Suburban Street News

CANDIDA CANFIELD, CREATOR OF GOURMET DINNER IN HAND, FEATURED SPEAKER AT FREE SCORE SEMINAR

Candida Canfield , innovator of Westchester’s first gourmet take-out dinner service with delivery to the customer’s home or arriving train, will be the featured speaker at SCORE’s free seminar on "Starting and Operating a Small Business" on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the auditorium of the White Plains Public Library on Martine Avenue.

Ms. Canfield will discuss how she recognized the need for high quality ready-to- eat dinners delivered to the customer here in Westchester, enlisted the services of Executive Chef Amy Bach, formerly with Abigail Kirsch Culinary Productions and most recently a Chef/Instructor at MacMenamin’s Grill and Chef Works, to design and prepare 20 different seasonal selections and weekly specials, and launched her unique catering venture one year ago that now serves nearly 130 customers.

The seminar will also include presentations on What to Consider before Starting a Small Business, How to Market Your Product or Service, and Where to Obtain Financing. No pre-registration is required. Seating will begin at 5:30 pm.

Ms. Canfield left a 10 year career with the Gannett Newspaper organization, rising to become their Classified Ad Director. In a few years she grew revenues over 65% and during her tenure with Gannett created several successful revenue generating programs, trained and coached personnel in improving their sales skills.

Dinner in Hand allows a client to choose dinners the same morning or as much as one week in advance. Gourmands, vegetarians and those with special dietary needs can select dinners that meet their individual needs. The menus feature organic hormone-free chicken, seasonal produce and homemade stocks and sauces. All Dinner in Hand meals are low in sodium. 400 calorie or less dinner choices are also available.

GHP OFFICE REALTY SIGNS 117,196 SQUARE FEET OF
LEASES AT 10 COUNTY CENTER IN WHITE PLAINS, NY

GHP Office Realty announced that the firm has signed the largest lease in Westchester
County in 2008. Verizon New York and Verizon Global Networks committed to two
separate long term leases for 99,736 square feet. The County of Westchester also signed
a new lease for 17,460 square feet. Both tenants committed to leases in 10 County
Center a 205,000 square foot office building acquired by the principals of GHP Office
and its locally based partner, Benerofe Properties in July of 2007.
Headquarted in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Verizon Communications has committed to
use the County Center Road space for their new FIOS services: customer support, call
center and training of staff. The location will house over 500 Verizon employees on the
ground and fourth floors of the building. GHP Office Realty principal, Andrew
Greenspan, who represented both Verizon and the building owners in the lease
negotiation commented, “Verizon is one of the world’s leading technology companies.
This lease at County Center represents a major belief and major commitment to
Westchester County” In addition to the FIOS network, the owners of the building
recently installed a state of the art green cooling system that relies on geothermal
technology. The building also serves as one of Westchester County’s main telephone
switches for the 914 area code.
In a separate deal, also at 10 County Center, the County of Westchester leased executive
office space for its Department of Social Services which relocated into 17,460 square feet
on the 3rd floor in January of 2008 from Grand Street in White Plans. Mr. Sal Carrera
Westchester’s Director of Economic Development oversaw the search for new space and
negotiations for the County. The County employees were attracted to 10 County Center
for its unparalleled access to I 287, the Bronx River Parkway, Central Park Avenue and
walking distance to downtown White Plains and White Plains train station. GTL
Construction, also of White Plains, provided complete construction services for the new
office build out.
The combined total of 91,000 square feet of available space on the 2nd and 3rd floors is
available for lease immediately. GHP Office Realty represents the owners in the leasing
and marketing efforts for the vacant space. The privately held joint venture purchased a
25 building 2,300,000 square foot 10 state building portfolio from Verizon in mid 2007.

McCarthy Associates completes major sales transaction in Westchester County, NY

The firm of McCarthy Associates represented North Broadway Plaza, LLC, owners of

525 North Broadway, White Plains, NY, in the recent sale of the building and property to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The 77,000 square foot building was the former corporate headquarters of Reichhold Chemical Co. and more recently was converted into a multi-tenant office complex.

The transaction closed in mid- January.

McCarthy Associates is a full- service commercial real estate firm representing the Westchester and Fairfield County markets.

