Business briefs: Sept. 30, 2007

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September 30, 2007

Anonymous The Press Republican Sun Sep 30, 2007, 12:00 AM EDT

Appointment announced

WILLSBORO -- Champlain National Bank's President Jon J. Cooper has announced the appointment of Matthew J. Whalen to its Commercial Lending Team. He will be responsible for commercial lending and small business development in Essex and Clinton counties.

Whalen comes to his position with nearly 10 years of prior banking experience to include sales and service associate, assistant branch manager, branch manager, business relations manager in commercial lending, and commercial portfolio management.

He can be reached at Champlain National Bank's Plattsburgh office, 32 Cornelia St., at 562-1776, ext. 616, and is available to assist those interested in small-business financing.

Champlain National Bank is a locally owned and operated bank with headquarters in Essex County.

Recycling program

PLATTSBURGH -- TerraCycle Inc. is looking for a Plattsburgh area school interested in receiving free bird feeders and an entire Ornithology curriculum to help teach their students about nature and the importance of protecting wildlife.

In early October, a representative from TerraCycle will be presenting the company's newest eco-friendly product, an entry bird feeder packaged in a reused two-liter soda bottle, at the Plattsburgh Wal-Mart.

For every three bird feeders that are purchased that day, TerraCycle will donate one feeder to the school along with the New York State Ornithology curriculum to the school.

The TerraCycle bird feeder is made from recycled or reused materials and is already filled with quality birdseed. Unlike other bird feeders, you can take it home and hang it outside immediately. No filling with seed and minimal assembly is required. The feeder is also less expensive, retailing at Wal-Mart for $4.88.

TerraCycle works extensively with schools across America by running three recycling fundraisers. The first is the Bottle Brigade, a program in which schools collect used 20-oz. soda bottles and TerraCycle donates six cents for every de-labeled bottle returned to TerraCycle. The newest collection program is for kid's drink pouches. TerraCycle pays schools one or two cents a piece for these non-recyclable pouches. TerraCycle is now working with Stonyfield Farm to collect used yogurt containers, donating two or five cents depending on size. Visit www.terracycle.net/dpb to sign up or for more information.

If you would like to sign up a school for the program or want images or samples of the feeder, contact, Jennifer Wilkie at (416) 661-9676.

Skin-care seminar

PLATTSBURGH -- The Adirondack Plastic Surgery Center will be sponsoring a Fall Skin Care Seminar on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m.

Learn more about the latest advanced aesthetic procedures, treatments and products including live demonstrations. Seating is limited. RSVP by Thursday at 563-5000 or visit www.adkplasticsurgery.net

Heart-healthy program

ROUSES POINT -- The American Heart Association's Start! movement is calling on corporate America and companies in the Plattsburgh Area to get more Americans to become physically active by walking.

Start! challenges corporations and their workforces to promote physical fitness and break down the obstacles that keep Americans from being active. The movement focuses on walking as an activity because it's accessible, free and has the lowest dropout rate of any exercise. Another component of Start! is its Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition Program, which acknowledges organizations for prioritizing the health of their employees.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals of Rouses Point has achieved Fit-Friendly Gold Status for its commitment to the health of employees. The American Heart Association will recognized Wyeth for achieving Gold Status with a brief celebration ceremony on Sept. 22 at the Plattsburgh Heart Walk. Gold-level recognition is awarded to companies that fulfill criteria such as offering employees physical-activity support, increasing healthy eating options at work, promoting a wellness culture and implementing a required number of physical, nutrition and culture activities.

In October 2006, Wyeth celebrated the Grand Opening of its Wellness and Fitness Center. Since that time, Wyeth's Wellness and Fitness Committee and the Employee Health Service Department have hosted five Fitness Challenges providing employees with the necessary tools and incentives for participation. The Wyeth Recreation Association also offers membership in a variety of activities such as golf leagues, bowling leagues and adult volleyball to name a few. In addition, the Wyeth cafeteria, locally managed by Sodexho, offers a variety of Fit Friendly menu options.

Start! is sponsored nationally by Subway restaurants, Healthy Choice and AstraZeneca.

For more information, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org/start. For a complete list of Start! Fit-Friendly Company recipients, visit: http://www.americanheart.org/start.

Panel participant

PLATTSBURGH -- Ginny Brady, UFirst Federal Credit Union board vice president, traveled to Spokane, Wash., on Sept. 12 at the invitation of the Washington Credit Union League to join a panel speaking on social media in the credit union world.

Brady has designed a blog with a unique focus aimed at members. The Boardcast represents a blog designed to give members an inside way to communicate with the board.

The Boardcast can be found at www.ufirstfcu.net located on the right hand side of the Web page in a blue box marked Boardcast.

The blog contains several informational articles educating its viewers about the financial world. This is designed as a communicator for membership to see what the staff and board are doing within the credit union movement and community.

Flu shots offered

PLATTSBURGH -- Rite Aid pharmacies will offer a one-day flu clinic on Oct. 16-18 to help patients stay healthy this season. Patients can receive a flu shot as well as a coupon book for items throughout the store valued at more than $230. Flu shots are free of charge for patients with Medicare Part B health coverage and $30 for all other patients. A list of participating locations and the date and time of each clinic is available on the Rite Aid Web site, www.riteaid.com, or by calling 1-877-777-3915.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an average year 5-20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu and the virus causes 36,000 deaths (mostly among those aged 65 years or older) and 200,000 hospitalizations. The CDC advises that the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot each fall.

