B
Y usIness
Burrville Cider Mill plants future in Rodman page 28
August 2011
Lawrence G. Dorr Nursing student, Jefferson Community College
Homegrown leaders North country education
Jason J. Farrell
options grow with times
Plus:
n Biz Tech n NNY Snapshot n Business Scene n Real Estate
Graduate, IRHS, BOCES HVAC & plumbing program
n Bernier Carr taps collegiate talent Page 26 n 20 Questions with Jay Boak Page 36 Charles F. Lamon Jr. Owner, Victory Promotions, Alumnus, JCC, Clarkson University
$2.95
Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly Vol. 1 Issue 9 | www.nnybusiness.net
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NNY Business | August 2011
August 2011 | NNY Business
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CONTRIBUTORS
BusIness
www.nnybusiness.net
Publishers
John B. Johnson Jr. Harold B. Johnson II Donald C. Alexander is chief executive officer of the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency. He writes about the link between education and economic development. (p. 39)
Michelle A. Farrell is director of events for the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce. She writes about the chamber’s Jefferson leadership Institute. (p. 41)
Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He shares some consumer resources for local foods. (p. 42)
Sarah O’Connell is an advisor for the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She writes about entrepreneurs and education. (p. 44)
General Manager John B. Johnson
Executive Editor Bert Gault
Managing Editor Robert D. Gorman
Magazine Editor
Kenneth J. Eysaman
Editorial Assistant Kyle R. Hayes
Advertising Director Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He writes about nonprofits’ ties to education in the north country. (p. 40)
Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. She explains m-business, the next technology revolution. (p. 43)
Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He offers advice on how to become a Realtor or a licensee. (p. 33)
Gabrielle Hovendon is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. She writes about the impact of SUNY on NNY, an innovative program at Clarkson University and a new bakery. (p. 22, 31, 32)
Karen Romeo
Advertising Specialists
Clarissa Collins, Katie Nelson
Circulation Director Cindy Werner
Photography
Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison
Ad Graphics, Design
Rick Gaskin, Julia Keegan, Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules Jamie Munks is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. In this month’s cover story, she examines how local schools are creating homegrown leaders. In a separate piece, she outlines the impact of education on jobs. (p. 14, 21)
Nancy Madsen is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. She writes about a local firm’s effort to plug the ‘brain drain,’ and a farm that is planting its own future. In real estate, she examines 2011 sales trends. (p. 26, 28, 34)
Joleene DesRosiers is a freelance writer who lives in Sandy Creek. She visits School Daze, a north country store that caters to teachers, parents and students year-round. (p. 27)
MARKETPLACE
A.G. Netto Realty ......….. 35 Allen’s Liquor & Wine ...... 29 Ameriprise Financial …... 17 Beardsley Design …........ 54 Bella’s Bistro …................. 48 BOCES Administration ... 18 Carthage Federal Savings and Loan …......... 6 Clarkson University ......... 31 Christensen Realty …...... 35 CITEC Manufacturing ….. 21 Clarence Henry Coach ….......................... 49 Community Bank ….......... 7 Condino Realty …........... 35 Curran Renewable …...... 47 D&D Power Sports …....... 29 Foy Agency Inc. ….....… 29 H&R Block ….................... 17 Haylor, Freyer & Coon .... 12
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Norah Machia is a veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter who lives in Watertown. She visits a Watertown woman whose personal experiences with ADHD became a call to help others. (p. 24)
High Tower Advisors ....... 23 Howard Orthotics …........ 40 Innovative Physical Therapy …........................ 41 JCJDC .....…..................... 53 Johnson Lumber .......…... 29 Jefferson Community College ….................. 13, 20 KeyBank …......................... 2 Lofink Ford Mercury ….... 51 Lori Gervera Realty …..... 35 Macar’s …......................... 9 Manpower ….................. 56 NBT Bank …...................... 25 NNY Business …......... 46, 55 NNY Community Foundation ….................. 38 Northern FCU ................... 19 Regional Medical Management ….............. 44
NNY Business | August 2011
SeaComm Federal Credit Union …................. 39 Silver Bench Jewelry ….. 29 Slack Chemical Co. …... 42 Small Business Development Center .…. 18 Spring Drive ...............….. 43 St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union …................ 32 T.F. Wright & Sons …........ 29 Truesdell’s Furniture ..….. 50 Watertown Daily Times …............................ 22 Watertown Local Development Corp. …... 33 Watertown Savings Bank …..............................16 Westelcom ….................. 53 WWTI-TV50 …..................... 3
NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), formerly Absolutely Business magazine, is published monthly by Johnson Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601. Copyright 2010, Johnson Newspaper Corp. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Johnson Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.
Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year for Watertown Daily Times and affiliate newspaper subscribers and $25 a year for non-subscribers. Call 315-782-1000 for delivery. Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, e-mail ccollins@wdt.net In St. Lawrence County, e-mail knelson@ogd.com Please recycle this magazine.
>>> Inside AUGUST 2011
26
14
COVER
28
27
14 GROWING FUTURE LEADERS
Students are learning — and staying — close to home as the region’s education options expand.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY
22
32
FEATURES
22 SIZING UP SUNY
A recent report puts SUNY’s annual impact on NNY at $604m.
24 A HELPING HEART
A former teacher aids students diagnosed with ADHD.
31 BETTING ON INNOVATION
26 PLUGGING THE DRAIN
32 ICING ON THE CAKE
27 DAZZLED AND DAZED
REAL ESTATE
28 SEEDS OF TOMORROW
Soil-free produce is a bet that’s paid off for Clarksonians. A passion for baking prompted a Canton woman to open shop.
34 OPTIMISM STIRS
After a slow start for real estate sales, professionals are looking for a rebound in the second half of 2011.
One local firm draws top college students as summer interns. A Watertown store is a one-stop shop for back-to-school. Burrville Cider Mill owners plant new apple orchards.
30 SWEET TREATS
An Adams couple re-open a much-missed downtown delight .
August 2011 | NNY Business
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Three Full Service Locations...
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NNY Business | August 2011
36
INTERVIEW
36 EDUCATING THE WORK FORCE
Jack J. “Jay” Boak leads the five-county, 5,000-square-mile Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services district. Despite one of the toughest fiscal climates, Mr. Boak is excited about the future of education in the north country.
COLUMNS ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING 39
AGRI-BUSINESS
42
NONPROFITS TODAY
40
BUSINESS TECH BYTES
COMMERCE CORNER
41
SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS 44
ON THE COVER
43
From top, Lawrence G. Dorr, Jefferson Community College nursing student, Jason J. Farrell, BOCES graduate, and Charles F. Lamon Jr., JCC alumnus, are pictured through a shelf of books at Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library in Watertown.
DEPARTMENTS EDITOR’S NOTE
9
CALENDAR
45
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
9
BUSINESS SCENE
47
ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT
10
DINING GUIDE
50
BUSINESS BRIEFCASE
12
BUSINESS HISTORY
52
REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP
33
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?
53
{Justin Sorensen photo}
August 2011 | NNY Business
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EDITOR’S NOTE
W
hen I was preparing to graduate from high school nearly 20 years ago, staying home and attending community college wasn’t a widely accepted choice. Had I known then the circuitous path I’d travel before settling into the right college degree program, I’d have embraced local options for education without regard for what others thought. Fortunately, times have changed and youths who graduate from north country high schools today are much better informed of the fruits that a local education can bear. Of course, in 1991 the options for a quality post-secondary education weren’t nearly what they are today. In many ways, as the north country has grown up, so have its institutions of higher education like Jefferson Community College, which this year marks 50 years, an impressive feat for an institution of humble, yet determined community-driven beginnings. In this month’s cover story, education writer Jamie Munks Ken Eysaman tells some amazing stories of local people who, were it not for their own humble beginnings in higher education, wouldn’t be enjoying the success they are now. And as the community examines more closely its options for local education, businesses are now turning to schools like JCC and BOCES to meet the ever-evolving demands for a trained work force. When we begin to look at education in our communities as we have in the past 10 or so years, we realize that our strength comes from within. A talented, educated pool of workers is possible when we keep building upon the foundations of fine schools. BUSINESS SCENE — In this month’s Scene section, which begins on page 47, you’ll find 31 faces from nearly 20 different north country businesses and organizations. With many chambers of commerce and organizations slowing activities in the summer months, business networking was at a crawl last month. But there was one premier event we couldn’t miss. We joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce for a St. Lawrence River cruise to Singer Castle on Dark Island aboard the Island Duchess, expertly led by Uncle Sam Boat Tours for a fantastic summer evening in the 1000 Islands. On board, we enjoyed wonderful food catered by Randy Jerome’s R.J.’s Catering, Adams Center. On Dark Island we were treated to an exclusive tour of one of the region’s gems by the expert guides at Dark Island Tours, Chippewa Bay. Our thanks go to Tom Weldon and his staff for a first-rate, informative evening. For those who have never made the journey to Singer Castle, I highly recommend the trip.
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NNY Business | August 2011
GROWING ONLINE — It seems like each time I sign on to our Facebook page the tally of people who “like” us increases. It’s a great sign as we begin work in earnest on a companion website for the print edition. I’ve had quite a few folks ask me when we’re going to turn the virtual spigot on and start populating our website with content. I encourage all to keep a close eye on our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and to keep reading the pages you are holding in your hands. When we announce more details on when, you’ll be the first to know. ALSO THIS MONTH — Jack J. “Jay” Boak shares his outlook for education in the north country amid austere times for public school districts. Despite the many challenges that persist, Mr. Boak tells us it’s an exciting time in education. Our interview with him begins on page 36. While it may be too early to sink your teeth into a fresh red delicious or golden russet, the Steiner family, owners of Burrville Cider Mill, is counting down to harvest as they plant a future in Rodman and Pinckney, where they’ve purchased 113 acres to begin growing apples for use in their mill. Meanwhile, one north country firm has come up with a creative way to tap young talent by enlisting top college students in an internship program that turns them on to opportunities close to home. It’s how Bernier, Carr and Associates CEO Bernard H. Brown says his company is addressing the brain drain in the north country when young people leave the area in search of good jobs. I speak for many in business when I say we all win with young professionals sticking around to enrich our communities and carry the torch. In our real estate section, you’ll read how local Realtors remain optimistic that single-family home sales will continue to progress upward in the second half of the year after a lukewarm start. As one professional put it, we hear gloom and doom across the nation, but we’re holding our own. That’s more than many parts of the country can say as we continue the climb up from recession. A SPECIAL THANKS — Finally, I’d be remiss if I were to let this issue go without a special thank you to Flower Memorial Library Director Barbara J. Wheeler and her very patient, kind and understanding staff who let NNY Business Photographer Justin Sorensen and me rearrange an entire section of shelved books for this month’s cover shoot. When Mrs. Wheeler told us that her staff would put things back together, we left the library feeling like we just got away with a major crime. To her and her staff: Thank you once again. Flower Library is truly a great community asset made even better by its people. Yours in business,
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE New at Bernier Carr
Jason R. Burto has been hired as an architectural designer at Bernier, Carr & Associates, 327 Mullin St. Mr. Burto graduated from Alfred State College with a bachelor of science degree in architectural technology and Burto brings more than five years of architectural design experience to the firm. Mr. Burto lives in Watertown with his wife, Ashleigh, and newborn daughter, Vivienne.
Named leader of council
Donald J. Sipher, a member of the engineering advisory council of the civil and environmental engineering department at Clarkson University, Potsdam, has been named to a yearlong term as president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia. Mr. Sipher, vice president of Richmond, Va.-based Froehling & Robertson Inc., graduated from Clarkson in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. In his new position, he will oversee the operations of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia, a trade association that represents more than 100 independent engineering firms in Virginia.
New project organizer
The Sustainable Living Project in Potsdam has named Rajiv Narula as the nonprofit’s project organizer. An anonymous donation allowed the SLP to create
its first paid position on an independent contractor basis. Mr. Narula earned his doctorate in environmental engineering from Clarkson University, Potsdam, in May. The SLP encourages people to use traditional rural skills blended with appropriate technology to live more ecologically, and often more economically.
Got business milestones? n Share your business milestones with NNY Business. E-mail news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.
Cameron Smith is a graduate of Cazenovia College with a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in accounting. Justin Tyo is a junior at St. John Fisher College, Rochester, with a triple major in mathematics, statistics and psychology. Alex Marchenkoff, a graduate of South Jefferson Central High School, Adams, and Jefferson Community College, Watertown, is pursuing a master of business administration degree at Columbia College of Missouri.
To join hospital staff
Cathy A. Schantz will join CantonPotsdam Hospital, Potsdam, as its vice president for patient care services/chief nursing officer. She will replace Nancy Rutledge when she retires later this summer. Ms. Schantz has Schantz spent the last 10 years at the more than 700-bed Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in a variety of leadership roles. At Canton-Potsdam Hospital, she will be responsible for providing direction and oversight to the more than 350 employees within nursing, chemical dependency, pharmacy and outpatient psychiatric services.
Exit More salesman receives scholarship
The Professional Institute for Real Estate Training has awarded its North Country Scholarship for Real Estate Salespersons to Dane Hylen of Croghan. Mr. Hylen will be affiliating as a licensed real estate salesperson with Exit More Real Estate on the completion of the 75-hour salesperson qualifying course offered by PIRT. Mr. Hylen is serving with the military in Afghanistan and expects to return to the north country in the fall. Mr. Hylen’s wife, Deirdre, is a licensed real estate saleswoman with Exit More Real Estate, and both have participated in the Homes for Heroes program. The Professional Institute for Real Estate
Summer interns hired
Northwestern Mutual’s Greater New York Group in Watertown has hired several summer interns who will work under Brian Wilcox, managing director, as financial representatives. Terry E. Parham Jr., a graduate of Indian River Central School, Philadelphia, is a junior at St. Lawrence University, Canton, majoring in economics and psychology.
Please see People, page 13
MACAR’S • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring • Lighting
161 Coleman Avenue
www.macarsinteriors.com
Watertown • 788-3732 August 2011 | NNY Business
|9
ECON SNAPSHOT
NNY
Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers June ’11 $1.82 May ’11 $1.71 June ’10 $1.36
33.8%
(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)
Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands, OgdensburgPrescott and Seaway International (Massena) bridges
Source: NYS Department of Agriculture
468,357 in June 2011 451,113 in May 2011 442,241 in June 2010
Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas
Source: T.I. Bridge Authority, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, Seaway International Bridge Corp.
June ’11 $3.86 May ’11 $4.02 June ’10 $2.83
U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)
36.4%
Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil June ’11 $3.75 May ’11 $3.89 June ’10 $2.87
30.7%
5.9%
$0.96 on June 31, 2011 $0.97 on May 29, 2011 $1.06 on June 28, 2010
9.4%
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.
Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane
Nonagriculture jobs in the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence counties area, not including military positions
June ’11 $3.23 May ’11 $3.26 June ’10 $2.83
91,900 in June 2011 92,600 in May 2011 92,100 in June 2010
14.1%
0.2%
Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority
Source: NYS Department of Labor
Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales
Passengers at Watertown International Airport
84, median price $149,000 in June 2011 78, median price $142,500 in May 2011 145, median price $128,000 in June 2010
599 in-bound and out-bound in June 2011 606 in-bound and out-bound in May 2011 438 in-bound and out-bound in June 2010
42.1% Sales
16.4%
36.8%
Price
Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.
Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators
Jefferson County unemployment June 10
9.0%
May 11
9.1%
April 11
Mar. 11
Feb. 11
Jan. 11
Dec. 10
10.0% 10.9% 11.6 % 11.8% 10.3 %
Nov. 10
10.0%
Oct. 10
9.0%
Sep. 10
8.6%
Aug. 10
8.3%
July 10
June 10
8.8% 8.5%
Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)
10 NNYBusiness Business| |April August 2011 8 ||NNY 2011
NNY
Economic indicators St. Lawrence county unemployment rates
Lewis county unemployment rates
10.7% in June 2011 9.9% in May 2011 10.5% in June 2010
8.8% in June 2011 9.1% in May 2011 7.8% in June 2010
1
0.2
Percentage point
Percentage points
Source: NYS Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)
Source: NYS Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted)
St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales
No Welfare data
58, median price $72,250 in June 2011 46, median price $76,050 in May 2011 85, median price $85,000 in June 2010 Sales
Lewis and St. Lawrence counties were unavailable at press time.
15% Price
Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.
Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.
Real estate sales
The following sales were recorded in the Jefferson County clerk’s office:
Watertown city sales July 5
n 716 Cadwell St., Marco J. Lyons, Chesapeake, Va., sold to Andrew J. Garza, Watertown $90,000 n 410 Clay St., Tammy Jo Parks, Watertown, executor, estate of Timothy S. Parks, late of Watertown, sold to Jason J. Melby and Ellyn L. Melby, Carthage $80,000
July 1
n 0.405 acre, Green Street, Akhtar Kayani, Hudson, Fla., sold to Dale C. Herman and Patricia A. Herman, Watertown $170,000 n 0.172 acre, Academy Street, Brian L. Kolowski, Watertown, sold to Dellie M. Whittier, Watertown $158,000 n 0.242 acre, intersection, State Street and Wyoming Avenue, David S. Bombard, Sackets Harbor, sold to Donald J. Converse and Robin M. Converse, Watertown $100,000 n 0.224 acre, 212 Haley St., Jason A. Coats and Melissa H. Coats, Watertown, sold to Allen Gritman and Dana Gritman, Fort Irwin, Calif. $176,500
June 29
n 0.213 acre, 874 Mill St., Laurie A. Regan, aka Laurie A. Gereaud, Watertown, sold to Andrew T. Shaw, Watertown $126,000
June 27
n 307 N. Hamilton St., Hui S. Mooney, Watertown, sold to Shawn W. Granger and Tracy Granger, Watertown $25,000
June 24
n Two parcels, 121 Bishop St., Michael W. Flint, Watertown, sold to Janelle N. Kriegbaum and Jeremy A. Kriegbaum, Watertown $134,000
June 23
n 0.137 acre, Arsenal Street, Marcia Rittenhouse and Frances C. Fazio, co-executors, will of Sarah Fazio, late of Watertown, sold to Sean O’Sullivan, Sackets Harbor $80,000
June 22
n 0.20 acre, 268 Schley Drive, Nancy D. Brown, Watertown, administrator, CTA, estate of Pearl V. Kern, sold to Stephanie W. Moore, Watertown $140,000
TRANSACTIONS
31.8%
n Totals for open welfare cases in Jefferson,
Turn to page 35 for a recent 9-day look at real estate transactions in St. Lawrence County.
