6 to 7 p.m., Barbieri’s Restaurant, 304 S. Main St. Cost: Free. Information: Kim Bachstein, 414-8223 or info@SyracuseBusiness Networking.com.

n Snowtown USA Film Festival, downtown. Event offers official film selections, a juried competition and family-friendly film workshops at various venues in downtown Watertown. Information/register: info@ snowtownfilmfestival.com or snowtownfilm festival.com.

Every Thursday

Saturday, Jan. 30

n Free Business Counseling with SCORE, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, 80 North Ave. Information: Tioga Chamber of Commerce, 1- (607) 687-2020.

Every Friday

n 40 Above: Workers in Transition, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Northern Onondaga Public Library at North Syracuse, 100 Trolley Barn Lane. Helping job seekers aged 40 and above in search of work. Information: John A. Cruty, 569-3964 or crutij@yahoo.com.

Watertown Friday, Jan. 22

n 2016 Watertown Downtown Business Association Membership Awards Night,

n The Not Too Far From Home Comedy Tour fundraiser for Erick R. James ’99 Scholar Athlete Award, 6 to 9:30 p.m., Ramada Inn, NYS Route 3. Cost: $40 per person for dinner and show; $70 special hotel rate for guests attending the show. Information: Ramada Inn, 788-0700.

Monday, Feb. 1 to Monday, May 9 n Online Entrepreneurial Training Course, 9 to 10 a.m., online course through Watertown Small Business Development Center. The course will provide guidance and support to individuals interested in starting or expanding a small business. Cost: $195; Free for veterans, military and spouses. Information / registration: (315) 782-9262 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.

Wednesday, Feb. 5 to Sunday, Feb. 21 n Snowtown USA, a 16-day festival with events around the city. Planned events include opening and closing ceremonies skating under the stars, a winter softball tournament, laser tag and a karaoke night. There will be a Thompson Park Day and an Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds Day. Information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@ watertownny.com.

Saturday, Feb. 6 n 17th annual North Country Chili CookOff, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St. Cost: adults, $6; children 12 and younger, $2; families, $15; discount for military members and family. Benefits the Volunteer Transportation Center. Information: Jennifer Cross-Hodge, Volunteer Transportation Center, jen@volun teertransportation.org or VolunteerTranspor tationCenter.org.

Thursday, Feb. 11 n 64th annual Israel A. Shapiro Citizenship Award dinner, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 1290 Arsenal St. Honoring Mary Corriveau. Cost: $50 per person; $450 for corporate table of eight. Information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@ watertownny.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 24 n February Business After Hours, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ramada Inn, 21000 NYS Route 3. Includes networking, prizes and food. Register by noon Tuesday, Feb. 23. Cost: preregistered members, $10; members, $12; nonmembers, $15. Information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@ watertownny.com.

Thursday, March 3 n 2015 Business of the Year Awards luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Savory Downtown, 300 Washington St. The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce presents the Business of the Year Award, the 2015 Entrepreneurial Award and The Greater Watertown-North Country Farm and Craft Market Vendor of the Year. Cost: contact the GWNC Chamber of Commerce for prices. Information/registration: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@ watertownny.com.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Development will explore the generations from communications, technology, learning and working, and offer ideas to navigate relationships. Cost: members $25; nonmembers, $40. Information / register: cnyastd. org, 546-2783 or info@cnyastd.org.

 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 Facebook.com/NNYBusiness or nnybizmag.com for events calendar updates. January 2016 | NNY Business

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b usiness scene NNY Business 5th annual 20 Under 40 Award luncheon

Jeffery L. Cole, 2015 honoree, WWNY-TV7 / WNYF Fox 28, Watertown, and Nancy Kall, Watertown.

KAREE MAGEE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Jennifer Voss and husband, Rodger, 2015 honoree, Fort Drum Forestry Program, Fort Drum.

KAREE MAGEE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Sara DelSignore, RealtyUSA, Watertown, and husband, Max, 2015 honoree, Northern New York Community Foundation, Watertown. On Dec. 10, NNY Business Magazine and New York Air Brake presented the 5th annual 20 Under 40 luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown, to recognize 20 of Northern New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging leaders under age 40. (See page 31 for a complete list of event sponsors.)

From left, Nathan Hunter, Northern Credit Union, Watertown, and wife, Erin, North Country Family Health Center, 2015 honore, Watertown.

