Upstate NY organizations

"4-H Head Heart Hands And My Health To Better Living"

2006-10-27T12:19:00.000-04:00

"4-H Head Heart Hands And My Health To Better Living"

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Annual Dinner for the Cornell Cooperative Extension -Oneida County.

Earlier this year I had conducted a Toastmaster Public Speaking Youth Leadership Program over a six week period. The program was conducted for their full time staff members, parents and kids. It was a complete pleasure to work with everyone involved- even the other instructors remarked how uplifting it was to work with such fantastic people. The parents gave phenomenal support to the kids and were an active part of the class.

- Why 4-H at this time? It was truly due to the dedication of Lynette Kay as Program Coordinator who made it happen. It was the culmination of a six month effort on her part where she went to breakfast and a Toastmaster dinner to promote the idea. Lynette said it was part of her job description but she went well beyond any job description to make the event happen.

What is great about this extension is Lynette is typical of the dedication for the staff and volunteers for 4-H.

Last night the NYS Commissioner of Agriculture, Patrick Brennan, spoke about the contribution of farming to a local community in economic development.

As a final thought, I remember a lecture from Stephen Covey years ago. He stated that if we run our businesses as effectively as farmers ran their farms, we have more successful businesses. He then played a ten minute videotape where a farmer just talked about what he did- it was an excellent metaphor for businesses.

Griffiss Air Force Base

2006-10-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

"Why the Thruway Still Touts Griffiss AFB"

One of those pet peeves I have is that we still have a sign for Griffiss Air Force Base, a base that has been closed for over a decade.

If you are driving west from Utica to Westmoreland, a large sign touts Exit 32 for Griffiss AFB and Oneida County Airport. I have always thought that there are probably two better, more current attractions to advertise such as the Air Force Research Laboratory or Fort Stanwix or Oriskany Battlefield. To me, I thought it was just not putting the best foot forward for the Mohawk Valley.

Today's organization is the New York State Thruway who recently faxed me the reason the sign is still there. I understand the logic from the New York State Manual of Traffic Control Devices stating that destinations such as the Griffiss Business and Technology Park are not eligible for these destinations signing.

The decision has been to leave the sign in place until it needed replacing. It is now 15 years old and is slated to replaced with a sign noting the Oneida County Airport and possibly Griffiss Tech Park.

I did find the people at the Thruway Authority very helpful to explain this situation. This post is more a reflection of how NYS works than the Thruway Authority personnel ( it is the system, not the people in the system).

PS. Did you realize there is a "Green Discount" for owners of certain hybrids that will provide an additional 10% off Thruway fees. I know someone who just took advantage of that today. Here is the link- www.nysthruway.gov/ezpass/greentag.html

Accent On Excellence

2006-09-18T15:10:00.000-04:00

Mohawk Valley Accent On Excellence

Observer Dispatch provided major coverage to the latest 2006 winners of the Mohawk Valley Accent on Excellence awards touting the top ten people under 40 in the area.
Once again, the list of winners is quite impressive.

One negative is the lack of engineers on this list. Last year in fact produce two engineers but overall the number of engineers/technical people that have won since 2000 is surprising low.

This is not an indictment of the program but may be a reflection of the Mohawk Valley loss of engineering and manufacturing personnel in the last twenty years. Technical people who have won have predominantly been from the Air Force Research Laboratory ( where top notch engineering is being done) or the President of a technology company.

I look at this as a leadership concern as the Mohawk Valley is either not generating or recognizing young technical talent in the area. The latter is not as much of a concern-individuals tend to enjoy the intrinsic value of the technical challenges and may be uncomfortable with recognition.

Not generating young engineering talent is serious. The local colleges are showing a dropoff in technical programs and there are less jobs in the area to support the graduates. Professional technical societies are struggling.

What is the answer? We will know in the next decade by either the growth or the decay of technology based companies in the area.

Wood Pellet Mills In United States

2006-08-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

Recently my wife and I put in a purchase offer for a house in Herkimer County. The house, over 130 years old, has oil for heat in the original structure but electric in the new addition. To combat the higher fuel costs expected this winter, we are taking a look at a wood pellet stove.

Yet so are many other people as the demand for wood pellets last year was high. Manufacturing capacity had been reached due to this demand with the possibility of a shortage ( Pellet Shortage is expected to last all winter - December 2005.