LEARNING ENGLISH THE KEY TO BETTER BUSINESS IN WESTCHESTER

Workforce Investment Board receives $500,000 grant to teach English to workers

Communicating with the customer is vital to the success of any business. But more and more businesses are hiring workers who only have limited proficiency when it comes to speaking English. What to do? Teach them English.

And that’s just what the Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board plans to do. The job placement and employment training agency has just received a $500,000 grant from the New York State Department of Labor to develop an English- as-a-Second Language program tailor made for businesses and their employees.

“This program will allow us to teach English to more than 500 employees at 18 companies in the Hudson Valley,’’ said County Executive Andy Spano. “Employees can learn right on the job with a curriculum specifically developed for businesses. It’s all about economic development and helping companies here in Westchester and the Hudson Valley to thrive.’’

Donovan Beckford, Director of the Office of Workforce Development, said among the Westchester companies participating in the program are Yonkers Raceway, the Rye Town Hilton, Shoprite, the Marriott in Tarrytown and Kimber Manufacturing Inc.

Partners in the project include Westchester, Orange Community Colleges as well as BOCES in Ulster and Orange counties, who are developing the curriculum and will provide instructors.

Anne Rubenthal, assistant dean of continuing education at Westchester Community College, said that WCC is currently interviewing the employers to get a better picture of the types of employees and what skills would most benefit them. She expects classes to begin in February.

“We have reached out to employers in a range of fields from the health care, hospitality, manufacturing and retail industries to determine what their needs are,’’ said Rubenthal. “We are very excited about this program because it allows us to offer this service to these companies, free of charge.’’

Marlene Ortiz, personnel director for Marriott Hotels in Westchester, said that they hoped that the program would help their employees strengthen basic language skills. She said 10 employees who work in housekeeping have been selected as the first to participate in the program 2 hours a week for 12 weeks.

“This is for employees who already speak English, but want to improve their communication skills,’’ said Ortiz. “We are excited about offering this to our employees and hope that we can add more as the program continues.’’

The influx of immigrant populations over the past two decades has significantly increased the need for language-related services. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, there are more than 2.3 million people in New York State that have limited English proficiency.

Beckford said that the program’s goal was not only to help businesses, but to help employees improve their position in the job market. Employees who can speak English more fluently have a better chance of getting higher paying jobs.

New York Business & Labor Leaders Highlight Contradictions in
Attorney General Cuomo’s Indian Point Intervenor Petition
Actions are Detrimental to New York’s Economy, Environment, and Public Safety

New York, NY/December 3, 2007 – New York AREA members today issued the
following comments in response to the announcement by Lt. Governor David Paterson,
Attorney General Cuomo, and Westchester County Executive Spano of an “intervenor
petition” with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to oppose license renewal for the
Indian Point nuclear power plants. Also below is a list of numerous New York AREA
members who are available to comment on these matters.
Environment and Public Health Impact
“Indian Point has made downstate New York a cleaner, safer, and more environmentally
healthy place to live. There is no way around the fact that without Indian Point you
would need more fossil fuel generation in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley.
This would result in significantly increased amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides, which contribute to ozone and particulate pollution. This pollution exacerbates
asthma, heart conditions, and causes numerous other health problems. Furthermore,
replacing Indian Point’s power with the same mix of other sources in the state would
result in the emission of 14 million tons of additional greenhouse gases annually.
As a lifelong environmentalist, I once opposed nuclear power along with the rest of my
environmental activist colleagues, mistakenly equating nuclear power with nuclear
weaponry. In retrospect I see we were wrong. It’s as wrong as saying nuclear medicine,
which helps diagnose and treat millions of people annually, is equivalent to nuclear
weaponry. Particularly, with concerns about global warming being considered across the
globe, nuclear power’s benefits for the environment are clear and compelling and there
are few places where they are as compelling as at Indian Point.”
Dr. Patrick Moore
Co-Founder and Former Leader of Greenpeace, Chair and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit
Strategies Ltd., and New York AREA Advisor
Economic Impact
“Considering that New York has fast-growing power demand, among the highest
electricity costs in the country, and an absence of new facilities in the pipeline because
our power plant siting law – Article X – has been expired for five years, there are few
public policy steps that could be as ill-advised as calling for Indian Point to close.
2
Many business and labor leaders are shaking their heads in disbelief and disappointment
that the Attorney General is seeking to shut down a clean source of power which provides
more than a quarter of the New York City metropolitan region’s needs. It is playing
Russian Roulette with the power sources for the entire downstate region. It’s a risky
game and there are no winners."
Arthur “Jerry” Kremer
New York AREA Chairman, retired Chairman of the New York Assembly’s Ways and
Means Committee, and principal author of the Article X power plant siting law
Stellar Safety Commitment
“As someone who is inside the Indian Point plants regularly, I know I am far safer there
than when I drive to and from the plants. If I thought for one second that myself or my
brothers and sisters of my union were in any danger, we would not be working there and
would say so publicly.
Attorney General Cuomo, I fear, has spent far more time talking with self-proclaimed
environmental elitists than the hard working men and women who help generate the
power that makes New York a great place to live and to work. I would like to personally
give him a tour of Indian Point so he can see, firsthand, what the safety culture at Indian
Point is really like, as overseen by the way, by the on-site independent safety experts
from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In more than 50 years of commercial operations, no one has ever died from radiological
exposure at a commercial nuclear power plant. In fact, a Columbia University study of
53,000 nuclear industry workers found that nuclear plant workers live longer than the
general population and have lower cancer rates. Against this backdrop, and the
commitment to safety at Indian Point, Mr. Cuomo’s contentions are mind boggling and
wrong for New York.”
Tom Klein
Business Manager
Boilermakers Union Local 5

