Business Trends - September 2015 PDF

SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTHLY
UPDATE
www.sibiztrends.com
BITS & BYTES

Is it time for Apple Watch?
SBA, SBDC to host

employment workshop
If you are retired and seeking
to re-enter the workforce, or employed and dreaming of being
your own boss and need guidance youll want to mark your
calendar for a workshop Sept. 24.
The free event, sponsored by
the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Staten Island
Small Business Development
Center, can be your first step toward understanding what it takes
to launch a new career as a business owner.
Titled The Encore Entrepreneur: Your Second Career, the
seminar will cover a range of essential topics, such as how to fund
your business; budgeting considerations and the basic skills required for operating an enterprise.
Featured speakers will include
Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio,
co-founder of career-coaching
firm SixFigureStart; Solomon
Chemo, certified financial planner and managing partner, The
Richmond Group Wealth Advisors; representatives from the
SBA; and experts from the banking, small business and franchising communities.
Career transitions and business start-ups are challenging by
nature, said Dean L. Balsamini,
director of the SBDC at the College of Staten Island. Fortunately, the journey can be eased with
the assistance of experts.
The Sept. 24 seminar will take
place 8:30 a.m. to noon in the
Knights of Columbus Hall, 22
Hillside Terrace, Great Kills.
For pre-registration, Christine
please see BRIEFS, page 2
PAGE 6
MONEY TALKS
Understanding long-term care
PAGE 8
ON THE JOB
See this months movers and shakers.
PAGES 18-19
Rotary Club hosts Ecology Day
Special to Business Trends
The Rotary Club of Staten Island, with support from Con Edison, hosted students from P.S. 8 at the club's annual Ecology Day at the Staten Island Mall.
SI Museum to celebrate Snug Harbor opening

By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
Staten Islands North Shore is going
through quite the transformation.
Construction on the New York Wheel
began last month, with construction fences
Business Meetings
Check out our monthly listing and
attend a meeting on Staten Island.
PAGE 4
erected and shovels in the ground for a project slated to open in 2017. All around the site,
improvements are happening in the borough
to prepare for the projected influx of visitors
expected.
One of the first improvements to be completed will be celebrated this month, when on
Sept. 19, the new home of the Staten Island

Museum at Snug Harbor will open to the
public with inaugural exhibitions and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
We are ecstatic to be opening the doors to
please see MUSEUM page 21
2 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015
Monthly Update
BRIEFS
emailed
at
Christine.Purelis@csi.cuny.edu.
Continued from page 1
Big savings with

Hospitality 10 Card
Purelis of the SI SBDC may be

reached at (718) 982-2495, or
Enjoy a meal at one of Hospitality 10 Cards participating

restaurants, save a few dollars
and help fight pediatric cancer
all with a plastic card. Hospitality
10 Card popped up on the Staten
Island dining scene in July 2014
and had an amazing year of
growth. They now have 35 participating establishments including
one retail wine shop (Honor
Wines), a winery (Staten Island
Winery) and are corporate sponsors of the 2015 Staten Island Yankees.
The concept is straightforward
and effortless. Enjoy a meal at
one of the participating restaurants, when the check comes, put
your Hospitality 10 Card and
form of payment inside the bill,
and the server takes care of the
rest.
Staying true to its principles
and focusing on the local community, in late May, Hospitality 10
Card teamed with The Service
Auxiliary of Staten Island University Hospital. The focus is to
help raise money for the new
Kids Against Cancer Pediatric
Oncology Center at SIUH.
The Staten Island University
Hospital Service Auxiliary is the
oldest continuous auxiliary in the
United States, and is celebrating
its 152nd anniversary in 2015. The
KAC is a philanthropic non-profit
charity dedicated to supporting
families fighting against pediatric cancer. The new center is envisioned as a place where children can be treated close to home
but yet far removed from their
disease. Some features include a
one-wall fish tank, a running waterfall with teens corner, interactive video and IT wall with touch
screens, as well as an exposition
of fluttering butterflies.
The price of the card is $29.99
for a one-year membership. There
is a potential savings calculator
for people to check if the mem-
bership is right for them.

In this upcoming year, Hospitality 10 Card plans to raise thousands of dollars for the Pediatric
Oncology Center, double the size
of its participants (restaurants),
develop an app and grow its new
corporate and professional memberships. You can learn more and
become a member at www.hospitality10card.com.
SBS launches online

