Money raised
PLATTSBURGH — The Halloween Festival held Oct. 24 at Plattsburgh Housing Outlet collected $4,200 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Burlington, Vt., for a lifetime total donation of more than $33,000.
A total of 175 children and their families enjoyed the festivities of the day despite a steady rain. Participants were asked to make a $1 donation to trick or treat in Plattsburgh Housing Outlet's display homes, staffed and sponsored by area businesses and organizations. Many of the businesses got into the spirit of the day by decorating the porch of their home and dressing in costume.
Children participated in arts and crafts and enjoyed cider and Munchkins doughnuts. The kids enjoyed a magic show in the warm service waiting area in Della Honda.
The Adirondack Safe Kids offered a car-seat check and replaced seats, if needed. Town of Plattsburgh Fire District 3 gave fire-truck tours and gave out fire-safety information. The Clinton County Sheriffs Department provided Child IDs featuring the child's picture and fingerprints, which are kept in a state database.
"It is a fun community event where children can trick or treat in a controlled environment and families can learn valuable safety lessons," said Michelle LaBounty, marketing director for Plattsburgh Housing Outlet. "It is hard to believe that this was our 10th year."
LaBounty presented the proceeds to Pam Fenimore, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House, to continue its support of families in need. For more information, contact LaBounty at 563-8250, Ext. 21. Photos from the event are available at www.plattsburghhousing.com.
Appointments announced
PLATTSBURGH —The law firm of Stafford, Piller, Murnane, Plimpton, Kelleher & Trombley, PLLC, has elected a new managing member, Susanna Piller, and a new secretary for the company, Thomas Murnane. The firm recently reorganized after the election of Bill Owens to Congress and his resignation from the firm.
Piller has been with the firm since 1993 and focuses her practice in the areas of corporate law, commercial transactions and real-estate law. She is also a member and past president of the Board of Directors of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Foundation Inc., as well as a board member of the Plattsburgh/North Country Chamber of Commerce and Plattsburgh State University Business School Advisory Council.
Murnane has been with the firm since 1985, and focuses his practice in all areas of real-estate law including residential and commercial real estate, zoning and planning. He also represents clients and businesses in workers' compensation cases, municipal and general litigation, and criminal matters.
He is a past president of the Clinton County Bar Association and is counsel to the Village of Rouses Point and numerous planning boards and zoning boards of appeals throughout Clinton County.
Stafford, Piller, Murnane, Plimpton, Kelleher & Trombley, PLLC, is a full-service, local law firm, which has been assisting the North Country with its legal needs for decades. It offers services to clients in the area of business and commercial law, litigation, labor and employment law, probate and estate planning, municipal law, real estate and matrimony and family law.
For more information, call Susanna Pillcr, Esq. at 561-4400.
Meetings scheduled
PLATTSBURGH — The Lake City Referrals chapter of Business Network International (BNI) meets each Thursday at 7 a.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, at Dino's Restaurant in the Wilson's Appliance Plaza on Route 3.
Meetings are held from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and visitors are welcome. For further information or a reservation to attend, call Maureen Carlo at 726-0699.
Grant received
WESTPORT — Westport Central School has received a $750 grant from the Exxon-Mobil Educational Alliance program to support the school's character-education program.
Matthew Pollock, manager of Westport Service Midway Oil Corp. in Westport, worked with school officials to secure the grant, which is one of 2,400 available to schools across the country served by Exxon or Mobil stations.
"Westport Central School works hard to make learning interesting and fun," Pollock said in a news release. "As an Exxon/Mobil retailer, I am proud to help young people of Westport."
The Exxon-Mobil Educational Alliance program is designed to provide Exxon and Mobil retailers with opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools. Exxon-Mobil believes that, as members of the community, local retailers are best qualified to work with local educators to help identify schools and programs most in need of support.
Toys for kids
PLATTSBURGH — Dressbarn is partnering with Toys for Tots to help bring a toy, a smile and a sense of hope to some of the 14 million children living in poverty.
To ensure no child goes empty handed this Christmas, dressbarn is launching its Toys for Tots drive for the second year in a row. The toy collection will take place through Dec. 15. During this time, dressbarn stores across the country, including the Plattsburgh location at Smithfield Boulevard, will encourage residents to donate new, unwrapped toys by giving customers who donate 15 percent off their purchase of a regular-priced item. All of the toys collected will be given to children in the community.