For Businesses - Do you need extra help?

Mayra Estrella has a program at Woodlands--it's a job readiness program.
The program itself (SER--a county program) pays students $7.15 an hour to work 20 to 35 hours a week for six weeks. The students are between
16-18 years old and are not trouble kids. They just need experience--can help with filing, clerical work, etc..
If you can use a volunteer or two, please contact Mayra Estrella at
761-6052 ext 3013. You can also reach her at 718 809 8466

Cappelli Announces Innovative Design Concept for Purchasers in The Ritz-Carlton Tower II First 50 Buyers of Villa or Penthouse Residences Will Receive Complimentary Architectural Services To Customize Their Own Luxury Condominium Residence

WHITE PLAINS, NY (May 2007) – Cappelli Enterprises, the region’s most dynamic developer, has announced a unique and exciting program that offers the first 50 Villa or Penthouse buyers of Tower II at The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester complimentary architectural services to customize their own luxury condominium residence.

The launch of this innovative program coincides with the start of the sales campaign for Tower II, a new 44-story high-rise condominium that Cappelli Enterprises is building on Main Street in the heart of downtown White Plains, one of the nation’s hottest real estate locations.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportuni ty for 50 fortunate buyers to work closely with our world-class architectural team in custom designing a residence that is uniquely theirs. No one in this market has ever offered this kind of custom architectural design program -- but then again, no one in this market has ever built a condominium like The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester,” said Louis R. Cappelli, President of Cappelli Enterprises. “Our buyers deserve the very best -- whether it’s the Ritz-Carlton’s legendary five-star service, our first-class amenities or the opportuni ty to design their own dream home,” he added.

Mr. Cappelli said a number of buyers in Tower I expressed interest in having creative input into the design of their new home. “Now as we launch our sales campaign for Tower II, we felt this was an opportune time to offer this unique design service to some of our buyers,” said Mr. Cappelli.

The opening of sales at Tower II builds on the unprecedented success of Tower I, a 44-story high-rise with 185 residences that sold out less than eight months after opening for sales. Tower I will be completed this fall with residents moving in by year-end. Also opening this fall will be The Ritz-Carlton, Westchesterhotel that is flanked by the two residential towers that form the $400 million complex.

The residences at Tower II will range in size from approximately 1,100 to 2,900 square feet and offer spacious floor plans from 1-bedroom, 1½ baths to 3-bedroom, 3½ baths. They are priced from $727,000 to $8,000,000. The 185 luxury residences in Tower II afford the same commanding views of the Manhattan skyline, Long Island Sound and the Lower Hudson Valley region that have made Tower I so popular with today’s homebuyers.

