Woman Fulfi lls A Dream With Opening Of Her ‘Book Nook’ Store In Ballston Lake

rience spanning the federal, individual, international, state and local, as well as commercial and non-profit spaces.

Prior to joining UHY, Scaringe held a leadership position consulting with an international accounting firm. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a licensed CPA in the state of New York. Scaringe holds a B.S. in accounting from Siena College. He specializes in the financial services, technology, cryptocurrency, retail, and asset management industries, including those of Fortune 50 companies.

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Roohan Realty announced that Jordan GolisanoVanNeil has joined the team as a marketing assistant. She will be creating and sharing content on social media as well as writing blog posts.

Jordan was born and raised in Rochester, and graduated from Siena College in 2023 with a degree in marketing/communications.

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Dale Dan, Ed.D. has been hired as the chief diversity officer at SUNY Empire State. She will also hold the title of visiting professor of business.

Dan has extensive experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on college campuses, including DEIdriven curricular development and online teaching and learning. Dan is also a certified mediator with a background in conflict resolution.

Audeliz Matías, Ph.D., had served as the college’s interim chief diversity officer since July 2021. Upon Dan’s arrival, Matías will take on her new role of senior advisor to the provost.

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BST & Co. CPAs, LLP announced the appointment of Alyssa Salerno as a marketing strategist.

Salerno specializes in digital marketing, website design, social media, content creation and photography. Since 2017, she has assisted a wide range of clients with rebranding strategies, campaign development, research projects and more.

As marketing strategist, Salerno will be responsible for developing marketing and communications tactics in support of BST’s corporate and strategic growth initiatives. She will assist in writing and designing marketing materials, organizing events and creating website and social media content.

Salerno will also support the firm’s CMO for Hire division, which offers outsourced marketing services to businesses, startups and nonprofit organizations.

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BY CHRISTINE GRAF

The Book Nook, a small, independent secondhand bookstore opened its doors in Ballston Lake on March 1.

Located at 146 Raylinksky Road, Suite 4A, in the plaza behind Stewart’s, the store carries a wide selection of books for adults and children.

Before opening the bookstore, owner Sue Rainka worked for her family’s business, Hart Alarm Systems. After she and her siblings sold the Watervliet company in 2020, Rainka stayed on to work for the new owners. It wasn’t until after her mother passed away in 2022 that she decided to pursue her dream of opening her own bookstore.

“I had always talked to my mom about wanting to open a bookstore,” she said. “I’ve worked a lot of year and this is something I’ve always wanted to do, so I decided now was the time to do it.”

While scouting for locations, Rainka posted on Facebook that she was collecting donations of used books for her new store. The donations started pouring in, and within a matter of months, she had collected close to 1,000 books.

“I got such a wide array of books. It was just incredible,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what I was lucky enough to have donated. My first donation was a Harry Potter set. I was floored that someone would donate that.”

When Rainka opened her doors the store was stocked entirely with donated books. Although she continues to accept donations, she now offers store credit in exchange for books that are in good condition and that are likely to sell. Encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest condensed books, library books, and Harlequin Romances are not accepted.

With help from her husband, Phil Patnode, Rainka designed the store as a place for customers to relax as they browse for books.

The Book Nook features comfortable seating, a Kid’s Nook, and a kitchen area with complementary hot beverages. There’s always a puzzle in progress that customers are encouraged to work on.

According to Rainka, she has been overwhelmed by the community’s support of her store during her first month in business.

“We’ve been very busy since we opened, and I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. Everyone has been so welcoming," she said.

The Book Nook has thousands of books in stock, and they have an average selling price of around $5. While newer books are more expensive, they are always priced at more than 50 percent below their full retail value. Audio books are also available.

“I’m certainly not going to get rich from selling used books, but I want to cover my expenses and make the store a positive experience for people,” said Rainka. “I feel very fortunate that I’m able to be able to surrounded by books and people who love my books.”

The Book Nook is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thebooknook2023.