PROGRESSChenango 2011

Published by The Evening Sun

08SECTION

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Fast Facts

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Sheffield Bio-Scienceworks hard to findthe right formula in acompetitive market.

PAGE 49

Tops Friendly Marketsreturned to a healthydowntown marketplacein Norwich.

PAGE 50

See how the BID andMerchants Associationwork to bring life todowntown Norwich.

PAGE 54

The amount visitors contributed tothe local economy in 2009,according to a tourism impactreport released by Empire StateDevelopment in 2010.

$26M DESTINATION: CHENANGO

Pumpkin FestivalMaybe it’s because Mother Nature

didn’t do her traditional torrentialdownpour this year, but there were

5,779 carved jack-o-lanterns at the 12th Annu-al Norwich Pumpkin Festival in October 2010.

The Pumpkin Festival, held in the city’s Eastand West parks, begins at noon Friday and runsuntil Saturday night.

The two-day event, which typically drawsbetween 3,000 and 5,000 spectators through-out the weekend, is an opportunity for resi-dents county-wide to enjoy a variety of games,contests, activities and entertainment, accord-ing to Pumpkin Festival coordinator Pegi LoPresti.

“There’s literally a contest or activity for everyone and I think it’sgreat that we can offer all of these activities free for the community,”LoPresti said,

Throughout the festival, the thousands of pumpkins are arranged on apyramid of scaffolds at the center of town and on shelves along thestreet. At dusk Saturday, they’re lit, and the event concludes with an offi-cial pumpkin tally at 9 p.m., followed by a fireworks show.

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The festival is free, featuring live music, dancers, street performers, balloon artists,crafters, costume contests (dogs and people), bake off, wagon rides, a petting zoo,kid’s bounce house, and numerous children’s activities, including the YMCA’s Hal-loween Parade.

Wagner Nineveh

Five years ago the lumber mill now operated as Wagner Nineveh was under 7 feet of water. Today, the facility employs 50 people and producesmore than 12 million board feet of furniture-grade hardwood lumber per year.

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MMii ll llAfton sawmill rises from the flood

BY MELISSA STAGNARO

The Evening Sun

Few people in ChenangoCounty will ever forgetthe summer of 2006,

when heavy rains causedboth the Chenango andSusquehanna Rivers andmany smaller tributaries tooverflow their banks.

Calvin Tallmadge vividly recallsthe aftermath, not only to the Aftoncommunity he calls home, but alsoto the lumber mill he managed.

“It was pretty devastating,” Tall-madge said, remembering thefloodwaters which rose to sevenfeet within the mill, then operatedas Pomeroy Lumber. He has pic-tures showing the water above thedoor frames, and floating boards ofthe soft maple. Pictures he took,incidentally, from a boat he and theformer owner of the mill used tosurvey the damage inside the struc-ture.

Tallmadge, who had worked atPomeroy since 1998, was directedby the owner to contact the mill’s

other employees. The message hewas asked to relay to all 27 was,“We were done.”

“All the guys showed up here,”he recalled. Like Tallmadge, theyweren’t ready to see their liveli-hood washed away by the floodwa-ters.

According to the Afton man, thesite was basically a 4-acre pond. Ittook three or four days to pump outthe water which remained evenafter the floodwaters receded, andit was six weeks before the millwas operational again.

They didn’t have to go it alone.A previous relationship betweenthe mill and Wagner Lumber Com-pany proved to be their salvation.The Owego-based outfit leased thefacility, purchased the inventoryand put everyone back to work.

There as some uncertainty, how-ever, about whether it would onlybe a temporary reprieve.

Wagner’s Head of Procurement,Tom Gerow, credits the ChenangoCounty Industrial DevelopmentAgency and its executive directorMaureen Carpenter for makingWagner’s purchase of the Pomeroyfacility possible.

“They aided in creating incen-tives and did all they could to makesure jobs would stay in ChenangoCounty,” he said.

Despite opposition from somemembers of the Afton community,the CCIDA granted Wagner a Pay-ment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT)agreement - essentially reducingthe company’s tax town, countyand school tax liability by approxi-mately $161,000 over the 10-yearterm of the agreement.

The CCIDA also helped the

company secure a $100,000 grantfrom Empire State Developmentbased on Wagner’s pledge to add10 positions and invest $4.4 mil-lion in the facility. The mill’s pur-chase price was included in thatinvestment.

“It is very unlikely that a lesscapitalized sawmill would havemade it through the economicdownturn of 2008-2009 - and con-tinuing to this day - and for theIDA to help facilitate the purchasemade the decision to purchase eas-ier,” Gerow said.

In the final days of 2001, theTioga County company followedthrough with the $1.525 millionacquisition, and Wagner Ninevehwas born.

According to the parent compa-ny’s “Head Coach,” BruceRichards, they had already begunto upgrade and overhaul the mill’sexisting equipment with an eye onincreasing efficiency, reliabilityand production.

“I don’t think there’s a machinewe haven’t touched,” said

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48 PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUNPROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

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Wagner Nineveh

Success born of adversity –Tallmadge, who has contin-

ued on in his role as the mill’smanager.

Another of their top priori-ties was changing the “land-scape” of the roughly 20-acresite to ensure the mill wouldnever again be devastated bya flood like it was in 2006.

“We spent a year with doz-ers and excavators,” Richardssaid. The work includedbuilding a berm and regrad-ing most of those 20 acres.

There have also been somenew construction, including anew structure around the de-barking area and a new stor-age area for the chips whichare a lucrative byproduct ofthe lumber mill’s process.

The new way the chips arehandled gives the companygreater flexibility in how theyare marketed, and therebygreater profit, Gerowexplained.

“Everything we’ve donehere has a pay back,” saidRichards.

As a result of the improve-ments Wagner has made, pro-duction at the facility hasincreased substantially. Priorto the flood, the mill pro-duced between 8 and 10 mil-lion board feet of lumberannually. Today, that numberexceeds 12 MBF.

According to Richards, thecompany has already exceed-ed its pledged investment inthe facility. It has alsoexceeded its projections forjob creation. Fifty peoplenow work at Wagner Nin-eveh, up from the 27 they ini-tially employed.

“A lot of them are fromright here in Chenango Coun-ty,” Tallmadge said.

The Nineveh operation,located on County Road 26 inthe Town of Afton, is one ofthree mills operated by theWagner Lumber Company.As a whole, the companyemploys more than 250 peo-ple and bills itself as both thelargest purchaser of hard-wood logs and producer ofhardwood lumber in the state,and perhaps the Northeast.

“We purchase standing tim-ber and logs ... from the Hud-son Valley to Buffalo; andfrom Watertown down toWilliamsport, Pennsylvania,”said Gerow.

As a company, they pur-chase as many as 15,000 trac-tor trailer loads of logs peryear, 3,000 to 4,000 of which

find their way to the Chenan-go County mill.

“These generally comefrom an 8 or 10 county regionin Upstate New York,” theforester said.

