Rotary members
LAKE PLACID — Steve Detwiler, president of the Rotary Club of Lake Placid, has announced the recent induction of four new members into the local service club. The new members were inducted into Rotary by club member John Huttlinger during Club ceremonies in June and November.

They were:

  James Donnelly, superintendent, Lake Placid Central School. He was sponsored by Rotarian Ernie Stretton.

  Debbie McLean, co-owner and operator of The UPS Store in Lake Placid. She was sponsored by Rotarian Tina Leonard.

  Zay B. Curtis, a principal of Curtis & Bissonette financial planners in Lake Placid. Curtis was sponsored by Rotarian Randy Quayle.

  The Rev. Brock Baker, pastor of St. Eustace Episcopal Church in Lake Placid. Rev. Baker was sponsored by Rotarian Zay Curtis and by Father Carlos Caguiat, secretary of the Rotary Club of Lake Placid.

The Rotary Club of Lake Placid supports numerous local, national and international service programs and projects with an active membership that strives to fulfill the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self.

The club was chartered in 1994 and meets weekly each Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at the Howard Johnsons Restaurant. Membership inquiries are welcomed and more information about the club can be obtained by visiting www.rotarylakeplacid.org.

New providers
ALBANY — Fidelis Care, the New York State Catholic Health Plan, serving more than 443,000 members in 42 counties across New York State, has welcomed several Plattsburgh providers to its expanding network.

They are Adirondack Interventional Physiatry, PC, physical medicine and rehabilitation, 85 Plaza Blvd., Suite 102; Kelly Ecker, LCSW, 19 Trackside; Britt-Marie McDowell, licensed mental-health counselor, 22 U.S. Oval, Suite 120; Judith Noiseux, LCSW, 110 West Bay Plaza; Perkins Chiropractic and Physical Therapy, PLLC, 87 Hammond Lane; and Yankee Medical Inc., durable medical equipment, 175 Boynton Ave.

"As Fidelis Care continues to grow, our goal is to ensure that local residents have access to the health-care services they need and deserve," said Fidelis Care President and CEO Mark L. Lane.

Fidelis Care is one of the largest health plans offering government-sponsored health programs in New York state. It was founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Through the Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus and Medicaid programs, members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, hospital and emergency care, eye exams, dental care and more.

Fidelis Care offers Fidelis Medicare Advantage in 22 counties and Fidelis Dual Advantage for residents eligible for Medicaid and Medicare in 17 counties. Partners in Community Care (PICC), a managed, long-term-care program for adults, is available in Orange and Rockland counties.

Fidelis Care members have access to a provider network of more than 30,000 health-care professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Rego Park (Queens), Albany, Syracuse and Amherst with satellite offices in Poughkeepsie and Rochester.

Individuals seeking affordable health insurance coverage should contact Fidelis Care toll-free at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547).

Cell-phone drive
PLATTSBURGH — Cell Phones for Soldiers and Garvey Hyundai are calling on all Americans to support more than 150,000 troops who are serving overseas by donating unused cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect more than 50,000 cell phones this year to help keep troops connected with their families.

"Over the past few years, we have been amazed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue," said Brittany Bergquist, Cell Phones for Soldiers co-founder. "It is easy for Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones and providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas." Local residents can support the collection drive by donating their phones at Garvey Hyundai, 271 Tom Miller Rd., Plattsburgh. They can be reached at 324-7007. "We're proud to show our support for U.S. soldiers and to contribute to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soliders," said Garvey representative Nathan Smith.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.

Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones and prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.

The donated phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each phone — enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad.

Approximately half of the phones ReCellular processes are reconditioned and resold to wholesale companies in more than 40 countries around the world. Phones and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and recycled to reclaim materials.

Science fair, scholarships
PLATTSBURGH — Clinton Community College and the SUNY Plattsburgh have announced the second annual Champlain Valley Regional Science Fair to be held Saturday, April 25, in the Stafford Science and Technology Building at Clinton Community College. The fair will be sponsored by The Development Corporation of Clinton County and, for the first time, will offer college scholarships.