portal for M/WBEs
The New York City Department of Small Business Services
announced the launch of an online tool enabling Minority and
Women-owned Business Enterprises to certify and re-certify online, check the status of applications and update their business
profiles to better promote themselves to buyers.
To assist firms with the certification process, SBS offers a range
of support services including
workshops on selling to government and one-on-one assistance
from experienced client managers.
Certified M/WBEs can also
take advantage of free Compete to
Win services offered by SBS, including programs to assist with
bond readiness, contract financing, teaming and mentorship.
M/WBEs are also eligible to participate in the citys Corporate Alliance Program, which trains and
connects city-certified firms with
private sector contract opportunities, as well as Strategic Steps for
Growth, a nine-month business
management course for M/WBEs
offered by the city in partnership
with New York University.
The NYC Online Certification
Portal can be accessed at
nyc.gov/certifyonline. Firms interested in certifying as an
M/WBE or participating in
M/WBE programming, can learn
more by calling 311, visiting
nyc.gov/getcertified or meeting
with a client manager at one of
the citys seven NYC Business Solutions Centers located in all five
boroughs.
Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com
SEPTEMBER 2015 BUSINESS TRENDS 3
Richmond County Savings opens new branch
STEVE WHITE/Business Trends
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Richmond County Savings Bank's new
branch in Tottenville was held on Aug 24. Pictured, seventh from the left is Linda Baran, president and
CEO of the S.I. Chamber of Commerce; Branch Manager Rita Pirrone (with scissors); Gail Castellano, regional manager; and Assemblyman Joe Borelli, with employees of the bank.
WEEKLY MEETINGS
MONDAY
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.
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
Greater New Dorp Networking
Group: 8 a.m. Perkins, 1409 Hylan
Blvd. For information, call Steve
Lombardo at 718-702-8623.
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.
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 necessary. No charge. For info, call 718727-1221.
Business Guild I of the S.I. Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Members and invited guests only. Call
Michael Anicito at 646-606-2111.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) Network 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: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to
1:30 p.m. Members and guests welcome. For info, call 718-370-3140.
Business Counseling: Chamber of
Commerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. No
charge. Call 718-982-2560.
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No
charge. Call the SBDC at 982-2560.

Richmond County Referral Source:
Comfort Inn. 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. For
info, email jcmexp@aol.com
Staten Island Business Council:
Andrews Diner, 4160 Hylan Blvd. 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: Hampton 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 718-4427804.
Gateway Rotary Club: LaStrada,
139 New Dorp Ln. 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 necessary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership,
Interactive, Team, Effort) Networking Group: 1110 South Ave. 8
a.m. New members welcome. For
info, call 347-273-1375.
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
info, call 718-982-2560.
THURSDAY
Richmond Business Connections:
Z One, 1821 Richmond Ave. 8 a.m.
For information, call Ronald P.
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: Mansion Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15
p.m. For info, call 718-987-2061 or
visit southshorerotary.org.
Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dakoplease see MEETINGS, page 15
John Amodio named Rotarian of the Year nominee

BUCKS BUSINESS
NETWORK
Home Impr
Improvements
rovements
ove
ovements
& Renovations

KITCHENS BATHROOMS
FINISHED BASEMENTS
ENTS THEA
ATER
TER ROOMS
DOORS WINDOWS
TR
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Y
CUSTOM WOOD WORKING CABINETR
SHEETROCK ELECTRICAL PLUMBING
FLINT GENNARI/Special to Business Trends
John Amodio was named a Rotarian of the Year nominee by Rotary International District 7230, in recognition of his 36 years of service as a member of the Rotary Club of Staten Island. Amodio also serves as
chairman (since 1997) of the Staten Island Rotary Foundation, and started the club's high school level
InterAct Clubs at New Dorp High School and Susan Wagner High School. Pictured, from left, are Rotarians Linda Baran, Amodio and Don Lee.

FREE DET
TAILED
A
AILED ESTIMATES
David
Call Bob or Da
vid @ 718-761-8390
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Serving S.I. Over 30 Years
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in our opinion
Shovels are in the ground
66 Willow Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
718-775-3154
JOE EISELE
Publisher
TIM RONALDSON
Executive Editor
Progress can be viewed at Wheel construction site

uch has been written on
these pages about the pending construction of the New
York Wheel on the North Shore and
what it will do for Staten Island. Weve
talked the project itself and its direct
impact on tourism; weve talked its
ripple effect on businesses in the immediate area; and weve even talked
about how others outside the immediate zone can capitalize on the project.
Until now, though, the Wheel has
been just that talk. In September
2012, Richard Marin, the Wheels CEO,
announced at a press conference with
then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg that
the Wheel was coming. But now, we
can see with our own eyes that it really is happening.
Construction fences were erected

around the site last month, and shovels have hit the ground the first step
in an estimated two-year-long construction process that will see the
worlds largest observation wheel
open sometime in 2017.
Wheel officials will be back in front
of the City Planning Commission next
week because the developer has proposed changes to the original plan that
includes increasing the height of the
parking garage and eliminating wind
turbines and solar panels on the site,
in addition to other items. This may
just be a formality, but we hope the
changes dont hold up the project any
longer.
Were very excited to see what the
Wheel has to offer, and were especially excited to see what it will be able to
do for our beloved Island.
Staten Island for so long has needed
a project such as the Wheel to bring
visibility to the borough. This is not to
say other projects such as the Empire
Outlets or the Staten Island Marine
Development or the Teleport didnt
vastly improve the Island. Its that,
quite obviously, those projects dont
have the sex appeal the Wheel does to
outside influences.
So while we always advocate for any
project that improves our borough,
and there have been many recently, we
are simply over-the-top ready for the
Wheel to open.
Is it 2017 yet?
STEVE COPPOLA
Director
RICHARD GRADO
Director
ROBERT CUTRONA
Director
LAWRENCE RAMPULLA
Director
JANET WARREN DUGO
Publisher Emeritus
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, email joe@sibiztrends.com. To submit a
news release, email news@sibiztrends.com.
For advertising info, call 718-775-3154 or
email joe@sibiztrends.com.
BITS & BYTES
Is it time for the Apple Watch?