New England Wood Pellet is expanding their manufacturing and storage operations to Frankfort, NY in a new 72,500 square foot facility. Looks like a great industry coming to Herkimer County at the right time. Upstate NY Blog referencing an Observer Dispatch article also in July.

Guilty Pleasure

2006-08-17T10:55:00.000-04:00

One Central NY blog that I read often is CNY Underground that has some interesting insight about our upcoming Congressional Race. Some entries will show up as a later story in the Observer Dispatch, others never will.

His screen name will get blocked from probably any corporate filtering program but he does seem to have some good information particularly on the Oriska situation and the NYRI . Gossipy yes, but that is one thing that makes it interesting reading. I have shared this with others informally and now decided to blog it.

Take it for what it is worth.

Irish Celtic music

2006-08-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

Irish Celtic Music

Yesterday I attended the volunteers party for the Great American Irish Festival (GAIF) at Piggy Pat's Pub. It was a party touting the over 400 volunteers that make the GAIF possible.

And what a festival it was this year! I attended both nights and the Irish music was fantastic. There was great food, many gift shops, and at 2-3 bands playing at any one time. The Great American Irish Festival is becoming a signature event for the Mohawk Valley.

On a personal night, I had both my brothers there ( one times his visit from New Orleans to the Mohawk Valley in order to attend the event) as well as my father and stepmother. So it is now a family event as well.

Precision Cooling Integrators & Manufacturers

2006-08-01T16:40:00.000-04:00

Precision Cooling Integrators & Manufacturers

On Monday July 31st, I had the chance to go to the open house for Air Innovations, a company celebrating its 20th anniversary. Mike Wetzel, son of founder Larry Wetzel, talked about how they bought the company ten years ago and had only four employees. A decade later, they now have 40 employees and are shipping their product internationally.

As a precision cooling manufacturer, Air Innovations makes the cooling units for products such as wine coolers, flower displays, and military laser applications. One of the new products is called Isolation Air that is a portable air purifier for hospitals to use with burn victims.

As part of the tour, we saw what had to be the world's largest vending machine. We then saw the Floratech product line showing the company's competitive edge- their refrigeration floral units are open air instead of closed behind refrigerator doors. This is a customer-centric approach appealing to those want to easily reach out and touch/smell the flowers making these consumers more likely to buy them in supermarkets.

We also had a chance to see the "mad scientist" of Air Innovations whose job is to expose the finished units to harsh conditions to improve the reliability of the product.

Anne from HR talked about the typical Air Innovation manufacturing technician. It is a person who buys the unassembled ten speed bike for a child on Christmas Eve and easily follows the directions to assemble the bike for Christmas day. Included in the message was the safety push since you want that product to be safe for the child or end user so you take extra precautions putting it together.

Air Innovations was praised for its diversity of products- that praise was well deserved.

The Corporate Blogging Book

2006-07-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

I am adding the link above to Debbie Weil's book on Corporate Blogging (www.thecorporatebloggingbook.com) that mentions Indium Corporation and Dr. Lasky's blog in particular. This book provides a valuable guide to corporate blogging, the link details more information from the book including ordering information.

To recap Friday. Friday morning FEDEX dropped off an advance copy of the the book, I started reading the book in the DMV line, rapidly read the book on Friday afternoon, and loaned it out a hour after that.

If you are trying to discover ways to eliminate the barriers to starting a blog, then there are excellent tips for you in this book.

Dr Lasky's Blog Cited as Effective Corporate Blogging Example.

2006-07-21T14:35:00.000-04:00

Dr. Lasky's Blog

Earlier today I received a Fedex package with Debbie Weil's book, " The Corporate Blogging Book- Absolutely Everything you Need to Know to Get It Right."

As I was reading the book, on page 18-19, she discusses Fortune 500 companies that do corporate blogging. On page 20, she mentions small to medium size companies that do corporate blogging well mentioning Dr Lasky's blog on the Indium website. Indium has two local plants in Utica and Clinton, New York.

Indium corporation manufactures indium products such as indium tin oxide ( for aerospace applications) and lead free solder products. Lead free solder is important due to RoHs restrictions on using lead solder paste.

- Through Dr. Lasky's blog, he discusses the ramifications of the transition to lead free solder.