According to Gerow, Wag-ner Nineveh produces furni-ture-grade grade hardwoodlumber, two thirds of whichare employed in the furniture,cabinetry and flooring mar-kets. The remaining third isused primarily for pallets andrailroad ties.

“A tree cut in ChenangoCould end up in Europe ... orSoutheast Asia,” heexplained, as approximately70 percent of what is pro-duced in Afton is exported tomanufacturers overseas.

Some of it returns as fin-ished furniture products,Richards said.

“When you ship it farenough, it becomes exotic,”he laughed.

As many as 25 products ofdifferent grade, thickness andcolor are manufactured fromeach log. The mill’s sortingabilities allow it to connectdirectly to customers, Gerowadded.

Byproducts - such as saw-dust, chips and bark - are allmarketed as well.

“We don’t waste any of it,”said Tallmadge.

The company also re-sellsany logs they purchase whichdoes not specifically meet theneeds of the mill – whetherthat be timber which is of alower grade or more valuablelogs better suited for high-end products like veneer.

“We can market every-thing,” Gerow explained.

About half of the logsprocessed at Wagner Ninevehare either red oak or sugarmaple, he said. They handleother species of hardwood aswell including ash, cherry,white oak, red/soft maple,walnut, butternut, basswood,hickory, poplar and birch.The mill is cleaned thorough-ly between each.

Inside the facility, each logis first debarked then passedthrough a metal detector.According to Tallmadge, it isnot uncommon to find nails,barbed wire, sap spigots, bul-lets and other bits of metalembedded in the wood. Thosemust be removed before thelogs can move on to the headsaw.

“It’s not ‘The Waltons,’”the mill manager commented,as he stepped inside the hightech control booth, fromwhich the laser-guided saw iscontrolled. The vertical bladeis employed to cut the roundlog into a square cant.

From there, the cant pro-ceeds to a second verticalsaw, and then a third saw,which is horizontal. Wasteproducts are continuouslytransported away on a vibrat-ing conveyor as finishedboards roll down the line tobe sorted and stacked.

“It’s come a long way,”Tallmadge said, talking aboutthe greater efficiencies whichhave been achieved sinceWagner took over.

According to Richards, thecredits the success of theoperation to Tallmadge andhis crew.

“They own the mill, notWagner,” he said.

In fact, he said they werethe deciding factors in Wagn-er’s purchase of the mill inthe first place.

“We weren’t real excitedabout the saw mill,” he said.“It was really the dedicationof the crew ... that tipped thescales. The group of peoplehere was outstanding.”

Labor continues to be thecompany’s greatest asset, hesaid, because decisions theymake in the saw booth and inthe mill affect the value of thefinal product. He singled outlongtime employees like TimTruman and Bob Strickland,both of whom have worked atthe mill for around 25 years.

“Guys like that are whatmakes this place sing,” hesaid.

Richards said the currentworkforce is filled with tal-ented people who see possi-bilities in every challenge andare filled with good ideas.

“It’s not going to be toolong before they don’t needme,” the head coach said.“Eventually these guys aregoing to figure out they cando it on their own.”

While that may be the case,Wagner Nineveh’s employees– particularly those who werepart of the former Pomeroycrew - are unlikely to forgetthe role their parent companyhad in the mill’s survival.

Tallmadge and Richardsboth agree, if Wagner hadn’tpurchased the facility, itwould now be just another ofthe empty sawmills across thestate rather than the thrivingbusiness it is today.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47

49PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUN PROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

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Sheffield Bio-Science

It’s all in the ingredientsBY TYLER MURPHY

The Evening Sun

Seeing the demandfor pharmaceuti-cal ingredients

fluctuate during therecession, Sheffield Bio-Scienc has adapted bydeveloping innovations inan industry where repu-tation is the differencebetween success andfailure.

The Norwich plant isowned by one of the largestfood ingredient companies inthe world, Kerry-Bio Science,an Irish international compa-ny, explained Process Techni-cal Director Phil Ham.

The company invested inthe pharmaceutical industryin 2004 and designated thebranch under the name ofSheffield Bio-Science withmore than ten other pharma-ceutical plants located aroundthe world.

The name was that of a for-mer pharmaceutical industrytitan that carried a well-known reputation and onceowned the Norwich plant.

“This is an industry werereputation is one of the mostimportant things. A companywho has a record of contami-nation or taking undue risk isnot going to last,” said Ham.“Customers trust the namesthat established reputationwho’ve been around for awhile.”

Today, Sheffield createstwo main products in Nor-wich: excipients andhydrolyzed proteins, whichare basically inert pharma-

ceutical filler and speciallytailored bacteria food, respec-tively.

While the most commonproduct made by theSheffield company in generalis excipients, the local plantgenerates its greatest incomefrom hydrolyzed proteins.

“Hydrolyzed proteins aremuch more expensive thanexcipients and are created in alonger and more extensiveprocess,” said Ham.

Ham explained in order tomake hydrolyzed proteins,Sheffield takes larger chemi-cal proteins based on soy,dairy products or meat. Usingenzymes technicians chop theproteins up into their morebasic components calledamino acids. Using specifictemperatures, time tables andpH content in a machinecalled a digester, staff can cutthese protein molecules intovery specific sizes and con-centrations.

Though these practices arebased on the process of bio-logical they can be very pre-dictable with many created onstrict measurements of time.However Ham said theprocess is very delicate andhighly monitored.

For example one type oflarge protein may be exposedto an enzyme, temperatureand pH for a set number ofdays then treated again with adifferent configuration of thethree to create a mix of differ-ent amino acids.

The specific amino acidsand their concentration arevery important because theseare essential for drug-produc-ing bacteria to eat.

Though the processes areexacting, Ham said theynever come out quite thesame and technicians have tomake minor adjustments.

“Anyone who’s worked inan industry depending onmicroorganisms knows thereis a certain variability,” hesaid.

After creating the right for-mula with the correct acids,the mixtures are “ultra fil-tered” said Ham.

Ham said the Norwichplant is “hygienic not asep-tic,” meaning the FDA allowscertain tolerances of minuteorganisms.

These organisms are killedfollowing the process andtheir microscopic remains fil-tered out. The final product isthen evaporated into a finepower and is now a specifi-cally created and sterile foodmedium for a customer’s bac-teria.

Sheffield’s pharmaceuticalcustomers own the rights togenetically modified or bredbacteria that generate anactive ingredient for a drugwhen they consume the prop-er food medium. Nearly allmodern pharmaceutical drugsare made in this fashion,explained Ham.

Sheffield was forced tomake cut backs in itshydrolyzed proteins depart-ments in 2009, but saw aslight recovery in 2010.Meanwhile demand for thecompany’s excipients, mainlylactose, saw demand rise by40 percent in 2010, nearlyoffsetting the losses by thehydrolyzed proteins market.

“We make over 20 million

pounds of product a year,most of that volume is excip-ients,” said Ham.

Apart from increasing lac-tose production, Sheffield hasbeen investing in developingnew products in 2010.

“Before last year, I was theonly product developer in thelab, but now there are four ofus working here,” said Prod-uct Development ScientistLisa Hagen.

