Business mixer
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce invites area business people to Business After Hours on Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m. at Perrywinkle's Fine Jewelry in Plattsburgh.
Perrywinkle's has turned this event into a 50's Hop and everyone who comes dressed in 50's attire will be entered in a special drawing. There will also be a special drawing for those who bring an unwrapped child's gift that will be donated to JCEO and the Christmas Bureau. This month's event is catered by Anthony's Restaurant & Bistro.
Business After Hours is an opportunity to meet new business contacts, enjoy delicious food, and network with area business people. It is open to all chamber members and their employees. Future members are encouraged to contact the chamber for a special-guest pass. The fee for Business After Hours is $3 with an advance reservation and $4 without. For more information, or to make reservations, call the chamber at 563-1000.
Vitamins for kids
PLATTSBURGH — Condo Pharmacy has announced a new program that provides free chewable multivitamins to the children of Plattsburgh. In light of recent concerns regarding not only the seasonal flu but the H1N1 (Swine) Flu, Condo Pharmacy would like to help keep Plattsburgh healthy.
According to Jean Moore, the supervising pharmacist at Condo Pharmacy, "Too often our healthcare system focuses upon the treatment of disease and neglects the idea of maintaining health and wellness. Supplementation with multiple vitamins helps our bodies to remain healthy and fight off illness and disease."
Condo Pharmacy's vitamins are generics (comparable to Flintstone chewable vitamins) and include vitamins A, C, D, E B-1, B-2, B-6 and B-12, in addition to niacin and folic acid. These vitamins will be distributed in bottles of 30, to any child, age 4 to 18, free of charge.
While no prescription is necessary, there is paperwork that will need to be completed by each child's parent or guardian. Once the initial paperwork is completed, the child will be enrolled in our free vitamin program and may receive a new bottle every 30 days for as long as the supply lasts. Parents or guardians must come into the pharmacy to pick up the vitamins.
Condo Pharmacy is Plattsburgh's longest serving independent pharmacy having been a part of the community for more than 60 years. In addition to offering both prescription and over-the-counter medication, Condo Pharmacy offers prescription compounding, medication therapy management programs, pharmaceutical consulting services, ostomy/colostomy products, post-mastectomy products, and a line of durable medical equipment such as walkers and commodes.
Insurance services
PLATTSBURGH — Adirondack Bank has announced the opening of a full-service, in-house insurance agency, Adirondack Insurance Services. This new agency offers customers significant savings on numerous insurance lines including auto, home, life, business and renters from a host of companies.
With more than 100 years serving local communities, Adirondack Bank's expansion into insurance services is a logical extension of their continuing commitment to the people they serve. Their mission has always been to help people grow their assets and provide for their families. They are expanding those basic principles to include helping their customers to protect their assets and insure their family's future.
"Our customers will have the benefit of expert, unbiased recommendations based on multiple company comparisons," said Adirondack Insurance Services President Rocco F. Arcuri Sr. "At Adirondack Insurance Services, we will shop the market for our customers and get them the best coverage at the best price."
The agency manager will be Lauren E. Keating. She is licensed in property and casualties as well as life, accident and health. She has been in the financial services industry for 33 years. "I am very excited about the opportunity to help people find the best coverage and save money," Keating said.
Insurance services will now be available to customers at all Adirondack Bank branch offices. For a free quote or more information, call toll free 1-800-632-9019 or visit www.adkinsuranceservices.com.
Health programs
PLATTSBURGH — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's Medicare Advantage offerings for the North Country region in 2010 will include health plans that start at $65 a month.
Excellus BCBS also has a new online tool at www.excellusbcbs.com/medicare to help consumers compare Medicare plans and costs. The online tool can link consumers to Medicare resources, whether consumers want to order a Medicare DVD or register for a free Medicare workshop.
Medicare's annual enrollment period starts today and ends Dec. 31. This is the time of year when Medicare-eligible individuals can enroll in or switch Medicare Advantage plans.
"Our Medicare members should know that we were able to maintain benefits for many of our health plans in 2010, while also keeping many of our health plan premiums affordable," said Anne Ruflin, Excellus BCBS vice president, Medicare.