No appointment is necessary and shots will be given while supplies last on a first-come, first-served basis. Rite Aid is partnering with TheraFlu to offer the flu clinics and all vaccinations will be administered by licensed health-care professionals.

Nearly 800 Rite Aid pharmacists throughout the country are also specially trained to offer flu vaccinations throughout the year for adults 18 years and older. For additional information on pharmacies that offer year-round immunizations, including those for nine additional diseases like hepatitis A and B, pneumonia and tetanus, visit www.riteaid.com.

Pregnant women, children under 9 and those who have egg allergies or have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) cannot get vaccinated for influenza at this event, and should visit their physician for further information on how they can help protect themselves this flu season.

Honor bestowed

PLATTSBURGH -- The National Association of Professional and Executive Women has recognized Bonnie Burns Benton, vice president of Island Machine, for her commitment to excellence. Her induction into the Women of Excellence registry acknowledges her success and professional achievements.

The association is dedicated to providing the networking resources, education and marketing services necessary to empower professional and executive women nationwide.

Island Machine is a full-service, computerized machine shop specializing in gun parts. They provide both general and contract machining. Burns Benton oversees all operations and financial administration for the shop.

As a leader who has been successful in her field for more than 15 years, Burns Benton became involved in this profession after retiring from CVPH Medical Center after 21 years of service. Her husband was a machinist, so they decided to buy a machine shop.

Exam completed

PERU -- The National Association of Legal Assistants Inc. has announced that Jennifer M. Tromblee has successfully completed the two-day Certified Legal Assistant examination and is now entitled to use the CLA or CP professional credential. Tromblee is among 90 legal assistants in the state of New York and 14,143 legal assistants nationwide who have attained this goal.

Tromblee, formerly of Peru, is a 1998 graduate of AuSable Valley Central School and a 2001 graduate of Russell Sage College with a degree in criminal justice and Washington Online Learning Institute with a Certificate of Paralegal Studies. She is a paralegal in the Clinic and Justice Center at Albany Law School in Albany.

Established in 1976, the Certified Legal Assistant examination program is a voluntary professional credentialing program developed by the National Association of Legal Assistants and administered by a board composed of legal assistants, members of the American Bar Association and members of the field of education active in legal-assistant training.

The CLA program involves successful completion of a two-day comprehensive examination covering the topics of communications, legal research, ethics, human relations and interviewing techniques, legal terminology, judgment and analytical ability and substantive law. Thereafter, evidence of continuing legal education must be submitted periodically in order to maintain certified status.

The association, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., is a national, non-profit association which represents more than 18,000 paralegals through individual members and 86 affiliated state and local associations. It is the leader in growth and development of the paralegal profession, providing continuing education, professional development and certification programs for the career field.

Conference attended

MORRISONVILLE -- The operating manager of eRealty Northeast NY LLC has announced that Andrew Carmichael has attended the Five Star Default Servicing Conference and Expo in Dallas, Texas, held from Sept. 9-12. Carmichael said the mortgage industry is doing everything it can to help home owners stay in their homes.

Deputy chief economist with Freddie Mac, Amy Crew Cutts, addressed the gathering of attorneys, title specialists, lenders, asset managers, property-preservation representatives, investors and real estate agents and brokers at the State of the Industry luncheon. Cutts is responsible for primary and secondary mortgage market analysis and research, macroeconomic analysis and forecasting, as well as the analysis of affordable lending activities, fair-housing policy, foreclosure prevention and other policy issues affecting housing and mortgage markets.

Carmichael participated in an all-day accredited course, part of which explained some banks delinquency procedures and the mortgagors' options. He also attended five two-hour mini-courses covering topics such as clean and clear title, banks rehabbing foreclosures prior to marketing, brokers getting reimbursed for paying contractors and expenses, dealing with occupied foreclosed homes and personal property, and developing a five-year business plan called Power Broker 2012.

Mining firms recognized

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Nineteen mining operations have been recognized for outstanding 2006 safety records in the annual Sentinels of Safety awards program jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Mining Association.

In the Small Open Pit Group, the Lewis Mine, NYCO Minerals Inc., Willsboro, was recognized for achieving 14,741 employee work hours in 2006 without a fatal injury or an injury that resulted in lost workdays.

Mining companies in various operational categories were recognized for achieving the greatest number of employee work hours in 2006 without a fatal injury or an injury that resulted in lost workdays. To qualify, a company was required to compile at least 4,000 employee work hours during the year. This year's 19 winners worked a combined total of almost 2.7 million hours in 2006 without a lost-time injury.

Stickler addressed representatives from the winning companies during an awards ceremony recently in Washington.

The Sentinels of Safety award is the oldest established award for occupational safety. The first one was announced by President Herbert Hoover -- a former mining engineer -- when he was secretary of commerce in 1925. The annual safety competition has continued to this day.

Competition winners and mining operations recognized for their safety records in 2006 are listed on the Web at www.msha.gov/SentinelsofSafety/Awards/2007Sentinel/2007sentinelsofsafety.asp.