Thursday, January 1, 2009

Green Gate Can Assist Your Career Development

With three decades of experience in career development, Mike Greene of Green Gate helps students, families, and individuals communicate about careers.  Defining a career path starts with understanding your relationship with the world of work. For those planning to attend college, it is helpful to remember that college is a career choice. Identifying potential careers will help you decide on a major, and will allow graduation to be on time and under budget. Job seekers can learn to re-define themselves for a new career.  Workers seeking to change careers, and students planning a college search, will benefit from an evaluation of their interests and skills. Greene Gate uses assessment software that is recommended by the NYS Department of Education. The printed report will jumpstart structured activities for making informed choices about college programs and new job opportunities.

Greene Gate offers an affordable and flexible range of services that will help improve your career decision-making and communication skills. Both college and job seekers, and their families, will benefit from early planning and long term support services. Mike Greene holds Masters degrees in Career and Technology Education and Counseling & Human Development.

greenegate@gmail.com

(607) 220-7326

4 Seasons Golf Center Introduces The Sweetspot Bar and Sports Club

Yes, we know December was a snowy month…BUT don't put your golf clubs away just yet!  At 4 Seasons Golf Center, they feature the only golf simulators exclusively endorsed by the PGA TOUR. You can play a round of golf or practice on a state of the art driving range, regardless of the weather outside. Located at 1779 Hanshaw Road just off Route 13 in Ithaca, 4 Seasons Golf Center is a full service indoor golf facility featuring 3 state of the art golf simulators, professional instruction, professional club evaluations and fittings, fall/winter leagues, tournaments, and weekend skins games. 4 Seasons is now featuring "The Sweetspot Bar and Sports Club” with a large assortment of beer and wine, and a restaurant with a nice selection of delicious food.  Best of all they are open year round! They will also have special events with live entertainment.

Offering over 40 world class golf courses, including Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, St. Andrews and many others– 4 Seasons' simulators let you play 18 holes in just one hour providing you with a golf experience with unmatched realism and accuracy.  The system also tracks your ball flight patterns and yardage when you practice on the virtual driving range, giving you instant, accurate feedback all of which you can access for free via 4 Seasons' website.  4 Seasons Golf Center will be open Monday through Saturday 8:00 AM to Midnight, and Sundays from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Call for tee times!

(607) 272-4742

www.4seasonsgolf.net

Ithaca Beer Company Marks 10 Year Anniversary

On December 4, 2008, Ithaca Beer Company (IBC) celebrated its 10th Anniversary, distributing limited edition, 10th Anniversary pint glasses to the first 100 people at various bars throughout Ithaca who purchased Ithaca Beer.  The idea for IBC was created in 1995, but it wasn’t until December of 1998 that IBC officially opened its doors and began brewing and bottling in house at 606 Elmira Road, just past Buttermilk Falls. Since then, IBC has expanded distribution through New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

True testaments to IBC’s hard work are the state and national awards bestowed upon IBC’s craft beers, within this past year. Early in the year, at TAP- NY, IBC was named 2008 Best Craft Brewery in New York State. Also at TAP-NY, IBC’s Flower Power IPA took home the Silver Medal, and TEN took home the Gold Medal for the two Best Craft Beers in NY State. To add to the trophy case, CascaZilla was awarded silver in the Amber/Red Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival® and Excelsior! series beer, Brute took home

Silver, as well, in the German or American Sour Ale category. Also, owner Dan Mitchell was donned Hop King by the Madison County Hop Society for his on-going pursuit of bringing commercial Hop Production back to New York State.  IBC has a 10-year tradition of community involvement, routinely donating products and time to community events. In the last 2 years, IBC has started a new tradition in Ithaca, the Ithaca Brew Fest, which draws over 3,000 people from upstate New York and all over the Northeast.  Over the summer, IBC organized a group of volunteers young and old to help repair and repaint the Large Pavilion at Stewart Park through funds generated by IBC’s Brew Fest in 2007 and 2008.

www.ithacabeer.com

(607)273-0766

The Rogue's Harbor Inn Celebrates the Grand Re-Opening of their Ballroom

The Rogue's Harbor Inn celebrated the reopening of their ballroom with a 1920’s-style “Flapper Party” on Friday, December 5th which also marked the 75th Anniversary of the 22nd Amendment ending prohibition.  With a vaulted ceiling and spring floor, the ballroom has plenty of room for dancing, music, and fun.  Owner Eileen Stout purchased the inn in 2001, and has opened the upper floors as a Bed & Breakfast, while operating the restaurant and bar in four large parlors on the ground floor.  While the ballroom hasn't been used since the '60s, it did exist as part of an apartment that she and her family lived in for several years until they bought a house earlier this year.  Since moving out, Stout and her husband have been busy painting the ceiling and getting the room ready for its grand opening. 