June 21
n Two parcels, 950 Holcomb St., 1000 Holcomb St., Edward J. Knapp and Mollie K. Knapp, Watertown, sold to Nicholas A. Rothwell and Gina M. Rothwell, Saint Roberts, Mo. $166,500 n South Hamilton Street, Christopher M. VanBrocklin, Watertown, sold to Shannon E. Dunmire, Watertown $148,000
June 20
n 0.106 acre, 181 Haley St., Raymond D. Windmiller and Amy E. Windmiller, Watertown, sold to Stephen P. Smith and Jeanne L. Smith, Watertown $169,000 n 1025 Boyd St., William Howard and Staci Viafore, both of Watertown, sold to Guang Lei Shi, Watertown $186,000
June 17
n 0.21 acre, 240 N. Indiana Ave., Jeffrey T. Carpenter, Watertown, sold to Lauren M. Malavich and Scott Malavich, Columbus, Ohio $135,000 n 0.129 acre, Salina Street, James Riveros, Watertown, sold to Jessica A. Ramos, Watertown $143,500 n Lansing Street, David G. Constance, Watertown, sold to Mary E. Olney, Watertown $87,500
June 15
n Two parcels, 1) 0.403 acre, 2) no acreage given, 337 Broadway Ave. W., Margaret C. Roux, Watertown, sold to David Shaw and Kathryn Shaw, Watertown $240,000
June 14
n 182 Bowers Ave., Bergen C. Vardell, Watertown, sold to Andrew A. Beuttenmuller, Buffalo $157,000
June 13
n 0.11 acre, 216 Park Drive West, Michael J. Works and Beth M. Works, Watertown, sold to Edward F. McElroy II, Watertown $176,000
$2,888,000 City real estate sales recorded over a 23-day period, June 15-July 5, 2011
August April2011 2011||NNY NNY Business Business || 11 9
BUSINESS BRIEFCASE campaign to bring together exhibitors like the American Red Cross, Jefferson County Emergency Management and local businesses to educate about preparedness in case of an emergency or disaster. The event is free and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Founded in 2004 by former President George Bush, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, National Preparedness Month is observed each September. For more information, contact Rafael Yanouri at 767-1965, Mark Zegarelli at 7778377 or email Rafael.Servpro@yahoo.com.
Seaway Trail Center a Blue Star Museum
Sackets Harbor’s Seaway Trail Discovery Center is now a Blue Star Museum. The Blue Star Museums program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts with Blue Star Families, an organization that raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life. More than 1,300 museums participate across the U.S. The museums, nature center, historic and cultural sites provide free admission spouses and families of active military. The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center is located along the Sackets Harbor waterfront in the three-story, native limestone former Union Hotel built in 1817. The free admission will apply to daytime visits and evening programming at the center. For more information, visit www.arts. gov/bluestarmuseums, www.seawaytrail. com or call 646-1000.
Potsdam Wal-Mart gift
Potsdam Wal-Mart recently donated $1,500 to the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Foundation, for the purchase of a recumbent step machine used in the hospital’s outpatient physical rehabilitation department. From left, seated in front, Bob LaBaff, store manager; standing, Patrick Devine, store community involvement coordinator, Laurie Matthews, CantonPotsdam Hospital physical therapy assistant, and Kristin Jones, store community involvement coordinator.
National Preparedness Month event planned
Alumnus names Center for Entrepreneurship
Servpro of Jefferson County is organizing the first National Preparedness Month event in the north country. The event, scheduled for Sept. 17, at Jefferson Community College, is sponsored by JCC, FEMA, Servpro and the Ready.gov
12 |
NNY Business | August 2011
Clarkson University alumnus David D. Reh, class of 1962, and his wife, Sue, have provided a gift of $1.5 million to Clarkson University, Potsdam to name the
Got business news?
n Share your business news with NNY Business. E-mail news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the tenth of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.
Reh Center for Entrepreneurship. The Rehs, of Victor, have established an endowed fund to support the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship, which is focused on student learning, coupled with regional outreach to area entrepreneurs. Mr. Reh is the past president and owner of the Raytec Group Inc., which he formed in 1971. It consisted of two principal operating companies: Gorbel Inc., which manufactures jib and work station cranes; and Retrotech Inc., which specializes in the design, installation, modernization and support of automated material handling systems. Retrotech was recently acquired by Savoye Inc., a $100 million European logistics company, while Mr. and Mrs. Reh’s son, Brian Reh, now owns and manages Gorbel Inc., David remains chairman.
SBA offers help with export business plan
The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering a free tool to small businesses interested in starting or expanding sales of their goods and services overseas. The Export Business Planner, available on the SBA website, is a ready-made, customizable document that can be updated and referenced to help businesses gauge their readiness to export and help them develop an export business plan. The PDF-formatted document is available at www.sba.gov.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE PEOPLE, from page 9 Training is a full service real estate school serving Northern New York. More information is available at www.pirtonline.com.
Treasurer honored
The National Association of Purchasing Management of Northern New York presented its Keenan Award to treasurer Avis Gilmore for her continuing support and outstanding achievements in promoting the purchasing association in education, professionalism and ethics.
Banker retires
After a 42-year career with Community Bank N.A., Claire LaGarry, senior vice president, regional retail banking manager/ north and branch services administrator, New York and Pennsylvania, retired July 1. LaGarry Ms. LaGarry began her banking career at the former St. Lawrence National Bank, which later became Community Bank. She has held numerous positions at the bank: director of personnel, marketing manager, director of advertising and marketing, branch administrator and retail banking manager. Ms. LaGarry graduated from SUNY Canton with an associate’s degree in business administration and SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in administrative science. She attended the ABA School of Bank Marketing.
Services Brian Kempf. The “Discover Clean and Safe Boating” education campaign, created in 2008, is a collaboration of New York Sea Grant, the Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York and other marine trade organizations, event organizers and media. For more information on New York Sea Grant’s education campaign, contact Mr. White at 312-3042. For updates on Sea Grant activities and initiatives in New York’s Great Lakes and marine waters, go online to www.nyseagrant.org, www. facebook.com/nyseagrant and www.twitter.com/nyseagrant.
Event organizer lauded
Michael Folsom, organizer and creator of this summer’s Sailing Seaway Clayton, has been named a recipient of the Spirit of Excellence Award, which is presented by the Lynx Educational Foundation. The award is an Folsom honor presented by
the Lynx Educational Foundation, operator of the tall ship Lynx, based in Newport Beach, Calif. This award is presented for exceptional personal achievements and examples of character based on the mission of Lynx with the intent of highlighting the work and commitment made by individuals in the success of the ship. In June, tall ship Lynx made its way to Clayton — the smallest port stop of 2011 for the ship — for the first time and was the featured vessel during the Sailing Seaway Clayton event. Prior to the ship’s arrival, all ten public sailing excursions were sold out — an accomplishment that no other port on the ship’s 2011 summer calendar had reached to date. In all, more than 400 people would sail aboard Lynx during its time in the Thousand Islands. In addition to sold out excursions, the event drew more than 1,000 visitors on board the ship for deck tours and more than 5,000 people to Frink Park over the course of seven days to view the ship in port. For more information on Sailing Seaway Clayton, visit www.sailingseawayclayton. com or for more information on tall ship Lynx, visit www.privateerlynx.org.
New York Sea Grant specialist recognized
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, Annapolis, Md., has awarded New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist David White a 2010 Environmental Leadership Commendation. The award honors efforts to educate boaters and marine operators about environmental stewardship and recognizes Mr. White as the creator of New York Sea Grant’s “Discover Clean and Safe Boating” education campaign. Mr. White was nominated by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Director of Marine
August 2011 | NNY Business
| 13
COVER STORY
BUILDING leaders tomorrow’s
n Education in the north country evolves to meet changing needs of region, businesses
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By Jamie Munks | NNY Business writer
IT WAS WHEN Lawrence G. Dorr was laid off from Saturn of Watertown that he decided to pursue a degree toward his professional passion: nursing. Mr. Dorr worked as the service manager for the dealership, until it closed and he was laid off in 2009. He decided he needed a change, and soon after he enrolled in Jefferson Community College’s new weekend nursing program. “I talked to my wife and decided I really needed to do something different in my life. I really want to go into the medical field,” Mr. Dorr said. “The more I looked at it, nursing just offers so much flexibility and is so rewarding to have a chance to fill a need in the community.” Local professionals working in the medical field and JCC officials saw a nursing shortage coming, and decided that because it could have a disastrous effect on the north country, something had to be done. A potential shortage in the field, combined with the stress Fort Drum – a major military base without a hospital on post — puts on medical centers in the area, could have had a terrible effect on the north country. In 2009, the college was awarded a $1.9 million De-
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partment of Labor grant to help enhance health care and create a weekend nursing program. The weekend program caters to nontraditional students who have a family and work, and can’t easily work classes into their schedule. Mr. Dorr is one of 12 students in the weekend nursing program’s first class, which will graduate in December with an associate of science degree in nursing. He is the only male student in his class. Mr. Dorr lives in Carthage with his family, and upon graduation he hopes to get a job at a hospital in Jefferson or Lewis County, he said. “It’s really serious, the responsibility is very high, we’re doing wound dressing changes, administering IV’s and injections, doing the bed side care and medications,” Mr. Dorr said. “The knowledge base is so huge, it’s daunting. With people who are working and doing this, it’s extremely tough but this end reward is huge.” The weekend nursing program is essentially the same as JCC’s regular nursing program, but students are in class or clinical Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. There are weekend programs in Utica and at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, but not many others in
Jefferson Community College nursing student Claire E. Burnett flushes an infusaport for Peggy L. Murray, Brownville, as Julie Roy, JCC nursing instructor, looks on during clinicals at Samaritan Medical Center, which the students do every other Saturday. JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
the state, said Marie A. Hess, a professor of nursing at JCC, and the coordinator for the Department of Labor grant. “I feel we’re trying to offer something unique in this area,” Ms. Hess said. “The nursing shortage didn’t come quite as quickly because of the economy, but now that it’s been a few years, people are looking to retire and the hospitals are really looking for us to continue.” The grant called for a program with 24 students, but there wasn’t enough room for that at the college. Samaritan CEO Thomas H. Carman has offered the hospital’s old ambulatory unit to be used as a second nursing lab for JCC’s program. This January, the plan is to admit 24 students, Ms. Hess said. The grant has allowed the college to purchase six high-fidelity mannequins that moan, cry and can be programmed for interactive, realistic scenarios for the students to work with. The college also has a medical system that can be hooked into Samaritan’s system in a test format, and allows students to gain experience working with patients and administering medication. Now, rather than using pieces of candy to practice with, the students will go into hospitals with experi-
ence using the complex system. College officials have committed to not only continue the program after the grant expires, but to grow it. The weekend program has a coordinator, and the college would need to take over all personnel costs to keep it going, Ms. Hess said. The college works in collaboration with five area hospitals on the program: Samaritan, Carthage, Gouverneur, River and Lewis County General hospitals. “My vision, when I sit and daydream, is to expand the program, both weekend and day,” Ms. Hess said. “I would like to offer a bachelor’s degree program on site and master’s on site. There are a lot of ifs but in the next five years, if we could have a building with labs, classroom space and a facility that we could expand this program to fully meet the needs of the community.” The Jefferson-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services too has recently created some new programs that are molded after big or emerging industries in the north country. BOCES has had a New Visions health program for years that caters to high school students who are interested in the health care field.
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COVER STORY This fall, BOCES will launch a New Visions alternative energy program. Tracy J. Gyoerkoe, director of career, technical, adult and continuing education at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, is working on partnering the program with JCC. Green technology is also being integrated into some of the trades that are already taught at BOCES, including carpentry and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. When BOCES updates its programs, professionals from the industry sit on committees and consult with educators
and administrators about how the curriculum must be changed to better suit the evolving technology in the work place. For example, computers have become a major part of the automotive industry: from cars themselves to the lifts that are used, Ms. Gyoerkoe said. “I think there is innovation in the alternative energy program, particularly in our area with the discussions about wind power, and the new business program,” said Jack J. Boak, district superintendent of Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-
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Oneida BOCES. The new BOCES business program, also set to launch this fall, encourages teachers to take a hands-off approach and inspire students to take control as CEOs and department heads of their own companies. “The thing I’m looking most forward to is seeing what they come up with,” said Linda M. Smith, BOCES business teacher in Lewis County. “They need to create and promote a product. They can really try the career out.” Ms. Smith and Arlene M. Burgess,
COVER STORY who is based in Jefferson County, will lead the new program. Students will work in small groups to create their own products. They sell them on a virtual market with students from all over the world. Students receive a virtual paycheck for their work but they can also be virtually fired for doing a bad job. Lately, as school districts have fallen on difficult times and have made cuts, business class offerings in the north country have been reduced. “When programs are cut, business teachers are the first ones out the door,” Ms. Burgess said. “But these are the skills they use every day — computer skills. I see this program as the way of the future — I’m very optimistic about it.”
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ichelle L. Capone didn’t know what she wanted to do for a living. She started out at JCC, majoring in math and science. “I applied to only a handful of schools, and I was fortunate to work at Watertown Savings Bank right out of high school,” Ms. Capone said. “They paid for my education, I could work and have two years paid for. I wouldn’t trade that for the world. It let me make some money, have some responsibility and go to college.” Ms. Capone continued on to SUNY Geneseo, where she studied economics. She has a master’s degree in business administration from SUNY Oswego and she’s now the deputy comptroller for the Development Authority of the North Country. Ms. Capone has worked at DANC for 12 years. Up until recently, she was working in project development and now she’s working in finance. Her decision to return to the north country to work was mostly because her family and many friends are here, she said. “I went to Indian River and the sphere of influence triples when you go to community college and meet people in the local community,” Ms. Capone said. “It might have made a difference in coming back here, to already have a group of people I’m close to and know.” Lawrence Manor in Gouverneur is one of first loans Ms. Capone worked on. “Every time I drive by there, I think it’s a success story,” Ms. Capone said. “It was fulfilling to help someone who wanted to start a business here and
NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS
Michelle L. Capone started her post-secondary education at Jefferson Community College, majoring in math and science. She continued at SUNY Geneseo and later SUNY Oswego, where she earned a MBA.
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COVER STORY money, but that it should be something that makes them happy and want to get up in the morning. “The more opportunities that we have locally to obtain a degree, that strengthens our work force,” Ms. Capone said. “With the cost of higher education today, it amazes me why people wouldn’t consider going to community college. You get the same curriculum you would for two years as you would at a four-year college.”
K AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS
Kelly E. Reinhardt majored in math and science at Jefferson Community College, with thoughts of continuing on to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse. She now works as director of business development and community relations for Bernier, Carr and Associates.
was coming up against road blocks.” She advises people who will soon be
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elly E. Reinhardt majored in math and science at JCC, with thoughts of continuing on to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse. She now works as the director of business development and community relations for Bernier, Carr and Associates, Watertown. “It’s such a good option locally when you’re 17,” Ms. Reinhardt said of JCC. “I think about if it wasn’t here and the choices these students would have to make. You don’t have to go to New York City to get a good job — I have a good job and I live in Watertown.” Ms. Reinhardt remembers a time when many people in the north country
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COVER STORY didn’t consider JCC a good option for college, but she’s glad to see that’s changed. “There was the thought that it was a high school thing — ‘Oh, he’s just going to JCC,’” Ms. Reinhardt said. “It shouldn’t have been a valid thought, and through the years it’s become more respected as a great option.” Ms. Reinhardt is still involved with JCC, both professionally and through her work with the alumni association. She’s been part of an effort the alumni association put on to sell daffodils to benefit the college. Her dream is to one day have the whole drive into the campus be filled with yellow daffodils, as a “gift back to the campus,” she said. “It’s a well-respected institution and I think I had confidence that maybe others didn’t have,” Ms. Reinhardt said, of how she felt when she started at SUNY ESF. “That I could handle it with no problem after being at JCC.” Bernier, Carr and Associates has also used JCC’s Jefferson Express program for computer training for employees, and JCC students are part of the company’s summer internship program all the time. JCC President Carole A. McCoy asked Ms. Reinhardt to go with her to SUNY Day in Albany when she first came on as president, to introduce her to some legislators. The firm has worked with JCC on such projects as the gym, library and roofs of various buildings on campus. “They’re a client of mine now, I haven’t left JCC,” Ms. Reinhardt said. “It’s our college, I feel proud to work with them.”
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the inspiration for starting the company, he said. “I think I was better prepared, both academically and socially,” Mr. Lamon said. “The business is a good balance of dealing with nonprofits, high schools and the university business as well. It’s fun and different every day.” The business has expanded over its 10 years, and there are now offices in Canton and Cortland, in addition to Watertown. When Mr. Lamon decided to stay in the north county and open the business, he looked into industries that tended to be
more “mom and pop,” than chain-dominated, he said. “I think one of the things about up here is that people really want to buy local products from local people,” Mr. Lamon said. “But it must be competitively priced and the quality you can get elsewhere.”
