You are on page 1of 24

AUGUST 2014

BITS & BYTES


Interesting, useful, money-saving tips.
PAGE 6
FROM THE CHAMBER
Red light, green light, 1, 2 ... 28!
PAGE 13
ON THE JOB
See this months movers and shakers.
PAGE 10
www.sibiztrends.com
Special to Business Trends
A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened Staten Island University Hospital's new Hernia Center. Doing the
honors were, from left: Dr. Joseph T. McGinn, SIUH surgery chair and heart surgeon; Donna Proske, SIUH exec-
utive director; and Dr. Michael R. Castellano, Hernia Center director.
SIUH cuts the ribbon on new Hernia Center
Business Calendar
Check out our monthly listing and
attend an event on Staten Island.
PAGE 20
By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
Staten Island Arts has spent the last few
years exploring ways to become more visible
and expand its impact by providing program-
ming space and economic opportunities for
local artists.
The first step in that process was a name
and branding change from the Council on
the Arts & Humanities of Staten Island to
Staten Island Arts. The second step hap-
pened a few short weeks ago, when it fully
completed its relocation to the St. George
please see ARTS page 21
The Culture Lounge a community space
RUMC receives
recognition
Richmond University Medical
Center has received National
Committee for Quality Assurance
recognition. The hospitals Pa-
tient Centered Medical Home
Program earned a Level 3 desig-
nation awarded only to the high-
est scoring and most comprehen-
sive medical homes for the Com-
prehensive Pediatric Care and
Comprehensive Medical Care
practices that are a part of RUMC
Ambulatory Care Center in West
Brighton. Richmond University
Medical Center is one of 64 hospi-
tals throughout New York State
with this designation, and the
only hospital on Staten Island.
Two groups receive
Avenue NYC money
Staten Island-based Northfield
Community Local Development
Corporation and Historic Tappen
Park Community Partnership are
the recipients of funding through
the NYC Department of Small
Business Services "Avenue NYC"
program for fiscal year 2015. Av-
enue NYC is a competitive grant
program for non-profit economic
development organizations to im-
plement commercial revitaliza-
tion activities in the low and mod-
erate-income districts they serve.
The program also offers a num-
ber of capacity building initia-
tives to support the efforts of or-
ganization staff and Board Mem-
bers throughout New York City.
Capacity building training topics
include financial management,
program evaluation, fundraising
and strategic planning. In fiscal
MONTHLY
UPDATE
please see BRIEFS page 22
2 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
$
8
5
0

V
A
L
U
E
APB Security & Home Automation
2047 Victory Boulevard Staten Island NY 10314
(718)698-8244
www.apbsecurity.com
Serving S.I.
32 Years
Commercial/Residential Renovations
Additions & Extensions
Kitchens/Bathrooms
Custom Carpentry/Artistic Wood-Working
Finished Basements
Repairs/Handyman Services
Fire/Flood Restorations
Call Bob or David
718-761-8390
Insured. Bonded.
References Available.
License #1015742
Our Prices Fit Your Budget
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
JANET DUGO/Business Trends
Investors Bank - as part of a multi-million dollar expansion to include four new branches on Staten Island
- broke ground for a new location on Hylan Boulevard in Grasmere. On hand to celebrate were, from left,
community activist John Sollazzo, former SI Borough President James Molinaro, NYS Assemblywoman
Nicole Malliotakis, Investors Bank COO Domenick Cama, local businessman Master Kim, Deputy Borough
President Ed Burke, Brian Gomez and Jacqueline Hancock-Pena of Investors Bank, Frank Provenzano of
the Carl V. Bini Foundation, Paul Kalamaras of Investors Bank, Anthony Rappaciullo of the Carl V. Bini
Foundation and Teddy Atlas of the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation.
Investors Bank celebrates expansion
Successful small businesses
come in all sizes and specialties,
but their leaders all share one es-
sential attribute - positive, can-do
attitudes that transcend every-
thing they do.
Believing in yourself and your
ability to succeed does more than
simply sustain you through the
challenges of getting your busi-
ness started. It also spreads
through your company and be-
yond. When you walk the talk
and follow through on your com-
mitments, your managers and
employees perform their jobs
with more confidence. Vendors,
customers, and prospects know
that youll come through for them
as well.
Among the ways you can make
successful thinking contagious in
your business is by emphasizing
long-term potential over short-
term thinking. Leaders of high-
performance business innovate
rather than hesitate, and shun the
status quo as they seek to spark
new interest and enthusiasm in-
side the business. They also en-
courage their staff to take risks,
capitalize on successes, and make
and learn from mistakes.
Sure, working productively
will help build your business. But
generating creativity and passion
for what your business does, no
matter how seemingly mundane,
is a hallmark of a high-perform-
ance business. But these dont
need to be grandiose concepts.
Simply going out of your way to
help a customer in an unusual
fashion qualifies.
Emphasize the collective suc-
cess of your business as a whole,
not of any individual person,
project or product. Then you can
accelerate success by identifying
a few profitable activities and
making them happen ever more
flawlessly and quickly.
Open the lines of communica-
tion. Generally, those around you
need more information, not less,
in order to feel successful. Let
people know where you think the
business needs to go, the prob-
lems it faces and what keeps you
up at night. That makes it easier
for you to involve them in finding
solutions to your biggest chal-
lenges. Ask their advice about
what you are doing right, what
hurts and what needs fixing. That
way, everyone has a bigger stake
in your success.
And while it is often true that
you shouldnt tinker with some-
thing that isnt broken, always be
open to new ideas, even those that
sound silly or outlandish. That
off-the-wall suggestion just might
be your next big thing. Make
sure you reward people for extra
effort with cash or non-cash in-
centives like time off or a com-
pany lunch. And, whats the best
way to find those preferences?
Ask them!
To learn more success-minded
ideas for your small business,
contact Americas free and confi-
dential source of small business
mentoring and coaching. SCORE
is a nonprofit association of more
than 13,000 business experts who
volunteer as mentors. For more
information, visit www.StatenIs-
land.Score.org or call (718) 727-
1221.
AUGUST 2014 BUSINESS TRENDS 3

Small Business Financing, Its a jungle out there!