"This will allow us to offer college scholarships as well as financial support for teachers in an effort to stimulate interest in science careers among area students," said Michele Snyder, associate professor of biology at Clinton Community College. "Participation in science-fair projects energizes students as they learn that science is a process of discovery which taps into their innate curiosity about the natural world."

The college scholarships will range from $200 to $600 and will be offered to high-school participants.

Students in grades 7-12 from Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties, as well as all of the schools within the Champlain Valley Education Services district, may participate. All high-school students are expected to present the results of a true scientific investigation in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science or environmental science, while middle-school students may present research and demonstration projects. Students, teachers and judges can find more information and application forms online at champlainvalleysciencefair.org.

For more information, contact Snyder at 562-4334, michele.snyder@clinton.edu, or Bob Fuller at 518-564-2028, robert.fuller@plattsburgh.edu.

Winter social

SCHROON LAKE — The Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce is having a Winter Social Gathering on Thursday, Jan. 22, at The Tavern at Schroon Lake restaurant with a social hour and cash bar from 6-7 p.m.

The dinner will be at 7. The cost for the dinner is $21 per person, all inclusive. Reservations are required. Contact the Schroon Lake Chamber Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 532-7675.

The deadline for reservations is Thursday, Jan. 15, along with a check for payment of the dinner.

The dinner will be open to everyone. Participants can bring a friend and enjoy an evening of socializing with friends and business community members.

The chamber also will be accepting monetary donations for the local food pantry at the dinner. Each $5 collected will purchase more than $30 worth of food for the food pantry.

Organizing services
LAKE CLEAR — Adirondack Organized Solutions is looking to make a difference during Get Organized Month by volunteering services to a not-for-profit organization in the local community.

Anyone who belongs to or knows of a not-for-profit organization that would benefit from such services may contact Gloria Volz at 891-0024 or www.AdkOrganizedSolutions.com. All inquiries must be received by Jan. 14. Adirondack Organized Solutions will choose a final recipient for this community-service project on Jan. 15.

National Get Organized Month, sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), celebrates the benefits of organization and working with NAPO professional organizers.

The celebration will promote the benefits of getting and staying organized including time and money savings, increased productivity, improved quality of life and reduced stress. To find out more, visit www.napo.net.

Get Organized Month is also a time to give back to local communities. Schools, local businesses and community agencies have all benefited from NAPO's help to get organized, streamline processes and reduce clutter.

The premier national association dedicated to the field of organizing, NAPO is the organizing authority. Since forming in 1985 as a nonprofit professional association, NAPO has grown to nearly 4,300 members. It is dedicated to serving its members through education, networking, industry resources and promoting the profession to the public.

Bank recognized
PLATTSBURGH — Adirondack Bank recently earned a four-star rating from both BauerFinancial Inc., the nation's leading independent bank-research firm, and Bankrate Inc., the Web's leading aggregator of financial rate information.

BauerFinancial uses a complex formula of criteria factoring in current and historical data. The financial institution's capital ratio, financial/loss trend, level of delinquent loans and repossessed assets, reserves, regulatory compliance, proposed regulations, asset quality and other factors are considered in the calculations. This four-star rating earns Adirondack Bank a spot on Bauer's Recommended Bank Report and indicates that the bank is a financial institution that is safe, financially sound and is operating well above its regulatory capital requirements.

Bankrate Inc. uses a proprietary system designed to provide information on the relative financial strength and stability of U.S. financial institutions. The system applies 22 tests to measure each institution's capital adequacy, asset quality, profitability and liquidity. Individual performance levels are determined from publicly available regulatory filings and are compared to asset-size peer norms, industry standards and key absolute benchmarks.

"We are proud of the fact that we have earned a four-star rating from both research firms, each a leader in their field," Adirondack Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Gary W. Kavney said. "We are also proud of the team of professionals that we have assembled here at Adirondack Bank."

Adirondack Bank is a full-service community bank with 17 locations throughout upstate New York and executive headquarters at 185 Genesee Street in Utica. The bank was founded more than 100 years ago and currently employs more than 150 people.