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ith the cost of higher education continuing to soar, options such as BOCES and community colleges have become more appealing to people who
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t was Charles F. Lamon Jr.’s time at JCC and his love of sports that inspired him to start Victory Promotions, a company that specializes in the screen-printing and embroidery of athletic gear. Mr. Lamon studied business administration at JCC, before continuing on to Clarkson University, Potsdam. “[JCC] was the best decision and the most economical, based on the fact that it’s a great school,” Mr. Lamon said. “The admissions director at Clarkson immediately said I would have no problem, that Jefferson would have prepared me very well for Clarkson.” This year, Victory Promotions celebrated its tenth anniversary — the company melds two of Mr. Lamon’s biggest interests: business and athletics. He played sports throughout his high school career at General Brown Central School District, Dexter, and he played basketball at JCC. His interest in athletics was
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COVER STORY
NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS
Charles F. Lamon Jr. studied business administration at JCC before continuing on to Clarkson University, Potsdam. Mr. Lamon now owns Victory Promotions, Watertown.
may not have considered them when the economy was stronger. When young people graduate from college right now, their challenge is twofold: the rising cost means they’re entering the workforce with more burdensome debt
from their education, and they’re having a more difficult time finding a job. That means everyone needs to be flexible when they’re looking for a job, said Cheryl A. Mayforth, director of the Workforce Investment Board.
“The cost of college just seems to be going up and up and it’s something the rest of us just didn’t see,” Mrs. Mayforth said. “Especially in this slow-recovering economy, they’re simply not going to have jobs that will meet the debt they have.” BOCES partners with local organizations and agencies each year to put on Workforce 2020, an event that brings together local employers with about 1,500 high school students. The students do mock interviews with companies they’re interested in. Members of both groups seem to come away from the event with new perceptions of one another. The members of the business community are often impressed with how professional and motivated the young people are, and the students are often surprised at how many job opportunities are available in the north country, Mr. Boak said. There has been a stigma around both BOCES and JCC in the past. And while it’s something that has started to change, it’s still present. “A lot of people say because you’re going to BOCES, you don’t like school and you’re not going to go to college,” said Jason J. Farrell, Evans Mills. “But BOCES is a good start, it gets you ahead of the game.” Mr. Farrell graduated from Indian River High School in June. He was part of the BOCES two-year plumbing and HVAC program. “The stigma of BOCES kids: that’s something we battle all the time, to try to break down those barriers and prejudices,” Mr. Boak said. “In working with those trade areas, there are some people who have done very well and opened their own businesses.” This summer, Mr. Farrell is helping his teacher on a project in the BOCES cosmetology classroom. They are installing ventilation that will filter odors from chemicals used in the classroom out, and fresh air in. Once that project is done this summer, Mr. Farrell plans to look for a local job. “I’ve been here my whole life and I like it here,” he said. “I want to work for maybe a bigger company, where I can stay and put my years in. I know this business in this area — there’s a really big demand for it.” n JAMIE MUNKS is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at jmunks@wdt.net or 661-2347.
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F E AT U R E S
Education a top employer in region n More than 11k work in educational services industry By JAMIE MUNKS
Education / Employment in Northern New York
ducation is considered a significant north country industry in terms of employment despite severe budget pressures that have caused public and private school systems and colleges to cut staff over the past few years. “Right now, people have to be flexible and willing to look anywhere,” said Cheryl A. Mayforth, director of the Workforce Investment Board. “That’s advice we’ve given to teachers as well.” There were more than 11,583 people employed in public and private education in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties in 2010, according to state Department of Labor figures . That’s a decrease from the 11,833 people employed in the industry in 2005, but it’s greater than the 11,251 people who worked in the industry in 2000. The leading job titles in the educational services industry in the area are teacher assistant, elementary school teacher and secondary school teacher In 2010, between the public and private educational services sectors, 6,276 people were employed in St. Lawrence County, 4,290 people were employed in Jefferson County and 1,017 people were employed in Lewis County. The other significant industries include health care, public administration and trade, transportation and utilities. The significant industries were characterized
2000 2005 2010
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JEFFERSON COUNTY Private 72 147 152 Public 3,757 3,944 4,138 LEWIS COUNTY Private 5 n/a n/a Public 1,031 1,116 1,017 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY Private 1,552 2,027 1,937 Public 4,834 4,599 4,339 TRI-COUNTY TOTAL 11,251 11,833 11,583 Private 1,629 2,174 2,089 Public 9,622 9,659 9,494 Source: New York State Department of Labor
by rapid growth, large growth and high wages. Growth in the educational services industry is driven more by demographics than economic conditions, according to the report, but economic conditions have been putting major pressure on school districts and colleges in the past few years. Budget pressures that have been placed on north country school districts in the past few years have resulted in the laying off of significant numbers of teachers and other school employees in the north country. “Coming out of this recession, we’ve
lost a lot of good jobs,” Mrs. Mayforth said. “We do have good jobs in the area, but it takes so much to gain them back after the recession.” But according to the state report, there was some hiring going on in the industry before the economy began its decline. Educational services added jobs between 2006 and 2009 — an increase of 0.4 percent. The industry’s average weekly wage in 2009 was $751, which is $62 above the allindustry average, according to the report. n JAMIE MUNKS is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at jmunks@wdt.net or 661-2347.
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F E AT U R E S
SUNY’s impact on NNY $604m
n System provides 6,700 jobs, bolsters region’s economy By GABRIELLE HOVENDON
A NNY Business
report released by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government of the University at Albany and the University at Buffalo Regional Institute found that the SUNY system was responsible for providing 6,700 jobs and $604 million in annual economic activity in the north country. The report, which was based on a series of surveys and field studies conducted at all 64 campuses in the SUNY system, was titled “How SUNY Matters: Economic Impacts of the State University of New York.” It highlighted the SUNY system’s $20 billion annual contribution to the state economy and also provided regional data about SUNY schools, including a finding that 37 percent of the total population of the north country – defined in the survey as Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Hamilton, Essex and Clinton counties – was a SUNY student, employee or alumnus. An independent study conducted by Gregory A. Gardner, associate professor
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JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS
Matthew Dunlop, Massapequa Park, Long Island, hoists his fist in the air after receiving his diploma during SUNY Potsdam’s May commencement ceremony. A report released earlier this year touts the economic impact of the SUNY system on Northern New York
of business administration at SUNY Potsdam, found that the college annually generates
NNY Business | August 2011
about $143.5 million in direct economic output and $375.9 million in total economic activ-
ity within the north country. The college also provides 1,263 jobs and will create an additional 344 temporary positions with the construction of its new performing arts building, making it one of the largest employers in St. Lawrence County. While SUNY Potsdam has no formal arrangements with community businesses to lease campus facilities or services, it offers its parks, pools and fieldhouse for public use. The college also sponsors an extensive internship program with local businesses, including the Canton-Potsdam Hospital drug rehabilitation unit, Massena’s Rose Hill drug rehabilitation facility, the Madrid-Waddington Central School guidance office and Massena’s SeaComm Federal Credit Union. Toby J. White, SUNY Potsdam’s director of experiential education, internships and service learning, said the internships had an unquantifiable impact on the area economy through its training of the future work force. “By doing these internships in the local community, it helps the students gain skills to be employable and
F E AT U R E S marketable in the north country after they leave SUNY Potsdam,” he said. “With the economy how it is now, for students to actually be competitive, we need these sites in the north country to continue doing experiential learning, to better prepare our students for the next position.” Like SUNY Potsdam, Jefferson Community College, Watertown, also offers student internships with area businesses, nonprofits and governmental organizations. According to an economic impact study conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc., JCC annually contributes more than $119 million to the north country economy. It further sponsors the Center for Community Studies, a department that conducts studies — including ones about health care, buying habits, tourism and wind energy — for area businesses at a more affordable rate than national surveys. Through its Continuing Education Division, the college hosts many workplace development programs to offer employee training and human resource services to area businesses. According to JCC President Carole A. McCoy, the college also works to offer courses and degree programs, including many held on weekends, to meet the needs of both employers and students in the community. “As the economy has suffered, we’ve seen more and more people turn to community colleges,” Ms. McCoy said. “We bend over backwards – and I think this is true of most institutions in SUNY – to try to meet business needs. We’re always working with the (Greater WatertownNorth Country) Chamber of Commerce, the (Jefferson County) Job Development Corp., the (Jefferson County) Workforce Investment Board, to try to make sure we have the right programs.” SUNY Canton was similarly recognized by the statewide SUNY study for providing training and workshops tailored to the needs of the community and for working with employers and residents to improve their technical skills. According to SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy, the college’s economic contributions range from purchasing local food for the dining hall to creating internships in finance and business management to undertaking large-scale construction projects. Although SUNY Canton legally cannot enter into partnerships with private businesses on its campus, it hopes eventually
On the Web HOW SUNY MATTERS n www.rockinst.org
to begin projects such as a biodigester and wind turbine. The school also operates a Small Business Development Center that helped 300 area businesses, including 190 new clients, develop business plans and marketing techniques and locate approximately $1.8 million in financing last year. “We count on this community for ev-
erything you can imagine, from entertainment to the fire department to the police departments,” Mr. Kennedy said. “It’s hard to bring students and staff to a community that isn’t vibrant and attractive, so it’s important from that point of view. Plus we do live here, and it’s important to do everything we can to make Canton and St. Lawrence County and the north country a better place to live.” n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer based in Canton. Contact her at ghovendon@wdt.net or 661-2517.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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F E AT U R E S
NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS
Deborah Cavallario, left, owner of ADHD Educational Services, and program supervisor Carmen Jones-Wilber in the school library at Knickerbocker Elementary School.
‘Bridging the gap’
n Former teacher, school board member aids ADHD students By NORAH MACHIA
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ADHD Educational Services
NNY Business
n ONLINE: www.adhdeducationalservices.com
eborah A. Cavallario’s son was diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade following a psychologist’s evaluation. “He wasn’t reading and he wasn’t paying attention,” said Mrs. Cavallario, a former Watertown School Board of Education member. “He acted on impulse. He lacked focus.” Mrs. Cavallario was a teacher in the Carthage Central School District at the time her son was diagnosed. Although her background helped her to better navigate the educational system, it still wasn’t easy, she said. “It’s always different when it’s your own child,” she said. “At that time, the only thing available was Ritalin.” Her son’s diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in 1982 did not
come as a surprise, Mrs. Cavallario said. “There can be a genetic connection, and I had it myself,” she said. “When I was in school, I was always out of my seat and talking too much.” In 1999, Mrs. Cavallario established her own business, ADHD Educational Services, to help north country students and their families. “I can truly say to people that I understand what they are going through,” she said. Her program helps connect the family, the school, and the child’s medical provider to develop the best plan of treatment.
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n Contact Deborah A. Cavallario: adhd60@hotmail.com
The three key elements to successful treatment are creating the right learning environment, developing a behavior plan and if needed, the proper medication, Mrs. Cavallario said. “We can be a strong advocate for the parents,” she said. ADHD Educational Services are offered in the Watertown City School District and the South Jefferson School District through a contract with the Jefferson Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services. This makes the service free to students and families in those two districts. Referrals to the program are made through the building principals. Several years ago, Mrs. Cavallario decided that more help was needed for children struggling to complete their homework. Many needed one-on-one mentoring to develop the skills necessary to finish their assignments.
F E AT U R E S She started a research-based service called the Homework Assistance with Parental Involvement (HAPI) program. It was first offered in Ohio Elementary School, but has since expanded to all the elementary schools in the Watertown City School District (grades kindergarten through sixth). “It’s a powerful outreach program,” and parents must sign a permission slip in order for a child to participate, she said. Students who may not have been officially diagnosed with ADHD, but are still having problems completing their homework assignments, can also receive help through the HAPI program, Mrs. Cavallerio said. The “mentors” who work with the students are certified teachers or certified teacher assistants who provide “one-onone” homework assistance. The program is offered twice weekly in each elementary building. “We can serve as a liaison with the teachers,” Mrs. Cavallerio said. “We keep the students in the program for ten weeks. But if they’re not ready to leave, we will continue to help them.” Carmen E. Jones-Wilber, who visits all the sites and makes connections with parents, teachers and principals, supervises the program. A quarterly progress report is also provided to the school district superintendent “Mentors, as well as myself, are in constant contact with the teachers and principals about the children and the family,” said Mrs. Jones-Wilber. “It is all about bridging the communication gap between home and school.” Teachers typically identify a child who needs help and contact the principal about a referral to the program, said Mrs. Jones-Wilber. There is an average of seven children at each site. Because of the small number of children, “we are able to work more closely with them,” she said. “In the regular classroom setting, often these children will not raise their hands to ask for help,” Mrs. Jones-Wilber said. In the HAPI program, “we can show them individually step by step how to solve a problem,” she said. The program also includes home visits, Mrs. Jones-Wilber said. “Often the families I work with are not aware of services available to them,” she said. “They get frustrated with the processes when they feel like they have hit a wall.” “I am here to help them through the
process,” she added. “Having a person who listens to their concerns without being judgmental goes a long way. The HAPI staff builds trust with the families.” More than 70 children participated in the HAPI program this past school year, said Mrs. Cavallario. But there were a total of 2,719 “service units,” during this time. A “unit” could represent a parent or principal contact, a home visit, teacher or school psychologist meeting, a visit to a doctor’s office or family court. Children typically have multiple “service units” assigned to them.
A parent recently wrote a letter to the ADHD Educational Services, stating “you have helped make extreme changes in my son’s life.” “My son has gone from being very quiet and withdrawn, sometimes angry, easily distracted, very difficult to understand,” the mother wrote. “In just a few short weeks, he has opened up, he is smiling again.” n NORAH MACHIA is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist and former Watertown Daily Times reporter. Contact her at nemachia@yahoo.com.
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F E AT U R E S
Firm helps slow ‘brain drain’
n Bernier, Carr and Associates taps college talent as interns By NANCY MADSEN
Luke Beck works on the reconstruction project of Samaritan Medical Center. Mr. Beck, a graduate student at the University of MassachusettsAmherst is in his second summer internship at Bernier, Carr and Associates.
O NNY Business
ne local business is using internships to strengthen students’ college pursuits while trying to help the region retain young professionals. Bernier, Carr and Associates, Watertown, has had a paid internship program since 1984. “We wanted to be an organization that was going to do something to address the brain drain in the north country,” CEO Bernard H. Brown said. The firm typically takes 16 to 20 students each year, depending on the number of ongoing projects. In 2010, there were 26 interns, followed by 13 this year. The interns work on college and graduate degrees in architecture, engineering, construction management, surveying and business management, among others. “Anything related to our core business, we’ll consider,” Mr. Brown said. “We attract some pretty interesting young people.” Many of the interns grew up locally, while others hail from as far away as England and Russia. “We get a lot of applications and it’s changed over time,” Mr. Brown said. “There was a time when GPA counted a great deal but we put a lot of emphasis on a diverse background and what the individual has and continues to participate in.” Because interns also talk to clients, personality also plays a role. “We have a lot of repeats and we like that,” he said. Luke A. Beck, a master’s degree student at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is in his second summer internship for the firm. He said the real-world experience was helpful to understand what is important to focus on in classes, confirming his interest in architecture and working with other disciplines. “When I started last summer, within a few weeks, I was into a project already,” he said. He helped design the new Jefferson County transfer station on the software
program Autodesk Revit last year and now is working on the reconstruction project of Samaritan Medical Center and the connector to Samaritan Keep Home, as well as the Car-Freshner Corp. expansion. Instead of working in the theoretical world of architecture, his internship experience has given him exposure to structural engineering and other disciplines. “The work is diverse,” Mr. Beck said. “This morning, I was in Cape Vincent getting field measurements.” Mr. Beck, a Thousand Islands Central School graduate, said he had been aware of Bernier Carr growing up in the region. While he was at Alfred State College, he applied for some internships and was encouraged by the prominence that the internship program had on Bernier Carr’s website. “It’s definitely worthwhile to apply,” he said. “Especially if you’re not sure when you are working in college that the degree is eventually what you want to be doing for the rest of your life.” After a four-year pre-professional degree, he went to the master’s program, fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, which is the most straight-forward way to licensure.
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CHRISTOPHER BOVA | SPECIAL TO NNY BUSINESS
On the Web n Bernier, Carr and Associates: www.thebcgroup.com
“I want to be a licensed architect,” he said. “I have no problems with coming back here. But regardless, this is the type of place that I want to keep in contact with a lot of people I know.” Interning with Bernier Carr encouraged Mr. Beck that designing buildings is what he wants to do as a career. And interns build connections with professionals at the firm. “We have partners in the firm who started as summer interns,” Mr. Brown said. “It’s not unusual that a person would spend two, three, four or even five years as an intern and then be hired. There are some people who have never left.” Others go to live in large cities and later come back to Watertown as a job opens up at the firm and they want to settle down. Many keep close ties to their internship supervisors and some find ways to collaborate on projects in their jobs at other firms. “For us, it’s worked out really well,” Mr. Brown said. “I think we’ve showed how this type of program pays off.” He said the talent pool of local candidates is strong. “We’ve got this pool of young people and there’s a lot of high-quality people in that pool,” Mr. Brown said. “Local businesses are missing out by not finding ways to take advantage of that.” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.