1361 North Railroad Ave
Staten Island, NY 10306
www.esbna.com
Member FDIC
Jeanne Sarno
347.592.1938
JoAnn Libretti
347.592.1937
Leave the banking jungle behind, and join the civilized small business financing world
of Empire State Bank: Trusted Advice, Local Decisions and Prompt Answers.
To learn how a customized financing program can grow your business
call Jeanne Sarno 347-592-1938 or JoAnn Libretti 347-592-1937.
Small Business
Financing from
Empire State Bank
SBA Financing
Business Loans
Commercial Real
Estate Financing
Leave the jungle behind,
get a smart financing solution
from Empire State Bank.
Successful thinking
yields successful results
4 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
That's what we're all about
718-720-1600
1190 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10305-1920
www.heroldinc.com
Bernard Herold & Co., Inc. - A Name You Can Trust Since 1972
.........Retirement and Wealth Planning........
Special to Business Trends
The New York Center for Interpersonal Development, which provides youth, community, and professional
development programs and dispute resolution services, held its annual fundraising benefit. Chairs for the
event were Regina Boukhvalova of Northfield Bank and Dennis Surmanek of Merrill Lynch. Pictured, from
left, are John Minardo, RUMC Board Chair Kate Rooney, and LauraJean Watters and Betsy Dubovsky of
the Staten Island Foundation.
NYCID hosts annual fundraising benefit
Visit us on the Web at www.sibiztrends.com
AUGUST 2014 BUSINESS TRENDS 5
MARGOT JORDAN & CHRISTOPHER GILL/Special to Business Trends
The Richmond County Savings Foundation was named "Foundation of the Year" by the Neighborhood
Technical Assistance Clinic at its annual gala in Brooklyn. Pictured, from left, are: Seth Edwards of J.P.
Morgan Chase, who presented the award; Cesar Claro, Executive Director of the foundation; and Rev. Dr.
Valerie Oliver-Durrah, founder of NTAC
Richmond County Savings is Foundation of the Year
in our opinion
Made in NY - SI to be exact
6 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
F
or a business owner here, it can
sometimes feel as if the bureau-
cracy of New York City is one
of the largest hurdles to surmount in
reaching for success. Add together
taxes and regulations, and running a
business here is certainly not for the
faint of heart. So its nice to come
across something the City is doing to
help local businesses that doesnt re-
quire inordinate amounts of time, en-
ergy or funding.
We recently came across such a
thing: the Made in NY Discount Card.
Made in NY is a project of the NYC
Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcast-
ing an office whose roots go back to
the 1960s. At that time, ridiculous
amounts of red tape in the form of
permits and approvals were causing
filmmakers to move their productions
to the West Coast. Realizing the large
loss of economic energy and revenue
resulting from this, officials at the
time took steps to relieve some of the
burdens imposed on producers and en-
courage them to come and to stay. Ulti-
mately, the Office of Film, Theatre and
Broadcasting the first film commis-
sion in the country was established
here.
In the years since, each administra-
tion has carried on the work of mak-
ing New York City film-friendly, with
the result that we are now home to
dozens of stages and post-production
studios.
So what is the Made in NY Discount
Card? Well, every production that
takes place here requires many ancil-
lary services from accounting servic-
es to office supplies to wardrobe, and
everything in between.
Made in NY keeps a list of local ven-
dors who are willing to provide some
form of discount to film productions,
and makes that list available to pro-
ducers. Its an opportunity to promote
your business to a new and potentially
large market.
Perhaps best of all, its easy to get
involved; a single-page form with your
contact information, a brief blurb
about what you do, and your exclusive
offer is all it takes.
With the big production facility
Broadway Stages set to open here
soon, the timing couldnt be better to
get your company on this list.
You can learn more and download
the Made in NY Discount Card Vendor
Agreement at www.nyc.gov/film.
Action!
66 Willow Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
718-556-4200
JANET WARREN DUGO
Publisher
TIM RONALDSON
Executive Editor
STEVE COPPOLA
Director
RICHARD GRADO
Director
ROBERT CUTRONA
Director
LAWRENCE RAMPULLA
Director
DAN McDONOUGH, JR.
Chairman
Business Trends is mailed each month to the
business and community leaders of Staten
Island. To be added to the mailing list, e-
mail janet@sibiztrends.com. To submit a
news release, email news@sibiztrends.com.
For advertising info, call 718-556-4200 or
email janet@sibiztrends.com.
By BILL DUBOVSKY
Situation
I hope you find these bits & bytes in-
teresting, useful and money-saving.
1.) New cell phone scam. Your cellphone
rings once and then stops. Most of us
would look at the caller ID, and if we dont
recognize it, assume its a wrong number
and delete it. This new scam, a close varia-
tion to an old landline scam using an an-
swering machine message, displays a
caller ID that looks like a US based number.
If you were curious enough to call back,
you may be dialing an offshore (interna-
tional) number. When its answered, a per-
son or recording keeps you on hold or talks
with you to rack up minutes which are
charged to you as an international call (ex-
pensive). The caller and the call center
split the charge that you must pay. Remem-
ber: if you miss an important call, they
will call back or text you.
2.) Brother WiFi printer. A good printer
buy is the Brother HL-5470DW wireless
monochrome laser printer for about $190
from Amazon. It works on Windows-based
as well as Mac computers, iPhone and
iPad. While you can plug it into your com-
puters printer port or to a wired port on
your router, its ability to connect with any
Apple device on any WiFi network is the
coolest benefit. It is extremely easy to set
up for Apple products, a real no-brainer,
taking about 5 minutes if you read the
manual. You can place the printer any-
where in your WiFi coverage area with
only a power cable no other cables or
driver software installation required (for
Apple). So, if Im looking something up on
my iPad in the backyard, I can print it out
in my home office wirelessly. If I am skim-
ming email on my iPhone at breakfast and
see something I want to print I just do it.
No more having to fire-up the computer to
print out content. Another benefit is that
you can purchase high-yield Original
Equipment Manufacturer toner cartridges
on line for about $25 each. It also has all the
features one would expect from a general
purpose printer such as double-sided print-
ing, and toner saving and energy saving
modes. Ive been using the printer for over
a month and am extremely pleased with it.