“The sales success we’ve enjoyed with Tower I has been very impressive. We felt strongly that the Ritz-Carlton concept in residential living would be highly successful in Westchester. While the concept is a first in the market, it has quickly been embraced by discerning buyers who understand the incredible lifes tyle advantages that can only be offered by a world-class player of the status of Ritz-Carlton. This is the right product, for the right communi ty, at the right time,” said Mr. Cappelli.

Mr. Cappelli said buyers are coming from both Westchester and throughout the region, including Manhattan. “Interestingly, we have found that many younger buyers have discovered the project and appreciate the tremendous quali ty and Manhattan-s tyle amenities they can gain at significantly lower prices. While we expected to attract many emp ty-nesters, we have been surprised at the number of young professionals who have bought residences. Many of them work in Manhattan and enjoy the convenience of being two blocks from the MetroNorth station and a half-hour train commute from Midtown,” he added.

The City of White Plains is enjoying a remarkable renaissance in downtown living that began with Cappelli’s Trump Tower and Ci ty Center, a downtown residential, retail and entertainment complex that opened in 2003. The re-birth of the ci ty’s downtown is now reaching new heights with The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. “It’s very exciting to see the many new restaurants and night spots that continue to open,” Mr. Cappelli commented. “Downtown White Plains has taken on a totally new feeling, and there’s much more to come.”

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester is an entirely new concept in residential living that combines the carefree convenience of a condominium with the amenities and services of a world-class hotel. Owners at The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester will have exclusive access to a wide array of The Ritz-Carlton’s legendary five-star amenities and services including maid service, room service, concierge, chauffeured Bentley service and luxury spa. Owners will also benefit from The Ritz-Carlton privileges around the world.

The hotel -- The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester -- featuring 123 luxury rooms will set a new standard for hotels in the market. It will feature a 10,000-square-foot luxury spa and fitness center; 10,000 square feet of meeting and special event space; and a 500-person ballroom. The hotel will also feature BLT Steak, one of Manhattan’s premier restaurants, which will open a 102-seat restaurant in the two-story glass “winter garden” fronting on Main Street. BLT Steak, which is the personal stamp of acclaimed chef and restaurateur Laurent Tourondel, is scheduled to open this fall. A second restaurant offering magnificent views of Manhattan, Long Island Sound and beyond will be located on the 42nd floor of Tower I.

ANOTHER 9 ACQUIRES ONSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSETS

Tarrytown, NY, May 22, 2007 - Another 9, LLC, a technology consultancy that specializes in helping small and mid-sized organizations meet their compliance requirements, technical staffing and IT outsourcing needs, announced it has acquired the operating assets of OnSite Technology, the IT services division of Sipco Publishing.

Another 9’s acquisition of OnSite Technology, a White Plains, New York, based IT systems management firm, is important to Another 9’s business growth planning. Furey explains: “Strategically, this helps us achieve our business growth plan for this year and it enhances our reference list of well established customers.” Looking forward to the welcome addition of the Onsite customer and employee families, Furey continues, “Former OnSite clients will immediately leverage our proprietary Operational Assurance ™ methodology, our robust data center facilities, and support team. Engineers from the OnSite team add experience and depth to our technical bench and improve our ability to help clients meet their IT systems continuity and operational uptime requirements.”

Jeff Schneider, CEO of OnSite Technology, explains the benefits to former OnSite customers: “Another 9 boasts a complete IT managed services staff along with the cutting-edge services to best meet the needs of our former customers. This is a very fortuitous marriage for OnSite!”

Another 9, LLC is a New York based MSP (Managed Service Provider). The firm specializes in “Advancing Business Uptime” through diligent, proactive management and protection of IT systems. The name Another 9 comes from the pursuit of perfection in system uptime and availability. Uptime is traditionally measured as an annualized percentage, and 100% is perfect. Another 9 is committed to helping clients improve their annual system uptime from 99% to 99.9% to 99.99% to the elusive “5 Nines” or 99.999%

Hudson Fusion Wins International and Local Awards
Firm’s work recognized with two prestigious Summit Awards and eight Big W Awards

Ossining, NY (May 17, 2007)— Hudson Fusion LLC, an integrated marketing and creative firm, announced today that it has received two prestigious, industry-related 2007 Summit Creative Awards® and eight Big W awards from the Advertising Club of Westchester.