F E AT U R E S
School Daze leader in supplies
n Store earns ‘Excellence in Small Business’ award By JOLEENE DES ROSIERS
W NNY Business
hen you walk into a north country classroom in your child’s school district and it glows with the decor of brightly colored posters and letters or soft blocks and books, it’s likely that that the supplies and posters came from School Daze on Arsenal Street in Watertown. For many teachers, the little red schoolhouse store is the only one for miles around that offers a vibrant storefront and knowledgeable customer service. And it’s widely appreciated across New York State. “We have teachers that come up from Rochester pretty regularly,” said Susan Primicias, co-owner of School Daze. Mrs. Primicias is also a first grade teacher in the Indian River Central School District. “In fact, many school supply stores between here and Rochester have closed and we are the only one north of Albany.” This unique position in the market opens the floodgates for the owners. Mrs. Primicias and her husband, Ben, recognized early on that a school supply store would benefit the north country. The fact that teachers from other parts of the state — and the world, really — utilize their Arsenal Street store and online store is an added bonus. Fort Drum is a huge asset to the store, Mrs. Primicias said, not only with the Army base being so close, but because many soldiers deployed to other countries continue to utilize the School Daze website to order items for their children. “Fort Drum is a fabulous stable, community that comes in to use our resources for their kids,” Mrs. Primicias said. “Now that we’re online, people order from all over the world. We’ve sent things to Africa, Australia and Germany.” The idea of the store was born after the duo spent hours upon hours cutting and gluing together pictures and letters to prepare her own kindergarten classroom. At the time, they were living in Middletown, unaware that a Frank Schaffer school supply store was just a short drive away. When the couple moved back to Watertown, the idea began to blossom. “It was about 1989 when Ben started talking about opening a retail clothing store,” Mrs. Primicias said. “He has
JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Second-grade teacher Kelly A. Ayen, Gouverneur, shops last month at School Daze in Watertown for classroom material in preperation for the upcoming school year at East Side Elementary.
What’s in a name? n Ever wonder where the name School Daze came from? It’s a play on words from the ever-popular ‘school days’ phrase and it was coined by first grade teacher and friend of owner Susan Primicias, Michelle Fults. The idea was that when you walked into the store, you would be ‘dazed’ by the thousands of school supplies in front of you.
experience with retail. But I said I didn’t think Watertown needed another clothing store. This was before the mall opened and downtown was booming. I told him we needed an educational supply store because there was nothing around here.” Mr. Primicias pondered the idea and agreed. By 1991, Mr. Primicias and the couple’s parents were fixing walls and putting up shelves in a rental space on Public Square. Mrs. Primicias was at home flipping through vendor catalogs and making endless phone calls in an effort to get supplies to the store in time for an August opening. The timing was perfect and the store was able to open as planned in 1991. The Primiciases decided they wanted to find a place that was their own. After a bit of searching, they found the land where School Daze currently resides. They broke ground in August 1996 and have been
going strong ever since. Despite other online stores that offer the same or similar products, Mrs. Primicias says their store is still sturdy. Come summer, the building is buzzing with teachers. They take the store one aisle at a time, ask questions when they can’t find an answer and fill their baskets with enough supplies to get them through the year. Are they north country teachers? Some of them, yes. The rest are on vacation. “They come from as far as Long Island. We have teachers that stop in every summer because they have camps in the Thousand Islands and along the lake and they know we’re here. So they come in on their summer vacation and stock up for the year,” Mrs. Primicias said. “Our north country teachers are just as supportive, if not more. They will spend thousands of dollars a year out of their own pockets for their classrooms. To get their job done well, that is what they’re willing to do.” School Daze was recently awarded the 2011 Excellence in Small Business award by Watertown Savings Bank. n JOLEENE DES ROSIERS is a freelance writer and public speaker who lives in Sandy Creek. She is a former television reporter for YNN, NBC 3 WSTM and NewsWatch 50 in Watertown. Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com. August 2011 | NNY Business
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F E AT U R E S
Burrville Cider plants future
n Apple orchards in Rodman, Pinckney will reach full yield in 2019 By NANCY MADSEN
I
NNY Business
n an effort to become independent and nearly self-sufficient in the future, the family owners of Burrville Cider Mill are making investments in their business now. The Steiner family started last August by purchasing 113 acres in the towns of Rodman and Pinckney. As they look around, they see what could be the livelihood for future generations. “We were just looking for different ways to expand and grow,” said Gregory W. Steiner Jr., who has taken the role of leader in the family business. “Our kids are getting older and they’re starting to show more interest in the mill.” His wife, Tina; parents, Gregory W. Sr. and Cynthia L., and six children, Forrest, 18; Becca, 17; Zachary, 16; Brooke, 14; Jenna R., 9, and Laurel, 7, work together on the running the mill. To ensure the business’ stability for years to come and give the children different outlets, the Steiners are adding new aspects to the mill’s operation. “I want all of the kids to have their own businesses, build their houses here and never leave me,” he said. “I want them to be their own boss and be responsible for themselves.” On the property, they have started an apple orchard for the mill’s production and you-pick apples. The family planted 87 trees in 24 different heirloom varieties, such as golden russet, Northern spy, honey gold and Chenango strawberry. “The best cider we’ve ever made had 16 varieties in it,” he said. “The flavor in them is the best flavor but they may not be as attractive as grocery store varieties.” Apple trees come in dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard sizes. The standard trees are the largest, reaching 12 to 15 feet high and 30 feet across, and are the only trees that would survive in the Northern New York climate. The apple trees, now two years old, won’t produce a full crop for six to eight more years. But they’ll last for up to 100 years, while dwarf trees only produce five or six years. The goal is to have “50 varieties and 1,000 trees,” Mr. Steiner said. But first, he wants to see how the trees do in the first winter. The 87 trees are encircled by two fences, small and large,
to keep mice and deer from eating them. “We’ve made enough of an investment that I want them to live, but not too much that it will destroy us if they don’t,” he said. “If they survive, we’ll plant 300 next year.” The orchard was started close to the woods near the peak of the hill. In the next five years, the family will plant more rows down the west-facing hill and into adjacent hay fields to the south. They’ll stay in neat rows, 30 feet apart. “When my kids get married, can you imagine?” he said. “The trees will just be touching each other and covered in blossoms.” Besides the young trees, the family grows vegetables, which they sell through community-supported agriculture and local farmers markets. In the two large plots near Cramer Road, his wife, Tina, planted 600 to 700 pumpkin plants to sell at the mill in the fall. They also bought 20 bee colonies, from which Becca makes candles and lip balm, also popular at farmers markets. The bees will pollinate the trees the Steiners plant.
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JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Gregory W. Steiner Jr. of Burrville Cider Mill holds the first apple from 87 trees at their new property on Cramer Road in Rodman. The family plans to have 1,000 trees of 50 varieties in five years, with full yields in eight years.
On the Web n Burrville Cider Mill: www.burrvillecidermill.com
The orchard is up on a hill near a barn Forrest and Zach have taken the lead on building at 26218 Cramer Road. The vegetable garden, a few hay fields and woods cover the rest of the land, which they bought Aug. 30. Two parcels are in the town of Rodman while a third sits in the town of Pinckney. “We had been looking for four or five years seriously and then this came along,” he said. Eventually they plan to have animals on the property and offer meat portions in Mrs. Steiner’s CSA offerings or have a horse farm. “We try to be self-sufficient,” he said. “Everything meshes together.” The apple tree and bee colony purchases means the family will not order as many apples from other parts of the state and won’t need to hire bees to pollinate the orchard. “We will still buy some apples because you’ve got to maintain relationships,” Mr. Steiner said. This summer, as the family sells at several farmers markets and festivals, including the Lewis County Fair, they bought apples from storage to produce cider. They’ve used their brand-new press at the mill, which is four miles away from the orchard at 18176 County Route 156.
F E AT U R E S The original press is still downstairs, but the new press is faster and requires one person instead of two. “It squeezes like an accordion, instead of up and down,” Mr. Steiner said. While the old press required the Steiners and other staff to take out bags filled with used apple pulp, or pomace, the new press has two compartments and when one is pressed, the other is stretched and the compartment can be lifted on a hinge to dump the used pomace in a bin, cutting the job down from 20 minutes to two. “The store has gotten busier and busier,” Mr. Steiner said. “I think it’s all due to Fort Drum. We’ve done more advertising out there and there are a lot of soldiers and soldiers’ families who come here. So this will allow us to keep up with demand.” He doesn’t necessarily believe the family will increase production much, but it will take less time and fewer hands to make the cider. The process won’t change much: apples are dumped on a conveyor belt using a hydraulic lift, employees sort through and throw out the bad apples, good apples are brushed and sprayed, then pushed through a sieve to make pomace. The juice that comes out of the press
JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Gregory W. Steiner Sr. of Burrville Cider Mill renovates an old well at their new Cramer Road property in Rodman. The family is expanding operations with more trees, a new barn, and other projects such as honey making.
is collected in a stainless-steel pan and pumped through an ultraviolet light treatment machine and into tanks. “Because it takes less people to press, we’ve been able to do markets, fairs and festivals,” Mr. Steiner said. “We could
do more in one day if we wanted to. On the weekends, sometimes we’re selling it faster than we could press it.” n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.
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F E AT U R E S
Couple opens Adams pastry shop n Pearl’s Pastry Shoppe offers family-recipe treats, eclectic flavors By SARAH HAASE
O NNY Business
ld family recipes for pies and cookies are just some of the tasty treats featured at Pearl’s Pastry Shoppe. Owners Melinda A. and Paul S. Shear purchased the former Main Street Bakery from Matthew J. Bettinger and Holly K. Briot and have restored it into a retro, 1950s-themed bakery. Pearl was the name of Mr. Shear’s late mother, and a picture of her taken on her wedding day is displayed in the shop’s window. “She lived on a farm and was always just a housewife, but she had a lot of homemade recipes that we want to incorporate in our menu,” Mrs. Shear said. “She could bake anything” Two of the old-time favorites are an oatmeal chocolate chip bar and mashed potato doughnuts. “They are just to die for,” Mrs. Shear said. Without giving away the recipe, Mrs. Shear described the mashed potato treat as similar to a regular doughnut, but with instant mashed potato flakes added to the other ingredients. While mashed potato doughnuts may sound like something one could expect at a state fair, that’s not the only odd combination patrons will see. “We’re going to sell chocolate-covered bacon by the slice. It’s just like eating a candy bar,” Mrs. Shear said. “This we might only have once in a while, but chocolate-covered sharp cheddar, it’s just like biting into cheesecake.” The pastry shop will be a family-run establishment, with son Kirk A. Shear taking control of all the baking. He studied culinary arts during high school and spent some time baking for hundreds of sailors aboard Navy ships. Kirk Shear said he isn’t concerned about being the primary baker. He said he’s used to high-volume orders.
“I hope that is a problem,” he said. “I’m just excited because I really enjoy baking. I’m glad to be doing it for a whole community, not just myself.” The community has waited some time for Pearl’s to open. The bakery had a soft opening “test run” on July 29 and celebrated a grand opening Aug. 6 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the South Jeff Chamber of Commerce. Chamber board president Connie A. Elliott said the community is lucky to have
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JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Paul S. and Melinda A. Shear sit in Pearl’s Pastry Shoppe at 10 Main St., Adams. The shop is named after Mr. Shear’s mother, the late Pearl D. Shear.
Pearl’s Pastry Shoppe n 10 Main St., Adams, 203-0032 n Open six days a week: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays; Closed Mondays n ONLINE: www.pearlspastryshoppe.com
its downtown bakery open again. “The Shears are very community-spirited individuals who are active with the Adams Revitalization Committee,” she said. “I think they will be great owners. They are very interested in improving community.” In March 2010, Ms. Briot and Mr. Bettinger abruptly closed their bakery after only a few months. “We’re not nervous about opening another bakery here,” Mrs. Shear said of the location. “They left this place in great shape, and as long as we can make our product and people like our product, we’ll be fine,” Mrs. Shear said. n SARAH HAASE is a staff writer for Johnson Newspapers. Contact her at shaase@wdt.net or 661-2371.
S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y
Soil-free produce a bet on innovation
n Three Clarksonians honored for business strategy By GABRIELLE HOVENDON
A NNY Business
n award-winning business plan created by two Clarkson University graduate students and a recent alumnus outlines a way to generate millions in revenue by growing plants in the air. Daegan A. Gonyer and Shaun M. Jones and alumnus Sean P. Bonnell recently took second place in New Energy New York’s 2011 New York State Business Plan Competition, held in April in Albany. The business plan, for which they won $5,000, describes the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of a large climatecontrolled greenhouse in which produce could be grown year-round. “There were a lot of innovative ideas there, but it was focusing on who has a viable business,” Mr. Gonyer, who is pursuing his master’s degree in engineering science, said about the contest. “Ours was unique in that we were the only ones who dealt with any kind of direct agriculture. This whole project is just to grow produce as efficiently as possible, economically and environmentally, in an area where we can’t grow year-round.” The planned greenhouses use aeroponic technology, which allows plants to be grown without the use of soil, and features an advanced plant-monitoring system for maximum energy efficiency. Preliminary tests of the plan have been conducted, with a pilot facility constructed on Clarkson’s campus successfully producing radishes, watercress and several varieties of lettuce this spring. The three hope to move their project, which they have incorporated as Blue Sphere Industries Inc., into Clarkson’s new small-business incubator in Peyton Hall by the end of the summer. There, they will investigate the economic feasibility of the project, creating two full-time jobs and raising $90,000 in the process. The Peyton Hall project won’t resemble a typical glass-paned greenhouse. Rather, it will consist of 100 aeroponic units spaced over 10 carts. Similarly, a full-scale greenhouse, which the researchers hope
to begin constructing in three to four years, is expected to generate about $3.3 million in annual profits, but will feature only one traditionally translucent wall. “The building itself is designed to be more optimally efficient in terms of balancing the energy needed for lighting and the energy needed for heat,” Mr. Gonyer said. “Because we’re so far north, you don’t get
Thus far, the fledgling business plan has met with success. A crop of lettuce grown in the Clarkson facility this spring saw a 90 percent reduction in water use, a 60 percent reduction in fertilizer use and an 88 percent reduction in greenhouse gases and fossil fuel consumption. The project is funded through a $75,000 grant sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency’s P3 Student Design Competition for Sustainability. It also has received support from Clarkson’s Student Projects for Experiential Engineering Design program, the Shipley Center for —Daegan A. Gonyer, Clarkson University Innovation and faculty adviser engineering science graduate degree student Susan E. Powers, associate a lot of direct light through any wall other director of the Institute for a Sustainable than what’s facing south. The southern Environment. wall is designed to be a translucent wall, n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a Johnson and we’re using materials with far better Newspapers staff writer based in Canton. Coninsulation properties than glass.” tact her at ghovendon@wdt.net or 661-2517.
“
There were a lot of innovative ideas there, but it was focusing on who has a viable business.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y
Baker turns pastime into business
I
f you have a sweet tooth, a new north country business might hit the spot.The Red Button Bakery, owned and operated by Bethany L. Carrier, began selling homemade gourmet cupcakes and cakes this spring. Mrs. Carrier, who runs the bakery out of her certified home kitchen on County Route 35, said she launched the venture in an effort to channel a hobby into a more lucrative pastime. “I love to bake, and my husband, who likes to stay in shape, kept complaining,” she said. “He wasn’t appreciating it. I thought, ‘He can’t argue if I make money from it.’” The bakery, whose name is derived from Mrs. Carrier’s mother’s favorite color and sewing hobby, offers its cakes and cupcakes for pickup and delivery. Although Mrs. Carrier attended college for math, not culinary arts, she does extensive research into her recipes and has gained experience creating baked goods for St. Lawrence University’s Bookstore. In addition to typical flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and red velvet, the Red Button Bak-
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Red Button Bakery owner Beth Carrier holds a box of her signature peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes during a recent Canton Farmer’s Market.
MELANIE KIMBLER-LAGO | NNY BUSINESS
ery offers more daring combinations, including creme de menthe (chocolate cake with mint buttercream frosting), s’mores (graham cracker cake with a chocolate ganache and marshmallow frosting) and “ba-nilla” (banana cake with vanilla buttercream frosting). Other flavors include lemon poppy seed, strawberry cream cheese, cookies and cream, peanut butter, apple streusel, pumpkin spice and carrot
NNY Business | August 2011
walnut. “The flavor that I like and my husband’s favorite is the chocolate-peanut overload. It’s chocolate with peanut butter and cream cheese frosting,” Mrs. Carrier said. “A lot of the women love the carrot cake that’s been a favorite lately.” The bakery’s cupcakes are sold in pairs or in dozens, with 9-inch round cakes and miniature cupcakes or “baby cakes” also available for purchase.
Mrs. Carrier said she will customize any order with special flavors or frosting decorations and can work around dietary restrictions by using altered recipes. The Red Button Bakery will cater events and provided dozens of cupcakes for the Mom Prom fundraiser in June and the Canton Free Library’s American Girl tea party fundraiser in May. Having also baked for baby showers, engagement parties and birthdays this spring, Mrs. Carrier said there has been a steady demand for the gourmet confections. “There isn’t anywhere else for people to go,” she said. “The comments that I get back, they’re like, ‘This is real butter. This tastes so good.’ They want that.” This summer, Mrs. Carrier will sell her cakes and cupcakes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays at the Canton Farmers Market in the village park. To place an order, customers can contact the bakery at 854-8067 or redbuttonbakery@gmail. com or visit its Facebook page. n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer based in Canton. Contact her at ghovendon@wdt.net or 661-2517.
R E A L E S TAT E R O U N D U P
How to become a Realtor, licensee
T
wo questions we frequently are asked at the board of Realtors are: “How does someone become a real estate licensee?” or “How does someone become a Realtor?” It is easier to answer the second question than the first one. The term “Realtor” is a federally registered collective membership mark owned by the National Association of Realtors. NAR also owns the terms “Realtors,” “RealtorAssociate” and the Realtor block “R” logo. Collective membership marks are a type of trademark which, rather than indicating the source of a product or service, identify the user of the membership mark as a member of a particular group, in this case NAR. The definition of a Realtor is a real estate licensee (broker, appraiser, associate broker, salesperson or appraisal assistant) who is a member of NAR and subscribes to its strict code of ethics. The word Realtor should not be applied to all real estate licensees, however. When a licensee joins the local association or board of Realtors, he or she automatically becomes a member of their state association and NAR. Members are authorized to use the Realtor marks as long as they keep within NAR’s guidelines. Use by non-members is prohibited.