In 2010, Sheffield saw therelease of a new type excipi-ent called LubriTose, a typeof filler that slides more easi-ly through a factory’s pillmaking machine, allowing aproducer to create more pillsin a shorter period of time.

Ham said the industryalready employed other lubri-cants in or on pills, a commonone being magnesiumstearate. However, Hamclaims not only does Lubri-Tose do a better job, but itallows manufacturers theability to rework formulas –something he explained wasvery difficult to do with mag-nesium stearate because itrequire specific temperaturesto work correctly.

“A specific temperature isneeded to use it properly andit can be very difficult torework it,” he said.

Sheffield began creatingLubriTose in 2007 and hasbeen carefully completingresearch and development atthe Norwich plant throughfederal and internal auditingand testing. Ham said theproduct is now being intro-duced to customers who arebeginning to perform theirown tests. “We’ve had a huge

response from customers onthis product and we foresee ahigh demand in 2011,” hesaid.

Ham said the companyhired more employees in itscoating and application labs.Application labs take devel-oped products and tailor themto an individual customer’sneeds.

“We made what I wouldcall large investments in newequipment in 2010 and enor-mous investments in people,”he said. Ham declined tocomment on the exact detailsof the plant’s expansion dueto the competitiveness in themarket.

Sheffield is constantly

monitored by the FederalFood and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) and faces severalaudits of a month from itscustomers. “It’s the nature ofthe business,” said Ham.

“As important to our busi-ness as any other process arethe logistics. The planning,the shipping, the regulatorydocumentation – we joke thatevery shipment of materialsthat goes out there’s a palletof paper work that needs togo with it. It takes constantattention to detail – the prop-er labels and language specif-ic to each customer and theconforming to regulations,”he said.

Product Development Scientist Lisa Hagen checks a pilotevaporator at a lab inside Sheffield Bio-Science in Norwich.

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New Business Roundup – Part II

City businesses are on the moveEditor’s Note: As part of

our ongoing business cover-age, Evening Sun reportersregularly do stories on newstores, restaurants and serv-ice businesses opening theirdoors in Chenango County.Here, we’ve asked eachreporter to review the busi-ness stories they covered in2010.

BY BRIAN GOLDEN

The Evening Sun

Despite the recentrecession and aslowly recovering

economy, the City of Nor-wich saw a number ofnew businesses open in2010 – from restau-rants to gift shops, evencorporate chains suchas Denny’s, Tops FriendlyMarkets and a soon-to-be-constructed ByrneDairy convenience storeand gas station.

Park PlaceLounge

In January of 2010, thePark Place Restaurant, 7 EastPark Place, expanded toinclude the Park PlaceLounge, offering a full selec-tion of food items from therestaurant’s menu, in additionto 12 varieties of wings andother appetizers.

The “mid-scale, family-friendly atmosphere” of thelounge has been a huge suc-cess, according to Park Placeco-owner Dave Cirello, andit’s become a favorite down-town hangout for the late-night crowd as well.

The lounge continues tooffer half-price appetizersbetween 4 and 6 p.m. sevendays a week, said Cirello,who’s added six new high-definition, flat-screen televi-sions and a challenging elec-tronic trivia game, which hasbecome extremely popularwith customers.

“It’s been going really welland we’ve had a very success-ful first year,” said Cirello.“It’s definitely met our expec-tations and we’re looking for-ward to even greater successin 2011.”

Caboose DinerIn late February, one of the

city’s most celebrated land-marks changed hands, as Mil-lie’s Diner – established inSeptember of 1976 – re-opened as the Caboose Diner,under the ownership ofKristina Passafiume.

A native of Sherburne andformer waitress, Passafiumemade some immediate

changes to the menu at thelong-time downtown fixture,adding some healthier andvegetation options. Theunique vibe of the little redcaboose on East Main Street,however, remains unchanged.

“I’ve enjoyed it, it’s aboutwhat I expected and I’ve def-initely seen the businessbuilding,” said Passafiume. “Isee new faces all the time andstill have many of the originalregulars coming in daily, butnow I’ve got a new bunch ofregulars also. There’s certain-ly more I’m planning to dobut I’ll take it little by little.”

Save MoreDiscountFurniture

Located in the North Plazajust outside the city, the SaveMore Discount FurnitureStore, originally found onlyin the Oneonta and Bingham-ton areas, officially openedfor business in mid-February.

Offering high-end furnitureat a discount price, SaveMore owner Leonard Hilldalesaid his business has grownsteadily thanks to his practiceof offering customers a bar-gain they can’t refuse.

Mike’sBarber Shop

Many downtown residentswere happy to see the red,white and blue barber pole onAmerican Avenue – a long-time fixture outside ofMario’s Barber Shop – spin-ning once again when MasterBarber Mike Titus openedMike’s Barber Shop.

A traditional barber shop inevery sense, Mike’s BarberShop offers men’s facials,haircuts and old-fashionedstraight razor shaves, accord-ing to Titus, who added Mas-ter Barber Danielle Monro tohis staff midway through2010.

While business started a lit-tle slow at first, Titus saidthings have begun to pick upin recent months.

“Customers are happy tosee an old-time barber shop, aplace where they can get adecent cut, at a decent price,and a shave if they want,”said Titus. “So far it’s beengreat. It’s been a good timeand I’d like to thank all thecustomers for their patron-age.”

Denny’sFollowing months of reno-

vations, reconstruction andremodeling, Denny’s Restau-rant replaced Studabaker’s

Classic Grill and Pub in theHoward Johnson Hotel, 75North Broad Street, officiallyopening for business on July26.

Offering up its world-famous Grand Slam, MoonsOver my Hammy and somuch more, the local Denny’sRestaurant has become acommunity favorite over thepast seven months.

ThymelyTreasures

Thymely Treasures ownerSusan Wood had dreamed ofopening her own gift shop formost of her adult life – in Julyher dream finally came true.

Featuring an “eclectic col-lection of gifts and homedecor,” Thymely Treasures,located on the corners ofSouth Broad and East MainStreets, offers a “wide varietyof home decor and gift items”appealing to people with avariety of tastes, according toWood.

“I’ve been in business nowfor over six months and it’sgoing really well,” she added.“The fact that people areshopping locally and haveembraced my business isgreatly appreciated.”

After half a year in busi-ness, Wood said her goalsremain the same – providinga variety of choices andbringing in quality merchan-dise offered at an affordableprice.

Trotta’sApizzeria

In October, Trotta’s

Apizzeria and Restaurantofficially opened for busi-ness, and owner Henry Koellesaid people are raving aboutthe food.

Inspired by his mother’smaiden name and in tribute tohis family’s Italian origins,Trotta’s offers up top-qualitypizza, wings, subs, Italiancuisine and more, accordingto Koelle.

“Some people are sayingit’s the best pizza they’ve evertasted and they love that wedeliver for free,” said Koelle.“People keep calling us backto tell us how much theyloved the food and customersare enjoying the friendlyatmosphere.”

Trotta’s clientele hassteadily grown in size, addedKoelle, mostly through word-of-mouth, he believed.