The only minor negative so far is that once
you press print it may take a minute or
two (on larger or more complex docu-
ments) before it starts to print. Not a deal-
breaker for me.
3.) The new Radio Shack. I recently
bought some parts at Radio Shack on Rich-
mond Avenue and was pleasantly sur-
prised at the change in the store. A very
open feel with lots of useful mobile acces-
sories, it is still a great source for parts for
DIY electronics enthusiasts, but now does
mobile device repairs including replacing
broken phone and tablet screens. While
Ive had devices repaired in the mall and
was very satisfied, Radio Shacks prices
seem to be a bit less. Check them out.
4.) Is your old school stereo not working
as well as it once did? I recently bought a
new JVC TV (check Costco for some good
values) but could not get it to work proper-
ly with my vintage Yamaha sound equip-
ment and circa 1980 BSR speakers. I re-
membered an email from a reader with a
similar problem. He took his media center
apart, removed all the cables, cleaned
everything off, and reconnected every-
thing. It worked like new nothing new to
Interesting, useful and money-saving tips
BITS & BYTES
please see BITS page 16
YOUR FULL SERVICE, 24/7 ON-CALL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
From the largest job to smaller residential work, we do it all.
Customers include Bank of America, CJS, and 1rump 1owers, as well as your neighbor down the street!
Let us turn your pool and landscape into
a spectacular setting where dreams are
made, with custom lighting designs.
CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE REVIEW AND ESTIMATE
718-227-2008 ReliableElectricOfNYC.com
133 Storer Avenue, Staten Island ReliableElectric133@verizon.net
008'1 8l
00681 $8081I
Our Alternate Energy division specializes in the sale
and installation oI residential and commercial
generators. Keep your electricity -- and your
business -- running during emergency power outages.
800k0l 1f00k
$0f9l00
98ll80l0
F0Nl8 0016lF
8 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
Special to Business Trends
The Pandora store in the Staten Island Mall held a Customer Appreciation Day with a Luau theme. The
day included refreshments, a live DJ, raffles, and bracelet redesigning and cleaning. Pandora staff on
hand were, from left: Alex Giglio, Jacqui Gill, Carissa Costello and Carmen Rios.
Customer Appreciation Day at Pandora store
Special to Business Trends
Dr. William J. Fritz (left), president of the College of Staten Island, is
joined by fellow honoree John Catsimatidis at the Annual Golden Age
Awards Banquet held by the Latino Center on Aging. Dr. Fritz re-
ceived the Effective Leadership Award on behalf of CSI for signifi-
cant contributions and exemplary commitment to the betterment of
the Latino/Hispanic communities throughout the world.
Golden Age Awards Banquet
MATTHEW ALBERICO
MetLife Premier Client Group
MetLife Premier Client Group,
New York South announced that
Matthew Alberico has joined the
organization as agency sales di-
rector.
He will be responsible for grow-
ing sales and recruiting, training,
and coaching financial services
representatives, primarily in the
agencys Staten Island location.
Alberico has seven years of in-
dustry experience, most recently
as a financial professional with
Prudential, where he qualified for
Presidents Conference and was a
two-time qualifier for Million Dol-
lar Round Table. He also brings
management experience from his
time at Prudential, where he led
his team as a top five branch man-
ager.
He is a graduate of the College
of Staten Island, where he earned
a Bachelors degree in manage-
ment and finance. He is life, acci-
dent and health licensed in New
York and New Jersey, and holds
Series 6 and 63 securities registra-
tions.
In addition, he is P & C licensed
in New York and New Jersey. He
is a resident of Staten Island and
is an active member of the Staten
Island Chamber of Commerce.
LINDA BARAN
Rotary Club of Staten Island
Great Kills resident Linda
Baran, president and CEO of the
Staten Island Chamber of Com-
merce, was installed as president
of the Rotary Club of Staten Is-
land. Rotary Club of Staten Is-
land was formed in 1921 and has
42 members.
It is part of Rotary Internation-
al, a worldwide organization of
1.2 million Rotarians. There are
more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in
166 countries. She was sworn in
at a meeting at LiGreci's Staaten
by District Attorney Daniel Dono-
van. Other board members in-
ducted at the meeting were: Pres-
ident-Elect Frank Scarangello;
Vice President Rosemarie Scam-
pas; Sergeant-at-Arms Melanie
Cohn; Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms
Rob Myers; Treasurer Joseph
Pane; Secretary Neal Segal; Assis-
tant Secretary Eric Campione;
Past President John Tapinis; and
Past President Joseph Marchese.
Baran has worked at the Staten
Island Chamber of Chamber for
the past 26 years and was elected
as the first woman president and
CEO of the organization in 2004.
She has served on Gov. Cuomos
Community Rising Planning
committee and currently serves
on the Board of Directors of
Notre Dame Academy and as an
advisory board member for the
Small Business Development
Center at the College of Staten Is-
land.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Snug Harbor Cultural
Center & Botanical Garden
The Board of Directors of
Snug Harbor Cultural Center &
Botanical Garden announced the
election of two new members:
Travis Noyes and Patricia D.
Ornst. Noyes is chief marketing
officer of New York Wheel and
SVP of marketing for Empire
Outlets.
Noyes has more than 15 years
10 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
Become a
DOME SAVINGS
CLUB VENDOR
and reach thousands
of potential customers!
For more information, call
(718) 605-2500
www.domegroup.com
Dome Property Management - managers of
over 100 condo and homeowners association
communities - is now accepting vendors and
merchants to participate in the Dome Savings
Club, an "offer board" of discounted services
and products for the communities it serves.
Join national companies like Time Warner
Cable, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and local
businesses like Jealan Fireplaces and The Pool
Therapist. To learn more, visit the Offer Board
at www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers.

Fl0l0f0 00f 0lll00 8l8lI


on the job
Visit us on the Web at www.sibiztrends.com
please see JOB page 15
12 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
MONDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Kiwanis Club of Richmond Co.:
LaFontana Restaurant, 2879 Amboy
Rd. 7 p.m. Call 718-420-1966.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No
charge. For info, call the SBDC at
718-982-2560.
