Workers recognized
JAY — Jay Ward, president of Ward Lumber, has announced Team Members honored for outstanding achievements and contributions they have made to Ward Lumber.
For the Building Materials Division in September, Matt Parks, sales assistant, yard, Jay store, was chosen. For the third quarter, Kim Brown, administrative assistant, was selected for the Support Center located at the corporate headquarters in Jay.
Ward Lumber is a two-unit building-materials supplier with locations in Jay and Malone. One of the largest private employers in Essex County, Ward Lumber manages more than 6,000 acres of timberland and operates one of New York State's largest white-pine sawmills and planing mills.
PBS donation
PLATTSBURGH — Mountain Lake PBS has been awarded a grant of $500 from the Adirondack Community Trust (ACT), Port Jackson Fund.
Mountain Lake PBS has served millions of people through high-quality, entertaining and educational programs and outreach initiatives. Viewer contributions make up one of the largest single sources of funding for Mountain Lake PBS.
"Donors have made contributions to Mountain Lake PBS through ACT for years, and we are extremely grateful to be a beneficiary," said Alice Recore, president and CEO of Mountain Lake PBS.
ACT is a community foundation working to build permanent and pass-through funds to help meet current and future charitable needs of the Adirondack region. ACT is structured so that donors can take full advantage of tax benefits either during their lifetime of through their estates. Funds are pooled for investment and grants are made annually according to donors' wishes.
ACT currently manages 200 different endowed and pass-through funds with assets of $23 million and has made grants in excess of $10 million to benefit the Adirondack region and beyond.
Restaurateur tour
PLATTSBURGH — The New York Restaurant Association has invited local restaurateur members and non-members to visit the facilities at Sibley Hall and enjoy a dinner prepared by the students on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 5:30 p.m.
Rick Sampson, president and CEO of NYSRA, and Melissa Fleischut, VP and director of governmental affairs, will speak about the legal and legislative challenges facing the industry.
Ellen Hammond, School to Career director of the New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, will speak about the opportunities in the industry and how their ProStart program prepares high-school students for a career in the restaurant industry.
For tickets, at $20 per person including tax and gratuity, or further information, contact Don Benjamin at donb@nysra.org or call 800-452-5212.
Honor bestowed
MORRISONVILLE — Lori Mott of Morrisonville has been recognized with top honors for lia sophia's Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism.
Having just joined the fashion-jewelry business, Mott has earned this accomplishment in the first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and by sharing lia sophia with other new advisers.
All new lia sophia advisers have the opportunity to increase their earnings and earn free jewelry as part of the Excellent Beginnings Program.
The plan celebrates the success of advisers who stay on track in the first four months in business. Lia sophia provides ongoing opportunities for recognition including monthly, quarterly and annual awards.
Lia sophia is a unique direct-selling opportunity offering fashion jewelry through personalized in-home demonstrations. The company's goal is to improve the lifestyles of its advisers, hostesses and customers with products and opportunities. Lia sophia connects women to their dreams, from obtaining beautiful jewelry to empowering their financial futures.
For more information about lia sophia, contact Mott at loriannstrateag mail.com.
Law firm joined
PLATTSBURGH — The Cantwell Law Firm, PLLC, of Plattsburgh, has become Of Counsel to Girvin & Ferlazzo, PC, of Albany.
Attorneys Lori A. Cantwell and Richard E. Cantwell maintain a general-practice firm that provides services in employment law, criminal law, labor relations, corporate and business law, municipal law, zoning law, Civil Service law, commercial law, real estate, construction law, estate planning, personal injury, arbitration and litigation.
"We are pleased to be able to expand our firm's services to our North Country clients through this new relationship with the Cantwell Law Firm," said Girvin & Ferlazzo Shareholder Jay Girvin. "Lori and Rich have a strong presence in the North Country. They have extensive experience practicing for almost 20 years including unique issues of aviation law, criminal law, military law and education law and have litigated cases in federal and state courts."
"The customer service that we can provide with the addition of Girvin & Ferlazzo is drastically expanded," said Lori Cantwell, managing partner of the Cantwell Law Firm. "We now have renewed emphasis in all areas of practice including litigation, personal injury, municipal work, school law, contracts, estate work and more."
Bank recognized
PLATTSBURGH — Glens Falls National Bank & Trust Co. has once again earned the highest rating for strength and stability from BAUERFINANCIAL Inc. of Coral Gables, Fla., the nation's bank-rating firm.