By BILL DUBOVSKY
Situation
Communicating and computing are continually becoming
more personal. Its been predicted
that future clothing will contain
sensors that will be able to monitor our health in real-time and
even get us help if we have a
health emergency.
The Apple watch gets us closer
to Dick Tracys two-way wristradio and may even help us with
health monitoring and emergencies as apps progress.
What is it?
The Apple watch is a seamless
device that works with and is up-
dated with an iPhone 6. New, native software, watchOS2, will be

out this fall, which promises
faster, more powerful apps, enhanced communications options,
with new looks and uses for the
watch face.
I cannot even list all the things
this device can do in this brief article, so check it out at
www.apple.com for details and
video.
How it works
The watch comes in two sizes
(38mm and 42 mm) and has three
different Editions that vary by
size, finish and bands. The capabilities of all devices are identical. The least expensive Edition is
the watch Sport, which is $349 for

the 38 mm model and $399 for the
42 mm model. The top-of-the-line
watches are $10,000 and $12,000,
respectively.
Major functionality includes:
seeing your schedule and having
it silently remind you by tapping your wrist when you have
an appointment, get a notification, text or call.
You can make and receive calls
from a favorite list or by asking
Siri to make the call for you.
Emailing and keeping in touch
with friends, family and associates is easy with a list of relevant,
preset replies.
Transit info and GPS maps
show you the best route from
your current location to where

you need to go (very useful). You
can draw and send color sketches,
messages or even your heart rate
to other Apple watch users. Perhaps the coolest app is Apple Pay.
I can use my American Express,
Visa and soon Discover card simply by passing my watch over the
Apple Pay device at stores and
restaurants that accept it no remembering to bring your card or
risk having it breached.
Each watch has a Taptic Engine, Digital Crown, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, speaker and
microphone. According to Apple,
The Ping app uses the accelerometer to measure the speed
of your golf swing, the Strava app
uses the heart rate sensor to gather and display data during workouts, and Insteon app lets you use
the Digital Crown to control your
house lights.
Also, it is a very accurate
watch that never needs to be adjusted!
What you need

All of the Apple watch Editions
are technically the same and will
work with an iPhone 6.
The main difference between
them are the watch cases and
straps, which can be as inexpensive as the sport model, the more
classic look, and the top-of-theplease see BITS page 10
'$# / && + + & *$ &

#$ - &,
.#+"
'&+ %(') )/
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Understanding long-term care

By WILLIAM J. MARCO
Addressing the potential threat
of long-term care expenses may
be one of the biggest financial
challenges for individuals who
are developing a retirement strategy.
The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services estimates
that 70 percent of people over age
65 can expect to need long-term
care services at some point in
their lives. So understanding the
various types of long-term care
services and what those services may cost is critical as you
consider your retirement approach.
Long-term care is not a single
activity. It refers to a variety of
medical and nonmedical services needed by those who have a
chronic illness or disability
most commonly associated with
aging.
Long-term care can include
everything from assistance with

activities of daily living help
dressing, bathing, using the bathroom, or even driving to the
store to more intensive therapeutic and medical care requiring the services of skilled medical personnel.
Long-term care may be provided at home, at a community center, in an assisted living facility or
in a skilled nursing home. And
long-term care is not exclusively
for the elderly; it is possible to
need long-term care at any age.
Longterm care costs vary
statebystate and regionbyregion.
The national average for care
in a skilled care facility (single occupancy in a nursing home) is
$87,600 a year. The national average for care in an assisted living
center (single occupancy) is
$42,000 a year. Home health aides
cost an average of $20 per hour,
but that rate may increase when a

licensed nurse is required.
Often, long-term care is provided by family and friends. Providing care can be a burden, however, and the need for assistance
tends to increase with age.
Individuals who would rather
not burden their family and
friends have two main options for
covering the cost of long-term
care: they can choose to self-insure or they can purchase longterm care insurance.
Many self-insure by default
simply because they havent
made other arrangements. Those
who self-insure may depend on
personal savings and investments
to fund any long-term care needs.
The other approach is to consider
purchasing long-term care insurance, which can cover all levels of
care, from skilled care to custodial care to in-home assistance.
When it comes to addressing
your long-term care needs, many
look to select a strategy that may
help them protect assets, preserve
dignity and maintain independence.
If those concepts are important to you, consider your approach for long-term care.
William John Marco is a certified
wealth strategist with Marco Wealth
Strategies Group, located at 114
Seguine Ave. in Staten Island. He can
be reached at (718) 967-3106 or
wmarco@1stallied.com.
Is it time for Apple Watch?