Hudson Fusion won one Gold Summit Award for its own Hudson Fusion logo; and a bronze Summit Award for Eddy Messenger’s new corporate identity.

Hudson Fusion’s entries were among thousands of submissions from creative firms in 23 countries. The 13-year-old competition is one of the world’s premier arbiters of creative excellence. Joyce Luciano, Executive Director of the Summit Creative Awards (www.summitawards.com) said, “Being recognized by the Summit Creative Awards brings your company prestige and value, and we salute you.” The international competition was reviewed by a panel of judges from around the globe, including professionals from TBWA, Ogilvy & Mather, Paragon Marketing Communications, Stellar Debris Creative Studios, Velocity Design Works and others.

Kelley Briggs, Hudson Fusion partner and Executive Creative Director, said “Winning Summit Creative Awards and Big W awards year after year reaffirms that we are doing what we love to do and doing it well. It is especially gratifying to win an award for creative work completed during our firm’s recent merger of DesignWorks NY and Penchina Web Design to form Hudson Fusion.

The internationally acclaimed Summit Awards competition recognizes exceptional work by marketing creative firms including advertising agencies, video production, multimedia firms and other creative groups with annual billings of $20M or less. It is the only opportunity for such firms to have their works judged internationally for innovative and creative concepts, strong executions and the ability to communicate and persuade.

Hudson Fusion was also recently awarded eight Big W Awards from the Advertising Club of Westchester. The “Big W” Awards celebrate and reward excellence in creative and technical achievement by Westchester area creative professionals in the fields of advertising, marketing and promotion. Award winning pieces designed by the Hudson Fusion staff included the Wings Over Water website, the Hudson Fusion Corporate Identity, Stationery System and Website, the Pitney Bowes Supply Line HTML email, the Eddy Messenger Corporate Identity and Stationery System and the PetNetDirect.com HTML email.

About Hudson Fusion
Hudson Fusion takes a synergistic approach to its clients’ sales, marketing and business growth goals. They offer a full spectrum of marketing services including strategic planning, brand and corporate identity, website design, print collateral, search engine optimization, direct marketing and advertising. Hudson Fusion is located at 30 State Street in Ossining. They can be reached at 914.762.0900 or online at www.hudsonfusion.com.

WINNERS OF THE 12 th ANNUAL AVERELL HARRIMAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARDS ANNOUNCED – AWARDS TO BE CONFERRED ON MAY 22nd

White Plains, NY, April 23, 2007 – This year, the 12 th Annual Averell Harriman International Trade Awards will be presented on May 22, 2007 at Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill, Tarrytown Dinner.

The winners of this prestigious award are being honored for their continued contribution to the economic vitality of the Hudson Valley and their dedication to promoting international trade. The winners are:

Exporterof the Year (under $10 million in sales):

Lorex Industries, a manufacturer of control systems for the semiconductor industry, located in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY.

Exporterof the Year (over $10 million in sales)

Co-winners:

SP Industries, a manufacturer of life science related equipment, located in Gardiner, Ulster County, NY.

J&J Log and Lumber Corp., a manufacturer of lumber, located in Dover Plains, Dutchess County, NY

Importer of the Year:

Cross Island Trading, an importer of hardwood flooring and wood products, located in White Plains, Westchester County, NY.

Foreign Direct Investment:

Nokia, a global mobile communications company that built a 100,000 sq. ft. facility in Westchester, located in White Plains, Westchester County, NY.

New to International:

Symbio Technologies, manufacturer of stateless computer network products, located in New Rochelle, Westchester County, NY.

Trade Partner of the Year:

Orange County Community College, in recognition of its International Studies programs, located in Middletown, Orange County, NY.

International Company of the Year:

Nice-Pak Products., Inc., a multi-national private label manufacturer of wet wipes for baby and healthcare applications, located in Orangeburg, Rockland County, NY.

Special Recognition Awards:

Two special recognition awards will be granted for long-standing commitment to international trade within the region. The small business special recognition award will be granted to Bartizan Corporation, located in Yonkers, Westchester County, and the corporate special recognition award will go to Konica Minolta, located in Goshen, Orange County.