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40 | NNY Business | January 2016

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b u siness scene 21st annual Children’s Christmas Gift & Fund Drive

From left, McKenzie Lyndaker, BCA Archictects & Engineers, Watertown, and Zac Lehman, Beaver River Central School District.

From left, Kris D. Dimmick, BCA Architects & Engineers, Watertown, Mark Koester, Koester Associates, Canastota, and Lonny Reinhardt, Sackets Harbor.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Mathhew J. Cooper and Kelly Reinhardt, both of BCA Architects & Engineers, Watertown, Melissa Storandt and husband, David, town of Clayton, and Kevin E. Lewis, BCA Architects & Engineers, Watertown. Sponsored by BCA Architects & Engineers and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation, the 21st annual Children’s Christmas Gift & Fund Drive was held Dec. 3 at the Paddock Arcade, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Bernard H. Brown Jr. and wife, Beverly, Watertown, and Steve Spafford, Alexandria Bay, Patricia Aitcheson, BCA Architects & Engineers, Watertown.

January 2016 | NNY Business

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b usiness scene GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at the Paddock Club

From left, Mike Colello, Rainbow Restoration, and wife, Sissy, Watertown.

KAREE MAGEE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Cathy Ward, Community Bank, Watertown, James Ganter, Knowlton Technologies, Watertown, and Linda Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Transitional Living Services, Watertown. The Greater-Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce held its December Business After Hours at the Paddock Club, in the historic Paddock Arcade, Watertown, on Dec. 16.

42 | NNY Business | January 2016

From left, Toni Miller, Kylie Peck and Katrina Kapustay, all of Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, Watertown.

KAREE MAGEE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Paula C. Cadwell, Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent, Jennifer Huttemann-Kall, Tammie Miller and Tracie Briggs, all of Resolution Center of Jefferson and Lewis Counties, Watertown.

b u siness scene Clayton Chamber of Commerce Business With a Twist at 1000 Islands Museum

From left, Alex Hazard, WWTI-TV50, Watertown, and Alex Buduson, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Clayton.

From left, Jackie Collins, Ford English Financial, Clayton, and Margaret Hummel and Claire Wakefield, Antique Boat Museum, Clayton.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Kelly Cantwell, Bobby Cantwell & Associates, Clayton, Kylie Buker, Morgia Masonry, Clayton, and Lisa Ingerson, Clayton Distillery, Clayton. The Clayton Chamber of Commerce held its December Business With A Twist at the 1000 Islands Museum on Dec. 17.

From left, Ashley Pastorius, Thousand Islands Agency, Clayton, Jenna Kraeger and Doreen Garrett, St. Lawrence Spirits, Clayton, and Patti Kittle, RBC Wealth Management, Watertown.

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January 2016 | NNY Business

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b u siness history

‘My greatest hobby is the railroad’ Watertown man turned lifelong love of trains into a successful career By Dave Shampine

NNY Business

he letter with its unique signature — a pencil-sketched railroad steam engine — is in as good condition today as it was nearly 76 years ago when Edward Hungerford rolled the stationery out of his typewriter. “You ask what I like for a hobby,” the writer, from his home in New York City, said in a reply to a teenage resident of the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Arthur Parker. “My greatest hobby is the railroad. It always was and always will be, and that is why I did the great railroad show here in New York last year.” Arthur and his fellow band members from the Children’s Home had visited the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City, and one of their tours, possibly their favorite, was Mr. Hungerford’s Railroad Conference exhibit. It was a 17-acre international display of engines and cars, a collection of antiques and those of their generation. A native of Jefferson County, Mr. Hungerford had even written a five-act drama, “Railroads on Parade,” with a cast of 250, to embellish his exhibit. World’s Fair visitors could experience, in a 3,000-seat theater, the birth and growth of the industry. Using contributions from 27 railroad companies, the show featured 25 locomotives and 40 horses. “Do write me again,” Mr. Hungerford encouraged his young correspondent in Watertown. “If I do not answer very promptly you will understand that I am very busy and it is not that I do not appreciate your letter.” n n n Mr. Hungerford, who in other writings described himself as the “foremost rail fan of the country,” dated his interest back to his youth when he watched the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg trains pull in and out of local yards. Other memories included the time he spent with his grandfather, Dr. Edward Sill, who practiced medicine in Dexter and Watertown. “My maternal grandfather was a country doctor, a zealous man and a kind-hearted one,” he wrote in his recollections about