BECOMING A LICENSEE
So, how does someone get licensed as a salesperson? Each state has its own process and New York is no exception. In order to get a state license to sell real estate, a person needs to complete a 75 hour pre-
licensing class and final exam from an authorized school, pass a qualifying examination administered by the Department of State, which oversees the real estate licensing process, and Lance Evans associate with a licensed real estate broker. The sales class, which can be taken in a classroom setting or online, covers many topics including legal issues (about one-third of the class), financial topics (15 percent), land use and municipal agencies (15 percent) and commercial and investment real estate (15 percent). The remaining 22 percent is dedicated to other topics such as fair housing and human rights, construction and environmental issues, property insurance and property management. Surprising to many when they take the class is that sales techniques are not covered, nor are ways to market properties or how to assist buyers and sellers outside of legal and financial considerations. Those are topics that licensees need to learn from their brokers or other sources. Beyond the cost of the course, a sales license costs $50 every two years. Salespeople also need to complete at least 22.5 hours of continuing education every two year license cycle with at least three hours in fair housing. In order to qualify for a real estate broker license, an applicant must have
at least two years of experience as a licensed real estate salesperson or at least three years of experience in the general real estate field, have satisfactorily completed both the qualifying salesperson course of 75 hours and an additional 45-hour real estate broker course as approved by the Secretary of State, and have passed a qualifying examination administered by the Department of State. The cost of the license is $150 and lasts for two years. The continuing education requirement is the same as for the salesperson. A real estate broker is responsible for the supervision and conduct of the real estate brokerage business. He or she applies for and holds the license on behalf of the brokerage. A real estate salesperson works for and is supervised by the broker and acts as the broker’s agent. All listings, although perhaps negotiated by a salesperson, are accepted by the broker. One last category is “associate broker,” which is defined as “a licensed real estate broker who elect(s) to work under the name and supervision of another individual broker.” They have the same educational requirements as a broker, but are not licensed on their own. They must be associated with a broker the same as a salesperson, but can manage a branch office for the broker and supervise salespeople. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He has lived in the north country since 1985. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.
CONTACT WLDC TODAY - GROW YOUR BUSINESS TOMORROW! THE WLDC EXISTS TO HELP move your strategic business plans forward. Financing options and incentives through the WLDC:
■ Fixed - interest loans for real estate, machinery and equipment ■ Working Capitol financing ■ Leasehold improvement financing ■ Assists in securing primary financing through commercial banks
For help with expanding or relocating your business to the City of Watertown Contact: Donald W. Rutherford CEO
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August 2011 | NNY Business
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R E A L E S TAT E
Home sales off to slow start n Real estate professionals expect uptick in second half of ’11 By NANCY MADSEN
First six months of home real estate sales
T NNY Business
otal sales and median prices for single-family residences in the north country fell slightly so far in 2011. Real estate agents say that a slow start this year was expected and sales should pick up. “The thing is, for St. Lawrence County, sales are down a bit and so is median price, but we do have several good sales pending right now throughout the county,” said Norene A. Randall, president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. “Probably next quarter we’ll see higher numbers.” The summer continues to have some buzz in the market in Jefferson and Lewis counties, too, said Karen A. Peebles, past president of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors. “Nationally, we hear doom and gloom of real estate, but I think we’re holding our own and we are very, very fortunate,” she said. “We have Fort Drum and we’re not suffering from a lot of the foreclosures and short sales. It’s definitely a buyer’s market now — there’s a lot of inventory.” In Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, the numbers and median prices are down in the first six months of 2011 compared to January through June 2010. Most, though not all, of the figures are also lower than the same period in 2009, though very slightly. The JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors track the number of homes sold by board members. Across New York State, the number of sales decreased from last year and increased from 2009, when the struggling economy hit real estate sales hard. Last year’s higher numbers were propelled by the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers. “I think that holds very true,” said Ms. Randall, who is also broker/manager at Plumley Real Estate, Potsdam. “Thanks to the tax credit, the number of sales went
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NNY Business | August 2011
2011 2010 2009 JEFFERSON COUNTY Sales 319 372 318 Median price $136,000 $136,750 $137,000 LEWIS COUNTY Sales 46 58 52 Median price $97,000 $98,900 $106,000 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY Sales 234 271 247 Median price $69,900 $75,000 $68,000 Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors, St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors
up a lot. Where we are now is probably more in line with where they will stay.” The tax credit added a lot of houses to sales in St. Lawrence County. “It really helped a lot of first-time homebuyers,” she said. “They would not just have been able to afford to own one
typically,” Ms. Randall said. “Most people try to move in May so they get set in the summer before school starts and before the colleges start. We’ve got people out there looking who will probably not close before school starts but they are actively looking.” And Ms. Peebles, vice president for the Central New York region for the New York State Association of Realtors, agrees. “There will be one more big push in August,” she said. “And then it may calm down a little bit. That follows the norm every year.” The timing of military deployments may also spur the market a little into the fall with the return of the 10th Mountain Division’s headquarters battalion from Afghanistan. “It’s such a hard thing to track,” she said. “Yes, they’re coming back, but are they staying here or will they be stationed somewhere else? They start looking before they even get here.” Ms. Peebles expects a strong end to the year, but would want more houses in one particular price range. “I’m excited because those are nice numbers,” she said. “I wish we had more houses $120,000 to $150,000 — those seem to be the ones that are not staying on the market right now.”
Nationally, we hear gloom and doom, but I think we’re holding our own and we are very, very fortunate. —Karen A. Peebles, past president, Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors at that point — three or four years before they would have otherwise.” In Jefferson County, Ms. Peebles, broker/owner of Peebles Realty Inc., Adams, said that both the Army installation and the businesses it attracts continue to draw people to the area. “It brings new people in the area who are here to open stores and things and end up staying,” she said. The market has an active group of buyers right now. “We’ve still got a lot of local buyers,” Ms. Peebles said. “Some are retiring and downsizing and we’ve got young kids starting out.” Ms. Randall said summer traffic looks heavier than usual, even if sales haven’t closed yet. “It’s actually busier this summer than
n NANCY MADSEN is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact her at nmadsen@wdt. net or 661-2358.
R E A L E S TAT E / S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y St. Lawrence County
The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office
June 23
n Town of Parishville: Unknown acres, situate in Section 41, Margaret E. Bray, Walworth, Nancy S. Goodison, Shortsville, and Randy Joyce Gale, Potsdam, sold to Richard and Tonilee Perkins, Potsdam $60,000 n Town of Oswegatchie: 0.72 of an acre more or less, bounded by Route 37, Dawn L. Ring, Ogdensburg, sold to Michael L. Thomas, Ogdensburg $87,000
June 21
n Town of Macomb: 1.98 acres more or less, bounded by Mitchell Road, Evelyn R. Cond, Patterson, sold to Timothy A. Weaver, Gouverneur $35,000 n Village of Potsdam: 0.62 of an acre more or less, bounded by Main Street, Alan Rossner, Potsdam, sold to Alexander Rhea and Kristen Van Hooreweghe, Brooklyn $122,000 n Town of Norfolk: 2 Parcels, unknown being a part of Mile Square Lot 85, bounded by New York State Highway Route 420, Eric S. Pomainville, Norfolk, sold to David J. Yelle, Massena $113,900 n Town of Colton: 27.91 acres more or less, known as Lot 7, William H. Seymour, Colton, sold to John Staie and Cynthia Hovey, Ogdensburg $96,000
June 20
and Tracie L. Bennett, Ogdensburg $43,000
n Town of Potsdam: 71 87/100 acres more or less, bounded by Cary Mills-Potsdam Road, Robert G. and Sandra K. Hallada, Potsdam, sold to Aundrea Bronson, Canton $60,000 n City of Ogdensburg: 0.087 of an acre more or less, situate in Block 71, bounded by Elizabeth Street, Bernard A. Smith and Patricia LaJoy Smith, Ogdensburg, sold to John D. Apple, Gouverneur $48,000 n City of Ogdensburg: 0.467 of an acre more or less, being a part of Lot 8, Lot 10, Lot 13 and Lot 14 in Block 443, bounded by John Street, Aaron and Michelle Friot, Ogdensburg, sold to Bernard A. and Patricia L. Smith, Ogdensburg $128,000
June 16
n Town of Gouverneur: 21.25 acres more or less, bounded by Johnstown Road, Virginia M. Palmatier, Gouverneur, sold to Andrew J. Impaglia and Katherine L. Richy, Gouverneur $148,900 n Village of Gouverneur: Unknown acres, bounded by Williams Street, Gary Ormsby (executor), Roger Ormsby, Gouverneur, sold to Linda Boak and Aaron Lambert, Canton $38,000 n Town of Potsdam: 0.60 of an acre more or less, being a part of Lot 70, bounded by New York State Route 11B, Richard D. and Rae A. Hitchman, Potsdam, sold to Daniel E. and Sharon K. Boyette, Anchorage, Alaska $145,000 n Town of Oswegatchie: 0.65 of an acre more or less, bounded by New York State Route 68, Stephen A. Rand, Ogdensburg, sold to Robert V.
n Village of Massena: 0.176 of an acre more or less, bounded by Ames Street, Kevin P. Pryce, Massena, sold to Brandy L. Rufa, Winthrop $60,420 n Town of Morristown: 0.56 of an acre more or less, bounded by County Route 6 and the Black Lake Road, Warren N. Hessler Jr. and Christine D. Hessler, Vestal, sold to Paul Vattimo, Bliss $85,000 n Village of Gouverneur: Unknown acres, situate in Lot 3, bounded by Hailesboro Street, Mark D. Bigelow, Gouverneur, sold to Michelle L. Stevens, Gouverneur $48,000 n Village of Gouverneur: 2 Parcels, unknown acres, being a part of Lot 84 and Lot 85, Mary A. McClure, Watertown, sold to Justin J. Lynde, Gouverneur $79,500
June 15
n Town of Massena: 0.19 of an acre more or less, bounded by Andrews Street, Bruce I. Riley, Massena, sold to Mark I. Power, Massena $51,200 n Village of Canton: 0.25 of an acre more or less, bounded by Stevens Street, Kevin J. Jahnke and Gretchen Moreno, DePere, Wis., sold to Katherine A. Race, Canton $129,900
$1,578,820 County real estate sales recorded over 9-day period, June 15-23, 2011
NNY REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY
A.G. NETTO REALTY “When it really matters.
786-1900 605 Washington St. Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 782-8296 Fax
(315) 786-1900 ext 46 (315) 767-1420 cell VICKI BULGER Associate Broker
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www.LoriGervera.com
Call A.G. Netto Realty 782-0199 or visit our website at Tony Netto Lic. R.E. Broker/Owner
agnettorealty.com
716 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 783-1028 August 2011 | NNY Business
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20 QUESTIONS
JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Educating new leaders
F
or the past 41 years, Jack J. “Jay” Boak has worked in public education. Now, in his latest job as district superintendent for the Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Mr. Boak shares his thoughts on education in challenging times and how schools can rise to meet the changing demands of business.
1
NNYB: As BOCES district superintendent, what is the dynamic and mission of your organization? BOAK: There is a distinction in the title. People that are the COO of a BOCES are referred to as district superintendents. I work for BOCES with a nine-member volunteer board; I’m also an employee of the commissioner of education and the state education department. We serve as a liaison to the state education department. When there are initiatives that the Board of Regents and the commissioner try to put into place. One of our roles is to work with them to ensure that happens. It’s kind of an unusual relationship because in many ways it can be regulatory in nature, we always approach it in the perspective that we are cooperative, it’s right in our name. We are very serious about that roll.
2
NNYB: How big is your BOCES district? BOAK: We work with 18 school districts over 5,000 square miles. We are the largest BOCES district, geographically. The whole concept of BOCES, which was set out in 1948, there were a lot of things that particularly rural schools could accomplish together that they could never do on their own. One of the best examples is career and technical education. To set up programs and training in trade areas are particularly expensive, something a small school district of under 1,000 students probably couldn’t’ do on their own. In 1948, in section 1950, to promote the idea of sharing services, they provided districts with additional state aid and funding if they shared services. One of the things that we provide is shared teachers. If a small district doesn’t really have enough work for a full-time foreign language teacher or whatever it is, we can match them with a small district that way they get the service in a cost effective way, that person becomes our employee but works for
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NNY Business | August 2011
n Jack ‘Jay’ Boak, BOCES district chief shares outlook for north country education
them and benefits everybody. This is particularly true with specialized programs for handicapped youngsters. By law, schools have to have a very small student-teacher ratio of 6 or 12 for special education classrooms. If a district had to hire a teacher for that small number of students it would be very costly. We have about 1,200 students we serve with special education and another 1,200 in career and technical education.
3
NNYB: How has BOCES evolved to meet changing demands of the business community? BOAK: One of the things that people don’t normally know about what we do is that all of our services are driven by requests from people in the field. I use an example of career and technical education. If you’re going to be an architecture person using computer-assisted design or electrics person or classical trades like welding, there’s a lot of technical reading or higher level mathematics. We now have math teachers that work along with career and technical teachers to integrate the math for those students so the math makes more sense to them. We have what we call craft committees, people in the field. For example, our heating ventilation plumbing program, we call upon plumbers and specialists in heating and ventilation who work in companies to come in and sit down and talk to us at various points in the school year. These groups could be 20-30 people from around the entire region. They provide us with information on what’s going in the field right now, what should our kids know to be successful. We constantly want to be out in front of that so that our students, when they come and apply for a job with an employer, have the latest up-to-date skills.
4
NNYB: How has technology changed education and, in particular, BOCES in the north country? BOAK: It means we constantly have to be vigilant about updating our programs and make sure that they are current. Just technology itself is quite a commitment, to keep it updated. We use those
craft committees to keep us up on what’s in the field. If you take a program like heavy equipment operation and maintenance, that equipment is quite extensive. We work with local contractors, they help us in identifying in what pieces of equipment we need and that’s how we justify it. Some we use grant funds for, those funds aren’t as lucrative as they used to be. You have to fund it with local money.
5
NNYB: What are some of the more popular programs BOCES offers students today? BOAK: Nursing, the licensed practical nursing programs. I would say particularly for adults, we have a large adult LPN program. The trade programs are becoming more and more popular because I think that we have seen an increase in the number of students enrolling in trade programs like carpentry and heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electronics and electrical trades because there is a demand for skilled people in those areas and the job market is driving people to those positions. Students are thinking more carefully about accruing debt for college and many of them want to learn a skill to earn their way through college.
6
NNYB: With the cost of a four-year education, do you see more students turning to technical education? BOAK: I think that yes. I think some of them may be turning to it as a way to get there, to fund their two- or four-year college education. There is a story that I love to tell people about a student that I had a chance to talk to three years ago I was taking her to a meeting to introduce her to some business people. I hadn’t met her before the trip over in the car and I said to her in the car on the way over, ‘What’s your major here?’ She was in the cosmetology program, so I asked her what she was going to do after graduation. She said she was going to SUNY Oswego to become an elementary school teacher. I said, ‘How does that fit with cosmetology?’ And she said, ‘My
20 QUESTIONS family doesn’t have a lot of money and I know that I can use this skill to work my way through SUNY Oswego and that’s what I plan to do.’ I think that’s becoming more and more prevalent. On any given year, a little less than half of our students go directly into post-secondary education. Others go into the military or right to work.
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NNYB: What is the institutional relationship between BOCES and the north country’s business community? BOAK: We work with the JCIDA and I’m a member of the Workforce Investment Board and I’m a member of the board of directors at the chamber. We really value those relationships. They are a very important part of what we do. We are starting this coming year a new virtual business program and we’ve involved many people from area businesses in planning that. That was planned around the needs of the business community. We also organize the Workforce 20/20 event that is held at JCC, that we actually started that with the chamber and the education committee that I chaired at that time. The chamber actually responded to a study that was done by the center for community studies at JCC where they surveyed the business community and one of the things that were indicated in that survey was that there wasn’t a very close relationship between education and business. So we met with business people and we asked how to remedy it. The 20/20 event came about, where we have kids from all over the north country come to sit down with business people and go through a mock interview. It gives students a sense of what the business community is looking for. It gives them an adult interaction with someone who could someday be their employers.
8
NNYB: Career and technical education hasn‘t always enjoyed a glamorous reputation. How do you deal with the perception that BOCES programs aren’t for the best and the brightest? BOAK: It’s something we constantly are up against. I think it has really changed dramatically over the past few years because of the advent of integration of academics into the career and tech programs. The kids who are really ahead of the game are those students who take all the required courses, plus the two-year program we have. Those kids then go on to college are really a leg up on everybody else. The best examples I can use are students in our CAD program. They get two years of handson experience with very sophisticated software and architecture and drawing. You can take that program at the schools but not the extent we can concentrate on for two years. When those students go off to college, they are far ahead of everyone else in terms of preparation. Courses like our New Visions Health Occupations that are done in collaboration with Samaritan Medical Center, Lewis County General Hospital, Carthage Area Hospital, these are students who have made up their minds already as seniors that they want to work in the health care field and they are some of the brightest kids from our component school districts. We have kids in that program who have become pharmacists, physical therapists, you name it.
9
NNYB: Have we gotten too “one-size-fits-all” with our approach to K-12 education? BOAK: What we do see is a critical shortage of trained trade people. We, obviously, make students aware of that. There is nothing that precludes a student from going on to a two- or four-year school. They have all the requirements that a non-BOCES student has, Regents diplomas, everything. It takes a lot of courage to be a BOCES student; you’re
JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS
Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services district superintendent Jack “Jay” Boak talks about the state of education in the north country. leaving your comfort zone and being with kids from all over the region that you don’t know. We give them credit for taking that initiative. Some of our kids come to us in the trades, whether it’s an aunt, uncle, father or mother that’s been in the field, they have a good idea of what they want to do. Our job is to keep all of their options open.