TUESDAY
SI Business Friends: 7:30 - 8:45
a.m. Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South
Ave. For information, call Dr. Richard
Bove at 718-938-5978 or visit
www.sibfnetwork.com.
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Direct120.com, Ultimate Think
Tank: Lorenzos, 1100 South Ave. For
info, visit www.direct120.com.
Kiwanis Club of South Shore:
LaFontana, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7:30
p.m. For info, call 718-370-2770.
SCORE Business Counseling: S.I.
Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9
a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-
essary. No charge. For info, call 718-
727-1221.
Business Guild I of the S.I. Cham-
ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Mem-
bers and invited guests only. Call
Michael Anicito at 646-606-2111.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) Net-
work Alliance Chapter: Z-One
Lounge, 1821 Richmond Ave. 7 to
8:30 a.m. For info, call Timothy
Houston at 718-981-8600.
Rotary Club Staten Island: LiGre-
cis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to
1:30 p.m. Members and guests wel-
come. For info, call 718-370-3140.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: Chamber of
Commerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. No
charge. Call 718-982-2560.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No
charge. Call the SBDC at 982-2560.
WEDNESDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Richmond County Referral Source:
Comfort Inn. 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. For
info, email jcmexp@aol.com
Staten Island Business Council:
Lorenzos at Hilton Garden Inn, 1100
South Ave. 7 a.m. Members and
invited guests only. For info, call 347-
855-4488 or send an e-mail to
info@sibizcouncil.com.
Bucks Business Network: Hamp-
ton Inn, 1120 South Ave. 7:45 a.m.
For info, call 718-351-2557 or visit
www.sibucks.com.
Kiwanis Club of Brighton: Jodys
Club Forest, 372 Forest Ave. 7:30
p.m. For info, call 718-348-0505.
Kiwanis Club of North Central:
LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave.
7:30 p.m. Call Len Bosso at 718-442-
7804.
Rotary Club of Gateway: The Lake
Club, 1150 Clove Rd. 7:15 p.m. For
info, call 718-447-1509.
SCORE Business Counseling:
Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St.
9 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-
sary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership,
Interactive, Team, Effort) Net-
working Group: 1110 South Ave. 8
a.m. New members welcome. For
info, call 347-273-1375.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
info, call 718-982-2560.
THURSDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Richmond Business Connections:
Z One, 1821 Richmond Ave. 8 a.m.
For information, call Ron Cutrone at
(347) 258-8131.
Kiwanis Club of Staten Island:
LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave.
7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345
or kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com.
Rotary Club of South Shore: Man-
sion Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15
p.m. For info, call 718-987-2061 or
visit southshorerotary.org.
Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dako-
ta Diner, 921 Richmond Ave. 7:30 to
9:00 a.m. Call 718-981-0700.
SCORE Business Counseling: SI
Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9
a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-
essary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGre-
cis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m.
For info, call Chris Williams at 718-
442-9047.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) High
Achievers Chapter: PKs Restau-
rant,1281 Arthur Kill Rd. 7 to 8:30
a.m. For info, call Timothy Houston
at 718-981-8600.
Business Guild II of the S.I. Cham-
ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45
a.m. Members and invited guests
only. For info, call Dovid Winiarz at
718-983-9272.
Business Guild III of the SI Cham-
ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 8 a.m. New
members welcome. Call Nick Testa
at 646-823-4494.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
info, call 718-982-2560.
Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT): 7 p.m. For info. and
locations, call John Tidona at 448-
7160 or portrichcert@yahoo.com.
FRIDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
SATURDAY
SCORE Business Counseling: St.
George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10
a.m. to noon. Appointment neces-
sary. No charge. Call 718-442-8560.
SCORE Business Counseling: Rich-
mondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave.
10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-
sary. For info, call 718-668-0413.
WEEKLY MEETINGS
Submit a listing
Want to submit a listing to our
Calendar or Weekly Meetings
sections? Drop us an email
with your information to
news@sibiztrends.com.
By TOM SCARANGELLO
One of the best things about
working on Staten Island is the
commute. Especially when you
compare it to having to go into
Manhattan every day like many
Staten Islanders.
I have an eight-mile commute
to work which takes about 20 min-
utes. But that commute has got-
ten longer over the past few years.
Seems trivial to complain about
an additional five minutes, but it
is half my alarm clock snooze
time.
It has made me realize that,
while I have been able to control
my own business destiny to a
large extent, I have not been able
to control my commuting destiny.
When I first started driving from
home to work there were 9 traffic
lights along the ride. Today there
are28! Same route! 19 addi-
tional red lights. Thats 211 per-
cent more lights! How can that
be? Why can that be? Stop!
Think about this: it is estimat-
ed as an average American you
will spend six months of your life
waiting at red lights. Since we
are New Yorkers, and way above
average, we are probably going to
spend a year waiting at red lights.
A year! You could break up with
your spouse, make up with your
spouse, conceive a child, go to
nine months of doctors appoint-
ments, give birth, have the bris
(make sure its a boy first), and
have the baby baptized (double
the chances he goes to heaven) in
less time than you will spend
waiting at red lights in your NY
lifetime.
You could watch every episode
of Sesame Street ever made since
its debut in 1969 in the time you
will spend sitting at red lights,
TWICE! Even the Count von
Count doesnt want to count that
high. Bright side is, you would
know the letter Q and every
other letter for that matter.
I know we need red lights but
do we need them everywhere?
And getting rid of a red light is
harder than getting a liberal and
a conservative to agree on Oba-
macare. Go ahead, google get-
ting traffic lights removed. Your
computer will just start to smoke
and then shut itself off and then
the whole Internet will disappear.
Except for porn and online gam-
bling, those cannot be destroyed.
One alternative is round-
abouts, like they have in New Jer-
sey. They work, and they speed
up traffic and are safe and fun I
usually go around three or four
times like its a ride at Hershey
Park. You know all those times
you are sitting in traffic and its
just because of the timing of the
red light up ahead (like on Rock-
land Avenue, or Richmond Av-
enue, or Page Avenue, or EVERY
avenue)? If those intersections
were roundabouts, you would be
dizzy but you would be there al-
ready.