Lilly BeanLilly Bean owner Sara

Behrmann said business hasbeen consistent since she firstopened the second-hand chil-dren’s clothing store onNovember 1.

“The customers are greatand we’ve had an excellentturnout so far,” statedBehrmann. “We’re reallyhappy and it’s been an awe-some experience. It’s beeneverything we were lookingfor and more.”

Behrmann said she openedthe shop as an avenue to pro-vide low-income or strug-gling parents with a placewhere they could purchaseaffordable clothing for theirchildren and so far, it’s been a

Caboose Diner owner Kristina Passafiume serves up somefresh coffee to regular customer John Shepler. Passafiumere-opened the popular diner, formerly known as Millie’s, in lateFebruary following some minor renovations.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 51

51PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUN PROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

success.“What originally started as

a hobby has become so muchmore,” commentedBehrmann. “We’re lookingforward to expanding in2011, adding more racks,bringing in more clothes and,hopefully, doing even morebusiness.”

Tops FriendlyMarkets

In addition to the manysmall businesses whichopened in 2010, Tops Friend-

ly Markets made its return todowntown Norwich with agrand opening ceremony,held November 4, in a com-pletely remodeled store, witha promise of “continued com-mitment to excellence and thecommunity,” according toTops President and CEOFrank Curci.

Byrne DairyJust across the street from

the Tops plaza, the ByrneDairy Convenience Store hasprovided city residents with aquick and easy stop for itsbottled milk and orange juice,ice cream, coffee and every-

thing in between for decades.In early December, city offi-cials announced the purchaseof four parcels of land bySonbyrne Sales, Inc., parentcompany for Byrne Dairy, forconstruction of a brand newstore on the corner of EastMain and Silver Streets.

Sonbyrne Sales Vice Presi-dent of Store DevelopmentChristian Brunelle reportedthat the approximately $2million project – whichincludes a 24-hour laundro-mat and self-service gas sta-tion – will begin next monthand wrap-up sometime inMay.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

New Business Roundup

Tops Friendly Markets Produce Manager Tony Biviano stocks up some fresh vegetables in thefully renovated grocery store. The downtown location held its grand-reopening in earlyNovember after acquiring the former P&C from bankrupt Penn Traffic in late January 2010.

Downtown Norwichsees a lot of activity –

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Save-A-LotA big thank you from your friends and

neighbors that work at Save-A-Lot here inNorwich. After many, many hours spent bring-ing the store up to conditions acceptable forour re-grand opening in October 2009 thereward of your returning to our customer basewas great. We have had the doors open for oneyear and going strong with your support. Weaverage 20 to 25 employees all from the localarea. We are what is called Limited AssortmentRetail Grocery Store with the flair of accom-modating customer’s needs with A1 products.The fresh meat, fresh produce and grocerydepartments work hard to fill the customers’requests. We, the employees, want to welcomeall new people in town to check us out and toour long standing customers we appreciateyour continued support. There also is greatexcitement for upcoming 2011 because of new

and improved item for you the customer tochoose from to get more “boxes or bags foryour bucks.”

THE SAVE-A-LOT TEAM:Store Manager Shawn Witherow Office/Front End Coordinator Christy Hoag-

BrownMeat Manager Kathy WrightProduce Manager Linda Larry A-1 Team Players, Steven Hazzard, Heather

Hall, Emma Collins, Nate Collins, MarkHicks, Noah Johnson, Debra Thompson,Melissa Williams, Ann Wood, Lyndsay Provo,Maegan Hitt, Michele Smith, Erica Livingston,Brian Doeberl, Jason Flanagan, Arron Fisher,Jesse Jensen, Jonathan Stockton, PatriciaLeahy, Aaron Hayes.

Eric Bowers “The Old Meat Cutter”

For Skillin’s Jewelers 2010 turned out to bea very successful year. Pandora bracelets andbeads continued to be very popular andSkillin’s now carries the Pandora jewelry linewith rings, pendants, and earrings, with somethat allow the customer to design the look thatwill suit their own taste and style. A veryaffordable way to give a quality gift of jewelryor to treat yourself!

Skillin’s continues to carry a large selectionof diamond engagement rings in stock. Thestaff also enjoys working with a couple to cus-tom design a ring that is unique to them. Pro-fessional sketches and estimates are alwaysdone at no charge.

Hal Skillin attended two national jewelryshows, one in Dallas and one in WashingtonD.C. This February he will be in ColoradoSprings to see what’s new and exciting in thejewelry world. He will also attend seminarswith over 800 independent jewelers fromacross the USA.

2011 will mark 90 years in business for this3 generation family business. This is quite anaccomplishment! They are very grateful to alltheir loyal customers over the last ninedecades. They look forward to continue tocarry the latest trends in quality jewelry fash-ions at affordable prices.

Skillin’s Jewelers

52 PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUNPROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

In Their Own Words

Always ready to protect and serveBY JOSEPH ANGELINO

City Police Chief

The Norwich PoliceDepartment hasbeen in existence

for over 110 years.Since April 1, 1900there has never been amoment that a Norwichofficer has not been onduty. For the Norwichcommunity, we providequality of life, service andpeace of mind.

A police officer’s job is notcompletely about enforcingthe letter of the law; it’s actu-ally quite the opposite. Weare there, everyday, ready todo the things people knowneed to be done, but fewwould choose to do them-selves. Norwich Police offi-cers perform countless tasksthat are outside the scope oflaw enforcement. Some ofthese outside duties are bydesign, others tasks are bydefault because there is nodesignated agency responsi-ble for every situation exceptthe police department. Whenthe Norwich police receiveany type of call, we either

take appropriate action orfind an agency that will recti-fy the situation.

Everyone is probablyaware of our traditional dutiesof patrol, traffic enforcement,accident investigation andarresting those who breaklaws. But there is so muchmore we do on a daily basis,such things as: animal calls,checking the welfare of theelderly and sick, assistingwith people locked out ofhomes and cars, the list isnearly endless. The majorityof our activity is in some wayrelated to delivering servicesthat the community has cometo expect.

Norwich is the home tomany public events, festivals,parades and shows. All ofthese require some policeassistance, which we gladlyprovide to ensure each eventruns smoothly and safely.

In the past few years abuzz-word in the police pro-fession has been ‘communitypolicing.’ The communitypolicing approach is based onofficers becoming involved inthe community and seekingsolutions to problems insteadof responding to the same

problem over and over. Com-munity policing is not new tothe Norwich Police; this issomething we have done longbefore it was popular and wewill continue. Providing all ofthis service to the communityand to visitors is quite easyfor our agency because welive by the mantra to ‘treateveryone the way we wouldexpect to be treated in a simi-lar situation.’

Norwich officers receivehundreds of hours of off-siteand in-service training toremain up to date and profes-sional. We are prepared forany situation, while at thesame time hoping they won’thappen. In our efforts to pro-vide quality service in the

most cost effective mannerwe are constantly evaluatingour methods, procedures andtechniques.