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NNYB: What is a success story that you are proud of? BOAK: We have had three New Visions students who won full scholarships to Hobart and William Smith Colleges. These are kids that have done so well in that program they are exempt from MCATS; it’s a very prestigious scholarship. They spent their senior year with us and worked right in the hospital with physicians and nurses and did well academically, took AP courses or whatever. What the colleges say to us that one of the distinguishing applications for their scholarships was the hands on part of the New visions program. Everyone that competed with them, our kids had that plus experience. It’s opened a lot of doors for kids.
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NNYB: Talk for a minute about consolidation of smaller school districts across the north country. Is it an inevitability? Where do you see education in 10 years? BOAK: This is a conversation that takes place on two levels. On the nuts and bolts financial part of it, the data on this really shows that school districts that elect to merge do save money in the short term, but not in the long run. The reason for that is there are incentives, financial incentives, for districts to do that over a 14 year period of time. Once those incentives run out, you are back to where you were to begin with. It’s not any less expensive. The more difficult part of this conversation is the emotional part. Where in order for school districts to merge, both communities have to vote three times to do this. Each board of education has to vote first to pass it separately. They have to take a second vote and then a community vote. That’s a very difficult thing to do, particularly in rural areas if you lose your school district, you lose your identity. The emotional part of the conversation is the most difficult, because it is your community and just look at the kind of conversation that goes on when you try to close a post office. When the boundary lines for school districts were drawn up in the 1800s, there didn’t seem to be a geographical rhyme or reason
The Jack J. “Jay” Boak file AGE: 63 JOB: District superintendent, JeffersonLewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services; interim district superintendent, Oswego County BOCES. HOMETOWN: Holland Patent FAMILY: Wife, Debbie; two children, daughter, Emily, 30, Norwood, N.J., son, Nicholas, 26, Atlanta. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oneonta; master’s degree and certificate of advanced coursework from Syracuse University. PROFESSIONAL: English teacher in Holland Patent Central School District; went from Holland Patent to Syracuse University for school administration, where he was a graduate assistant; assistant principal at Cazenovia High School; principal at Fayetteville-Manlius High School; superintendent at Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services; district superintendent for BOCES; 41 years in education. LAST BOOK READ: “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House” by Jon Meacham. to it. There has been a lot of consolidation in new york. In the 1800s there were 11,000 school districts in the state, we are down to 698. When you weigh out the emotional side of the equation with the structural side, people ask what the point is. And I have to agree with them. Sure you could have a county-wide school district, but it would have to be a big part of the way we do business, since New York is based on local control of schools with local school boards.
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NNYB: Especially in New York, government is waking up to the fact that it can’t fund the generous pensions and benefits packages it has for so
August 2011 | NNY Business
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20 QUESTIONS long. How are things changing in education? BOAK: In a period of growth, there were resources available to do these kinds of things. Some of these agreements that are so costly go back to a time in the ‘60s and late ‘50s when a teacher was paid a very meager salary. They couldn’t recruit people to become teachers. To be able to do that, they had to offer retirement and health benefits. Over time, that did get people to come in to the field. Their salaries were not comparable to the private sector at all. When I started in this business, I made $6,000 a year. The folks I graduated college with who worked in the private sector were making triple that. I wanted to be a teacher. To make up for that, the system provided my health insurance and provided my contribution to a retirement system. Fast forward from the ‘60s to today, teachers’ salaries have caught up, but are still not comparable to the private sector at all. But those benefits that were negotiated back in the 60s have stayed pretty much intact. They are not sustainable over time. Now we have a system that’s not growing, we have a system that is shrinking. Student enrollments are shrinking, that’s what got us into this financial bind. We are at a turning point for how we fund things like employee benefits. There is going to more pressure to health insurance and toward retirement by teachers. If the system is going to continue, those kinds of things are going to have to be addressed.
13
NNYB: Is it hard to recruit teachers? BOAK: There is a shortage of teachers in some areas, in some areas there are too many teachers. In certain areas, there are shortages. We may return to an age like that where we have to create different benefits for those people that are in shortage areas. You’re required to provide courses for students with certified teachers. If they’re not there, you have to do something to attract them. Salary and benefits are one of those things.
those dollars are gone now.
15
NNYB: Do you think we are not really at the end of the budget crisis; we’re more at the beginning? BOAK: This year will be more difficult than the last. Everyone is hoping the sales tax in the state will pick up, consumer spending will pick up, it is more revenue for the state and the state will be able to do more for the schools. I think we are in for a very difficult year, this year. And probably in the next two, it’s hard to predict beyond this, but we know for sure that there are going to be declining revenues from the state for at least one year, probably more than one year. We also know that school districts don’t have those reserves they’ve had over the past few years. We also know that the governor has passed a 2 percent tax cap, so the only way to stay within those parameters is to cut expenses and school expenses are driven by personnel. That’s the bulk of their budgets.
16
NNYB: When do you see things getting better? BOAK: I don’t see a yesteryear. Not in the next two years. Unless something dramatic happens and the state has a miraculous increase in revenues. At the state level with the public employee contracts and benefits, you see what that’s done. It’s not even a matter of tenure.
17
NNYB: What do you think about a lot of the standards we keep, with the No Child Left Behind act and its latest incarnation in the Obama administration? Do you ever get to a point where you wished they’d say enough is enough and we should get back to the basics?
BOAK: I think the reason for that were the boards of education and superintendents were very prudent on the kinds of budgets they put up to their communities. They understood very well what the tenure was in the communities in terms of tax increases and things like that. They were very conservative. They also were probably at the end point of having any reserves left to put toward that. I think you may see a whole different situation this coming May because our districts have just expended whatever fund balance they had. They have done that for the past three years and
BOAK: School people seem to get very frustrated because this goes in cycles. I’ve been at this long enough to see that we do go in cycles. Education is really a state’s responsibility. The federal department of education injecting itself into state’s rights to provide an education has been a recent phenomenon. Quite an interesting one. Driven by finance, as most things are, and it’s not necessarily bad. As state funding commitments to school districts have diminished, federal dollars have helped take up some of that slack. With that come all of the strings. Nobody that I know of is really adverse to standards because our school districts do very well as it is. When schools that are designed to improve student performance on a state or national level apply to everybody, they really are targeted to areas that have not been very successful. We are all on the same boat and cut from the same cloth. Our districts won’t have any difficulty of meeting the standards of the state or federal government. When it comes to state standardized tests, our students do
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14
NNYB: Despite all of the challenges we’ve had, the last round of budget votes within your BOCES district were pretty successful, don’t you think?
NNY Business | August 2011
very well. Graduation rates are very high, dropout rates are very low. Some of our school districts will have two or three years go by when they won’t have a single student drop out; which is a testament to our teachers and administrators who are providing interesting programs. Kids want to be in school. There are places with drop outs but nothing like those in the urban centers.
18
NNYB: One issue in the local news lately is the notion of merit pay; do you think we would evolve into that system? BOAK: I really doubt it. Merit pay is something that’s been tried. The Rochester City Schools tried that and it didn’t work out. It’s just too hard to measure and some people think with the new evaluation system that’s been mandated with the race to the top initiative may lead to that, but I would be very surprised if that happened just because it’s a very difficult thing to measure and back. When the experiment was really tried in Rochester there were some resources to put toward that. There is no money to put toward that today.
19
NNYB: In this time of austerity, what has become the top priority in terms of serving communities, responding to business needs? BOAK: First is the balancing act that school boards and superintendents have to play to ensure that they provide viable programs for students in a time of declining revenues. That is their primary mission right now and that’s getting hard and harder. How can we maintain the programs that we have with less resources?
20
NNYB: What the best business advice you’ve ever followed? BOAK: Always know your customer and always, as a cooperative, we are very customer driven. That’s what we want to continue to be. We are an extension of our school districts. I always say to our component boards of education when I go out to meet with them, whether it’s Sackets Harbor or Old Forge that I work for them. We provide the services that you asked for. Every one of the programs in the service guide, over a long period of time, came from an idea from them. It was something that we developed at their request that it was something that would benefit their kids that we could not afford to do individually but we could collaboratively. We work for our districts. If we don’t have that perspective and they don’t buy our services, then we’re out of business. — Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length.
E C O N O M I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
Education an investment in future
A
question frequently asked these days is: At what level should our society be investing in education to ensure our future economic viability? The question may be simple, the answer is not. First, we must recognize that very often empirical evidence is used to support the notion that to guarantee our future, we must spend more on education. In fact, it is often stated — and most of us have concluded — that an “individual with a good education is virtually guaranteed success.” Generalists, whether intentionally or not, frequently use that belief to support their conclusion that the more dollars spent on education the better our society’s economic future will be. That position really begs more basic questions. While a well-educated individual is more likely to be successful, that may not necessarily be extended to an entire society. A well-educated New York State resident does not mean that all New York State residents are well-educated. Many studies have tried and failed to prove that there is a direct link between educational spending and educational performance. There are simply too many other factors that make drawing that comparison nearly impossible. Further, these factors must consider both the quality of the educational effort and the quantity of the individuals being graduated. An individual may excel but how are the rest of his contemporaries doing? What is the student learning? Is it relevant and timely or disconnected and mundane? Is it education without skills or
a life altering, performancebased experience? Will the student possess cognitive advantages that can become the engine to propel a modern society to greater competitive Don Alexander heights or will students be full of non-essential information with little application in the future? I think that we can safely conclude that as leader in the free world economies we do not want to attempt to build our nation’s future viability on poorly educated, underperforming individuals. However, the devil, as we are given to say, is in the details. When the economy was humming along at an incredible pace a few years back, people had more options and better choices, or so it seemed. They could lower taxes, increase the scope of public education, take better care of the environment, improve national defense or support a host of other important national priorities. Slow economic activity has restricted those options. Still, in my view, it is imperative that we invest in today’s young people for it is these individuals who are custodians of the nation’s future. We must make it abundantly clear to all those who are responsible for our educational effort that our investment must produce the desired
result. We must be smarter about how we are making our educational investment. We must measure our performance against a societal yardstick that needs to be developed based on a clear and concise understanding about our nation’s future educational requirements. There can be no ambivalence on this goal. It must rise to a higher level than former President Kennedy’s national goal of reaching the moon. Educating students to be skilled testtakers is not the type of measurement we should be discussing. The real question is what educational building blocks can we better provide our young people and are we arming them with the skill-sets they will need to move forward in the years ahead. What will that cost? Society will need to settle on an answer but costs may be the lesser important question. The more important question may be what kind of future are we buying with our investment? Although I cannot provide the answer to those questions, I can say that we need a better assessment of our educational efforts. We must be assured that education will support the economic health of our nation and insure that education and development become a joint and productive venture.
n DONALD C. ALEXANDER is chief executive officer of the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, the Jefferson County Local Development Corp. and the Jefferson County Job Development Corp. He is a lifelong NNY resident and former broadcaster. Contact him at dcalexander@jcjdc.net. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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N O N P R O F I T S T O D AY
Nonprofits tied to local education
W
hen one thinks of education and nonprofits, the first thing that will likely come to mind is teaching and learning in its most “traditional” form. There is no question that the wealth of educational opportunities provided both through government and public/private partnerships are tremendous. Our local public and private K-12 schools, BOCES and our renowned higher education institutions provide some of the best returns on our investments, both financially and through the lives of others. The community foundation has awarded more than $700,000 in annual scholarships to north country students pursuing these educational opportunities. Many of the award winners are nontraditional students who either have experienced unexpected work displacement or are simply looking to provide a better life for themselves and their families. However, in looking at education more broadly, one quickly realizes the tremendous contribution of the network of nonprofit organizations in providing residents with the tools needed to both improve their lives and our community. To some degree, nearly every nonprofit has an educational component that is vital to fulfilling its overall mission. It is this type of outreach that goes beyond the “three Rs,” to provide the critical, day-to-day lessons in a vast array of topics that are at the heart of what makes a region tick. Think of the educational outreach of an organization such as the American Red Cross of Northern New York. They provide multiple opportunities to train individuals who will save the lives of
our friends and neighbors. The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council programs go beyond the obvious and include employee assistance services. Credo Community Rande Richardson Center for the Treatment of Addictions and Mountain View Prevention Services are well-known for their educational work. The Community Action Planning Council provides many training programs pertaining to caring for some of the most vulnerable among us. Cornell Cooperative Extension is another example of a nonprofit organization that places education at the heart of their mission, especially in regards to youth development, food, nutrition, parenting and life skills, as well as programs that assist and educate military families. Family Counseling Service, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Hospice, Jefferson County Prenatal/Perinatal Council, Jefferson Rehabilitation Center, Lewis County Opportunities, New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, Northern Regional Center for Independent Living, Planned Parenthood, Transitional Living Services, Watertown Family YMCA, Watertown Urban Mission, various historical societies, and the list goes on. It is the “collective we” of the nonprofit community that continually joins forces to provide educational opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting.
Each of us can think of many other examples. The point is not to highlight one organization over another or suggest the merits of a particular educational focus. Rather, the message is that when one considers the impact and role of education in the region, we must continue to recognize and invest in organizations that are supporting the betterment of others through all forms of education. In all likelihood, you, your family or organization has benefited directly from the educational services provided by the nonprofit community. It is undeniable that the indirect benefits have shaped all of our lives for the better. If we woke up tomorrow and all of the education and training provided by the nonprofit community evaporated, we would quickly realize the void left behind. There has been and will continue to be plenty of talk about how nonprofits can survive and remain sustainable in the “new normal” of today, perhaps through consolidations, mergers or other partnerships. However, if there is one way that our local nonprofits particularly distinguish themselves and often shine most brightly, it is in the way various ways they incorporate sharing the gift of knowledge and wisdom with others. It is ultimately through this work that we perpetuate the amazing north country tradition of neighbors helping neighbors. We never know when those lessons will come in handy.
n RANDE S. RICHARDSON is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident and former funeral director. Contact him at rande@nnycf.org. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.
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NNY Business | August 2011
COMMERCE CORNER
JLI develops north country leaders
A
s director of events for the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, I have the esteemed pleasure of administering the Jefferson Leadership Institute. While I thoroughly enjoy working on all of our chamber events, I must admit that our leadership institute is one of my favorites. When talking shop with peers and friends, I occasionally utter the letters J-L-I, soon followed by a perplexed look from whomever I’m talking with — JLI? What is that? Even the clarification of what the acronym stands for doesn’t always register. It seems such a shame that so many in this region are unaware of this valuable community asset. For readers who have not heard of JLI or maybe some who have heard about it but never really understood what it’s all about, I hope this will shine some light on the many benefits for participants and the community. Jefferson Leadership Institute was founded in 1991 by a group of north country leaders who realized we had to seek out and cultivate a new generation of leaders and assist them in taking on important roles within the community. Don Alexander, CEO of JCJDC and JCIDA, was one of these forward-thinking leaders, bringing the idea for the program to the north country. The program was modeled after similar programs in other areas, and modified to best fit the needs of our county. Since its first graduating class in 1992, JLI has graduated nearly 400 people, cre-
ating a pool of volunteers and leaders for the community to draw from. Each year, businesses and organizations of all models, including nonprofit agencies, social service Michelle Farrell and public agencies, as well as religious organizations, sponsor individuals to participate in JLI who they deem to be up-and-coming community leaders. Participants can be from any level, position or job title from within an organization. Participants start off the year with a retreat weekend, facilitated by none other than Richard Halpin, who was instrumental in laying the foundation for the Jefferson Leadership Institute. His retreat weekend is the seed of the program from which the rest of the year grows. It encompasses exploring concepts of group dynamics and individual leadership skills within a group setting. This is the time when the class will really get to know each other and bond as a group. Classes meet for several full-day sessions from October through June to learn about the various sectors of our community, facilitated and instructed by recognized authorities of our area. Each class is held at a different location, coinciding with the topic for a particular class. Topics covered include nonprofit organizations, education, health care,
media, government, tourism, economic development, board and leadership day. New to this year’s curriculum is financial day. Throughout the year, the class learns critical leadership skills while working as a team to address the needs of our community. As a proud JLI graduate, class of 2010, I can tell you that my experience as a participant was memorable, informative and motivational. Not only that, but I was able to share it with 21of the finest, most intelligent and caring people I have encountered in my professional career. These people are not only a great network to rely on professionally, but many have become dear friends. I would encourage anyone, who has volunteerism in their heart and who cares about the good of the community to apply to the Jefferson Leadership Institute. Also, to nonprofit agencies in the region that are looking for specialized assistance with their organization, or for new directors to sit on your boards, please contact the chamber and we will try to connect you with JLI alumnus who might be interested in volunteering in these capacities. Applications are available on our website at www.watertownny.com, or call 788-4400 or e-mail events@watertownny. com. We thank our sponsors Samaritan Medical Center and Northern Federal Credit Union for their continued support. n MICHELLE A. FARRELL is director of events for the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at events@ watertownny.com.