"We at the Plattsburgh dressbarn location are proud the company is taking part in this important effort again," said Crystal Kandravi. "We invite the local community to join us in spreading holiday cheer to those who need it most."
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program objectives are to help less-fortunate children throughout the country experience the joy of Christmas, to play an active role in the development of children, to unite all members of local communities, and to contribute to better communities in the future. By providing an example of success, the program aspires to steer children into becoming more responsible and productive citizens.
For more information on dressbarn in Plattsburgh, or its participation in the Toys for Tots Drive, call 563-2019.
Free admission
NORTH POLE — To help spread Christmas cheer this holiday season, Santa would like to thank all active military personel for their dedicated service to their country by offering a free visit to his Santa's Workshop in North Pole.
Today, Santa is opening his gates to all active military personnel and their families. Active military ID is required. Hours of operation at Santa's Workshop are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with the entrance closing at 3 p.m.
For more information, call 946-2212, Ext. 140 or email info@northpoleny.com. For more information about Santa's Workshop, visit www.NorthPoleNY.com.
Restaurant honored
WILLSBORO — November 2009 brings to close an era, Gourmet Magazine has published it's last issue. But highlighted in the Gourmet Travels section of this final issue, Turtle Island Café of Willsboro is recognized as a "great restaurant," bringing the best of the local farms to the table.
Starting off with "Into the Great Wide Open," the article, written by Nanette Maxim, exposes the bounty offered by the Adirondacks and the movement occurring to bring that bounty from the local farms to the tables of the local restaurants. Nanette further states that the North Country's "foragers, cheese makers, chefs, and pork, beef and poultry producers have put the North Country on the culinary map."
It was the Adirondack Harvest, a non-profit organization linking local farms to local restaurants and markets, that exposed Nanette to Turtle Island Café's philosophy of food. It is based upon the concept of eco-gastronomy — recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet.
Turtle Island Café considers themselves co-producers because, by being informed about how and where the food is produced and actively supporting those who produce it, they become a part and a partner in the production process. At Turtle Island Café, every effort is made to use local farmers who practice sustainable methods and beliefs for their produce, cheeses, dairy and meats. The fish and seafood purchased is only wild-caught and of sustainable species.
Turtle Island Café is owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team, Chef David Martin and Mimi Lane. Their goal is to provide fabulous food in a casual and friendly environment, bringing only the freshest to the table. Martin, as a high-honors graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, has more than 20 years experience as a chef in the restaurant business creating unique and flavorful dishes.
Turtle Island Café is located five miles from the Essex Ferry Dock on Lake Champlain.
Vacation Web site
LAKE PLACID — Engel & Volkers Lake Placid Real Estate, a leading full-service real estate property shop in Lake Placid for the last 30 years, has announced the launch of a new vacation rental Web site, www.lakeplacidvacationhomes.com.
A world-renowned, four-seasons resort destination, Lake Placid is known for hosting two Olympics and is a haven for outdoor and recreational enthusiasts. Offering something for everyone, the region is a destination to more than 2 million overnight visitors per year.
In an effort to enhance the vacation-rental experience and increase guest satisfaction, users can browse premium vacation rental properties backed by superior customer service. The Web site is a complete online vacation-rental property management solution designed to streamline customer bookings and maximize the marketing presence of managed properties.
The site employs new technology to provide users with an increased selection of booking options, easy-to-use intuitive interface designed to easily create and modify bookings, a real-time booking calendar, improved guest communication, testimonials and enhanced property information.
Property owners benefit from increased exposure on the Web and a back-end property-management system that allows them to monitor and update their property information in real time. The site is driven by Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and customized Web site content for the Lake Placid market to promote maximum online travel traffic and increased bookings.
"Nearly 75 percent of vacation-rental searches start online. Our site provides users with a visually stimulating platform and easy-to-use tools to make their vacation rental search effortless," said Christina Eccleston, vacation rental manager.
Engel & Völkers is a 30-year veteran and leader in the luxury real estate market with 391 shops in 32 countries around the world. It offers clients exclusive service, unique tools and proven operating and marketing programs. The Lake Placid property shop is located at 2284 Saranac Avenue.
For more information, visit www.lakeplacidvacationhomes.com or call 800-724-8778.