As far as anyone knows, the ballroom is very close to original.  "We repainted the ceiling and refinished the floor, but the vaulted ceiling is original," Stout explains.  "It is nearly 20 feet high.  It is suspended by huge beams in the attic.  It has a spring loaded dance floor (to protect the building from harm caused by the vibrations of a room full of dancers).  A lot of people think it is springs, but it's not -- it's a kind of pocket carved into the joists that allow for some give.  The big brass chandeliers came from the Ithaca Hotel when it was demolished in the early '60s."
  The inn has only recently begun publicizing the reopening of the ballroom, but word is spreading fast.  A couple of parties are already booked for the space.  In addition to renting it for private functions, it will be used to serve breakfast to B&B guests, freeing up a small dining room on the second floor to be reconfigured as a guest room.  The inn plans to host its own events in the room, including silent movie nights, live jazz, local wine and cheese tastings, dance classes and recitals.

www.roguesharbor.com

(607)533-3535

The Tompkins County Red Cross Celebrates the Grand Opening of the New Friendship Center & Homeless Shelter

The Tompkins County American Red Cross celebrated the opening of their Homeless Services Friendship Center & Shelter on Thursday, December 11 at the renovated facility at 618 West State Street in downtown Ithaca. This is the culmination of a development plan that started in 2002 and has been greatly anticipated by all those who were involved in making this new facility a reality. The new Center & Shelter will provide much needed growing room to the TC Red Cross Homeless Services program, adding 18 additional emergency shelter beds and six permanent beds for targeted homeless men and women. The new facility will be in addition to the 13-bed Red Cross Homeless Shelter on West Court Street.

The renovated building will be an integrated facility, housing the daytime drop-in Friendship Center downstairs, overnight emergency shelter and permanent beds upstairs, and new office space in the front of the building for re-housing case management personnel now scattered around Ithaca. Putting these services under one roof will increase the efficiency and quality of the Homeless Services Program and on-site shelter resident supervision. It will also cut down on expenditures to area motels that house homeless clients when the Homeless Shelter runs out of space.  The new Tompkins County American Red Cross Homeless Services Friendship Center & Shelter is one of only four such shelters in the United States, run as a Red Cross facility.

www.tompkins-redcross.org

(607)273-1900

Primerica Has Arrived in Ithaca

In business since 1977, Primerica now boasts over 6 million clients internationally, and has arrived in Ithaca with the same core mission: To help middle-American families become properly protected, debt free and financially independent.  Touted as the “best value for a professional analysis,” by author Bruce Sankin, Primerica’s complimentary Financial Needs Analysis helps families develop a financial road map.

Despite the current economic climate, Primerica’s unique business model and distribution system has resulted in a third quarter 2008 profit of $120.7million and while job cuts are the norm of the day, Primerica brought thousands of new representatives on board to help further educate the public on personal finance issues.  Locally, Grant Wilder and his dedicated team of Personal Financial Analysts are excited to help families achieve their financial goals and dreams.  Check Primerica out on the web at www.primerica.com and then call Grant Wilder for more information at 607-227-7622.

www.primerica.com

(607)227-7622

January Members In the News

Ithaca-based landscape architecture firm Trowbridge & Wolf Landscape Architects (TWLA), in partnership with The Urban Design Project at the University of Buffalo, has been awarded a 2008 Honor of Excellence Award from the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The award was given in recognition of TWLA’s participation in the development of a restoration plan for the Buffalo Olmsted Park System. The resulting document outlines a restoration plan for every major park and parkway in the Buffalo Olmsted Park and Parkway System in Buffalo, N.Y. The system includes six major parks and a series of smaller parks, linked by broad, tree-line parkways. It comprises approximately 60 percent of the parkland in the City of Buffalo.