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August 2011 | NNY Business
| 41
AGRI-BUSINESS
Resources to find local ag plenty
H
ow do you find and buy local food and agricultural products? In Jefferson County, there are many sources of information to help consumers locate local farm products. Buying local is good for everyone. Products bought directly from the farm or from retailers close to the farm are fresher and more nutritious. They haven’t lost ir flavor and “feel” by being transported thousands of miles. The environment is better because less fuel is consumed to transport the products to market. Buying local keeps your money local. Your hard-earned dollars stay in your community longer, support your schools and local services. Local farmers provide local jobs, either directly on their farm or indirectly through the jobs in businesses agriculture supports. Depending on your comfort level you can use printed documents, online sources or even your cell phone to find and learn about local ag products. One of the easiest ways to find local products without leaving your home, if you have an Internet connection, is to visit Jefferson County’s agricultural website, www.comefarmwithus.com. The site features a directory of local farms and businesses that grow or make local food products. There are approximately 40 listings for products ranging from local eggs to cheese, and honey to wine. The website is being revised and new features are being added. It is owned and maintained by the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. “The site is not just for farmers or just for consumers,” said Barry Ormsby, corporation board president and Jef-
ferson County legislator. “It is designed to promote agriculture, agriculture products and provide information on agriculture to the farmers and public.” A complete Jay Matteson listing of farmer’s markets is featured. The website also includes a link to the Local Food Guide for Jefferson County, published by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. Cornell Cooperative Extension has published the Local Food Guide for several years. Each year, the number of farms and vendors listed grows. This year’s guide boasts 36 farms, farms stands and retail stores. The guide includes a map that gives readers the location of how to get to the farm of interest. Extension publishes the guide and places it in an issue of the Watertown Daily Times. Nearly 30,000 copies circulate throughout Jefferson County and copies hit Fort Drum. There is also a brief explanation of how to identify local dairy products on supermarkets shelves within the guide. If you do not have a copy and would like one, call 788-8450. The guide also lists all of the farmer’s markets in Jefferson County. Any day except Sunday, somewhere in Jefferson County, one may find a farmer’s market. Many of the markets provide for the use of Farmers Market Nutrition Coupons, WIC checks and accept EBT food stamps. The markets are a great place to
buy locally grown food and agricultural products. One note of caution, not everything sold at local farmers markets is grown or made in our region. It’s always a good idea to ask the vendor the source of the produce. But there are tremendous positives to buying at farmer’s markets. Many times the vendor is also the person who grew or raised the product. The markets also become a fun gathering place for friends and family. As an example, the Saturday farmer’s market on Coffeen Street in Watertown, which operates between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., provides programs for children and entertainment this year. One more opportunity to learn about local agricultural products is on the Home Grown Show. New York’s only agricultural talk radio show, for nearly a decade, the Home Grown Show has featured locally grown or made products. The hosts, Mike Schenk and I, interview the people who make or grow the products and provide information about where you can find it. It airs Saturdays at 9 a.m. on 790 WTNY AM and can be downloaded after it airs from www.790wtny.com. It is pretty easy to find local if you make any effort, depending on the season. Try buying local ag products for your next meeting. Instead of sugary snacks, put out some local cheese, a little honey or pepper spread and see whether your meeting attendees are more satisfied. Let them know you bought local. n JAY M. MATTESON is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.
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NNY Business | August 2011
BUSINESS TECH BYTES
Mobile business the next big push
A
decade or so ago, the push to embrace e-business and the Internet was the decision that has now come to separate the innovators from the laggards. Today, another decision is on the horizon: whether or not to embrace mbusiness, or mobile business. Embracing m-business and expanding mobile technology through your enterprise will help to insure that your business is a survivor, and not risk dinosaur-like extinction. End user computing has taken a radical turn and within just a short time mobile devices and applications have changed not only the way we are doing business, but also for most of us, how we live our lives. Mobile devices and applications are evolving at a rapid pace and are affording your business excellent opportunities to provide new levels of customer service and richness in data. This might not be your first try at increasing the mobility of your workforce, so keep in mind that things have changed dramatically. The Androids and iPhones of today are not the bulky and weak counterparts running only the crude Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology on cripplingly slow networks of just a few years ago. Today’s dual-core processors, sharp displays, fast memory and storage help smartphones outperform many personal computers. Bandwidth availability is another difference. Back in 2001, Wi-Fi was rare and the WAP enabled cellphones chugged along at 14.4 kilobits per second. In 2011, Wi-Fi hotspots abound and fast, tens of megabits per second, 3G and even
quicker 4G (not available in NNY yet) fill in most gaps. According to VDC Research, 110 million smartphones were deployed last year, with 50 percent of the organizations Jill Van Hoesen surveyed deploying or planning to deploy tablets by 2012. Couple this with the first quarter 2011 Forrester Research, where 75 percent of companies surveyed reported increased productivity from deploying mobile applications. With the latest trend of consumerization of IT, many of your employees are demanding to use their powerful personal computing devices for work. This can prove beneficial for your business in the long run, providing greater business agility and higher customer satisfaction, increased employee morale and productivity and even better enterprise-wide security and control. From late 2010 to early 2011, Aberdeen Research found that 75 percent of companies now have a Bring Your Own Device policy and more than 35 million employee-owned smartphones are now in use. This figure is expected to quadruple to at least 125 million by 2014. Good Technology, an enterprise software provider that manages iOS and Android devices, stated in their enterprise mobility report, “If 2010 was about con-
sumerization of the enterprise, 2011 will be the year of the tablet.” Like any new technology trend the pros and cons need to be considered before iPad and Android tablets become a revolutionary tool for your business, not just a consumer-focused product your employees are using on the job. Take the iPad, as well as the iPhone, they do not support Adobe Flash. Consider how many websites and applications in your corporate environment utilize Flash and you might find it a necessity not available with Apple. With either iOS or Android devices the monthly data fees will add up quickly, so the spending will not end when you purchase the device. You will need to think about accessorizing the tablet – with a smaller touchscreen you will probably need an add-on keyboard to get any real work done, as well as a case to protect the asset. These devices are also running operating systems that most employees are not familiar with, so some training will be involved to gain the most productivity and return on investment. Now is when your business has the chance to reach customers at their decision point, in ways the wired Internet could never do. Embracing m-business and social networking such as Facebook and Twitter will make huge and lasting impression on your business’s success for years to come. n JILL VAN HOESEN is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.
August 2011 | NNY Business
| 43
SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS
Entrepreneurs as lifelong learners
A
t the Small Business Development Center, we often get phone calls from would-be entrepreneurs asking, “I want to start a business – what courses should I take?” or “What degree should I get?” I always give them the same answer (and they hate it) – “It depends.” Because it does depend on many factors: their age, experience and background; even what their business idea is. Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal, recently argued that young innovators might be wasting valuable time getting a university degree when they could be developing their entrepreneurial idea. To that end, he is offering $100,000 grants to 20 people under the age of 20 to start their company. Without getting into a big discussion on the pros and cons of this particular idea, I just want to say that yes, Thiel may be able to find 20 finalists with a great idea and the energy to carry through a business startup. People love to talk about famous dropout entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford, Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Page (Google), Steve Jobs (Apple), Richard Branson (Virgin) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook). This is a fascinating list of people who identified a need, jumped in before the rest of the crowd, developed a unique product or service and carried it through to completion. They share many similar
characteristics but the fact that they did not graduate from college or even high school, like Henry Ford, is just one of those. Would they have been as successful if they had stuck Sarah O’Connell it out for that degree? Probably, unless someone else took their idea and ran with it before they had a chance to.
it, as many don’t, the graduate will still have that educational background to put on a résumé. A college education doesn’t guarantee that an entrepreneur will succeed. But neither does a high level of energy, access to capital or even a great idea. It’s a combination of many factors. We have a saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” In other words, the better prepared the entrepreneur is, the higher the chance of success. This applies to business owners who have been around for a while as well. They need to continually educate themselves on anything that might affect their business: technological advances, market trends and use of social media, to name only a few. They can be sure that if they aren’t paying attention, their competitors are. I’m sure that even those successful dropout entrepreneurs mentioned above are dedicated lifelong learners. The NYS Small Business Development Center offers individual, confidential counseling at no cost for people with new or existing businesses, as well as other workshop opportunities. Contact us at 782-9262 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.
Business owners who have been around for a while need to continually educate themselves on anything that might affect their business. They can be sure that if they aren’t paying attention, their competitors are. What an education can give an entrepreneur is manyfold. A liberal arts education can give a broader world view, a historical perspective, an exposure to critical thinking and develop communication skills. If an entrepreneur has a general business focus, a business education can teach accounting techniques, personnel and management skills and marketing concepts. A technical program can give very specific instruction in a particular area. And if the business doesn’t make
n SARAH O’CONNELL is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She is a former small business owner and lifelong Northern New York resident. Contact her at soconnell@sunyjefferson.edu. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.
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NNY Business | August 2011
OGDENSBURG
WEDNESDAYS IN AUGUST
SATURDAY, AUG. 13, AND SUNDAY, AUG. 14
n Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce Concerts in the Park, 7 p.m., Scenic View Park Pavilion. Free. Concerts: Aug. 3, One Night Stand; Aug. 10, Norwood Brass Band; Aug. 17, Double Barrel Blues Band; Aug 24, Northern Lights Orchestra; Aug. 31, Sam and Sissy.
FRIDAY, AUG. 12SUNDAY, AUG. 21
n Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days, daily, throughout the village. For a full schedule of events, visit www.visitalexbay.org. For information, contact the Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce, 482-9531.
BOONVILLE FRIDAY, AUG. 19SUNDAY, AUG. 21
n New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days, Boonville Oneida County Fairgrounds, Route 294. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Friday. Rain or shine, no pets allowed. Concessions on fairgrounds and limited camping. Free parking. For a full schedule of events, visit www. starwebhosting.net/woodsmen. Admission: Advance until Aug. 18, $7; children ages 12 and younger, $5. At the gate, $9; children, $7; senior citizens, $8. Weekend pass, available until Aug. 19, no refunds after Aug. 1: $21; children, $15.
CANTON SATURDAY, AUG. 20, AND SUNDAY, AUG. 21
n Wine, Beer and Food Festival, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Lockwood Civic Center. Free wine glass for the first 1,000 showing their Price Chopper AdvantEdge Card. Cooking demonstrations from Paul Smith’s Culinary School and Northwest Tech’s culinary program. Pride of New York farmers market. Wineries, beer, baked goods, vegetables, coffee, jams, jellies and maple and honey products. Admission: $5; children ages 12 and younger, free; military with identification, $4. Contact: 393-3620.
SATURDAY, AUG. 13
n Second Annual Softball Battle, 6 p.m., softball diamond at Father Martin Field. Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center staff and family will battle WWNY-TV No-Stars. Proceeds going to the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Foundation. Admission: $5; children, $2; children ages 5 and younger, free. Information: slalone@chmed.org or 393-9175.
OLD FORGE SATURDAY, AUG. 20
n ForgeFest 2011, noon to 10 p.m., Hiltebrant Recreation Center, North Street. Music by the Idol Kings in tribute to John Mellencamp, U2, Van Halen with opening set by local act, Show Time. Tickets: Advance, $15; door, $20. Order tickets at www.forgefest.com.
SACKETS HARBOR SUNDAYS IN AUGUST
CLAYTON
n Sackets Harbor Historical Society Concerts on the Waterfront, 3 to 5 p.m., Battlefield State Park. Free. Concerts: Aug. 7, 10th Mountain Army Band; Aug. 14: The Flyin’ Column; Aug. 21: Amy Gallatin and the Stillwaters Band; Aug. 28: Kim and Reggie Harris. Final concert: Sept. 4: The Mario de Santis Orchestra.
SATURDAY, AUG. 20, AND SUNDAY, AUG. 21
SARANAC LAKE
n North Country Sportsman Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, Canton Pavilion. Sponsored by Canton Recreation Department. Hunting, fishing and ATV vendors needed. Contact: Recreation office, 386-3992.
n 34th Annual Clayton-1000 Islands Rotary Gun and Sportsmen’s Show and Sale, Cerow Recreation Park Arena, 600 E. Line Road. Information: 686-2832.
HENDERSON SATURDAY, AUG. 13
n The Hospice Hustle, 8:30 a.m., Henderson recreation building. Sponsored by Hospice of Jefferson County. Rain or shine. Walkers bused to the Mark Hopkins Performing Arts Center and walk takes place along Harbor Road. Information: Lynn Dobbins, 788-7323 or lynn@jeffhospicefoundation.org.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 15
n Annual Athena Award Presentation and Dinner, cocktails, 6 p.m., dinner and program, 7 p.m., Ryan’s Lookout. Reservations must be made no later than Monday, Sept. 5. Reservations: 788-4400. Cost: $40 per person; $425 per table.
TUESDAYS, AUG. 9, 16, 23, 30
n My Small Business 101, 6 to 8 p.m., Adirondack Business Center. Free program for small business owners to learn critical elements of business operation, including managing productivity, thinking strategically, making effective decisions and executing sound financial management. Four-week program. Register: rehcenter@clarkson.edu or 268-3995.
SYRACUSE WEDNESDAY, AUG. 10
n Business After Hours, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Jefferson Clinton Hotel, 416 S. Clinton St. Sponsored by CenterState CEO. Register: 470-1870 or www.centerstateceo.com. Cost: $10; non-member, $15.
THURSDAY, AUG. 25MONDAY, SEPT. 5
n The Great New York State Fair, daily, New
York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd. For details and a full schedule, visit www. nysfair.org. Contact: 1 (800) 475-3247 or 487-7711. Admission: Advance tickets available until Wednesday, Aug. 24: $6; six-day pass, $30; parking pass, $5 per vehicle. At the gate: $10; children ages 12 and younger, free; senior citizens, free on Monday, Aug. 29, and Tuesday, Aug. 30; students ages 16 and younger, free on Friday, Sept. 2.
WATERTOWN THURSDAY, AUG. 11
n Career Exploration Workshop, noon to 1:30 p.m., Jules Center, Room 6-218, Jefferson Community College. JCC career counselors help define career goals and map an academic path to achieve them. Information: 786-2277 or admissions@sunyjefferson.edu. Free.
FRIDAY, AUG. 12
n Third Annual Bobcats, Bears and Brews, 7 to 10 p.m., New York State Zoo at Thompson Park. Sponsored by the zoo. Food, beer and entertainment. Tickets: Advance, $30; at the door, $35; corporate, groups or military, $25. Must be 21 and have valid ID. Information: www.nyszoo.org.
FRIDAY, AUG. 12
n Salute the Military Golf Association Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament, 1 p.m., Watertown Golf Club at Thompson Park. All proceeds benefit golf clinics for the combat wounded. Top three teams advance to SMGA NE/NY Championship play-off on Saturday, Aug. 13. Cost, includes golf, dinner and prizes: $260 per team; active duty military, $57; Watertown Golf Club memberships honored.
SATURDAY, AUG. 13
n North Country Arts Council Third Annual Summer Arts Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Public Square. Live music, dance performances, art demonstrations and street painting. Free.
THURSDAY, AUG. 18
n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Highland Meadows, 24201 Route 342. Must register by noon Wednesday, Aug. 17. Register online, www.watertownny.com, or by phone at 788-4400. Cost: $8; non-members, $12.
MONDAYS FROM AUG. 29 TO DEC. 5
n Creating a Business Plan, 4 to 5:20 p.m., Dulles Building, Room 3-117, Jefferson Community College. Non-credit workshop guides participants through the process of writing a business plan, aids with research, development and writing detailed plans for successful businesses. No classes on Sept. 5 or Oct. 10. Cost: $218. Register: Continuing Education Division at JCC, 786-2438.
GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar
item? E-mail editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www.face book.com/NNYBusiness for updates to our business events calendar.
COMMUNITY / BUSINESS EVENTS CALENDAR
ALEXANDRIA BAY
August 2011 | NNY Business
| 45
CHAMBER / WEB DIRECTORY
NNY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
649-3404, www.chaumontchamber.com
393-3620, www.ogdensburgny.com
CLAYTON
OLD FORGE
GREATER WATERTOWNNORTH COUNTRY
POTSDAM
517 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624; 686-3771, www.1000islands-clayton.com
ALEXANDRIA BAY
7 Market St., Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; 482-9531, www.visitalexbay.org
1241 Coffeen St., Watertown, NY 13601; 788-4400, www.watertownny.com
BOONVILLE
122 Main St., P.O. Box 163, Boonville NY 13309; 942-6823, www.boonvillechamber.com
GOUVERNEUR
CANTON
60 Main St., P.O. Box 369, Canton, NY 13617; 386-8255, www.cantonnychamber.org
HENDERSON HARBOR
SACKETS HARBOR
LEWIS COUNTY
CARTHAGE AREA
MASSENA
CENTERSTATE CEO
572 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202; 470-1800, www.centerstateceo.com
CHAUMONT-THREE MILE BAY
P.O. Box 24, Three Mile Bay, NY 13693;
BIZ WEB DIRECTORY CITEC MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS www.citec.org
CLARKSON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP www.helpmysmallbusinesstoday.com www.facebook.com/CUEntrepCtr www.twitter.com/CUEntrepCtr
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY www.danc.org
LEWIS COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
PULASKI
3044 Route 13, P.O. Box 34, Pulaski, NY 13142; 298-2213, www.pulaskinychamber.com
175 N. James St., P.O. Box 482, Cape Vincent, NY 13618; 654-2481, www.capevincent.org 120 S. Mechanic St., Carthage, NY 13619; 493-3590, www.carthageny.com
1 Market St., Potsdam, NY 13676; 274-9000, www.potsdamchamber.com
214 E. Main St., Gouverneur, NY 13642; 287-0331, www.gouverneurchamber.net P.O. Box 468, Henderson Harbor, NY 13651; 938-5568, www.hendersonharborny.com
CAPE VINCENT
3140 Route 28, P.O. Box 68, Old Forge, NY 13420; 369-6983, www.oldforgeny.com
7576 S. State St., Lowville, NY 13367; 376-2213, www.lewiscountychamber.org 50 Main St., Massena, NY 13662; 7693525, www.massenachamber.com
MALONE
497 East Main St., Malone, NY 12953; 1(518) 483-3760, www.visitmalone.com
OGDENSBURG
1 Bridge Plaza, Ogdensburg, NY 13669;
304 W. Main St., P.O. Box 17, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685; 646-1700, www. sacketsharborchamberofcommerce.com
SOUTH JEFFERSON
14 E. Church St., Adams, NY 13605; 232-4215, www.southjeffchamber.org
ST. LAWRENCE
101 Main St., First Floor, Canton, NY 13617; 386-4000, www.northcountryguide.com
TRI-TOWN
907 Route 11 C, P.O. Box 297, Brasher Falls, NY 13613; 389-4800, www.tritownchamberofcommerce.com
JEFFERSON COUNTY JOB DEVELOPMENT CORP.