A town in Germany did an ex-
periment in 2013 removing all
traffic lights, and guess what?
Everything got safer and faster!
Matter of fact, in the Netherlands
they use a concept called Shared
Spaces in which all traffic sig-
nals are removed and people take
responsibility for making eye
contact with fellow drivers and
bikers and pedestrians and coop-
erate with each other. The Dutch
AUGUST 2014 BUSINESS TRENDS 13
Country Awards & Trophy Center
1600 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305
Located Inside Rabs Country Lanes
raysr@country-awards.com
Phone: 718-354-4026
Fax: 718-980-6616
www.country-awards.com
Our Motto: We Not Only Build Trophies. We Build Relationships
Red light, green light
FROM THE CHAMBER
please see CHAMBER page 18
experience in building tourism
organizations from start-up to
maturity.
He has specialized expertise in
developing tourism transporta-
tion networks on New York Har-
bor.
Ornst is director for New York
State and Local Government Af-
fairs at Delta Air Lines, with
more than 15 years experience in
aviation policy in New York and
Washington, D.C. Prior to joining
Delta, she spent two years as
managing director state and
local government affairs, North-
east region for American Air-
lines.
Before joining the New York
Wheel organization, Noyes spent
more than 10 years with New
York Water Taxi, which included
New York Water Taxi, Circle Line
Downtown and Water Taxi Beach,
where he oversaw the strategy to
transition the company from a
commuter to a tourism company.
A resident of Westchester County,
he holds a Bachelor of Arts de-
gree from Florida State Universi-
ty.
In addition to her experience
with Delta and American Air-
lines, Ornst also represented the
City of New York in formulating
aviation policy under the
Bloomberg Administration. In
addition, she spent seven years as
director of legislative affairs for
Airports Council International-
North America. She has a degree
in political science from Susque-
hanna University.
CHERYL HUMPHREY
Showtime Books
Cheryl Humphrey of Elt-
ingville has been named public
relations manager of Showtime
Books, a Staten Island-based inde-
pendent publisher. She will man-
age projects related to book edit-
ing, production and promotion.
Humphrey earned a Bachelor of
Arts degree magna cum laude,
with a major in journalism, from
Seton Hall University in New Jer-
sey.
She is a St. Joseph by-the-Sea
High School graduate. While at
college she created and edited a
book review blog and specialized
in digital marketing. Showtime
Books is a division of Showtime
Publications, headquartered in
Annadale, which began business
in 1983 producing theatre pro-
grams. Showtime Books first
title, From Humble Begin-
ningsSuccess, was written by
21 Staten Island business people
and was published last November.
AUGUST 2014 BUSINESS TRENDS 15


s
t
a
tena
r
t
s
Staten Arts Photography
www.statenartsphotography.com
Steve White
6 Genesee Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10308
Phone: 718.317.5025
Cell: 917.446.4029
Email: statenarts@aol.com
Weddings
Sweet 16s
Anniversaries
Birthday Parties
Much much more!
..................................
On the Job
JOB
Continued from page 10
16 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
buy! It turns out that over the
years, we attach devices to our
system that we remove as they be-
come obsolete (8-track/cassette
players, game systems, graphic
equalizers, turntables, VHS play-
ers, tape recorders, etc.) and we
have all these random cables that
dont do anything. By removing
unnecessary accessories and reat-
taching only the cables that you
actually need, you remove some
oxidation on the connections and,
in many cases, get your old sys-
tem working like new. Give it a
try before you invest in new
equipment! Im asking readers for
suggestions for favorite business
apps for mobile phones and
tablets to share in this column.
Please send to
billdubovsky@gmail.com. Enjoy
the rest of the summer!
Bill Dubovsky - Comtel Information
Services, has a proven track record
of business success spanning over
30 years in helping hundreds of or-
ganizations improve their profitabili-
ty. He is the principal technology
specialist with Comtel Information
Services, a New York based telecom-
munications consulting firm, and an
adjunct lecturer in business at the
College of Staten Island, C.U.N.Y.
Contact him via email at
billdubovsky@gmail.com.
Interesting useful,
money-saving tips
BITS
Continued from page 6
JANET DUGO/Business Trends
The Staten Island Not For Profit Association held its annual meet-
ing, where new officers were installed. Pictured are: (back row, from
left) Ilene Pappert of the Children's Aid Society/Goodhue Center;
SINFPA Executive Director Vin Lenza; Samir Farag of SCORE; John
Malizia of Fisherman's Conservation Association; and (front row,
from left) Fern Zagor of Staten Island Mental Health Society; newly-
installed SINFPA Board President Melanie Franklin Cohn of Staten
Island Arts; and outgoing SINFPA President Diane Arneth of Com-
munity Health Action of Staten Island.
SINFPA hosts annual meeting
Here's a revenue-boosting
opportunity that may be flying
under the radar of your business
or professional networking circle.
Decades-old Dome Property Man-
agement, one of the largest and
most respected companies of its
kind in the New York metropoli-
tan area, is offering an unprece-
dented opportunity for a limited
number of vendors and mer-
chants to share in their success.
The newly introduced Dome
Savings Club gives businesses the
opportunity to expand their cus-
tomer bases for free. Theres
absolutely no catch: You simply
agree to provide an attractive dis-
count to club participants on the
Dome Savings Clubs Offer
Board. That's it. Nothing more. A
nominal one-time set-up fee,
which includes a place on the
clubs online Offer Board, is the
only cost. This is a winning situ-
ation for everyone involved, said
Michael Motelson, president of
Dome Property Management.
ALL PARTIES BENEFIT
Here's why:
(1) The businesses in the Dome
Savings Club may incorporate
marketing incentives that work
best for them, such as dollars-off
or percentage-savings discounts,
free gifts or services, or other
strategies that have successfully
worked for them in the past. They
will enjoy a huge audience com-
prised of well over 10,000 potential
customers at over 100 Dome-man-
aged communities, and are
included in the clubs online mar-
keting efforts.
(2) Homeowners and communities
under Domes management bene-
fit from the dollars they save on
top-quality products and services.