The awards were chosen by a selection committee made up of members of the participating economic development organizations in the region. These include: Dutchess County Economic Development Corp; Empire State Development; Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce; Hudson Valley Center for Innovation; Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp.; Hudson Valley International Trade Association; Hudson Valley Regional Council; Hudson Valley Technology & Commerce, Inc.; Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress; Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce; NEXCO; Orange County Chamber of Commerce; Orange County Partnership; Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce; Putnam County Economic Development Corp.; Rockland Business Association; Rockland Economic Development Corp.; Sullivan County Partnership; Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce; The Business Council of Westchester; The Council of Industry of Southeastern New York; Ulster County Chamber of Commerce; Ulster County Development Corp.; United States Department of Commerce; Westchester County Association; Westchester County Office of Economic Development; Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; World Trade Council of Westchester.

This year’s event will feature a networking reception beginning at 5:30 PM, followed by the dinner and awards ceremony. Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano will provide welcome remarks.

The Platinum Sponsor of the Averell Harriman International Trade Award dinner is HSBC Bank USA, an annual supporter of the international dinner and awards.

Tickets to the Averell Harriman International Trade Awards Dinner are $95 per person or $900 for a table of 10. Reservations can be made by visiting www.westchester.org. For further information contact The Westchester County Association at (914) 948-6444.

IBM Recognizes Pragmatix as Leader for Small Business Solutions

Elmsford, NY - (April 24, 2007) - Pragmatix, Inc., an IT solutions company, today announced that for the second consecutive year, it has been named by IBM Global Services (IGS) as a finalist in the IGS Teaming Award for Consultants and Integrators category of IBM PartnerWorld's Beacon Awards.

The solution, "Pragmatix Gold," a complete IT infrastructure solution, demonstrates Pragmatix's commitment to its clients' business success. Pragmatix Gold provides a hosted, secure, fully managed solution that supports multiple office locations and mobile users. It offers extensive backup, securi ty, email recovery and business services that create highly resilient client solutions.

Pragmatix Gold incorporates a number of IGS offerings, including IBM Express Managed Services (online backup, email/web securi ty, email recovery) and SMB hosting.

According to IBM, "the winners of these prestigious awards... are recognized as having set the standard for business excellence, unique and innovative solutions, ingenui ty, and customer satisfaction."

Bill Abram, Pragmatix president, said that small- and mid-sized businesses have the same needs as large organizations for secure and reliable systems. "We created Pragmatix Gold to address and meet those needs," he said. "We are pleased to be recognized again by IBM as a partner that provides relevant innovations and solutions."

Award recipients will be acknowledged at the IBM PartnerWorld Conference, April 29, 2007 - May 2, 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri.

BEADWORKS® OFFERS A NEW APPROACH TO A TIMELESS FASHION CONCEPT

A new jewel has arrived to bedazzle the Westchester fashion scene -- Beadworks®, a unique shop that offers the opportunity to combine contemporary fashion with personal creative expression.

Beadworks, at 96 Westchester Avenue (opposite Nordstrom’s), offers a vast range of beads from the standard to the exotic, in a friendly environment. This exciting shopping concept originated in London and has been adapted to the American market during the past twenty years at stores in Boston, Providence, Dallas, and Norwalk.

"We are delighted that White Plains is the location of our newest Beadworks shop," says Nancy Wall, founder of the American company that originated in London's Covent Garden area in 1978. "The city has become a shopping hub for all of Westchester County, and the site opposite the Westchester Mall maintains Beadworks' tradition of locating in attractive and interesting places."

Beadworks has franchised the store to Nancy Nygreen, a White Plains resident. Nygreen has a 25 year career as a market research consultant before discovering a passion for the beading world. “I felt that I was not the artistic type,” Nygreen says, “until I discovered that anyone can be creative with beads. The attraction of beads is both timeless and contemporary."

Nygreen explains why the Beadworks concept is unique: "Many stores sell beads, but almost none sells them in this way. Our beads and accessories are openly displayed in finely crafted wooden boxes so that people can enjoy touching and examining the products at leisure. Our staff is always available to help newcomers make their first piece of jewelry, and we have designer programs as well.”