PS. As an aside, I have Debbie Weil's website on my.yahoo.com RSS feed. What is nice is that when http://www.blogwriteforceos.com/blogwrite/ is updated, my.yahoo.com automatically shows the headline and a quick summary. On her blog page, she has Rick Short's Indium blog as a link.

Downtown Revitalization Action Plan

2006-07-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

Downtown Revitalization Action Plan ( link to Mohawk Valley EDGE Quality of life page)

Downtown Revitalization Action Plan

Economic Revitalization for the Mohawk Valley including Downtown Rome and Utica has been important to me since returning to the area in 1995. After losing Griffiss Air Force Base and GE/Lockheed Martin, the Mohawk Valley lost more people in the country according to the 2000 census than anywhere else in the country.

-In 1998, I worked on a package with Mohawk Valley EDGE to provide training to local solder operators using a specific grant package.

This week I attended meetings of two organizations that are providing strong support for revitalization completing EDGE's efforts:

Breakthrough CNY on Monday. Breakthrough CNY focuses on aligning efforts by workshop training so we have more better conversations of hope and possibility of the future of the Mohawk Valley. Conversations are used to energize people about this area rather than continue the same complaints from the loss of major industries in the 90's. Often when I read the paper, it seemed to me the greatest barrier to economic revitalization is ourselves. Breakthrough CNY addresses this barrier head-on.

The Genesis Group on Tuesday specifically for the Technology Committee lead by Dr. Gerry Capraro. This group met at Tiny's to examine technology upgrades to revitalize the area detailed by an action plan. The technology committee is but one of several efforts of Genesis including groups for Young Professionals, Tourism, and the Ambassador Program.

-A third effort is FUSE2006 mentioned at the Genesis Techology meeting that is using July and September conferences for "Accelerating Technology Enabled Business Growth in Central/ Upstate NY.

What I like about the above efforts is the proactive plans for each group. I am of the mindset similar to a keychain that said "Pray to God but Row to Shore." We now not only talk about revitalizing the economy but are taking specific actions.

2006 Boilermaker Race

2006-07-10T13:11:00.000-04:00

Race Results for Utica Boilermaker can be found on the Observer Dispatch page- http://www.uticaboilermaker.com/

On the side is a chart I made up from the overall race results showing how many people finished at each minute. Results are available since 1986 so a future update may show how the times have changed over the past twenty years.

2006 Boilermaker Race

2006-07-07T11:34:00.000-04:00

-2006 Boilermaker Race-

Sunday is the annual 15K Boilermaker race in Utica, NY and in fact is the largest 15K race in the country. The race starts at Utica Boilers and finishes at the Saranac Brewery with a huge party. It gives great exposure to Utica as events such as health fares are held throughout the week.

What is also amazing about this event is the level of cooperation between the local sponsoring business to the various government agencies to the media. Cooperation is not a strong point in the Mohawk Valley but this event is an exception. The result is that each year the race continues to improve and become more prestigious.

Good luck to all runners and participants!

Savage Arms History, Utica NY

2006-06-30T15:20:00.000-04:00

The History of Savage Arms

Savage Arms History in Utica,NY

I came across the above page that talked about Savage Arms History and its early days in Utica, NY. I did not realize it but Savage Arms was on the cutting edge of technology with the first "hammerless" lever action making rifles more affordable to people at that time.

There is a book on the History of Savage Arms that I found on their website. Below is from the frequently asked questions page:

Q. Are there any reference sources for Savage historical information?
A. Yes, there is a book by Jay Kimmel titled, Savage & Stevens Arms, Collector's History. For more information on where to purchase this book, contact, CoryStevens Publishing, Inc., 15350 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR, 97230, by phone at 503-328-9339, or on the web at www.corystevens.com

Figurative Abstract Art Sculpture

2006-06-22T15:09:00.000-04:00

Figurative Abstract Art Sculpture

Sculpture Space 30th Dinner

I was in attendance of the 30th Anniversary Dinner celebrating Sculpture Space. Honored as part of this program were Charlie Fisher of BGM Supply as well as founders Richard Friedberg and John von Bergen. Also honored were Duffy Matt and Joe Corasanti for their significant community support over the years.