(3) Dome Property Management,
notably Staten Islands premier
property management company,
benefits from directly interacting
with the business community and
providing a greatly appreciated
advantage to the many condo com-
munities it services.
Founded in 1987, Dome Proper-
ty Management manages over 100
condominium and homeowners
association communities, mostly
on Staten Island, and is the
biggest such operation in the bor-
ough. Dome provides comprehen-
sive property management servic-
es to many types of properties and
complexes, from under 10 to more
than 500 units, and includes many
building types and individually
owned homes. For now, the Dome
Savings Club is being marketed
solely to its Staten Island condo
communities.
DISTINGUISHED
MEMBERS
Time Warner Cable was the first
to participate in the club, with an
offer to supply participating
condo residents a savings of more
than $60 per month with bulk-rate
pricing. Additional members
include national companies, such
as Wells Fargo Home Mortgage,
and reputable local merchants,
such as Jealan Fireplaces. Even
Dome itself has joined in by offer-
ing preferred pricing and
enhanced services to the residents
of participating communities.
Now that the word is out, it is
likely representatives of the auto-
motive, banking, medical, finan-
cial and restaurant industries will
soon come on board. Dome should
also expect to hear from numer-
ous home-services businesses,
such as landscaping, contracting,
plumbing, electrical, woodwork-
ing, painting, multi-service and
product suppliers, and others.
Given the assortment of com-
munities and properties we man-
age, and the many goods and serv-
ices they and their residents con-
sume, businesses offering a wide
array of products and services
can benefit from participating,
said Enid Motelson, senior vice
president of Dome Property Man-
agement.
SOLID REPUTATION
IS A MUST
If you are interested in participat-
ing in the Dome Savings Club as a
merchant or vendor, be aware that
not every business will qualify.
Only businesses with a stellar
reputation for product, customer-
service and integrity will be con-
sidered, Michael Motelson said.
By simply providing a discount to
Domes customers in these tough
economic times, quality mer-
chants, service providers and ven-
dors can strengthen the loyalty of
their existing customers and
attract and build relationships
with new prospects.
For additional information,
Dome Property
Management may be reached at
718-605-2500,
e-mail at DomeProp@
DomeGroup.com, and
visited online
at www.DomeGroup.com. The
Dome Savings Clubs Offer
Board can be found at
www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers.
The company is headquartered at
109 Winant Place,
Staten Island, NY 10309.
Current Participants:
Dome Savings Club connects businesses
to thousands of potential customers for free
Advertisement
The Tides at Charleston, the first active-adult community of its kind in metropolitan New York, is one of over 100 condominium and home-
owners association communities benefitting from the extensive services provided by Dome Property Management.
Dome Property Management provides com-
prehensive property management services
to many types of properties and complexes,
from under 10 to more than 500 units, and
includes many building types and individual-
ly owned homes.
found that traffic moves more
quickly and more safely when
people take responsibility for
their driving instead of govern-
ment legislating where and when
they must stop and go. Is think-
ing and driving even legal here?
How would we text?
Right now we drive like drones,
and not just because we are tex-
ting or talking on our bluetooths
but because we are constantly
told what to do by traffic signals.
We are the Driving Dead. Lets
face it, living on Staten Island re-
quires lots of driving.
I wonder if we can take back
the responsibility of driving in
our community. The rules are
made up in Albany, which seems
inefficient.
Local politicians have affected
positive change in recent years by
suggesting small changes that
have made a big difference, but I
think they need our help to do
more.
Lets take back the responsibil-
ity of driving in our community
and make it not only easier to get
around but safer and faster and a
lot less stressful. Let me know
what you think at
news@sibiztrends.com.
Tom Scarangello, a principal with
Scaran Heating, Air Conditioning and
Plumbing, is chair of the Small Busi-
ness Committee of the Staten Island
Chamber of Commerce.
18 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014

Contact our Commercial Division for


more information about:
Sales & Leasing Investment Property
Multi-dwellings Industrial/Manufacturing
Retail Space Raw Land
Warehouses 1031 Exchanges
Office Buildings
285 St. Mark's Place Staten Island, NY 10301
718-273-3800
www.gatewayarmsrealty.com
Our Knowledge, Experience, Teamwork + Integrity =
Results for You
Now Available
West Brighton - Forest Avenue - 2-story, corner com-
mercial retail/office building with a full lower level acces-
sible by elevator for office use & off street parking for
approx. 60 vehicles. Asking $3,990,000. Call Robert for
details.
St. George - A newly renovated 4-story 80,000 sq. ft. "Class A"
mid-rise office building with an average floor plate of 20,000
sq.ft. Landlord will build to suit. Suites from 500 sq. ft. -
20,000 sq. ft. Full floor plates available for immediate
occupancy. On-site parking & security. Call Rob for details.
FOR SALE
FOR LEASE
COMMERCIAL RETAIL & OFFICE SPACE
ST. GEORGE Stuyvesant Place 500-20,000 SF $21-26 RSF
MARINERS HARBOR Arlington Ave. 1000-2500 SF $10-12 RSF
ST. GEORGE Bay Street 1,000 SF $24 RSF
WEST BRIGHTON Richmond Terrace 1,000-15,000 SF $15 RSF
WEST BRIGHTON Prime Forest Avenue Cubicles/Redi-Suites $350 - $1,500 per month, all inclusive
WEST BRIGHTON Forest Avenue 1,250 SF $24 RSF
ST. GEORGE St. Marks Place Redi-Suites $750 - $1,000 per month, all inclusive
ROSEBANK Tompkins Avenue 2,500 SF with yard $3,000/month + utilities
ELM PARK Hooker Place 3,250 SF Warehouse & Office $2,500/month + utilities
For Lease
Your gateway to better business and better living on Staten Island
+ utilities
RETAIL
WEST BRIGHTON Forest Avenue 1,500 SF $30 RSF
WEST BRIGHTON Forest Avenue 300 SF $1,250 + utilities
WEST BRIGHTON Forest Avenue 500 SF $1,500 + Utilities

*= Leased Out
** = Rented
Red light, green light
CHAMBER
Continued from page 13
SIBOR/Special to Business Trends
Representatives of the Staten Island Board of Realtors traveled to
Albany recently, joining with 300 other realtors from across the
state to urge lawmakers to approve legislation they believe vital to
the well-being of the housing industry. At the State Assembly in Al-
bany are, from left, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis; Dil Gillani,
SIBOR president-elect; Claire Besignano, SIBOR secretary-treasur-
er; Assemblyman Michael Cusick; Dawn Carpenter, a SIBOR past-
president; Laird Klein, president of SIBOR; Assemblyman Joe Borel-
li, and Sandy Krueger, SIBOR CEO.