www.apple.com.
BITS
How hard is it to use?
Apple sales folks will get you

up and running in about 20 minutes or less, or you can take a free
class at the store, or watch demos
and receive training on the website.
line appointments in 18k gold.
Where to get it
Apple
Stores
or
at
Pros
I have been using my Apple
watch since early July and am impressed. It is excellent for early
adopters like me who want to take
charge of their exercise routines,
use Siri on-the-fly, receive notifications, schedules, weather, texts,
calls, news, etc., without having
to take out the iPhone.
Its great when I raise my wrist
and say Hey Siri call home or
Hey Siri how do you spell whatever? and it does. Or even just
answer my phone, receive or send
a text or email.
I can feel good that I accomplished my daily calorie burn,
steps walked and other physical
data points or need to do better tomorrow.
I would imagine it would be
very useful in any emergency.
Cons
I felt that the limited 18-hour
battery life was going to be an
issue, but its not. If I put my
watch on at about 6 a.m. and take

it off about 10 p.m., I still have
about 50 percent charge left. Unless you leave it on 24 hours per
day, that should not be an issue.
You can set it by your bed in
nightstand mode and get a full
charge in about 30 minutes. While
I do use the large typeface and
bright-screen option, it may be
hard for some users to read.
Bottom-line
I love it, but its not for everyone. It is ideal for iPhone 6 users
who want more than a dedicated
fitness device. It does change your
daily routine and habits for the
better and that might be annoying for some. I believe that as the
technology matures, most people
will be using a wrist mobile device integrated with a smart
phone. It is just another reason
why iPhone 6 and the iTunes network operating system are so
unique, powerful and popular.
Bill Dubovsky is an entrepreneur,

educator, and technology reviewer.
He teaches at the CSI, School of
Business, CUNY, and at Wagner College, and is a telecom/network consultant with Comtel Information
Services.
Contact
him
at
billdubovsky@gmail.com or on
Linkedin.
Become a
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Dome Property Management - managers of

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communities - is now accepting vendors and
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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
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at www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers.
For more information, call
(718) 605-2500
www.domegroup.com
SIBOR
Connect to global market Sept. 30

during Island real estate conference
Speakers to include co-founder of major Chinese property-listing website; borough president, international business experts
By BARTON HOROWITZ
$104 billion, compared to the previous year's estimate of $92.2 billion. This represents 8 percent of
the total existing-home sales dollar volume.
President, Relevant
Public Relations
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A
leader of one of Chinas largest
property-listing websites for overseas buyers will be among the international business stars taking
center stage at a Staten Island
business event Sept. 30.
Simon Henry, co-founder and
co-CEO of Juwai.com, will provide attendees of the ninth annual Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) Global Real Estate
Symposium with a gateway for
sharing international real estate
information.
The much-anticipated conference also will feature Staten Island Borough President James S.
Oddo; Amir Sagie, deputy consul
general of Israel in New York;
Richard Marin, president and
CEO, New York Wheel; Joseph
Ferrara, BFC Partners; Elysa
Goldman, Triangle Equities, and
a host of notable experts discussing topics ranging from local
real estate development to opportunities in the global marketplace.
Juwai.com is an authoritative
source for global property in Chinese, with over 2.4 million property listings spanning 58 countries.
The site embraces over 12,000 current news stories, country buying
guides, education and emigration
articles, along with one of the
largest Chinese social media communities focused on international property.
TOP INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

In 2014, five countries accounted for 51 percent of all purchases
in the United States by international buyers: China, Canada,
Mexico, India and the United
Kingdom, according to the National Association of Realtors
(NAR) 2015 Profile of Home Buying Activity of International
WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS
Audience members receive business-enhancing information during a presentation at SIBORs Global Real
Estate Symposium in 2014.
Clients.
For the first time, buyers from
China exceeded all other countries in terms of units purchased
and dollar volume, purchasing an
estimated $28.6 billion worth of
property.
As the allure of Staten Island
continues to grow among foreign
investors, it makes good sense for
real estate professionals and others to set their business sights on
the international marketplace
and gain a better understanding
of how it operates, said Sandy
Krueger, CEO of SIBOR. Our annual symposium, titled this year
as Global Connect, is designed to
help New York professionals start
or further advance their ability to
work with foreign buyers and
sellers.
WHERE AND WHEN

The Sept. 30 conference will
take place 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in
The Vanderbilt at South Beach,
300 Father Capodanno Blvd., Staten Island.
The day will include a wealth
of information and networking

opportunities.
TIMING IS RIGHT
The 2015 symposium is arriving at a particularly opportune
time for local business people,
said Global Connect Chairman
Ron Molcho, a SIBOR director.
This
years
symposium,
which comes as SIBOR prepares
to celebrate its 100th anniversary
in October, is underscored by a recent flurry of major development
projects on Staten Islands North
Shore, healthy home sales in the
borough and an uptick in revenues within the international
real estate arena, Molcho said.
As the dollars generated in the
United States from international
home buyers increase, so does the
interest of Staten Island real estate professionals seeking to gain
a share of this growing segment.
The total volume of U.S. sales
dollars generated from international home buyers grew 13 percent last year, according to NAR.
For the period of April 2014
through March 2015, total international sales were estimated at
Global Connect, said SIBOR