The Norwich Police havebeen fortunate to have beenrecipient of grant fundingfrom various sources. Onefederal grant, exceeding two-hundred thousand dollars,allowed us to establish a full-time detective dedicated tothe investigation illegal sub-stance crimes. Another recentgrant at the state level for$30,000 was dedicated tolaser scanning of fingerprintswith a direct link to Albany,New York. An additional cor-porate grant, coupled with aprivate donation allowed thepolice department to establisha first class, nationallyaccredited canine unit.

In the year ahead we arewell aware of the financialchallenges faced by our com-munity. Be assured the staffand officers are making plansto adapt to the situation whilestill providing uninterruptedservice to the community. Westrive to exceed the expecta-tions of those we serve, whileremaining mindful of the costto the community.

At a time when the popula-tion in the entire northeastUnited States is declining, thebusiness of the police depart-ment is showing trends ofincreased calls for serviceand criminal case arrests.Many of the criminal casesare becoming more complexand violent in nature. Whilestill responding to the typicaldisorderly conduct com-plaints, it is becoming morecommon for officers to takeon in-depth Internet larcenyand predatory crimes. These‘computer crimes’ haveblurred jurisdiction lines andhave many issues of identify-ing persons responsible.Other reasons for the increasein reports of crime and arrestare because of more aware-ness to domestic violence andfamily crimes coupled withthe mandatory arrest in suchcases. Additionally, we nowhave a full generation of citi-zens who have been educatedto use the 9-1-1 telephonenumber to report incidentsimmediately.

Because there are so fewpolice officers in this region,citizens have come to expectmutual cooperation between

agencies. This is not the casein many areas of this state orthe country. In ChenangoCounty it is common for offi-cers and detectives frommany agencies to meet regu-larly and work together,seamlessly on many investi-gations. Another factor assist-ing the Norwich Police offi-cer in their daily duty is thestrong support we receivefrom the Mayor and CommonCouncil. This body of localgovernment is ever watchfulover the department and ourbudget but never interfereswith our sworn duties.

I would be remiss if I didnot publicly commend themen and women of the Nor-wich Police who daily cometo work, not knowing whatthe day will bring or if theywill go home safely at the endof their tour. They all have thebest interest of their commu-nity at the forefront in allthings they do. The policeofficer’s work ethic and pro-fessionalism would be theenvy of any employer andthey certainly make the job ofChief of Police of Norwich ajob much easier than it has tobe.

Joseph Angelino

Success Stories

Chenango CountyHistorical Society

The Chenango County Historical Societymoved forward at a rapid pace in 2010,under the leadership of new Director AlanEstus. CCHS volunteers continue to be theMuseum’s lifeblood. The Bull Thistle GiftShop is bursting with new items and publi-cations, the Paperback Book Exchange isrevitalized, and the Spring and Fall AntiquesShows were popular and successfulfundraisers, all made possible through vol-unteer efforts.

A highlight of the year was the opening ofa new permanent exhibit dedicated to thehistory of the Norwich Pharmacal Company.A grant from Museumwise allowed CCHSto bring in Peter Klosky, Director of Exhibi-tions for Binghamton’s Roberson Center, todesign and install the exhibit. With the inputof many retired Pharmacal Companyemployees, Mr. Klosky created a strikingexhibit, setting a new standard for CCHSexhibits in the future. A team of volunteerscompleted the move, packing up the exhibitformerly in the Eaton Center.

A second major project in 2010 was therepair and renovation of Preston School #3,the one room school on the Museumgrounds. A grant from the CommunityFoundation for South Central NY paid formaterials. Volunteer carpenters John Gravesand Chris Given, led by Bruce Webster,replaced the sagging floorboards, fixed arotted joist and doorsill, and made othernecessary repairs. CCHS Curator DianeHamblin added new exhibit panels on ruralschools and a history Preston School #3. InOctober several visitors who had themselvesattended one room schools in the countycame for the rededication.

Visitors to the CCHS Museum during thespring and summer enjoyed an exhibit fea-turing the works of George Eastman Cook, anoted artist in the early 20th century whocalled Chenango County home. The exhibitalso presented the history of the Cook fami-ly, including the family estate, ThornbrookHall. With the help of Chris and MissyHayes, the exhibit also featured architectur-al drawings of the Cook Building, nowhome to Hayes Office Products.

Attendance at programs was also up atCCHS this year. Programs included exhibitopenings, a guessing game with vintagehousehold items, and personal recollectionsof Germany in World War II and its after-math. A special event in July, organized byCCHS Board member Jim Flanagan, wel-comed Civil War re-enactors of the 61stNew York Infantry. The 61st had many menfrom Sherburne including Isaac Plumb, Jr.who died in battle. As part of the sameweekend event, several items in the CCHScollection from the Isaac Plumb family wereloaned for display during Sherburne Her-itage Days.

CCHS broke ground in early fall for itsnew James S. Flanagan Research Center,slated to open in 2011. The year ended withthe annual Holiday Open House, a festivecelebration that filled the Museum withbeautifully decorated trees. That day CCHSalso dedicated a new outdoor display on theO&W’s Lyon Brook Bridge, a step in theplanned expansion of exhibits throughoutthe CCHS property. With our members andvolunteers, CCHS continues to grow andbuild an environment “Where HistoryLives.”

At their recent year-end meeting, board mem-bers of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital’s Aux-iliary reviewed the activities, projects and fund-raising activities they orchestrated throughout theyear to support the hospital. It is clear that themembers and volunteers of this organization arestrong supporters of the programs and services thehospital provides, the hospital’s patients, the resi-dents who live in the hospital’s nursing home andthe employees who work for Chenango Memori-al.

In December alone, the Auxiliary providedpoinsettias which were delivered to the hospital’snursing home residents and patients by teensdressed as holiday elves, brightening the day forpatients, residents, volunteers, and staff members.Volunteers also made holiday tray favors for thenursing home residents and decorated the hospitalin holiday splendor.

In January of 2010, the Auxiliary presented acheck for $50,000 to the hospital, which is thehighest amount in a decade. This represents pro-ceeds from the Auxiliary’s and volunteers’ activi-ties throughout the preceding year. The donationis being used toward the purchase of a central fetal

monitoring system for the hospital’s maternityunit, whose renovation will soon be finished, andwill support the staff in providing enhancedpatient-centered care.

Chenango Memorial’s volunteers run the giftshop in the hospital lobby and the Pink Door thriftshop in downtown Norwich. In addition, the Aux-iliary sponsors numerous fund raising opportuni-ties including book sales, uniform sales, handbagsales, and its annual Breakfast with Santa, as wellas a special holiday sale this past year. The Auxil-iary also sponsors sales by the Cheese Man andthe Nut Man in the hospital lobby, which benefitthe hospital as well. In 2010, the Auxiliary collab-orated with Milford Academy in an exciting andinnovative event that also raised money for thehospital.

Dr. Drake Lamen, President and CEO of UHSChenango Memorial Hospital, stated, “We trulyappreciate the Auxiliary’s annual donations whichhelp us continue to update and improve our equip-ment, facility and services so that we may betterserve our patients.”