SIBOR hits the road to Albany
Trying to figure out how...
TO REACH MORE OF YOUR TARGET MARKET...
TO GAIN MORECUSTOMERS?
LOOK NO MORE!
CAN PUT YOUR MESSAGE IN THEIR HANDS EACH MONTH.
And now we've got MORE ways than ever to do it.
Call or email today to learn about an exciting NEW opportunity that
can put you front and center with STATEN ISLAND BUSINESS TRENDS
readers -- a select group of business and community leaders.
Advertising packages start at LESS than $100 per month.
(718) 556-4200
Janet@sibiztrends.com
www.sibiztrends.com
20 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
4TH ANNUAL LIGHT
KEEPERS GALA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8
Time: 6:30 p.m. 11:00 p.m.
Location: 355 Front Street
For information, call 855-NLM-SINY
SI ARTIST MARKET
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9
Time: 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Location: 73 Wave St.
For information, call 347-257-9263
ST. JOHNS
UNIV: GOLF OUTING
MONDAY, AUGUST 11
Location: Richmond County Coun-
try Club
For information, call 718-390-4526
WBCLDC: MKTG. YOUR
BUSINESS ONLINE
MONDAY, AUGUST 11
Time: 6:00 8:00 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
RICHMOND CNTY.
BANKERS ASSOC.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13
Location: Mikes Place, 4677 Hylan
Blvd.
For information, call 718-370-7037
SI CHAMBER: BUS.
AFTER HOURS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13
Time: 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Location: Richmond County Coun-
try Club
For information, call 718-727-1900
WBCLDC: MKTG. YOUR
BUSINESS ONLINE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13
Time: 6:00 8:00 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
NYS WOMEN, INC.
(RICHMOND CNTY.)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Bella Vita Caf, 1919 Hylan
Blvd.
For information, call 718-816-5991
POWERFUL YOU!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Giulianas, 4105 Hylan
Blvd.
For information, call 718-608-1640
NYS WOMEN, INC.
(STATEN ISLAND)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697
Forest Ave.
For information, call 718-226-6462
24-7
NETWORKING SALES
MONDAY, AUGUST 25
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Z-One Restaurant, Rich-
mond Ave.
For information, call 973-697-8872
WORLD OF WOMEN
MONDAY, AUGUST 25
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Mansion Grand, Mansion
Ave.
For information, call 718-948-8175
WBCLDC: BUILD YOUR
BUS. WEB PRESENCE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Time: 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
NEW DAY
TOASTMASTERS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: SI Univ. Hosp., Seaview
Ave.
For information, call 347-265-1161.
Business Calendar
AUGUST 2014 BUSINESS TRENDS 21
Parisi Rampulla & Lenza, P.C.
78 Martin Avenue | Staten Island, NY, 10314
(718) 761-3333
Short Sales, Mortgage Modification,
Foreclosure Defense
ATTENTION!
Building Owners, Shop Keepers,
Tenants, Schools
WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS!
Commercial Lock Inc.
28 Years Experience
97 QUINTARD STREET
STATEN ISLAND, NY 10305
718-447-7338
Member:
Commercial Lock Inc.
Try us, you will like us
10% OFF
YOUR 1ST
SERVICE WITH
mention of this ad
WE CAN HELP MEET
ADA LAW
REQUIREMENTS
Services IncIude:
Licensed Locksmiths Storefront Door Repairs
School Hardware / Lockdown Solutions
Doors Replaced / Fire Doors, Apt. Doors, Roofs
Exit Devices Door Controls / Automation
Access Control Master-Key Planning
High Security Locks & Keys
MEMBER
2014
Staten Island Ferry Terminal in
what its calling the Culture
Lounge.
We really studied the issue
and did a lot of focus groups with
the community, said Melanie
Cohn, the executive director of
the organization. Having a pres-
ence in St. George, it became ap-
parent pretty earlythat it would
be a good location to take advan-
tage of other things happening in
the community already.
From the first day the Culture
Lounge opened to the public on
June 7, Staten Island Arts hit the
ground running. Even though the
organization didnt finish moving
its offices to the new location
until July 1, Cohn and her staff
have been meeting new commu-
nity members all summer, espe-
cially the riders of the Ferry.
In its former location in Snug
Harbor, Staten Island Arts was lo-
cated in a sub-basement. They
were hard to find, Cohn said, and
hardly anyone would stumble
upon them. Now, there are crowds
of people who stop in to explore
what it has to offer.
In terms of visibility and ac-
cess for our artists, its going to be
an incredible place, she said.
The organizations ongoing
experiment, as Cohn described
it, will be to market to people to
visit the Culture Lounge, and the
way they will do that is through
providing good content. Theyve
been hosting film nights and per-
formances on Tuesday nights,
theyre holding an artists market
where visitors can purchase
goods, and theyre hosting ongo-
ing exhibits that will change
throughout the year to attract
new visitors.
Im really excited to have the
first year of those programs done,
because there will be a culminat-
ing effect of them, because each
of them tells a different story
about Staten Island, Cohn said.
The first exhibit in the series,
Passenger and Vessel, which
opened Aug. 1, is a site-specific,
interactive installation that asks
the viewer to consider the rela-
tionship between passenger and
vessel and how it affects travel.
Other planned exhibitions will
build on this topic to give visitors
different viewpoints about the
world.
At the same time, Staten Island
Arts will continue to fine tune its
new space, including bringing in
an artist to paint their logo and a
mural on the wall and complete
signage out front.
The Cultural Lounge has come
a long way since the signatures
were placed on the paperwork.