President Dil Gillani, is a mustattend event for Realtors and
business people who are determined to expand their influence
on an international scale. The
knowledge shared on this day will
be priceless.
Experts at the symposium will
cover a range of topics, such as:
Building a Global Real Estate Network; Servicing Overseas Investors and Consumers; Working
with Global Realtors; Addressing
the Needs and Wants of Millennials; Staten Island Rising; Modernization of Staten Islands North
Shore, and more.
please see PURCHASE, page 12
SIBOR
Purchase tickets
PURCHASE
DISTINGUISHED PRESENTERS
Additional presenters and
panel members will include
Danielle Grossenbacher, Brown
Harris Stevens, International
Real Estate Federation (FIABCI)
world president; Vanessa Saunders, Global Property Systems
Real Estate; Roseann Farrow,
Roseann Farrow Seminars; Katie
Kue Hwa Kao, North America
Real Estate Investment Group
(NAREIG); Nino Perdomo, Espanol Realty Ltd.; Yoshi Takita,
Keystone Realty U.S.A.; Isabel
Zenocratti, NAREIG; Farook
Mahmood, Silverline Group; R.
Randy Lee, Esq., Leewood Real
Estate Group; Assaf Epstein,
NADLAN 2000 Real Estate, Israel;
Sari Kingsley, Sari Kingsley Real
Estate Ltd.; Raj Rajpal, Wells
Fargo Home Mortgage; Barbara
Schmerzler, U.S. Homefinders
Inc.; Tony DAnzica, DynaMax
Realty NYC Inc.; Christopher Gill,
A-Nah Residences; Joel Hewish,
United Global Capital Pty Ltd;
Aldo Iemma, Empire State Realty
Services; Michael L. Schneider,
Schneider Realty Services; Rick
Wohlfarth, Wohlfarth & Associates Inc.; Jennifer Snyder, Marketing Ideas for Agents; Richard
E. Dun, Robert DeFalco Realty;
Queeny Duong, Citizens Bank;
Kristina Gershteyn, Robert DeFalco Realty; Joseph M. Lebron,
RE/MAX Metro; Kai Wong, Douglas Elliman; Steve Maggi, Esq.,
SMA
Law
Firm;
Susan
Merdinger Greenfield, Brown
Harris Stevens; Zhen (Jackie)
Huang, Esq, Menicucci Villa
Cilmi PLLC; Vanessa Saunders,
Global Property Systems Real Estate; Peter A Alongi, HSBC Bank
USA; Ryan Dudley, Friedman
LLP; Bruce Feffer, Esq., Eaton &
Van Winkle LLP; Margaret Ling,
Esq., First Nationwide Title
Agency LLC; Robert L. Oppenheimer, RE/MAX Fortune Properties; Frank Rizzo, Cornerstone
Realty Partners, Inc; Dawn Carpenter, Dawning Real Estate Inc.;
Len Garcia-Duran, New York City
Department of City Planning;

Frank Naso, Building Industry
Association of New York City
Inc.; John Pitera and James Prendamano, Cassandra Properties,
and Varun Sanyal, Staten Island
Economic Development Corp.
The presenting sponsor of
SIBORs ninth annual Global Real
Estate Symposium is Vanguard
Funding LLC.
TICKET INFORMATION
For ticket information and purchases contact Annmarie Izzo at
SIBOR by phone, 718-928-3223, or
email, Annmarie@sibor.com.
About The Staten Island Board

of REALTORS (SIBOR)
Marking its 100th anniversary
in October 2015, the Staten Island
Board of REALTORS (SIBOR)
is the largest not-for-profit professional and trade association in
Staten Island, N.Y.
SIBOR exists to enhance the
ability and opportunity of its
members to conduct their business successfully and ethically,
and promote the preservation of
the publics right to own, transfer
and use real property. Comprised
of approximately 1,800 members,
SIBOR serves real estate agents,
brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and
surrounding areas. SIBOR is the
provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS),
which works as a clearinghouse
through which more than 250
local real estate firms exchange
information on properties they
have listed for sale. Together, its
members participate in over 3,000
real estate transactions every
year.
All SIBOR Realtors belong to
the New York State Association of
REALTORS (NYSAR) and the
National Association of REALTORS (NAR).
SIBOR may be reached at 718928-3220 and viewed online at
www.SIBOR.com. SIBOR may
also be visited on Facebook at
Staten Island Board of Realtors
and SIBOR 100 (showcasing
some of the organizations latest
highlights
and
accomplishments), and on Twitter via
@SIBOR.
SIBOR
Housewarming
traditions from
around the world
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The
saying goes that all real estate is
local, but that does not mean that
all homebuyers are local. According to the National Association of
Realtors 2015 international
homebuyers report, global buyers
spent an estimated $104 billion on
housing in 2014, an increase of
more than $10 billion from the
previous year.
We live in an international
marketplace, and U.S real estate is
extremely attractive to foreign
buyers, said Dil Gillani, president of the Staten Island Board of
Realtors (SIBOR).
International buyers recognize the countrys attractive
prices, economic stability and
well-defined property rights as an
amazing opportunity for investment in their future.
As more international buyers
become a part of the fabric of
American communities like Staten Island, they bring with them
their many traditions and customs including those that go
along with moving into a new
home.
SIBOR has pulled together a
few common housewarming traditions from around the globe,
which you may want to use to
welcome friends, family or neighbors into their new home:
Russia. According to Russian
custom, a cat should cross over
the threshold of the new home before anyone else enters. This is
said to ensure that the homeowners will have a happy and prosperous life.
Thailand. Thai tradition dictates that visitors should bring a
new homeowner three items:
Rice, water and a knife. The rice
and water are so that food will always be plentiful and the homeowner will know prosperity, and
the knife is to protect them from
any evil spirits.