In addition to raising funds for the hospital, theAuxiliary contributes to landscaping and beautifi-

cation projects, patient care and comfort projects,outreach, scholarships and employee apprecia-tion. They provide swaddle blankets and DVDsabout how to comfort your baby to families of allbabies born at Chenango Memorial, and they pro-vide thoughtful, special things for the hospital’snursing home patients including centerpieces fortheir monthly tea parties and birthday cards for allof the home’s residents.

Volunteers - teens and adults from throughoutthe community - donated over 18,000 hours to thehospital in 2010. Home sewers donated over 1,000home made items to distribute to patients includ-ing blankets, hats, mittens, baby sweaters, fleecebaby wraps, booties, bibs, cough pillows, slippers,stuffed animals, and dolls. Other community vol-unteers made baby bunting stockings for babiesborn at the holidays, fashioned seasonal trayfavors and contributed children’s activity bags.

Auxiliary members and volunteers are trulydedicated to helping our hospital help our commu-nity. For information about joining the Auxiliaryor volunteering, contact Julie Clarke, Director ofVolunteer Services, at 337-4151.

Chenango Memorial Hospital

New Media RetailerEverywhere you look these days, someone is

talking about social networking – whether it beFacebook, Twitter, blogs or other websites, peopleare making connections through the Internet morethan ever before.

Businesses, too, are looking to cash in on theirsocial equity, harnessing the power of online net-working to raise awareness about their products orservices, and establish and enhance their brandimage.

Sure, anyone can set up their own Facebookpage, or start Twittering within minutes. But with-out a clear plan in mind, a lot of what companiesdo online can be just so much extraneous noiseand wasted effort. How do businesses, large andsmall, properly take advantage of all that socialmedia has to offer them? How do they maximizetheir potential online without distracting them-selves from their core business?

That’s where a new, Norwich-based companycomes in. SoCom Media provides marketing andtechnology services to the local and national retailmarkets, specializing in customized social mediastrategies.

The brainchild of owner and President JeanneBrightman, whose experience in marketing goesback over 25 years with Norwich’s Snyder Com-munications, SoCom Media recognizes thatopportunities for growth in print-related industrieshave become increasingly dependent on the needsand opportunities presented by advancing technol-ogy.

“SoCom Media offers a completely brandedsolution for retailers’ online presence,” Brightmansaid. The new company formed in July of 2009,and has since been adding staff, developing soft-ware solutions and marketing itself to potentialcustomers, and has completed not only a success-

ful Beta test in 2010, but is actively on-boardingmany clients in a multitude of product categories,such as hardware, home center, nursery, agricul-tural, lawn & garden and pet industries. “Theresponse has been overwhelming”, Brightmansaid, and the company is working to bring a totalof 200 retailers on board.

While SoCom Media, which also does businessas New Media Retailer, will initially target han-dling the online presences of existing CircularsUnlimited customers, Brightman sees a muchlarger scope for the company down the road.“Eventually we’ll be able to provide these servic-es for local retailers,” Brightman said, givingexamples of how local merchants would contractwith the company to manage their online opera-tions, marketing and branding.

“A lot of smaller retailers experiment in build-ing an online presence, and have some successes,”Brightman said, “but we’ll be able to bundle anentire package for them – to give them a profes-sional website and all the elements they need fore-mail marketing, building fan bases and follow-ers, really building relationships with their cus-tomers online.” At the National Retail Federationshow held January 9-12, 2011 in New York City,amongst the biggest topics of interest at the showwas the continued growth of social media technol-ogy.

SoCom’s plan is to manage a customer’s onlinepresence from start to finish – building and host-ing websites, developing e-mail and direct mailmarketing plans, writing and publishing blogs,expanding their social networking reach – andgiving them the analytical software to track thesuccess of all that.

“Jeanne was exploring a new business modeland working on a new concept for a marketing

agency when this idea was born,” said Vice Presi-dent of Operations Joseph Root. Brightman cred-its Craig Ballinger, Vice President of Researchand Development, for his help in the very earlystages of building the business model. “The ideaexpanded and became focused on software devel-opment as well,” Root said, explaining howSoCom’s staff is currently producing a softwarepackage that automates, organizes and structurescontent specifically tailored to a business’ onlineneeds, producing websites and updating socialmedia outlets dynamically. “This is where you’vegot to be in today’s marketplace,” Root said.

The new company, headquartered at 29 Lack-awanna Ave. in Norwich, has brought together anelite team of IT, software development, graphicdesign and marketing professionals dedicated tomeeting the new media needs of retailers acrossthe country. In addition to Brightman and Root,SoCom Media/New Media Retailer features thetalents of Vice President of Research and Devel-opment Craig Ballinger,

Corporate Relations Manager, Deric Frost,Software Developer, Michael Kelly, Sales Manag-er and NMR specialist, Pamela Laughlin, andNMR specialist, Kiel Lampe. Brightman said thecompany is looking to add two more NMR spe-cialists, production, writers, and graphic designersin the coming year.

“I want to personally thank the team for puttingthis all together and making this become a reality,”Brightman said. “A lot of work goes into creatingsomething as comprehensive as this. It’s going tobe an exciting year.”

For more information, see www.SoComMe-dia.com and www.NewMediaRetailer.com.

“One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”

MAYA ANGELOU

53PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUN PROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

BURT MATOTT, Jr. • Phone/fax: 607-674-9281 • www.sherburnesports.com84 North Main Street • Sherburne, NY 13460 ~ M-T-W: 9-6 • Th-F: 9-8 • Sat: 9-3

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Mail Online Bring to OfficeNo purchase necessary. Making a purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Must be 18 years of age or older. Winner picked by random drawing of all correct and fullycompleted entry forms, or the person with the most correct answers. Illegible entries are void. Entries must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, February 1st. Employees of Snyder Communications (including family members or those living in the same household) are not eligible to enter the contest. By including your e-mail, you agree to receivespecial offers and/or promotional messages from the Pennysaver and/or its affiliates. Your e-mail will not be sold or distributed to any third party.

Progress Pursuit - Anything but Trivial

Many thanks to Agro Farma for their support of Progress Pursuit.

Mail or deliver your entry to 18-20 Mechanic Street, Norwich, NY 13815 Save time and money and enter online at www.evesun.com/contests

Read through todayʼs Progress Chenango sections to find the answers to these quiz questions:13. How many terms has Chenango County Board of Supervisors

Chairman Richard Decker completed?14. New business at Norwich Pharmaceuticals is expected to grow by

how much in 2011?15. Production in the lumber industry is measured in “MBF.”

What does that stand for?16. According to the Norwich Merchants Association, for every $100

spent in a locally owned store, how much money returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures?

Keep track of the answers to the quiz questions daily and fill in the entry form found in the Friday, January 28th issue of The Evening Sun. Get the form to us by Tuesday, February 1st and be entered to win...

A one yearʼs supply of Chobani yogurt.