Beadworks' array of beautiful merchandise includes more than 3,000 different kinds of beads comprised of glass, gemstones, pearls, gold, silver, vintage plastic, bone, African trade beads and many other materials. Illustrated instruction sheets are provided to enable anyone to create simple necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Classes and instruction books are offered for enthusiasts.

Beadworks’ founder Nancy Wall is also a Random House author of jewelry design books, and understands the dictates of contemporary fashion. She says, "Women today no longer want just a few pieces of expensive jewelry. They need a large variety to match the different garments in their wardrobes and to suit their varied working and social activities. Beadworks meets those needs.”

"There are endless choices, and women who make their own jewelry can create a lot of impact for the money. A necklace or bracelet that looks as if it might cost several hundred dollars can be put together for a small fraction of its perceived value."

Learning the basics of stringing beads into a necklace or making earrings is easy, according to Nygreen. "If you don't have the inclination to invent your own design, then adapt one you've seen or imitate a classic design. Make the jewelry you want to wear – it’s a perfect way to express yourself and enjoy the results of your own effort."

CLEANING OUT THE CLUTTER IN HER CLIENTS’ LIVES, CARMELA SIRICO, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER, TO BE FEATURED SPEAKER AT SCORE’S FREE SEMINAR

Carmela Sirico provides her clients with a unique service that enriches their business and personal lives. She helps them to organize their time and their tasks to take back control by eliminating the unproductive and simplifying the needlessly complex. Ms. Sirico will be the featured speaker at SCORE’s free seminar on "Starting and Operating a Small Business" on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the White Plains Public Library on Martine Ave.

Carmela Sirico will describe how she turned a 30-year career as an IBM professional in human resources, administration and sales into a thriving professional practice assisting business people and private individuals to organize and manage their activities without stress and frustration. The seminar will include presentations on other topics relating to small business success. No pre-registration is required. Seating will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Ms. Sirico also specializes in relocation services for corporate clients who are moving employees to the United States from abroad. She helps the newly arrived with setting-in tasks, such as applying for Social Security coverage, obtaining driver’s licenses, arranging housing, and many of the other aspects of settling into a new environment.

Among her clients in professional organizing are a retired banking CEO, a law firm, an engineering company, a restaurateur, a Cantor and Rabbi, well-known authors and even a famous rock star. She conducts seminars on organizing for women’s groups and continuing education programs.

ESDC Purchases Farley Post Office

The Empire State Development Corporation today announced that it has acquired the James A. Farley Post Office Building from the United States Postal Service. The post office, a Beaux-Arts style building listed on the national historic register, will now become the gateway to the new Moynihan Station, a transit center that will improve on the existing Pennsylvania Station.

Governor Eliot Spitzer said, “Infrastructure investments like the one we are making with Moynihan Station are critical to the future economic viability of our state. It will serve as an anchor to the redevelopment of the West Side.”

ESDC Chairman/Downstate Pat Foye said, “Today’s purchase is critical because it’s a precursor to the development of a 21^st century transportation complex that will enhance the commute for hundreds of thousands of travelers who pass through Penn Station each day. We’re delighted to move one step closer to realizing Senator Moynihan’s vision.”

Today’s acquisition comes a week after the state Public Authorities Control Board voted to give Empire State Development authorization to purchase Farley. The purchase price for the post office is $230 million.

Farley will become a critical first component of the new Moynihan Station transportation hub that, when paired with a mixed-use private development, will open up Manhattan’s far West Side. The goal is to provide an improved commuter experience comparable to Grand Central Station, with enhanced connections to Amtrak, Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit and subway lines. Moynihan would also provide speedy rail access to two regional airports: John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty. The station is named for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Today, Pennsylvania Station is America’s busiest passenger transportation facility, handling over 500,000 people daily -- more than Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports combined. Yet the present terminal, a basement-level complex built after the destruction of the legendary McKim, Meade & White original in 1963, is inadequate to meet the needs of this century. The new station will meet the demands of the modern traveler via a commuter concourse, a high-speed rail concourse, and a ticketing hall with covered taxi drop-offs. All levels will enjoy universal accessibility and natural light.