There is also a traditional ceremony known as Sen Wai Jour
Teen, during which the homeowner asks the Lord of the Land
and any restless ghosts and spirits in the vicinity for protection
through an offering of food and
water, flowers and incense.
China. Before moving into a
new home, Chinese custom is to
shine a light in every corner, closet and wardrobe of the house.
This is said to let any lingering
spirits know that it is time to
leave and how to find the way outside.
France. When construction of a
new home is finished, the French
throw a traditional party called
the pendre la cremaillere, literally meaning to hang the chimney
hook.
The phrase comes from medieval times when it was customary to invite over everyone who
took part in the building of the
house and eat dinner as a gesture
of thanks.
The food would be cooked in a
large pot over a fire, where the
chimney hook could be used to
raise or lower the pot to heat or
cool the food.
India. In India, it is considered
lucky to move into a new house
on Thursday, while Friday and
Saturday are the unluckiest days
to move.
There is also the ceremonial
housewarming known as Grinha
Pravesh, during which, in some
parts of the country, a cow is allowed to walk through the house
first, bringing good fortune to the
homeowners.
Buying a home in a foreign
country can be a complicated and
trying process, and Staten Island
Realtors have the expertise to
serve clients in a variety of international real estate transactions.
SIBOR
Report: International
buyers embrace
higher-priced U.S. properties
International buyers tend to
spend significantly more than the
overall average house price when
purchasing a property in the
United States.
The average price being paid
for a U.S. property by foreign buyers is $499,600, while the overall
average home price in the United
States is $255,600, according to the
National Association of REALTORS (NAR) 2015 Profile of
Home Buying Activity of International Clients.
Chinese buyers typically purchased the most expensive properties, at an average price of
$831,800. For the period of April
2014 through March 2015, total international sales in the United
States were estimated at $104 billion, compared to the previous
year's estimate of $92.2 billion.
This represents 8 percent of the
total existing-home sales dollar
volume, according to NAR.
The poll also found that 35 percent of Realtors reported working with an international client
in 2014, up from 28 percent in
2013. About 46 percent of reported international transactions
were intended for primary residences, 20 percent for residential
rentals, and 26 percent for investment rentals, vacation homes or
both.
Global buyers also purchased
properties for commercial rentals
and as residences for children
studying in U.S. educational institutions. Indian buyers were the
most likely to purchase a primary
residence (79 percent), while
Canadian buyers were most likely to purchase property as a vacation home (47 percent).
The majority of international
purchases (55 percent) were made
with all-cash, compared to about
25 percent of all purchases made
by domestic buyers.
Weekly Meetings
MEETINGS


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 necessary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m.
For info, call Christine DeHart at
718-448-4725.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) High
Achievers Chapter: PKs Restaurant,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. Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45
a.m. Members and invited guests
only. For info, call Lou Rizzo at 718490-0057.
Business Guild III of the SI Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 8 a.m. New
members welcome. Call Nick Testa
at 646-823-4494.
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 4487160 or portrichcert@yahoo.com.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SCORE Business Counseling: St.
George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10

a.m. to noon. Appointment necessary. No charge. Call 718-442-8560.
SCORE Business Counseling: Richmondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave.
10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment necessary. For info, call 718-668-0413.

Weddings
Sweet 16s
Anniversaries
Birthday Parties
Much much more!
..................................
Steve White
6 Genesee Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10308
Phone: 718.317.5025
Cell: 917.446.4029
Email: statenarts@aol.com
Tobacco-Free Staten Island
statenarts
Visit us online at
www.sibiztrends.com
Staten Arts Photography

www.statenartsphotography.com
On Saturday, Aug. 8, the Tobacco-Free Staten Island team attended

the Beacon Christian Community Health Center Annual Wellness and
Fitness Fair in Mariners Harbor. Pictured, from left, are Catalino Jr
Arroyo Andes, Mariners Harbor Resident Tenants President Kiko
Charles, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, TFSI Community Engagement Lead Josephine Bosco and Dr. David Kim of Beacon Christian
Community Health Center.
Casale donates jewelry
STEVE WHITE/Business Trends
Corey Schifer, with Vicky Romeo, donated jewelry to Gianna Nicole's