In Their Own Words

Does chocolate milk come from brown cows?BY TERRY IVES

Chenango County Dairy Promotion

As a dairy farmer, Iserve on manycommittees and

boards (including NY Pro-motion Advisory Board,American Dairy Associa-tion and Dairy Council,Inc., etc) to help directpromotion efforts in NYstate and nationally. Oneof my favorite jobs isserving on the ChenangoCounty Dairy PrincessCommittee, which I’vedone for 14 years.

In order to reach consumersat the local level, DairyPrincess Megan Brandt andher Dairy Court take part in anumber of activities, includ-ing visiting local classroomsto explain the benefits of con-suming dairy foods. (Hint:not only is dairy delicious,it’s a nutrient-rich food,packed with essentials likecalcium, protein, vitamins A& D and more!) The youngladies also talk about life on adairy farm, and answer ques-tions about how farmers carefor their animals, what cowseat, and the ever-popular“Does chocolate milk comefrom brown cows?”

Childhood obesity hasbecome a crisis for America’syouth, many of whom areoverweight and undernour-ished. Dairy producer areleaders in the effort to addressthis troubling trend andensure kids have access to thenutritious foods they need,such as dairy. That’s whyfarmers have partnered withthe National Football League

to create Fuel Up to Play 60,a pro-active response to thegrowing obesity epidemicand declining physical fitnessof America’s youth. The pro-gram is designed to helpreverse the trend towardincreased weight and seden-tary lifestyles among Ameri-ca’s children.

The program empowersstudents to make changes atschool that will help them“fuel up” with critical nutri-ent-rich foods missing fromtheir diets – like low-fat andfat-free dairy foods, fruits,vegetables and whole grains,and “get active and play” for60 minutes daily. Some of thethings being introduced toschools are the “New Look ofSchool Milk” which updatesmilk packaging from cartonsto kid-appealing plastic con-tainers, and the “Breakfast inthe Classroom” programwhich delivers breakfast tostudents at their desk in theirhomeroom class. On the fit-ness side, schools are encour-aged to start noon walkingclubs and after-school sports

and dance clubs. A second bright spot for

dairy is to “Fuel Up withChocolate Milk.” Local DairyFarmers are proud to sponsorthe New York State PublicHigh School Athletic Associ-ation, who has named choco-late milk the official beverageof its student-athletes and itschampionships. Research hasshown chocolate milk hasexcellent qualities to replen-ish the body after a strenuousworkout. Chocolate milk’scombination of carbohydratesand high-quality protein firstmade researchers take noticeof a potential exercise benefit.The combination of carbs andprotein already in chocolatemilk matched the ratio foundto be most beneficial forrecovery. In fact, studies sug-gest that chocolate milk hasthe right mix of carbs andprotein to help refuel exhaust-ed muscles, and the protein inmilk helps build lean muscle.This new research adds to agrowing body of evidencesuggesting milk can be just aseffective as some commercialsports drinks in helping ath-letes refuel and recover. Milkalso provides fluids for rehy-dration and electrolytes,including potassium, calciumand magnesium lost in sweat,that both recreational exercis-ers and elite athletes need toreplace after strenuous activi-ty. Plus, chocolate milk is nat-urally nutrient-rich with theadvantage of additional nutri-ents not found in most tradi-tional sports drinks. Penny-for-penny, no other post-exer-cise drink contains the fullrange of vitamins and miner-als found in chocolate milk.

Dairy has made other greatstrides in research. CornellUniversity and their DairyResearch Lab have developedways to extract by filtration,proteins and other nutrientsfrom whey which is a byprod-uct from the cheese makingprocess. The proteins areused to add additional nutri-tion to drinks and other prod-ucts. These proteins are alsoused in the pharmaceuticalindustry as a base for otherproducts. There is also thedevelopment of new process-es in cheese making to createcheeses that cover a pizzabetter and more uniformly.

For today’s consumer, it’snot enough for foods to tastegood and be nutritious – italso must be produced in asocially conscious way thatleaves minimal impact on theenvironment. Recyclingcomes naturally to dairyfarmers. Cow manure is usedas an organic fertilizer forcropland and for compost,which is used by local nurs-eries and by neighbors for

their gardens. This greatlyreduces the use of commer-cial fertilizers, which areoften made from fossil fuels.The water used on farms isrecycled several times a dayto wash barn alleys and irri-gate the fields. And, applyingrecycled manure to the cropshelps increase the water-hold-ing capacity of the soil, whichreduces the need for irriga-tion in the first place. Cleanair is important to everyone,including farm families.Farmers protect air quality bykeeping barns clean andusing special manure storagefacilities that help controlodors.

Research and developmenthas inspired new practicesand innovative technologiesto improve manure and odormanagement. For example,dairy nutritionists can formu-late diets for cows that reducethe odor of manure. Othertechnologies such as air filtra-tion systems in barns, odor-reducing additives for manurestorage facilities and even

methane digesters, which usemanure to produce electricity,are being incorporated inmany dairy operations.

Dairies turn cow manureinto the nation’s most sought-after commodity – energy –while reducing odor along theway.

Dairy cows need to drinkplenty of clean water to stayhealthy and produce qualitymilk, so farmers take waterprotection and conservationpractices seriously.

The proper recycling ofcow manure plays a centralrole in protecting nearbylakes, rivers and streams.Farmers store manure andspread it on their crop fieldsaccording to a Nutrient Man-agement Plan that takes intoaccount the types of soilfound on the farm, the terrainof the fields and the amountof nutrients needed by thecrops. Other water protectionmeasures include buildingfences along streams andplanting trees along rivers.

Terry Ives

Success Stories

Made in Chenango

Chenango Speech and Hearing

Awareness continues to grow concerning theimportance of “small business” and individualentrepreneurs in thriving local economies, andMade In Chenango is a great example of both.A cooperative gift shop and gallery, Made InChenango as a store provides customers with theconvenience of downtown shopping at 20 SouthBroad Street in Norwich. Made In Chenango asan organization provides local artists and crafts-people an opportunity to connect with eachother and with their appreciative public.

Always staffed by member artists, the store isopen Tuesday through Friday 11am – 5pm, andSaturday 11am – 3pm. Not only can the cus-tomer browse a wonderful selection of art, butthere is always opportunity to visit and ask ques-tions of the local artist on duty. The store isfilled with art of all kinds: traditional and beau-tiful elements of home décor, wearable items offiber and jewelry, functional items for thekitchen, soaps and candles provide “art for yournose”, CDs by local musicians for your listeningenjoyment. There are even toys for kids of allages – art for every person and purpose. Addingto our “tasteful” selection, Made In Chenangooffers various foods produced locally – Kutik’s

honey, Cook’s maple, and Chenango CoffeeRoasters coffees. Numerous books of local his-tory and interest are also for sale, as well as 2-dimensional artistic renderings of local sites pastand present. A recent addition to the selectionincludes the newly published coloring book oflocal architecture and its history by DeborahWhitman – this is not your average kids’ color-ing book!