Dream Boost, an all-natural dietary supplement, developed by local Ithaca firm The Upstate Dream Institute, was named as one of five finalists for Best Supplement of the Year 2008. Judging was held in Boston at Expo East, one of the largest Natural Products trade shows in the United States. Dream Boost also was awarded the Gear Award Seal of Excellence this past July and is currently the only natural sleep and dream enhancer on the market. Dream Boost’s all natural patent-pending formula optimizes sleep patterns for a restful and restorative night’s sleep while increasing dreaming ability, vividness, and recall. Dream Boost is available online at www.DreamBoost.com and at selected stores now, and will be available nationwide in March 2009.

Norm Forrest of Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers (formerly The Thomas Group) has been promoted to Senior Mechanical Engineer. Mr. Forrest has been at Tetra Tech since 1997. Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers provides full-service Architecture and Engineering Services and has seven offices throughout the region, including Ithaca, Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, and Farmingdale, NY; Princeton, NJ; and Newark, DE.

Ilana Bobroff of The Econo Lodge hotel of Ithaca, N.Y. has received the Embracing Inclusion award from Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH), which serves to recognize properties and individuals in the Choice family that have demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence. The award is part of the Awards for Property Excellence (APEX) awards program by Choice Hotels, franchisor of the Econo Lodge brand. The Embracing Inclusion APEX award is given to hotels that, and individuals who, address underrepresented populations through workforce efforts, community efforts or supplier diversity initiatives.

Cayuga Radio Group recently introduced Cayuga Market Place, an online market place where customers can purchase certificates to their favorite local participating businesses at 30% off. In light of recent economic tough times, Cayuga Radio Group created Cayuga Market Place to help both local businesses and shoppers as well. Cayuga Market Place creates a way for businesses to receive radio advertising and on-air promotion in exchange for certificates to their business. Cayuga Market Place is perfect for businesses that have cash flow problems, those who have had to cut back their marketing budgets, or simply those looking for some extra promotion. Gift certificates can be purchased at Cayuga Radio Group stations websites. Once the shopper makes a selection, they can purchase their certificates and print them out instantly on their printer for use that very same day! For more information about Cayuga Market Place please call (607) 257-6400.

Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. raised nearly $6000 for charity during their first annual “Festival of Trees” event on Friday, December 5. Occurring during the First Friday activities, members of the public as well as invited guests viewed the fifteen Christmas trees, which were displayed in their lobby at the Professional Towers, 19 Chenango St., Binghamton, before they were auctioned off for charity. The trees were decorated by local businesses and individuals who generously donated both their time and money to this worthy cause. The support received from local businesses and the community made the event a true success.

In the spirit of goodwill for our community, Finger Lakes Radio Group’s Hit Music Station Z95.5 partnered with Wegmans and the Tompkins County American Red Cross Homeless Services Food Pantry to feed the less fortunate in our community this holiday season. Z95.5 morning personality Justin Wright endured the elements camping-out in front of Wegmans of Ithaca. The goal was to have valued listeners, businesses and community members reach into their cupboards and fill a large truck with non-perishable food supplies. Justin didn’t leave the Wegmans premises until the truck was full, regardless of the weather. Through unbelievable community participation the goal of filling a 24 foot U-Haul truck was filled (within 58 hours)!!! Wright wants to thank everyone who donated to the food drive and helped provide a huge amount food to the Tompkins County American Red Cross Homeless Services Food Pantry.

United Way of Tompkins County
awarded grant funds totaling $85,350 to support current work in the targeted impact area of Hunger and Food Security and to invest in efforts to promote improvement in community conditions. The Community Foundation of Tompkins County’s Tompkins Today and Tomorrow Fund joined this effort to support the Hunger and Food Security by adding $2,500 to increase the funds to $35,500. The Community Foundation is committed to food program solutions to poverty, a major need identified in the United Way’s COMPASS II needs analysis.

In an effort to retrain people unemployed by the tough economic climate, State Senator Mike Nozzolio announced that job skills training programs will be available at the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES in Newark and the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES, located in Ithaca. The job skills training will be available for local residents in need of temporary assistance to assist their efforts in becoming employed. The BOCES programs will provide workers with the skills they need to become more successful and self-reliant in the future. Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES is located at 555 Warren Road in Ithaca, NY. For further information on their Adult Education programs, please visit www.tstboces.org online or call 607-257-1551.