Heart of Hope Foundation, which helps children battling cancer. The
event was held at the El Caribe in Brooklyn.
on the job
FAZIDA ISHMAEL
Avon Products Inc.
Avon representative Fazida
Ishmael from Staten Island has
been recognized by Avon Products, Inc., as one of the beauty
company's top representatives in
the U.S. In honor of this recognition, the company rewarded Ishmael with a trip to Los Angeles to
celebrate during the annual President's Recognition Program Celebration.
During the trip, she enjoyed a
guided tour of Hollywood from
Rodeo Drive to the Sunset Strip,
as well as a day of fun in the sun
at Santa Monica Beach and a seat
at a gala recognition dinner, hosted by Avon executives.
CHRISTOPHER HELLSTROM
Staten Island Arts
Staten Island Arts announced
Christopher Hellstrom as the new
executive director. After a rigorous search of more than 100 candidates, the Board of Trustees selected Hellstrom for his success-
ful development efforts serving at

the
Greenbelt
Conservancy
where
he
was instrumental
in
obtaining
grants, sponsorship,
partnership
and funding
opportunities to improve proHellstrom
gramming,
educational facilities and equipment to maintain the picturesque
2,800-acre Greenbelt park.
The board is thrilled to have a
new executive director in place,
and we are ready to move forward
with an aggressive new five-year
strategic plan for Staten island
Arts, said Diane Kramer, president of the Board of Trustees.
We are at a crucial point in the
history of this organization, and
Chris is uniquely qualified to
lead.
Prior to his experience at the
Greenbelt Conservancy, Hellstrom was the New York State

Publishers representative for the
nonprofit Oxford University
Press, and a staff writer for the
office of the mayor. He also
served on the Board of Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre and
is a board member of the All Island Kiwanis Club. Hellstrom
holds a doctorate in English literature from St. Johns University
and a masters degree in liberal
studies from the College of Staten
Island. He lives in the Tottenville
section of Staten Island with his
wife Erika Schaefer-Hellstrom
and his two daughters.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Staten Island University Hospital
Following the annual meeting
of Staten Island University Hospitals Corporation and Board of
Directors, Board Chair Frank J.
Besignano announced the slate of
board members continuing their
service to the hospital for a term
of office ending in June of next
year.
SIUH board officers were subsequently approved at the June
annual
meeting of
the
North
Shore-LIJ
Health System. As a
North Shore
Health System hospital,
SIUHs
board funcBesignano
tions as the
executive committee on the larger health system board chaired by
Mark Claster.
In addition to Besignanos reelection to a one-year term as
chairman, board members elected to the 2015-16 board include:
John W. Alexander, vice chair,
along with Michael Caridi,
Robert Chasanoff, Alan Chopp,
William J. Fritz, Joaquin J. Gonzalez, Laura Lauria, David W.
Lehr, Linda Manfredi, Ralph
Nappi and Paula Dunn Tropello.
Honorary chairs include Roger E.

Acker, Gary M. Geresi, Ronald J.
Mazzucco, Patrick J. McDermott,
Edward Messier, Francis J. Romano and John M. Shall.
The SIUH board is diverse and
is comprised of leaders in business, education and health care,
Besignano said.
You have to realize that board
members are volunteers from the
community who give generously
of their expertise in what
amounts to hundreds of hours of
service, and they confront complex issues that help guide the
course of the hospital and health
care on Staten Island.
KARA CRISCITIELLO
Sundog Theatre
Sundog Theatre has announced a new board member,
Kara Criscitiello.
Criscitiello has substantial experience in the litigation of personal injury, negligence and muplease see JOB, page 19
On the Job
JOB
nicipal liability actions in New
York State. In addition, she has
experience
handling
landlord/tenant, trusts and estates, and guardianship matters.
She graduated from New York
Law School in 2012.
She is a member of the New
York State Bar Association, Staten Island Womens Bar Association, Richmond County Bar Association and American Bar Association. Further, she is an advocate
for animal rights as a member of
the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
In her downtime, Criscitiello
enjoys teaching theater classes
for children and volunteering
with the Staten Island Special
Olympics.
In addition, Criscitiello is an
honorary member of Vietnam
Veterans Chapter 421 as recognition for her service to the Vietnam Veterans in her
community.
She joins
the existing
board of directors that
includes Executive Director Susan
Fenley,
Criscitiello
Board Chair
Jason Walters, Adele Carbonella, Marjorie
Hack,
Michael
Coppotelli,
Danielle Iacoviello, Jonathan B.
Lipschitz, John Scamardella Sr.
and Pablo Vengoechea.
Sundog Theatre, Inc. is a notfor-profit resident performing
arts organization in Staten Island
that provides entertainment for
adults and children and acting
classes for young people.
The theater presents contemporary and original theatre and
provides touring performances

and education programs that supplement classroom curricula
through theater, dance, visual
arts and music that make learning come alive.
STEPHEN SIMONE
Five Star Professional
Five Star Professional recently
announced Stephen Simone,
Mortgage Tech Home Finance,
has been chosen as one of New
York Citys Five Star Mortgage
Professionals for 2015.
Five Star Professional partnered with New York magazine to
recognize a select group of New
York City-area mortgage professionals who provide quality services to their clients.
Less than 1 percent in the area
were selected. Simone is featured,
along with other award winners,
in a special section of the Oct. 5
issue.
The Five Star Mortgage Professional award program is conduct-
ed in more than 30 markets

throughout
North
America.
Mortgage professionals are measured using an objective, in-depth
research methodology with significant focus on customer feedback and overall satisfaction.
Five Star Professional has been
conducting market research to
define and promote professional
excellence in service professionals since 2003.
Mortgage professionals are
E
LU
A
0V
$8
APB Security & Home Automation