Artists are invited to apply for membership atany time of year. Made In Chenango is alwaysinterested to add new media and styles to thehigh-quality selection available for sale, as wellas new personalities to the group. Customersand artists alike are invited to get acquaintedwith the members and merchandise of Made InChenango by browsing online 24/7 atwww.madeinchenango.com. Made In Chenangois grateful to the downtown merchants who areworking together toward the continued improve-ment of the downtown shopping experience inNorwich, and we are privileged to work withlocal associations toward that goal. In businessfor thirteen years and counting, Made InChenango plans to be an integral part of thisthriving community for years to come!

Chenango Speech and Hearing Center,owned and operated by Dr. Linda Horovitz, hasbeen part of Chenango County with servicesprovided to surrounding counties for 18 years.Dr. Horovitz has her doctoral degree in Diag-nostic Hearing Evaluation and Hearing Aids.She has 30 years of experience as an audiolo-gist. Patients come from all surrounding coun-ties and as far away as Pennsylvania. We alsotest children.

One of their goals is to make sure they havethe most up-to-date diagnostic equipment avail-able for hearing evaluations and hearing aids.“We have just purchased all new equipment sothat we can better serve our patients, includingchildren,” Dr. Horovitz said. “We also have asoundproof booth, which is required by all hos-pitals and ear, nose and throat doctors for theiraudiologists to ensure a proper testing environ-ment.”

Dr. Horovitz works closely with all areaphysicians, including the new ear, nose andthroat physicians in Norwich, Chenango

Memorial Hospital ENT Services, Dr. J. PaulSweet, MD, and Jennifer Waldron, NP, forwhom Dr. Horovitz provides all audiologicaltesting.

Chenango Speech and Hearing has full-timehours Monday-Thursday and emergency cover-age is available if needed by a patient. There arethree full-time staff members in the office.

Chenango Speech and Hearing works withall insurance plans and are participatingproviders with most. If you have a questionabout your audiological insurance coverage,their office staff will address your questions.This is a new service tehy have added to helppeople better understand their health insurancebenefits.

Dr. Horovitz states that her practice is contin-ually growing, and anticipates that it will con-tinue to grow and provide only the most profes-sional care for individuals with hearing prob-lems and hearing aid needs.

“Courage is going from failure to failurewithout losing enthusiasm.”

WINSTON CHURCHILL

54 PUBLISHED BY THE EVENING SUNPROGRESS CHENANGO 2011

Norwich Business Improvement District/Merchants Association

Keeping the heart of the city beatingBY BRIAN GOLDEN

The Evening Sun

The City of NorwichBusiness Improve-ment District (BID)

will start off the yearleading up to its 30thanniversary in thebiggest way possible –the long-anticipatedremodeling and renova-tion of East and WestParks.

Due to unforeseen set-backs, the BID – in partner-ship with the Friends of thePark committee – was onceagain forced to delay theparks project in 2010. How-ever, all the pieces are now inplace and BID ExecutiveDirector Pegi LoPresti isextremely enthusiastic aboutmoving forward.

“Our volunteers are readyto go, just as soon as theweather breaks,” said anexcited LoPresti, who’sdevoted countless hours, notto mention years, to the proj-ect. “We’re anticipating Aprilas a probable time frame tobegin the East and West Parkrevitalization program.”

LoPresti is also in theprocess of finalizing bid doc-uments for components of theproject which will not be han-dled by volunteers, primarilythe construction of a perma-nent performance stage andrenovations to the gazebo,both in East Park.

“We’re really excited to getthese bids out there and weexpect they’ll be returnedsometime in mid-February,which will keep us on sched-

ule,” stated LoPresti. “We’vebeen working toward this solong and I’m greatly antici-pating the completion of thisproject in 2011.”

The Parks Project isexpected to wrap-up in June,approximately three monthsafter construction is slated tobegin.

In addition, LoPresti saidshe was thrilled to see theBID’s 2010 Main StreetGrant Program get underway.In September of 2010, theBID was awarded $500,000in grant money which will beutilized in extensive renova-tion projects to structures

located throughout the down-town district, she added.

“It’s always exciting to seethese buildings go from adeteriorated state to one ofrevitalization,” said LoPresti.“I just love seeing that hap-pen.”

The goal of the Main StreetGrant Program is to eliminatehealth and safety issues whileimproving upon the appear-ance and condition of proper-ties along East and WestMain and North and SouthBroad Streets, all in an effortto generate a downtown envi-ronment which is better tolive and do business in, stated

LoPresti.“This ties directly into the

mission statement of theBID,” she added. “When wefound out just how competi-tive it was this year, and to befully awarded the half-milliondollars, was a big feather inthe cap for the BID.”

She also expressed hereagerness to continue work-ing side-by-side with theNorwich Merchants Associa-tion in 2011, assisting themwith the many events it coor-dinates annually throughoutthe city.

“The goal of the NorwichMerchants Association is to

create a strong and vibrantshopping and dining environ-ment for the Norwich com-munity,” stated Norwich Mer-chants Association PresidentAnna McLaughlin. “In addi-tion, we promote and remindconsumers of the large vari-ety of products and servicesthat are offered right here,locally, in Norwich.”

According to McLaughlin,the association recentlybecame a member of the 350Project, a national campaigninforming community mem-bers how they can take anactive role in saving the localeconomy by supporting inde-pendently owned businesses.

She added that, with every$100 spent in locally ownedindependent stores, $68returns to the communitythrough taxes, payroll andother expenditures. If spent ina national chain, only $43stays here. If spent online,nothing.

The Norwich MerchantsAssociation also strives toenhance and support memberbusinesses by sponsoring sea-sonal events – many of whichare held in conjunction withthe BID – such its annualEaster Egg Hunt.

The well-attended event,held in East and West Parks,was revitalized in 2009 andhas been improved upon eversince, said McLaughlin.

In the spring of 2011, theBID will hold its annual MainStreet Sweep, just prior to theClassic Car and MotorcycleCruise-In, which LoPrestisaid “really kicks off the sum-mer season” for both the BIDand the Norwich Merchants

Association.The annual Sidewalk Sale

Days is another free familyevent, held on the streets ofdowntown Norwich the lastweekend of July, addedMcLaughlin, a showcase ofall Norwich has to offer ingoods, services and culturalopportunities. The weekendof activities includes a freemovie, bounce houses andnumerous children’s activi-ties.

Summer 2011 will also seethe return of the BID’sLunchtime Live performanceseries, from noon to 1 p.m. onWednesdays in July andAugust and hopefully, saidLoPresti, held on East Park’snew stage.

The BID and NorwichMerchants Association willwrap-up 2011 with the 13thannual Pumpkin Fest – not tomention the family-friendlyBoo Fest which accompaniesthe event – and holiday tree-lighting ceremony. This year,the BID is looking to replacethe East and West Park holi-day decorations with higherquality, LED lights.

As for 2010, LoPresti saidshe was extremely excited forthe many new businesseswhich opened their doors inthe downtown business dis-trict.

“It’s always great to seenew retailers moving into thedistrict,” she added.

For more information onthe BID and the NorwichMerchants Association visitwww.norwichbid.com andwww.shopnorwichny.comrespectively.

The annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in West Side Park is just one of the many waysthe Norwich Business Improvement District works to bring people into the heart of the city.