Tom Samra, Postal Service Vice President, Facilities, said, “The United States Postal Service is very pleased to see that this important building, both in terms of its architectural significance and its postal history, will play a key role in New York City’s future.”

Anthony E. Shorris, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said, "The Port Authority is pleased to make a substantial investment in this critical transportation project. Our region is growing, and we need to start working now to ensure that our infrastructure stands ready to support that growth and reduce congestion. This project, along with the Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel, shows that we are actively tackling these long-term mobility issues."

ESDC is paying for Farley through an installment plan that spreads payments through 2010, and uses funding from a variety of sources. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has committed $140 million. The remainder will come from a mortgage loan and a contribution from a private developer.

Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, encompassing business, workforce and community development. ESD also oversees the marketing of “I LOVE NY,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information, visit www.nylovesbiz.com.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH STAR-STUDDED GALA

Bobbi Brown Chairs "Suits, Strength & Success" Event with 10 Honorees and $1 Million Goal

New York, NY March 20, 2007 - Dress for Success, an international non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged women achieve economic independence, is seeking supporters for the "Suits, Strength & Success: 10^th Anniversary Gala", which aims to raise over $1 million to enhance and expand its suiting and employment retention programs. Since 1997, Dress for Success has served more than 350,000 women and expanded to more than 80 locations in five countries.

Honorees for the event include:

· Yogi Berra, Baseball Legend

· Damon Dash, Damon Dash Enterprises

· Wendy Finerman, Producer

· Nancy Lublin, Founder of Dress for Success

· Richard Moody, airforce® Nutrisoda®

· Pete Nordstrom, Nordstrom

· Andrew Rosen, Theory

· Rachel Roy, Artistic Director

· Paula Sutter, Diane von Furstenberg

· Gerri Warren Merrick, Time Warner

Presenting sponsors are Estée Lauder, FedEx Corporation and Lord & Taylor. Platinum sponsors are Citigroup, Ciroc, dressbarn, Office Depot, Props for Today and QVC.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

To purchase a sponsorship or tickets, contact Melissa Silvestri Clough, Special Events Manager, at 212-532-1922 x4 or events@dressforsuccess.org.

NAI Friedland Realty Closes Area Bank Transactions

Westchester County, NY – (March 7, 2007) – The recently approved Commerce Bank site in Pelham is the latest of several successful bank real estate transactions overseen by NAI Friedland Realty’s Retail Division. In addition to Pelham, Friedland Executive Vice Presidents Robin Herko and Steve Lorenzo have closed deals for Commerce Bank in Mount Kisco, Boston Post Road in Port Chester, and on East Fordham Road in the Bronx, as well as for North Fork Bank and the soon-to-be-chartered Westchester Rockland Savings, under the ownership of the Westchester Rockland Funding LLC. Executive Vice President Rick Stassa and Retail Director Joan Simon brought People’s Bank to a premier corner location in downtown White Plains.

Gaining approval for the Commerce site in Pelham took several years, as Herko and Lorenzo shepherded the project through community, architecture, and other review boards. The Town of Pelham has specific architectural design requirements for all commercial buildings, necessitating that Commerce revise its standard branch design to conform. Throughout the long approval process, Herko and Lorenzo served as liaisons between Commerce executives and the various boards in Pelham. Friedland has been assisting Commerce with Metro New York site selection for the past three years.

The successful closure of the North Fork deal reflects Friedland’s in-depth knowledge of the retail property market. “Friedland tracks leases due and knows when leases are scheduled to become available,” says Lorenzo. “North Fork was looking to expand in Rockland County and was able to act quickly to secure the space in Nanuet, formerly a Bank of New York branch.” Insight Development, the representative for North Fork, often works with Friedland because of Friedland’s “inside track” on available properties.

The Westchester Rockland Funding LLC signed a long-term lease at 2001 Central Park Avenue in Yonkers, a 75,000 square-foot former medical building. The building will be used for the executive headquarters and first Westchester branch of Westchester Rockland Savings.

Stassa had been tracking the status of the downtown White Plains property at 14 Mamaroneck Avenue for close to two years. When the property became available, he and Simon created a marketing brochure that caught the attention of several banks. “Through our strategic positioning and marketing of the property, we secured a lease that was 40% higher than the landlord’s target,” says Stassa.