Business workshops
PLATTSBURGH — Owners and managers of restaurants, cafes, bistros, sports bars and other food-service establishments will gain insights, learn proven concepts and discover hands-on tools to control expenses and increase profits from a seminar slated for Wednesday, Jan. 7.

"From Kitchen to Profits" will be held from 8-11 a.m. at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 7061 Route 9 in Plattsburgh. Presented by Andy Allison and Rick Leibowitz of the North Country Small Business Development Center, this workshop will expose attendees to a new paradigm for menu development, best practices for controlling expenses and ideas on how to create memorable guest experiences as well as what key performance indicators they should be tracking with the ultimate goal of developing a culture of excellence.

Allison is a business adviser and food-service specialist at the North Country SBDC. He has a wealth of experience in the food industry as a manager and food director. He has worked at a five-star hotel; Disneyland and Walt Disney World; prestigious retail supermarket companies; a tennis and golf resort; and fast-food establishments, as well as serving as a caterer for a private food company.

Leibowitz is the regional director of the North Country SBDC. He has a degree in environmental planning/design from Rutgers University. He opened his first food-service business, a bagel store, in Ewing, N.J., in 1991. Then, over a 16-year period, he continued his foray in the food-and-beverage industry as the owner and operator of four other food establishments in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Alaska. In addition to managing his own operations, he served as a consultant for the opening of privately held food establishments and as a food-and-beverage executive for two international corporations.

The fee for the seminar is $20 for chamber members and $30 for non-members. A continental breakfast will be provided. Pre-registration is requested by Monday. To register, contact the chamber at 563-1000 or register online at www.northcountrychamber.com/MBTP/eventspage.cfm.

  Entrepreneurs are invited to participate in two training sessions on QuickBooks software to learn how to better manage their businesses.

A QuickBooks Intermediate Skills class will be held Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 6-8 p.m., and a QuickBooks Payroll Skills class is slated for Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 6- 8 p.m.

The workshops will be presented by Molly LaMountain, a certified QuickBooks Pro adviser and a staff member of Abbott, Frenyea, Russell and Coffey P.C., certified public accountants. Both sessions will be held in the Peterson Accounting Lab located in Redcay Hall at the School of Business and Economics on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.

The first workshop on Jan. 14 is a hands-on demonstration of creating budgets, recording checks and deposits, accounts receivable and payable, bank reconciliations and reports.

The second workshop on Jan. 21 will feature QuickBooks payroll setup, creating and editing payroll items, setting up and paying employees, payroll taxes and reports, quarterly payroll tax forms and preparation of 1099 forms.

The fee for each workshop is $35. Pre-registration is requested by Jan. 9, as seating is limited. To register, contact the North Country Small Business Development Center at 564-2042.

  The SBDC is offering a workshop for individuals who want to start their own business but do not know where to begin. The workshop will provide information about what to do before hanging up an "open for business" sign.

The SBDC at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh will present this Business Basics seminar in its offices at 194 US Oval, Room 220, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Rick Leibowitz, North Country SBDC regional director, will discuss the steps needed to start a business, including answering such questions as "When should I register my company?" and "Do I need a federal ID number?" Prospective business owners will learn about writing a business plan, which is a guide for the start-up phase and a list of goals as the business grows. Leibowitz will also explain how to research potential markets for a new product or service and how to evaluate the chance of business success before investing money.

Entrepreneurs will also receive an overview of financing options available to new businesses, including information on SBA loan guarantees, what a banker looks for when evaluating a business-loan application, alternative lenders and other financing options.

The seminar is free and open to the public. Pre-registration by Jan. 26 is requested. To register, contact the North Country SBDC by calling 564-2042 or register by e-mail to sbdc@plattsburgh.edu.

The North Country SBDC, part of the School of Business and Economics at SUNY Plattsburgh, works one-on-one in a confidential setting with emerging, existing and expanding entrepreneurs. The staff has provided services at no cost to clients in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and northern Washington counties for more than 22 years.

The North Country SBDC is part of a statewide program funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and New York State. Visit the North Country SBDC online at www.BizEssentials.org.