Earning Bauer's 5-Star Superior rating indicates that Glens Falls National is one of the strongest banks in the country excelling in such areas as capital adequacy, delinquent loan levels and profitability. Glens Falls National has earned this top rating for the past 14 consecutive quarters.
"There has been a lot of debate recently about how much capital banks should have on hand," said Karen L. Dorway, president of BAUERFINANCIAL. "That has never been a question here at Bauer. A sizeable capital cushion can make all the difference in an economic crisis. In fact, we consider it so important that in order to earn a 5-Star rating from Bauer, Glens Falls National Bank & Trust Co.'s capital ratios are at least twice what federal regulators require."
Established in 1851, Glens Falls National has been serving the banking needs of the North Country for more than 159 years. It operates through 29 offices throughout five counties in upstate New York and can be found online at www.gfnational.com.
Scholarship event
PLATTSBURGH — Buck Supply & Distribution of Plattsburgh recently showed support of State University of New York at Potsdam students by helping to raise a record amount in SUNY Potsdam's 22nd Annual Scholarship Golf Classic.
Buck Supply was one of this year's four top sponsors for the golf tournament, which was held on Sept. 8 at Potsdam Town and Country Club. The 2010 college event brought in net proceeds of $85,000 this year, breaking all previous records for the golf outing.
"Buck Supply knows the importance of higher education for our area's college students. Providing scholarship opportunities for SUNY Potsdam students is a significant way that our company chooses to give back to the region," said David Bracale, vice president for Buck Supply & Distribution.
More than 200 golfers took to the course at the Potsdam Town and Country Club on Sept. 8 for the fundraising tournament. All proceeds go toward scholarships to help SUNY Potsdam students further their education. In 2009, the college provided 1,171 scholarships to 918 recipients, totaling $2,261,771.
The Scholarship Golf Classic is designed to increase awareness and funding for student scholarships. Support from sponsors is the key to its success. Additional sponsorships are still welcome to help the college fulfill its mission of supporting deserving SUNY Potsdam students, many of whom come from the North Country. Last year, the tournament raised more than $62,000 for SUNY Potsdam student scholarships.
For more information about how to support scholarships at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni/giving/index.cfm or call the Office of College Advancement at (315) 267-3403.
Online services
PLATTSBURGH — KeyBank has ranked second among the 16 largest U.S. banks in a recent Bank Monitor report that rated online account application access/navigation, features and options.
The latest enhancements to Key's online banking channel, key.com, were cited in Corporate Insight's September 2010 edition of Bank Monitor, a leading rating service for the online space.
KeyBank customers applying online for an account will note enhanced, customer-friendly application features such as:
▶ Online chat and a list of data points users need to apply;▶ Request options for ATM cards and overdraft protection;▶ Application progress meter;E Save and Exit feature that enables a user to return at a later time to complete the form.
These latest online enhancements reflect Key's ongoing efforts to provide clients with a breadth of options that meet their specific banking needs while delivering a superior overall client experience. Less than a year ago, Bank Monitor awarded Key a gold medal for its capabilities in the areas of online application, two silver medals for online banking account information and account transfer and two bronze medals for online banking alerts and help area.
Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial-services companies, with assets of approximately $94 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer-finance and investment-banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and internationally.
For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.
Museum shopping
PLATTSBURGH — For one night only, all three museums on the Plattsburgh Museum Campus will be open for holiday shopping, Thursday evening Dec. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. Help support local museums and find unique gifts at the Battle of Plattsburgh Association, Clinton County Historical Association and Champlain Valley Transportation Museum. Participants will enjoy a festive atmosphere with refreshments, special activities and prizes.
The Battle of Plattsburgh Association on Washington Road offers clothing, adult and children's books, toys, historical reproductions, local-artisan paintings, woodworking, maple syrup, jam, pottery and more.
New for this holiday season, Dr. Allan S. Everest's The War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley is now on sale. All visitors will be entered in a free drawing.
The Clinton County Historical Museum at 98 Ohio Avenue has an extensive variety of books on the region's history for sale and is offering hot cider, wine, cheese and cookies to shoppers and browsers.
Find something unique for children and loved ones in the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum Gift Shop at 12 Museum Way — with classic train sets, die-cast car models, transportation books that cover everything from aviation history to the ultimate SUV guide, and more. The gift shop centerpiece is a 1919 brass and oak cash register. Festive entertainment and snacks will be provided.