44 | NNY Business | January 2016

Despite his lackluster pursuit of academics, Watertown native Edward Hungerford achieved remarkable success once he parlayed his love of the railroad and trains into a career. WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES FILE PHOTO

Northern New York. “To a great section of the countryside of Jefferson County he was more than doctor or surgeon; he was father confessor, financial adviser, good friend. “As a boy I rode frequently with him upon his rounds. The farmhouses opened wide their hospitality to old Doctor Sill. He was their help and their comforter in adversity; the joyous sharer of their happiness.” Edward was the only child of Charles Anson and Cora Sill Hungerford, who made their Watertown home at what is now 156 Clinton St. For much of his youth, when he wasn’t watching trains, he was a likely frequent visitor to a grocery store in the Washington Hall block on the south side of Public Square. The shop was operated by his

parents until 1892, when he was about 17. That was when Charles Hungerford took on a bigger proprietorship on the opposite side of the Square, beginning a 13-year run as owner of Watertown’s well-known landmark, the Woodruff House. The teen was given a job there, running the elevator. His father, who later moved the family downstate to Kingston to continue in the hotel business, wanted to see his son become an architect, but Edward was uncooperative. Since he was not the most inspired student at Watertown High School, the Hungerfords sent him to Willistown Seminary in Easthampton, Mass. That didn’t work out so well, however, and he was obliged to leave because of low grades. Despite that lackluster background, he

b u siness history was grudgingly able to enroll in an architecture program at Syracuse University. Much to his father’s disappointment, that commitment was short-lived. The young Hungerford abandoned his studies in Syracuse, set out for Western New York, and landed a job in 1896 as a reporter with the Rochester Herald. “Damn fool!” his father said. After three years in Rochester, his career direction was in motion, with reporting and editing jobs taking him to the Glens Falls Times, the Brooklyn Eagle, New York Evening Sun and the New York Herald. He continued writing, with the railroad industry becoming his focus. He was able to bolster that interest when he became press representative for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, a position he held for seven years. During his early years in New York, he met and courted Bertha R. von Rechenberg, a woman of German heritage, and on Sept. 26, 1906, they married. n n n There were other jobs along his route: advertising manager for Wells Fargo & Co. Express, and director of publications at the University of Rochester. Come 1925, the railroad writer set out to become railroad promoter when he approached the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Two years down the road, the B&O was to observe its centennial. Mr. Hungerford proposed doing a history of the company. Railroad president Daniel Willard not only grasped the suggestion, he took it a step further. He hired the writer to be the B&O’s centennial director. Building upon what he had seen at a railroad celebration in England, Mr. Hungerford put together an extravagant exhibit at an improvised park a few miles outside Baltimore. “The Fair of The Iron Horse,” featuring displays and a two-hour play, “Pageant of The Iron Horse,” opened on Feb. 28, 1927, and drew unexpected crowds averaging 50,000 a day, and going as high as 110,000. But why not — there was no admission charge for the show, which did not close until Oct. 16. For Mr. Hungerford, “his success in Baltimore became his chief calling card,” wrote Curtis L. Katz in the November 2003 issue of Railfan & Railroad magazine. “He enthusiastically created five more transportation pageants during the 1930s.” Among those were the Rochester Centennial of 1934, the Parade of the Years Pageant in 1936 in Cleveland; and ultimately Please see HISTORY, page 46

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W H AT ’ S H A P P E NIN G H E R E ? F.X. Caprara honda WHAT: F.X. Caprara Honda dealership LOCATION: Outer Bradley Street corporate park, town of Pamelia. The Honda dealership is adjacent to the Exit 47 interchange off I-81 at the northern end of the park. OWNER: F.X. Caprara Car Cos. Co-owner Charles G. Caprara has been named to manage the Honda franchise DEVELOPER: D.C. Building Systems SITE PREP: Purcell Construction Corp. OPENING: April 1 FEATURES: In addition to a state-of-the-art showroom, the 30,000-square-foot dealership includes a service center with 13 vehicle bays. The lot contains 421 parking spaces for inventory and customers. “We’re going to try to land 400 cars for opening day,” Mr. Caprara said. “I want color choices and every bit of available product.” The main entrance/exit is on Bradley Street for the dealership, which will be the only Honda franchise in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. LOCAL JOBS: 60 full-time employees upon