The Ferry Terminal location was
not in the cards for Staten Island
Arts at first, Cohn said. She had
gone on a tour of the spaces with
the New York City Economic De-
velopment Corporation, but for a
small nonprofit, Cohn found the
application process difficult and
opaque.
However, then-Borough Presi-
dent James Molinaro and the
EDC helped Staten Island Arts
navigate the process and negoti-
ate to rent the space.
With the help of funding from
Molinaros office, the Richmond
County Savings Foundation, the
Northfield Foundation, $12,000
from a Kickstarter fundraising
campaign and other foundation
grants, Staten Island Arts was
able to lease the office and pay for
build-out of what was a complete-
ly raw space.
It was just basically a shell
and we had to go do everything to
get it ready, Cohn said.
Now that build-out is complete
and only minor cosmetic details
remain, the organization can help
take one of its major projects to
the next level.
Over the last year, Staten Is-
land Arts has been working to
help artists learn how to be small
businesses.
Through a grant from New
York Community Trust, Staten Is-
land Arts developed its Cultural
Entrepreneurs Program to help
small to mid-sized cultural organ-
izations and community-led
groups involved in traditional
cultural practices on Staten Is-
land achieve stronger business
practices.
Because art is a persons pas-
sion, its often difficult for them to
think about how they can mone-
tize their work.
The Cultural Entrepreneurs
Program aims to help artists
break through their barriers and
think about making money off
what they are doing. Through
one-on-one meetings, educational
workshops and the artists mar-
ket, the artists can learn how to
market their products, test the
business ideas they have and
start thinking about pricing their
products on the wholesale and re-
tail markets.
If we have our local artists
that are able to do that, then
theyre going to spend their
money locally, Cohn said. It re-
ally ends up helping all of Staten
Island.
Were still a start-up. Im real-
ly excited to see what it looks like
as we enter the holiday season. I
really think the kind of goods
that theyre selling are really
unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that
would be great for the holiday
season.
The Culture Lounge is open
seven days a week, and Cohn said
Staten Island Arts wants people
to come explore the space and see
whats going on. In addition to
being passive visitors to the site,
there is a rental program where
people or community groups can
rent the space for their own
events, and they even offer two
slots each month where the
spaces can be used for free on a
first-come, first-served basis.
We want Staten Island to feel
like this is a community space,
Cohn said. Were a non-profit.
Its not our space; its the commu-
nitys space.
SI Arts opens Culture Lounge
ARTS
Continued from page 1
FOUNDATION FINANCIAL
ADVI5OR5
RNALD I. CITRNL
|incncic| A!tiscr / Pcrincr
Circc 1985
718-727-5100
year 2014, organizations that re-
ceived Avenue NYC funding at-
tracted 53 new businesses to its
corridors, recruited 355 new mer-
chants to new and existing mer-
chants associations, and im-
proved 12 storefront facades.
Northfield Community Local
Development Corporation will
use the funding to attract new
businesses to the Port Richmond
commercial corridor and to host
two events to showcase vacancies
to potential business owners. His-
toric Tappen Park Community
Partnership will use the grant to
build the capacity of the Staple-
ton merchants associations.
Microsoft opens
retail store in mall
Technology company Mi-
crosoft has opened a retail store
in the Staten Island Mall, the first
of its kind on Staten Island and
only the second such location in
New York.
Consumers can visit the site to
purchase devices, for technical
assistance, and for business solu-
tions. Staff is also available to
visit local businesses. It is located
in the center court, lower level of
the mall.
TD foundation provides
$327,989 to charity
The TD Charitable Foundation
has provided $327,989 to non-prof-
it organizations in New York
from February through April to
support community programs
and improve the lives of local
neighborhood residents.
Organizations focusing on
housing issues, the environment
and education have been provid-
ed grants to help improve their
cause and make a difference in
the community.
Among the recipients was the
Staten Island Children's Museum
for its Cool School Holidays pro-
gram.
CJs Boardwalk opens
McLean Ave. location
CJs Boardwalk announced its
grand opening on McLean Av-
enue, featuring seaside-themed,
unique private parties for chil-
dren with re-creations of classic
boardwalk games made out of re-
cycled materials. Kids and adults
can enjoy unlimited play on the
many hand-made games avail-
able. Open play and "Mommy &
Me" art classes are offered during
the week. All the games are also
available for rent.
Forest Avenue property
sells for $5.25M
Eastern Consolidated arranged
the sale of a two-story retail strip
center located at 1257-1267 Forest
Ave. for $5.25 million at $200 per
square foot with an eight percent
cap rate. The 25,860-square-foot
property is comprised of 12 fully-
leased retail spaces and includes
a 41-car parking lot.
Retail tenants at the building,
formerly housing Blockbuster, in-
clude Avon, Papa Johns Pizza,
Payless Uniforms, and several in-
dependent neighborhood retail-
ers such as CKO Kickboxing.
Signature Bank among
Forbes most trusted
Signature Bank announced
that it was the only large cap
bank to be named on the Forbes
list of Americas 50 Most Trust-
worthy Financial Companies.
Forbes recently released its 2014
list, which is based on data from
proprietary ratings provider and
investment advisor, GMI Ratings.
GMI Ratings reviews the ac-
counting and governance behav-
iors of more than 8,000 publicly
traded companies in North Amer-
ica to measure a companys credi-
bility.
The list of Americas 50 Most
Trustworthy Financial Compa-
nies was created as a sub-set of
Forbes Americas 100 Most
Trustworthy Companies list.
Additionally, Signature Bank
ranked fifth nationally in the
ABA Banking Journals listing of
Top Performing Big Banks, mov-
ing up from its seventh place posi-
tion last year.
The 22nd annual performance
rankings reviewed the financial
results and strategies of federally
insured public banks and thrifts
with total assets of more than $10
billion.
22 BUSINESS TRENDS AUGUST 2014
Bill Bergman, Vice President, Leasing
(718) 263-3800 x 307
bbergmanmuss.com
118-35 Queens Blvd.,
Forest Hills, NY 11375
www.muss.com
Monthly Update
BRIEFS
Continued from page 1

You might also like