The museums are located on the Old Base in Plattsburgh. For directions or information about the event and shop offerings, contact the museums: BOPA at 566-1814, CCHA at 561-0340 and CVTM at 566-7575.
Scholarships offered
TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union (TFCU) is again offering local high-school seniors the opportunity to win several scholarships toward tuition at a two- or four-year accredited college.
TFCU student members will be competing with high-school students from credit unions statewide for Credit Union Association of New York awards. In addition, they will be competing regionally within the Adirondack District for a $500 scholarship and locally among TFCU members for $500 scholarships. Three $500 TFCU scholarships were awarded in 2010.
To be eligible, students must be college-bound high-school seniors at the time of application, attending college for the first time in the fall of 2011, and members of the Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union. Applicants will be judged based on their academic achievements, extracurricular and community activities and the quality of a written essay. Applications will be judged by representatives of the New York State Credit Union League located in Albany, and winners will be announced in the second quarter of 2011.
Scholarship applications are available online at http://www.tfcunow.com, at Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union's home office at 1178 Route 9N, Ticonderoga, and at their branch locations at 43 Meacham Street, Port Henry, and 7519 Court Street, Elizabethtown. Applications must be returned to a TFCU location, ATTN: Pamela Nolan, no later than Jan. 21, 2011.
For more information, visit a TFCU office or call 585-6725.
Company acquired
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service, a Saratoga Springs-based beverage company, has announced it has acquired the operations of A&M Beverages Inc. of Malone, distributor of Anheuser-Busch InBev, North American Brewery and Yuengling Brewery.
A&M Beverages was founded in 1963 by the late William Abbott, father of Jeffrey Abbott who, along with his wife, Janine, led the company from 1988-2009.
Jeffrey S. Vukelic, third-generation president of Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service, said that, like the Abbott family, they are a family-owned business with a rich history of community involvement and a commitment to providing high-quality products and service and outstanding employment opportunities. "We are confident that the benefits of the acquisition and the resources of Saratoga Sales and Service will have a positive impact on the business, the communities of Malone and Lake Placid and everyone involved with the A&M organization," he said.
In May 2010, Saratoga Eagle also acquired Ruch Distributors of Albany, an Anheuser-Busch distributor serving the Capital District of Upstate New York since 1958.
Saratoga Eagle, a subsidiary of western New York based Try-It Distributing Co. Inc., distributes domestic and imported beer, wine coolers, bottled water and soda beverages to Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington, Essex and Hamilton counties. Its brands include Anheuser-Busch InBev products, Labatt, Davidson Brothers, Bartles & James, Poland Springs and Perrier.
For more information, visit www.saratogaeagle.com.
Heating help
ALBANY — National Grid is reaching out to its customers through awareness and education initiatives to help them identify and apply for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) grants, make cost-savings energy-efficiency changes in their homes and work out payment plans to help ease potential financial challenges from the upcoming winter heating season.
The company is also contributing $275,000 to the Care and Share Energy Fund, administered by the American Red Cross.
As part of its awareness and education efforts, National Grid has a specialized staff of consumer advocates to work one on one with customers in need.
Rudy Wynter, senior vice president of customer service operations, said consumer advocates are dedicated to assisting customers who may be experiencing financial hardship by providing customized case-management services, energy education, advocacy and outreach.
"We urge customers to contact us at their first sign that they will be challenged by heating costs," he said. "The sooner we hear from customers, the more options they may have."
The LIHEAP program provides assistance with home-heating bills to eligible households. This program opens in November and is available on a first-come, first-served basis to all utility customers.
New York's State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) website provides access to a quick, easy, confidential tool, www.mybenefits.ny.gov, that enables residents to self-screen for their potential eligibility for a variety of programs and benefits, including LIHEAP. To apply for LIHEAP, residents should contact their county Department of Social Services or check OTDA's website at www.otda.state.ny.us.
Customers who qualify for LIHEAP may also be eligible for assistance through the National Grid Care and Share Energy Fund, administered by the American Red Cross. National Grid's $275,000 donation provides heating assistance to qualified applicants regardless of which fuel they use to heat their homes. The program serves households in which a member is 60 or older, or is disabled and receiving Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability, or is experiencing a medical emergency. Donations to the Care and Share Fund may be made by sending a check to Care & Share Energy Fund c/o The American Red Cross, 220 Herald Place, Syracuse, N.Y., 13202, or by visiting www.syrarc.org.
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