history, from page 45 the “Railroads on Parade” that was visited by 14-year-old Arthur Parker and his friends from the Children’s Home in 1939. The railroad display at the fair, which extended into 1940, presented steam, electric and diesel engines brought from Italy, England and Canada. Among contributors at home were the Pennsylvania Railroad, the B&O and General Motors, which showed off their brand new streamlined dieselelectric passenger locomotives. The New York attraction drew 2.6 million visitors during its two-year run. In the “Railroads On Parade” program, Mr. Hungerford was identified as author, producer and director. His brief biographical sketch mentioned that he was the author of several popular books, including “Men and Iron,” “Pathway of Empire” and a biography of Daniel Willard. It also revealed that each year he traveled more than 75,000 rail miles “just for the fun of it.” Mr. Hungerford eventually calculated that over the years he had ridden more than 1.5 million miles on rails. His travels brought him on occasion to Europe. He was in Italy in 1928, and was received by Benito Mussolini for a visit. While he was on that trip, his 72-year-old mother traveled to Europe and planned to join him and Bertha in Germany. Widowed 13 months earlier, she died on June 22 in 46 | NNY Business | January 2016

justin sorensen | NNY BUSINESS

With infrastructure work completed to give tenants access to utilities, the 88-acre corporate park recently achieved “shovel ready” status from Empire State Development. Park owner Purcell Construction Corp., Watertown, invested about $450,000 in design and infrastructure work to make water and sewer lines accessible at the site, ESD said in a news release. The site’s “shovel ready” certification means it meets utility requirements for businesses to move in. Purcell received a $125,000 grant from National Grid’s Shovel Ready Infrastructure program to help complete preparation work at the site, which has railroad access and space for about 20 businesses. completion; several dozen construction jobs JOB FAIR: A job fair for open positions will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at The Workplace employment

Amsterdam, Holland. Charles Hungerford had died in May 1927 in an apartment the couple maintained in the Woodruff. n n n Edward Hungerford also wrote for The Saturday Evening Post and Trains Magazine. He was the author of best-selling books, including “Planning a Trip Abroad.” Another of his popular titles was “With the Doughboy in France,” a journal of World War I experiences. His hometown newspaper serialized his “Story of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad.” And he was no stranger in Watertown. A Times story in 1974 recalled, “Whenever he took a vacation, he ended up in Watertown and recounted to those who would listen to him the stories of the railroads with the proper fictional embellishments which only he could offer.” During their summer visits in Watertown, Mr. and Mrs. Hungerford rented the 304 Paddock St. home of Harold Remington, who owned Kamargo Supply company in the city. In his later years, as he penned his recollections of the north country’s past, he bemoaned the decline of the railroad. Referring to Watertown, he wrote, “It no longer is the important railroad hub that it was fifty or even twenty-five years ago. The

agency, 1000 Coffeen St. Job openings will soon be available for a variety of sales, service and administrative positions. — Ken Eysaman, compiled from Watertown Daily Times staff reports.

handsome large station that was builded (sic) two decades ago is now too large. The bulk of the Watertonians travel by motorcar, even when they go sizable distances ... . That is one thing the colossal improvement of the highroads of New York has done to the railroads — all but ruined them. The motor-car and the bus (this last only to a slight extent) have taken away the passenger traffic; the motor-truck the cream of the freight. And none of these pay their just tolls to the state.” n n n Bertha Hungerford died Jan. 13, 1940, at the couple’s New York City home. Mr. Hungerford continued to ride the rails, and that’s what he was doing in the spring of 1948 when, while in California, he was stricken ill with an infection. His conditioned worsened on his train ride back to New York, where he was admitted to a hospital. He lost his battle to the illness of seven weeks on July 29, 1948. He was 72. A daughter, Adrienne H. Devereaux, and granddaughter, Ann Devereaux, survived. n Business history is a monthly feature, often publiushed from the archives of the Watertown Daily Times. This month’s feature first appeared in the Sunday, July 5, 2009, Watertown Daily Times as a “Times Gone By” column by longtime reporter Dave Shampine. Visit 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.

January 2016 | NNY Business

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