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
www.jcjdc.net
www.northcountryptac.com
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT SUNY JEFFERSON
www.slrvra.com
www.sba.gov www.facebook.com/SBAAtlantic www.twitter.com/SBAAtlantic
www.watertown.nyssbdc.org www.facebook.com/WatertownSBDC www.twitter.com/nys_sbdc
WATERTOWN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY IDA / LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.
WATERTOWN SCORE
www.slcida.com
www.watertownldc.com
www.scorewatertownny.org
www.lcida.org
Were you or your business featured in a recent issue? Contact your account representative to order custom plaques or page and photo reprints suitable for framing. 315-782-3310 / 1-800-555-5555 10-day delivery from order.
BusIness Because Main Street is closer than Wall Street.
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NNY Business | August 2011
BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Singer Castle
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Top, from left, Jill L. Parker, corporate administrative manager, City Electric, Watertown, and husband, Gary W., northern regional manager, City Electric, Watertown, Edward J. Rosecrans and wife, Sandra, president / CEO, City Electric, Syracuse. Above, from left, Lynn R. Leonard, general manager, Lofink Ford-Mercury, Carthage, and wife, Sally. Singer Castle on Dark Island and Uncle Sam Boat Tours, Alexandria Bay, hosted the July 21 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours cruise.
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Top, from left, Jim Lamanna, A.C. Delco, Baldwinsville, and Stevie Smith, executive director, Transitional Living Services, Watertown. Above, from left, Lee Ellsworth and wife, Cathy, Paddock Art & Antiques, Watertown.
n VISIT NNY BUSINESS on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness to view more than 160 additional Business Scene photos from events across the north country since we launched in December. Tag yourself, tag your friends and tag your friends’ friends. Like us on Facebook and be the first to see the front page before it hits newsstands, learn who we’re interviewing, what we’re covering and join in the discussion about business in Northern New York.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Singer Castle
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Top, from left, Victoria Panetta, Randy Jerome, Rachael Battista, Marley Bulger and David Kellogg of R.J.’s Catering, Adams Center. Above, from left, former Watertown City Mayor T. Urling Walker and wife, Mabel.
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Above, from left, David J. Malone, Stebbins Engineering and Manufacturing Co., Watertown, wife, Susan, Lyuba Ryzhakova and Richard J. Malone, Bernier, Carr and Associates, Watertown. Above, from left, Mark Lillie of Felix Scholler, Pulaski, and Sheila Wilson, AFLAC.
Bella’s Clayton - 315-686-2341
Serving Breakfast & Lunch Daily 8am to 4pm
Fine Dining On The River Thursday-Monday 5pm to 9pm Web: bellasonlinenow.com
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NNY Business | August 2011
Email: mringerhardy@yahoo.com
BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Singer Castle
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Top, from left, Dwayne Francis, Occupational Medical Associates, Watertown, and Lynne Ferris, Conboy, McKay, Bachman & Kendall, LLP, Watertown. Above, from left, Ian Hill, co-owner, Northern Glass, Watertown, and Fred McGraw, pharmaceutical representative, Genentech.
KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS
Top, from left, Michael Homewood, Proven and Quencer, Watertown, and Magen Harleman. Above, from left, Thomas Weldon, president, Singer Castle on Dark Island and Dark Island Tours, and Judy Keeler, Singer Castle historian, Dark Island Tours.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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DINING GUIDE Brownville Diner 114 W. Main St., Brownville (315) 786-8554
Fung Hing Chinese 225 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9689
Johnny D’s 1 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-6108
Café Mira 14 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4470
Gary’s Restaurant 5424 Shady Ave., Lowville (315) 376-6612
Johnny D’s Bistro 108 108 Court St., Watertown (315) 755-2333
Cam’s Pizzeria 25 Public Square, Watertown (315) 779-8900
G&F Italian Pizza and Restaurant 2972 E. Main St., Parish (315) 625-7177
Karen & Jasper’s Bar & Bistro 1322 Washington St. Plaza, Watertown (315) 788-4110
Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge 380 S. Railroad St., Parish (315) 625-4005
Gold Star Deli 343 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-6155
King Star Food Oriental 22265 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 786-0246
Cavallario’s Cucina 133 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 788-9744
Goodfellos 202 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3463
Korean Grill 525 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 681-4226
Cherry Tree Inn 8541 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-7281
Gram’s Diner 13 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4881
Lake Ontario Playhouse 103 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2305
China City 1125 Arsenal St. Suite 2, Watertown (315) 788-8289
Great Wall Chinese 300 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-7668
Leanna’s at the Manor Store Route 11, Pierrepont Manor (315) 465-4400
Church Street Diner 107 Church St., Carthage (315) 493-0997
Harby’s Hots Outer Washington Street, Watertown (315) 788-2250
Limerick Hotel 16331 State Route 12E, Limerick (315) 639-6804
Coleman’s Corner 849 Lawrence St., Watertown (315) 782-6888
Herrings Inn 35802 State Route 3, Carthage (315) 493-9829
Lloyd’s of Lowville 7405 S. State St., Lowville (315) 376-7037
Crossroads Diner 22474 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 782-9591
Highland Meadows Country Club 24201 State Route 342, Watertown (315) 785-0108
Lucia’s Italian Restaurant 11613 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-2223
Crystal Restaurant 87 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-9938
Hops Spot 214.5 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-BEER (2337)
Maggie’s on the River 500 Newell St., Watertown (315) 405-4239
Daily Buffet (Chinese) 1283 Arsenal St. Stop 8, Watertown (315) 786-8598
Home Deli Pizza & Subs 305 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 782-6340
Mariano’s Pizza 981 Waterman Drive, Watertown (315) 788-8088
Pizzeria and Restaurant 24411 State Route 971V, Felts Mills (315) 773-3266
Hot Diggity Dogs Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 788-4844
McCarthy’s Restaurant 5821 U.S. Route 11, Canton (315) 386-2564
Erin’s Isle Restaurant 928 State Route 11C, Brasher Falls (315) 389-4100
India Palace 1196 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-8457
Midway Ice Cream 891 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 405-4996
Boathouse 214 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2092
Fairground Inn 852 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7335
Ives Hill Restaurant 435 Flower Ave. W., Watertown (315) 775-4837
Mo’s Place 345 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-5503
Boondocks Restaurant and Bar 3950 State Route 12, Lyons Falls (315) 348-4040
Fiesta Mexicana 566 State St., Watertown (315) 779-7577
Jean’s Beans 259 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 788-7460
Morgia’s Pasta 22560 Fisher Road, Watertown (315) 788-3509
Brookside Diner 1873 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9824
Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn 26561 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 782-8401
Joey’s at the Thousand Island Club 21952 Club Road, Alexandria Bay (315) 482-9999
Mr. Sub Sandwich Shop Public Square & Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1760
n A directory of independent coffee houses, bars and restaurants.
Full-service restaurants 1025 Ruyi Japanese Steak House 1025 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 405-4501 1844 House “An American Bistro” 6885 U.S. Route 11, Potsdam (315) 268-1844 2000 Chinese Restaurant 22070 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 788-2000 Arbor Restaurant 10700 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-4842 A & J’s Diner 455 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-4811 Andy’s Caribbean Cuisine 302 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-8658 Apollo Restaurant 1283 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-3569 Art’s Jug 820 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 782-9764 Bella’s Bistro 602 Riverside Drive, Clayton (315) 686-2341 Bernardo’s Pizzeria 702 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9500 B J’s Grill 610 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-8126 Black River Valley Club 131 Washington St., Watertown (315) 788-2300 Blue Heron 12050 Route 12E, Chaumont (315) 649-2240
2nd Generation family-owned and operated business. In business for over 36 years where customer service is our priority.
MONDAY-FRIDAY 9AM-6PM SATURDAY 9AM-5PM
• Living Room • Dining Room • Bedroom • Mattresses • Accessories
6 Month Layaway, Delivery and Financing Available, Visa, Mastercard, Discover
22822 US Route 11 • Watertown, NY 13601 • 315-788-1152 • www.truesdellsfurniture.com 50 |
NNY Business | August 2011
DINING GUIDE NuPier 13212 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3312
Read the reviews
Original Italian Pizza 222 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 786-0000
Log on to www.watertowndaily times.com to read restaurant reviews by Watertown Daily Times restaurant critic Walter Siebel.
Papa Tino’s Pizzeria 716 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-7272
Get on the list
Pete’s Restaurant 111 Breen Ave., Watertown (315) 782-6640 Pizza Shack 12699 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2267 Rainbow Shores Restaurant 186 Rainbow Shores Road, Pulaski (315) 298-5110 Rajit 262 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5513 Ramada Inn 21000 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-0700 Riccardo’s Market & Deli 710 Holcomb St., Watertown (315) 782-7810
Call NNY Business advertising specialist Clarissa Collins at (315) 661-2305 or e-mail ccollins@wdt.net to have your restaurant or bar listed in our monthly dining guide today. Savory Downtown 300 Washington St., Watertown (315) 782-8000 Sboro’s Restaurant 836 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1728 Shorty’s Place 1280 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7878 Shuler’s Steak & Seafood 802 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1429
Tico’s Mex Mex Grill 65 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-4778 Tilted Kilt 1050 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5458 Tin Pan Galley 110 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3812 United China Restaurant 144 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 782-4432 Violi’s Restaurant 209 Center St., Massena (315) 764-0329 Village Inn 8208 Main St., Harrisville (315) 543-9382 VV’s Mexican Kitchen Noble Street, Evans Mills (315) 629-4652
Bars / drinking establishments Artie’s Tavern 329 High St., Watertown (315) 782-9616 Clueless 545 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-9006 Crazy Legs Saloon 536 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 777-8333 Edge of the River Pub 519 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 788-0695 Fat Boys 743 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 779-0087 Fort Pearl Inc. 557 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 786-3333 Hitchin’ Post Tavern 404 Court St., Watertown (315) 782-9656
Walsh’s Pub & Grill 101 E. Main St., Brownville (315) 782-6065
Hometown Pizzeria 4 W. Church St., Adams (315) 232-3000
Watertown Golf Club Grill and Bar 1 Thompson Park, Watertown (315) 782-5606
Joe’s Tavern 548 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9709
Willowbrook Golf Club 25075 State Route 37, Watertown (315) 782-8192
Kicker’s Lounge 498 Factory St., Watertown (315) 785-9392
Wing Wagon 71 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-3205
Mick’s Place 204 Factory St., Watertown (315) 786-1992
Coffee Houses
Paddock Club 5 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 786-6633
Riverhouse 4818 Salina St., Pulaski (315)509-4281
Soluri’s Pizza 526 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-2888
Roberts Family Pizzeria 839 State St., Watertown (315) 786-2006
Stonefence Resort 7191 State Route 37, Ogdensburg (315) 393-1545
Roma Restaurant 19 Bridge St., Carthage (315) 493-0616
Stone Jug Pizzeria 104 Bartlett Road, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-1008
Romalato’s Gourmet Deli 450 Gaffney Drive, Watertown (315) 681-6653
Suk Hui Hi’s Korean 1301 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9740
Brew Ha Ha 468 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1175
Ryan’s Lookout 9290 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-5151
Super Wok Chinese Restaurant 20991 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-5389
Chrissy Beanz Bakery 105 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2330
Sackets Harbor Brew Pub 212 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2739
Teriyaki Experience 21852 Towne Center Drive, Watertown (315) 785-9254
Coffee Shop Carbone Plaza, Watertown (315) 782-0450
Seth’s Pub 558 State St., Watertown (315) 681-6645
Sandy’s Luncheonette 5 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-2935
Thailand Thai Restaurant 1857 State St., Watertown (315) 788-6688
Danny’s Coffee 21181 Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 782-7057
Shootie’s Bar 504 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 782-9724
Savory Café 1511 Washington St., Watertown (315) 785-6464
The Place 1612 Ford St., Ogdensburg 315-393-3080
Paddock Coffee House 4 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 836-1508
Time Warp Tavern 302 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9784
Pappy’s Bowlmor Lanes 227 E. Orvis St., Massena (315) 769-9877 Pewter Mug 1120 Gill St., Watertown (315) 782-0200
August 2011 | NNY Business
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BUSINESS HISTORY
Steamers Watertown and R.P. Flower 2 on Public Square in Watertown.
JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A call to service
n Roswell P. Flower, fireman, a dedicated volunteer ewspaper articles and books have been written about the amazing things that Roswell P. Flower did during a lifetime of service in government as well as service to others. Mr. Flower, a very public politician and Wall Street tycoon, was also a very private man with donations he made and the courtesies he extended to those in the north country. Many times when he helped families with financial troubles, he swore them to secrecy and more times than not, he donated to causes anonymously. However, there was one portion of Mr. Flower’s life in which he volunteered
openly and with great pride. He joined the volunteer fire department for the village of Watertown in the 1840s and served for many years. At the time, firefighters drove an old horse-drawn ladder cart to the fires. Stories have been passed down that Mr. Flower was always willing to answer the fire calls throughout the village. In the 1850s he wore the department’s emblem, which became one of his prized possessions throughout his life. The first steamer purchased in 1875 for the department was called “The Watertown.” As a tribute to Mr. Flower, the second steamer, which was purchased in 1884, was named “The R.P. Flower 2” and was headquartered on Factory Street. The Watertown was purchased with donations from the community. The R.P. Flower
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By DONNA M. DUTTON
N
Jefferson County Historical Society
NNY Business | August 2011
2 was purchased jointly by community donations and the city of Watertown. Mr. Flower donated to both. The Watertown Re-Union reported on Feb. 12, 1896, both fire engines, R.P. Flower and the Watertown raced to a fire. The R.P. Flower arrived first. The response to the incident was “Why shouldn’t it? When the owner of that name runs for anything, he always gets there first and a long way fast, too.” Regardless of where Mr. Flower might have been during his life, he always held the fire department close to his heart. In 1890, he donated $4,000 for entertainment during the firemen’s convention. He was also chairman of the citizens committee for the convention. On June 22, 1891, Mr. Flower returned to the community to help dedicate the
On exhibit n The Jefferson County Historical Society, 228 Washington St., exhibit “History of Firefighting in the North Country” is now open. Local firefighting artifacts and photos from the 1800s and 1900s are on display. Collections shared for this exhibit include those of the City of Watertown, Carthage and West Carthage fire departments. Combined with the JCHS collection, these local treasures tell a proud story. n For museum hours and program updates and to learn more about the Jefferson County Historical Society, visit www.jeffersoncounty history.org.
Watertown Fire Department Memorial in Brookside Cemetery. As he reminisced about his fire service, he recalled his first fire, which was on a cold winter’s day at Fay Morgan’s house, two miles from the village. His next fire was at the Watertown railroad shops. In several instances, the history of the Watertown City Fire Department is entwined with the Flower family. In 1896 there was a fire at the Flower Building, which was located at the corner of Arsenal and Arcade Streets. Following the blaze, a check in the amount of $200 was sent to the fire department by the Flower family. Over the years, Emma Flower Taylor, daughter of Mr. Flower, continued the tradition of donating to the community. One of her favorite areas of giving was to the fire department. The fire station on Massey Street is known as the Emma Flower Taylor Fire Station in honor of her and the station’s location. It sits on the land where her house once stood. A few years ago, as a tribute to Mrs. Taylor, the Watertown City Fire Department named Engine No. 1, Emma.
JCHS DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Many businessmen and women in the community have volunteered their time and risked their lives in various firefighting roles. It is fitting to know that one of our most prominent north country ancestors, Roswell P. Flower, while earning success in business and politics, also dedicated time to volunteer as a fireman. He supported this community need with passion. — Bill Wood, JCHS executive director n DONNA M. DUTTON is a volunteer for the Jefferson County Historical Society, 228 Washington St., Watertown, and former Watertown city clerk.
August 2011 | NNY Business
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W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G H E R E ? FAIRFIELD INN HOTEL & SUITES LOCATION: Commerce Park Drive, near Gaffney Drive SIZE: 106-room hotel on a 7-acre site that includes another Marriott-branded hotel, the 118-room Town Plaza Suites Hotel. DEVELOPERS: Hemisphere Management, Pittsford, developers of the 112-suite Candlewood Suites, LeRay. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Eastern Hospitality Advisors, Buffalo LOCAL JOBS: Several dozen construction jobs; about two dozen hospitality jobs when open. ONLINE: www.marriott.com — Compiled by Kyle R. Hayes
AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS
After several months of construction delays, work has resumed on the 106-room Fairfield Inn Hotel & Suites on Commerce Park Drive, near Gaffney Drive. Construction should take six to eight months, however, Pittsford developers Hemisphere Management has not made public an estimated opening date for the hotel.
NEXT MONTH
I
n our September cover story, we examine the impact of international business and trade on the north country and the region’s ties to international markets. Also coming next month: n 20 QUESTIONS WITH Patrick M. Donegan, developer of Watertown City Center Plaza off Arsenal Street. With his $12 million Hilton Garden Inn set for a grand opening this month, we sit down with the Alexandria Bay attorney and developer to talk about his investments in developing the region. n CONNECTING CAPITALS The Capital Corridor initiative was created to facilitate regional, national, and global economic growth and integration, connecting two of the world’s power centers: Ottawa and Washington, D.C., with Northern New York in its path. We examine the initiative and its latest efforts. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History, Business Scene and more. n FOLLOW US ON Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness.
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NNY Business | August 2011
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