Excellus BCBS Medicare members in 2010 will continue to receive access to a wide choice of area physicians and hospitals, comprehensive medical coverage including a free routine physical exam and up to $650 annually for membership fees at qualified fitness and weight-management programs through its "Go Getters" program.
The following are Excellus BCBS's 2010 Medicare Advantage PPO health plans for the North Country region:
Medicare Blue PPO Plan One: Medical and drug coverage, $71 monthly premium.
Medicare Blue PPO Plan Two: Medical and drug coverage, $98 monthly premium.
Medicare Blue PPO Plan Three: Medical and drug coverage, $113 monthly premium.
Medicare Blue PPO Plan Four: Medical coverage, $65 monthly premium.
To be enrolled in these plans, individuals must be entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B. For more information, current members can call (866) 846-8643 and prospective members can call (800) 659-1986.
Or go to www.excellusbcbs.com/medicare. Excellus BCBS's North Country region covers Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.
Grant received
BOLTON LANDING — The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) recently received a grant of $200,000 from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation toward continued support of LGLC's most recent land conservation projects.
The conservancy took on substantial amounts of debt to finance the acquisition of the Berry Pond Preserve in 2008 and the Last Great Shoreline Protection Project in 2009.
The Froehlich Foundation's grant will help to meet the financial obligations associated with those purchases.
"It's impossible to overstate the importance of Helen V. Froehlich Foundation's annual support for land protection," said Nancy Williams, LGLC executive director. "Their gifts pay our holding expenses for these lands as we continue to fundraise to pay off the loans. This year has been even more critical than most because New York State has pushed many, if not all of its land acquisition projects to the unknown future so we cannot realistically forecast how long we must hold the land."
On Feb. 27, the conservancy ended nearly two decades of negotiations when it closed on the Gabriel land, known as the Last Great Shoreline project. With this acquisition, the conservancy also took a leap into debt in order to finance the purchase. The cost of the land was $4 million with another $300,000 of project expenses, the largest dollar purchase in LGLC history and the largest mortgage ever undertaken.
Nearly one year earlier, on Jan. 22, 2008, LGLC purchased the 1,436-acre Berry Pond tract in southern Lake George, marking the organization's largest acreage purchased at one time from a single landowner. The $2.654 million purchase, made possible through a loan from the Open Space Conservancy and funding provided by the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation and other private donors, was an integral step in the West Brook Conservation Initiative as the property includes the headwaters of West Brook. LGLC must raise around $175,000 annually to meet mortgage requirements.
"We are thrilled that we were able to protect these parcels and have already opened public trails on both Berry Pond and the Last Great Shoreline," Williams said. "However, both of these purchases are heavily mortgaged so we are responsible for large payments each quarter. Our current debt is over $6 million, which is a large number for a small land trust. Just as public radio fundraises from their listeners, we hope that those who use the lake appreciate the protected lands that protect the beauty of Lake George and, as they consider year-end donations, they will send a check to LGLC. There are other lands around the lake which we would like to protect, but our acquisitions are essentially at a standstill until we pay for these two purchases."
LGLC has built over a mile of hiking trails to lead hikers through diverse ecological systems, including along parts of the Sucker Brook wetlands, to the view of forested hills and mountains of Vermont and to a view of Lake George.
The land contains approximately 35 acres of wetlands (reportedly including a rare white-cedar swamp), which provides important food and breeding sites for amphibians, birds and mammals. These Sucker Brook wetlands provide a natural filtration system, contributing to the pristine water quality of Lake George. In addition, the legendary Jumping Rock, rising approximately 30 feet above the lake, is situated on the northern shore and will be preserved forever as an LGLC preserve.
Peregrine falcons are nesting alongside the steep cliffs of Record Hill. Ospreys were seen flying across Warwick Road daily as they found food for their young in the wetlands. A copy of the full report, "A Preliminary Study of the Avifauna of Lake George, N.Y.," can be found at www.lglc.org/ScienceStewardship/Birds-Of-Lake-George.asp.
