New associates
PLATTSBURGH — Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP has named two new associates: Kathleen A. Copps and Nicole S. Gemmiti.

Copps, of Clifton Park, was a summer associate at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna in 2008. Previously, she worked as a legal intern in the Warren County District Attorney's office and as an intern with the Honorable Leslie E. Stein. In addition, she is the author of the law review article titled Nicholson v. Scopetta: The Good, The Bad & The Future: An Analysis of the Effects & Suggestions for Further Improvements, 72 ALB. L. REV. 497 (2009).

Copps attended the Rochester Institute of Technology where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Arts & Science and graduated with highest honors. She went on to Albany Law School of Union University, graduating summa cum laude in May 2009.

Gemmiti, of Guilderland, also worked as a summer associate at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna in 2008. Prior to joining Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, she interned at KPMG LLP and the Office of Financial Administration for the New York State Comptroller.

Gemmiti graduated from St. John's University School of Law in 2009. Prior to attending law school, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, summa cum laude, from Western New England College.

Food-tasting event
PLATTSBURGH — Tickets are now on sale for one of the most delicious events of the year: Taste of the North Country will be held on Nov. 12 at the SUNY Field House.

This event combines a food/beverage tasting experience with an auction. The auction preview begins at 5 p.m. followed by the silent auction and tasting from 5:30-7. Auctioneer Steve Martin and MC Matt Boire will cap off the evening with the live auction at 7.

Attendees will enjoy sampling specialties from area restaurants and vendors while they bid on hundreds of auctions items. Restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, travel packages, savings bonds, greens fees, gas cards and gift baskets are just a few of the many items up for bid. To see a complete list of vendors and auction items, visit www.northcountrychamber.com.

Tickets to Taste of the North Country are $12 per person before Nov. 5 or $18 after that. The event is sponsored by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and Saranac Power Partners/North Country Gas Pipeline.

Call the chamber at 563-1000 for more information or to purchase tickets.



Council mixer
LAKE PLACID — The Essex County Business Council invites area business people to its monthly networking event Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Pines Inn, 2303 Saranac Ave., Lake Placid.

Guests will enjoy complimentary hors d' oeuvres, free beer and wine and live music by Split Rock. The band plays until 8:30, so everyone is invited to stay for an evening of networking and fun.

Business After Hours is open to members of the Essex County Business Council, the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and partner chambers. Not-yet-members are encouraged to contact the Essex County Business Council for a special guest pass. Admission is $2.

For more information or to make reservations, call Arlene at 523-2445, Ext. 133.

Grant received
PLATTSBURGH — The Lyon Mountain Volunteer Fire Department is a recipient of a 2009 Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade grant. Chosen out of more than 100 firefighting units in Georgia-Pacific facility communities in 28 states, the Lyon Mountain department will receive $5,000 to purchase new firefighter gear ensembles.

"The Plattsburgh facility was very pleased to see one of our local fire departments selected as a grant recipient. During tough economic conditions, this $5,000 grant is great news for the Lyon Mountain Fire Department, and we are proud to recognize them with this grant," said Facility Manager Kirk Stallsmith.

The Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade is a national program that recognizes the contributions of fire departments in communities with Georgia-Pacific facilities. Launched in 2006, the initiative has contributed approximately $500,000 to rural and small-town fire units across the United States. The program supports firefighters with product and cash donations for programming and purchasing necessary equipment, and safety-education materials for presentations in local schools.

"I want to thank GP for what they do to support local volunteer firefighters. When firefighters respond to a call, the first thing I think about is their safety and if they have the right equipment to perform the job," said Lyon Mountain Fire Chief Bill Durnin Jr. "The grant money we received from GP will be used to replace outdated turn-out gear that our department has been trying to replace for many years."

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the majority of the fire departments in the United States are either run by volunteers or are mostly comprised of volunteers working beside career firefighters. These departments also are the primary providers of emergency and rescue services in their areas.

"We appreciate the work that volunteer and small-town fire departments do in our facility communities all across this country," said Jim Hannan, CEO and president of Georgia-Pacific. "Because many of our employees also serve as volunteer firefighters, we understand the demands on these units and their need for equipment and financial support. The Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade program allows us to show our appreciation for the essential services they provide."

All Bucket Brigade applicants also receive membership into the NVFC, the leading nonprofit association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides valuable tools, resources, programs and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.

Week celebrated
TICONDEROGA — Hundreds of Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union (TFCU) members participated in TFCU's Credit Union Week celebration the week of Oct. 12.

The week of activities culminated with the first annual barbeque at the Elizabethtown branch on Oct. 16. TFCU staff served several hundred free lunches throughout the week at the Port Henry branch on the 14th, at the Ticonderoga main office on the 15th and offered free cider and cider doughnuts to members at all branch locations on the 13th.

Members' entries in the Celebrating 55 Years Contest were drawn and announced during the week. Five winners were each awarded $55 cash prizes. The winners were Norman Swift, Toni Mowery, Patricia Barber, Sharon Bashaw and LeAnn Pierce.

International Credit Union Week commemorates the important role that credit unions have played in their communities. Credit unions exist to serve their members, credit union officials say, especially during tough times like those being experienced today. Instead of issuing stock or paying dividends to outside shareholders, credit unions provide value to their members by returning earnings in the form of lower loan rates, higher interest rates and lower or no transaction fees.

TFCU is a not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution offering membership to people who live, work, worship or attend school in, or have businesses or legal entities located in, Essex County, Washington County or the towns of Hague, Horicon and Chester. TFCU operates branches at Route 9N in Ticonderoga, at Meacham Street in Port Henry, at Court Street in Elizabethtown and can be found online at www.tfcunow.com.

Utility bills
PLATTSBURGH — National Grid customers who want to learn more about managing their energy costs have a new Web tool that's ready to help. "Inside Your Bill," a new Web feature, offers a detailed explanation of charges and information on how customers can manage their energy use and lower their costs.

Customers can link to the new feature at www.nationalgridus.com by selecting their region and clicking on the "Inside Your Bill" logo.

"We provide comprehensive bills to our customers to give them a complete picture of their costs," said Tom King, president of National Grid in the U.S. "This new tool adds another dimension to the information we provide customers and a 'roadmap' to help them understand their bill, the different components within it, and how to manage those costs."

In addition to detailed information about customer bills, the National Grid Web site includes information about various payment options, energy-supply costs, tools to report outages and submit service orders, real-time outages by county and more.

Customers can call the National Grid Customer Call Center at 1-800-642-4272 with specific questions about their bill.

For customers interested in learning more about saving energy and about valuable rebates for the installation of energy-efficient products, National Grid offers a variety of energy-efficiency tips and information at www.powerofaction.com.