From their website ( www.sculpturespace.org):

Sculpture Space is unique in North America for its service to sculptors and the individual support given to artists who come to Utica, NY to make new work. The program currently selects 20 artists per year for two month residencies, and has helped advance the careers of over 400 national and international artists since 1976.

I had the chance to talk with two of the artists who graduated from the residency program that now live in Albany, NY. Joanne described how she used different materials and how the different elements came together in the final sculpture. I could just see the joy she receives from her work.

Exhibits of the work included figurative sculptures in aluminum foil and a steel sculpture that was for sale at the front of the banquet.

Parents Views of Inclusion

2006-06-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

The Family Nurturing Center

Parents Views of Inclusion

Just attended the 15th Annual Family the Year Dinner last night recognizing families from the Central New York area.

The back of the program has a quote from Erich Fromm, " Unconditional love corresponds to one of hte deepest longings, not only for the child but of every human being.

The Family of the Year, The Greers, take this one step further as they provide unconditional love not only for their children but even to other people's children. The Greers provide shelter and advice to runaway and homeless teenagers As mentioned at the dinner, this family is literally a lifeline for youth in crisis situations.

What was impressive about this dinner is the inspiring influence of the nominated families to the other people in the audience. One night a year we recognized them for their outstanding dedication and love- we grow by hearing their stories.

Hiking in Upstate NY

2006-06-09T17:32:00.000-04:00

Hiking in Upstate NY
Excuse Me Sir, Your Socks Are On Fire
Book ISBN 1-59531-000-2

Last March I bought this book written by a great friend, Larry Weill, on my birthday. Though Larry lives in Rochester, the book is distributed by North Country Books out of the old Charlestown Mall at 311 Turner St in Utica.

This book is a great read particularly if you have a love of the Adirondack Park. Larry was a forest ranger for three years so he details the people he met, the places he visited, and the practical jokes he experienced. Larry has a superb sense of humor and it comes through in every story.

I am already thinking of the many people who would enjoy this book!

PS. If you are looking for books on the Adirondacks or Upstate NY, this is a fantastic source.

Mohawk Valley New York real estate

2006-06-07T13:11:00.000-04:00

Mohawk Valley EDGE: Quality of Life

Sometimes when I am in meetings with people not from NY I talk about the great real estate values here in the Mohawk Valley. People often associate Upstate NY with New York City prices so I talk about the median housing price here in Oneida County. Today, I thought I would provide some links that provide more details.

First, Mohawk Valley EDGE provides an excellent overview including a video of the quality of life here in Central New York.

To look at what is available in Utica with pictures and prices, go to the Greater Utica Realtors website. My wife and I have spent many hours looking at this website as we are looking for a new house ourselves.

- If you like how the website was set-up, the software was developed by Capraro Technologies. Contact them if you are interested in a similar set-up and tell them Greg sent you!

Finally, we have had good luck working with John Brown who works with Coldwell Banker. He sold my wife our present house and he works hard for his customers. I also like working with Chris and Vicki Droz who are outstanding and think highly of Ray Cooley.

Utica and History

2006-06-06T09:41:00.000-04:00

Oneida County Historical Society

Last year our Mohawk Valley chapter for the American Society had an event at the Oneida County Historical Society that discussed Oneida County's Manufacturing History.

The Historical Society had an exhibit about products made in the Mohawk Valley. Frank Tomaino brought this history to life with an outstanding talk of Utica through the ages.

-Frank publishes an interesting column in the Utica Observer Dispatch listing events from 100 years to 50 years to 25 years to 10 years ago for that particular week finishing off with a trivia question. I have also bought his book about Utica and History.

Gore Mountain mines

2006-06-01T21:47:00.000-04:00

Garnet Mine Tours has the World's largest garnet deposit!

Located in North River, New York the heart of the Adirondack Mountain Just came across this web site featuring a Gore Mountain Mine, a tourist attraction located in the Adirondack Park about 2.5 hours from Utica, NY.

Here is some information I found on the Gore Mountain website:

The hardest garnet in the world is only found on Gore Mountain, making the garnet extremely rare. The Barton garnet has an unusual and beautiful ruby red color that flashes in the sun. In 1969, the Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller, made the Barton garnet the New York State Gem Stone. We are one of the world's largest garnet deposits, and have the largest garnet crystals in the world.

The name of the attaction is Garnet Mine Tour - the website includes pictures of the mine.

