Volume 2, Issue 3
Table of Contents

Cover Story:
Taking Rockland’s Pulse
When it comes to healthcare, the prognosis is good for Rockland County

Feature Story:
Trends In Senior Living
From home health care to hospice care, assisted living to nursing homes, find out what's right for you

RBD Round-Up:
RBD's First Annual Small Business Awards
We’re looking for you! Find out more about our new awards program—and how to nominate a small business

DEPARTMENTS:

Economic Round-Up
• The Smart Investor
How should you manage your retirement?

Retail Round-Up
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Retailers expect respectable sales as shoppers head into the holidays

Business Round-Up
• Things You Should Know
The County hires a new health commissioner, Wyeth celebrates the century mark
• Marketing By Design
The fine art of advertising
• Rockland Newsmakers

Ask The Expert
• Limited Liability and Company Retirement Plans

Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:

The President’s Desk
It’s Been A Very Good Year...and It Ain’t Over Yet

Marking a Milestone
The Old 76 House in Tappan becomes the RBA’s 1,000th member.

RBA Happenings
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members

Publishing Information
Rockland Business Digest, LLC

Co-Publishers:
Ken Mahoney & Steven Powell

For complete publishing information, please click here.

Local firm gets national recognition: Goldstein, Karlewicz & Goldstein, LLP, with offices in Chestnut Ridge and Newburgh, NY, has been admitted to membership in AGN International, Ltd., one of the world’s foremost associations of independent CPA, accounting and consulting firms. The 14-year-old firm becomes AGN’s 53rd North American member firm. Goldstein, Karlewicz & Goldstein, LLP, (www.gkgcpa.com) has five partners and a total staff of 30. The firm specializes in serving transportation (school buses), manufacturing and wholesale/distribution industry clients. Donald R. Karlewicz became managing partner in 2006. With over 200 independent accounting and business consulting members around the world who, together, billed their clients over $1 billion in revenue in 2006, AGN International, Ltd. ranks as one of the 20 largest accounting associations in the world. AGN’s mission is to help its members enhance profits, share information through better use of technology and collaborate on servicing clients as effectively as possible.

The Verdict Is In: Rockland County Commissioner of Jurors Patricia “Pattie” Zippilli was honored on October 27 at the Annual Awards Dinner of the Greater Haverstraw Chamber of Commerce. Zippili, former treasurer of the Village of Haverstraw, and a founding member of the Chamber, was honored for her many years of dedicated service. Over 100 guests were in attendance for the dinner and presentation, including Town of Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips, County Legislator Michael Grant, Supreme Court Justice Williams Sherwood, Town Council members John Gould and John Ramundo, and former Village of Haverstraw Mayor Francis “Bud” Wassmer and Trustee Michael Kohut.

Lending a hand: People to People, a local non-profit organization, received a $25,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS. The grant will be used to purchase a walk-in refrigerator and freezer units, which will enable People to People to accept and store large donations of fresh and frozen foods. “As long as I can remember our dream has been to be able to provide more nutritious options to our neighbors in need,” said Dolores Treger, Executive Director of People to People. “The UPS Foundation has made that dream come true.”

Giants Rock Hi Tor: Former New York Giants Stephen Baker, Karl Nelson, Ottis Anderson, Curtis McGriff and Doug Van Horn and a host of other former professional athletes participated in Hi-Tor Animal Care Center’s Third Annual Golf Classic at New York Country Club, and in the process helped raise approximately $30,000 for the animal care facility. Approximately 80 golfers participated in the outing, which was the most successful in Hi-Tor history based on the number of golfers and the amount of money raised

“We are so thankful to have such tremendous support from our celebrity athletes, local politicians, participants and sponsors who have come out to promote the well-being of shelter animals and Hi-Tor Animal Care Center,” said Douglas Mattliano, Hi-Tor board member and golf outing co-chairperson. “Today was a great day not just for the golfers and participants, but also for the animals.”

Upgraded Pump Station: All Bright Electric has recently been awarded the $2.4 million contract to furnish and install an upgraded remote site communications system for the monitoring and control of 23 wastewater collection facilities owned and operated by the Rockland County Sewer District No. 1.

The Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) System, will use computer-based controls and wireless communications for data exchange between the main plant and its 22 remote pumping stations. The collected data, alarm and control information will be archived for historical and maintenance records.

According to Project Manager, Mike Giampiccolo, “This is a much needed upgrade in the county’s waste water pumping system and will greatly improve the efficiency and maintenance capabilities of Rockland County’s sewer plants.”

Rockland County Sewer District No. 1 was formed in 1963 and primarily services the Towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown as well as several parcels in the Town of Orangetown.

UHR Exec gets an award: In recognition of her accomplishments, efforts, and leadership, United Hospice of Rockland (UHR) Executive Director Amy Stern was presented with the Carol Selinske Founder’s Award at the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State (HPCANYS) 27th Annual Interdisciplinary Seminar and meeting in Albany. Named after the first director of the New York State Hospice Association, the HPCANYS award publicly recognizes an individual or group of individuals for their outstanding efforts on behalf of hospice and palliative care and the needs of the terminally ill in New York State.

Rockland Companies Go Lean: Two top ranked military supply manufacturing firms, 901D/Shock Tech Inc. of Tallman, have just completed training of their employees in Lean 101 and Value Stream Mapping for better productivity and profitability. “For the past ten years, we’ve been manufacturing cabinets and racks for the U.S. Department of Defense. It’s mandatory that every product we make meets a number of environmental requirements that often exceed the most rigid demands of the military and industrial markets,” states Serge Seguin, president. The two sister companies build cabinets, racks, consoles and enclosures to protect and hold military electronics equipment and computer screens against harsh environments such as shock, vibration, thermal temperature management, cabling and power management.

After receiving a 37L Building Skills Grant from New York State (BUSINYS) in 2006, the companies sought guidance from the not-for-profit business resource center, HVTDC, the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center (HVTDC) in Fishkill, to train their 75 employees. “Our forte is in Lean training,” says Thomas G. Phillips, Sr., HVTDC Executive Director. “We train employees to work better without jeopardizing the quality of products or services they provide.”

Thanks a million: Saint Dominic’s Home recently honored volunteers for giving more than a million hours of service. The Blauvelt-based Saint Dominic’s Home recognized the following employees for their collective million hours of service to Saint Dominic's Home: 25 years: John Kayser, Paulette Roberts, Cassandra Willock; 20 years: Petula Cook, Denise Francis, Elizabeth Kryston, Thecla Mawn, Jose Rosa, Sonia Sanchez, Conrado Yuvienco; 15 year: Vijaya Arjunan, Jeanne Exantus, Patrick Reynolds; 10 years: Pauline Davis, Allen Feltman, Nannette Fleming, Chris Gilbart, Tina Graham, Andrea Grundstein, June Harrington, Kassimou Kadaga, Rose Middleton-Riley, Carol Popowytsch, Nadine Riefberg, Racquel Robinson, Josie Marie Sanon, Andria Stephens, Justin Theresias, Theodora Tucker, Edison Tucker Jr., Betty Walston.

Save The Date: The 2008 Heart of Rockland Gala to benefit the American Heart Association will take place on Friday, February 8, 2008, 7:00 PM at The Patriot Hills Golf Club in Stony Point. This year’s honoree is world-renowned cardiologist and former Rockland County Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe. The Gala Committee is comprised of Vincent Abbatecola, Carl Capuano, Ken Mahoney, Harold Peterson, & Dr. David Southren. Sponsorship opportunities include, Presenting Sponsor, Platinum, Faces of Heart, Silver, and Bronze. Sponsorship benefits include admission tickets, VIP Pre-Gala Champagne Reception, recognition on promotional materials, & Gala Program advertisements. Individual tickets are available. Please call Michael Burrows at (914) 640-3263 for more information. RBD

If you would like to include news about your company or client in an upcoming issue of Rockland Newsmakers, please forward your articles and releases, including any photos, to: newsmakers@rbdigest.com.