Why did I blog this? I thought it was fascinating that we had this unique tour so close to Utica.

Corperate Internet Branding

2006-05-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

Is Corperate Internet Branding a valid phrase?

Many people consider misspelling on corporate ( or in this case corperate) web sites to be unacceptable and unprofessional.

Yet misspellings such as "corperate internet branding" tend to catch the eye. It interrupts your train of thought and you look at the page differently.

- A local lumber company, Jay-K, put up a 3-D highway sign that looked like there was person on a ladder putting the sign. It was actually a mannequin but some people thought it was a man stuck on the sign. Jay-K now has a 3-D highway sign that also catches your eye. It is brilliant marketing strategy... if you are looking for great quality lumber, this is an excellent source of wood.

The only people that are going to see that sign are the people driving down Utica's Arterial. By placing eye catching information on a web page, you get exposure to a worldwide market. What is remarkable is that over 200 people a day according to one estimate type corperate internet branding by mistake into the search engines.

Corperate Internet Marketing- Effective marketing or unacceptable? Let me know. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.

uticaBoilermaker.com :: The starting place on the Web for Upstate N.Y. runners

2006-05-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

One of the premier events in the Utica area is the annual 15K road race held in July. It is amazing how the whole community supports this weekend from the Observer Dispatch newspaper to Saranac Brewery to Utica Boilers.

In the past, I ran this race that is the largest 15k race in the country. There is particularly torturous hill at the three mile mark that was my nemesis. Now as a spectator, I enjoy the weeklong activities that surround the event including the huge party at Saranac Brewery at the end of the race.

In the Observer Dispatch today, they mentioned the blog of a reporter who is training for his first Boilermaker. In the May 2, 2006 entry, he talks about the side splits he suffered around the three mile mark. Though I am confident that he will do well at the race, hearing the struggles and triumphs over time is fascinating.For more information on the Boilermaker, visit their website at http://www.uticaboilermaker.com/.

Central NY blog:Fault Lines

2006-05-02T16:31:00.000-04:00

Fault Lines

This blog captures the headlines from the local Observer Dispatch and comments on the article. While I try to focus on the local industry of the area, Strikeslip focuses on the ideas and other concerns of the area.

One issue he highlight with a link to CNY Underground is the value of immigration to the Mohawk Valley. From my vantage point, I can see how much talent immigration has brought to Central New York.

Golf training accuracy

2006-04-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

This website, for golf training accuracy, was recently started to use the principles of six sigma to improve your golf game. A sister website to this site, the idea is to provide statistical analysis in a more appealing context.

The genesis of this idea is from a local training class I provided at Tactair. One of the Quality Engineers mentioned that showing data analysis is nice but if I really wanted to capture their attention, then I should relate the ideas to golf. Golf, a game of frustrating variation where one shot you have the perfect swing and the next shot you hook it.

Since Central NY is known for its snowy winters, I developed a course on "Golf in January" using an indoor golf simulator. I am putting my experiences in www.bettergolfaccuracy.com to provide this information to a greater audience.

Cooperstown Cookie Company

2006-02-11T04:14:00.000-05:00

One of the pleasures of living in Utica, New York is the close proximity to Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

One of the local companies that works with the Hall of Fame is the Cooperstown Cookie Company. I have had the pleasure of eating one of their Classic Baseball Shortbead cookies and they are great ( I have had more than one.) I have even included one of the cookies in a gift basket for a local Toastmaster event.

Cooperstown Cookie Company was founded by Pati Drumm Grady using an old family recipe for the cookie. The cookies are baked at the neighboring Pathfinders Village, a residential community for children and adults with Down's Syndrome. Read more about this collaboration at their "About Us" page.

Not only are the cookies great but the packaging is also high quality.

Reception at McDonald's?

2006-02-08T15:58:00.000-05:00

www.mcchronicles.blogspot.com

No, it was not our reception but a quick bite to eat during the time between the end of the wedding and the beginning of the reception.

If you don't see the wedding pictures, you might have to look at the January 2006 archive.

Our friend Rick was kind enough to include us in his McChronicles blog, a blog that highlights the McDonald's fast food experience. Rick is a benchmark of what can be accomplished in blogging with his unique insights on McDonald's as well as his frequency of posting.

This particular McDonald has a "Fifties" atmosphere though less than ten years old.