2047 Victory Boulevard Staten Island NY 10314
(718)698-8244
www.apbsecurity.com
awarded based on an in-depth research process. Thousands of

consumers are contacted to rate
their mortgage professional on
evaluative criteria including customer service, integrity, communication and overall satisfaction.
Beyond a qualifying client evaluation score, professionals are
evaluated on objective criteria
such as experience, production
levels and disciplinary and complaint history.
PROFESSIONAL WEBSITES.
PEASANT PRICES.
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Museum to celebrate opening

MUSEUM
our new museum on the grounds

of Snug Harbor this fall, said Interim President and CEO Cheryl
Adolph. We have been working
so hard in preparation for this
moment and are elated to share
our extensive collection with the
public.
The city Department of Cultural Affairs, the City Council and
the Office of the Borough President funded a large part of the
renovation project, almost $27
million of the $31 million total.
Other private support helped
complete the project. The museum is holding a community campaign to raise the remaining
$300,000 for the new exhibitions,
which includes $250,000 for the
Elizabeth Egbert gallery named
in honor of the museums former
president and CEO who passed
away last August.
Staten Island is going through
a major transformation right now
as people are exploring their
neighborhoods, their city, their
histories and discovering how
truly incredible this borough is,
Adolph said.
We welcome the curious doers
and thinkers from all over New
York City and beyond to find
those dynamic connections between natural science, art and
history that we have been collecting for them since 1881.
The opening of the museums
new home in Building A of Snug
Harbor has been a dream 50
years in the making, officials
said. Museum members helped

save the nationally significant
historic site from demolition in
1965. Now, the museum will relocate to the building, which was
originally built in 1879 on the 83acre site.
The new space will provide
more than 18,000 square feet of
usable space, including four climate-controlled galleries, an auditorium and performance venue,
and classroom space for school
field trips. It will be the first historical landmark building on the
Island to establish LEED Gold
certification, utilizing a closed
loop geothermal system to use
the earth and a series of circulating pumps to heat and cool the
building to boost efficiency and
reduce operational costs of the
buildings heating and cooling
systems.
To complete the project this
way, the project team, Gluckman
Mayner Architects, had to remove the entire interior except
one historic staircase, which left
only the original exterior walls.
Also kept from the original structure were the landmark windows.
Museum officials hope the renovation will continue to provide
borough residents and visitors
with a wonderful place to celebrate the Islands history and art,
while also taking advantage of
the increased projected visitors to
the North Shore. Snug Harbor is
located only two blocks from the
Ferry Terminal.
Founded in 1881, the museum
serves more than 219,000 adults
and school children at the museum and in the community.
We are on the precipice of
major change for the North Shore
of Staten Island, museum Board

Chair Ralph Branca said. As the
first new cultural development
along that corridor, the Staten Island Museum is happy to usher
in the wave of tourism and commerce that is undoubtedly headed
our way.
Parisi Rampulla & Lenza, P.C.

78 Martin Avenue | Staten Island, NY, 10314
(718) 761-3333
Short Sales, Mortgage Modification,
Foreclosure Defense
Bill Bergman, Vice President, Leasing

(718) 263-3800 x 307
bbergman@muss.com
118-35 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375
www.muss.com
Victory State Bank employee appreciation
Gathering for Victory State Banks recent Hawaiian-themed Employee Appreciation Party at the Stone
House at Clove Lakes are, from left, Ralph Branca, president and CEO of Victory State Bank, and the
events committee members: Richard Boyle, Anna Williams, Philip Stropoli, Elizabeth Scarano, Laura
Humphries, Jo Ann Mauro, Maria Biggica and Rosmerys Perez.
When the news is sweet,
We Tweet!
When the news is bitter,
We Still Twitter!
Follow us at
twitter.com/sibiztrends
!!
"

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SEPTEMBER 2015

BITS & BYTES

SBA, SBDC to host

Rotary Club hosts Ecology Day

Special to Business Trends

SI Museum to celebrate Snug Harbor opening

Sept. 19, the new home of the Staten Island

2 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015

Continued from page 1

Big savings with

Purelis of the SI SBDC may be

Enjoy a meal at one of Hospitality 10 Cards participating

bership is right for them.

SBS launches online

Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com

SEPTEMBER 2015 BUSINESS TRENDS 3

Richmond County Savings opens new branch

STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

4 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015

Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC

SEPTEMBER 2015 BUSINESS TRENDS 5

John Amodio named Rotarian of the Year nominee

FLINT GENNARI/Special to Business Trends

6 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015

Shovels are in the ground

Progress can be viewed at Wheel construction site

Construction fences were erected

BITS & BYTES

Is it time for the Apple Watch?

dated with an iPhone 6. New, native software, watchOS2, will be

the watch Sport, which is $349 for

your current location to where

What you need

'$# / && + + & *$ &

&+#'& ,*#& ** ) & * & ! +

Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com

8 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015

Understanding long-term care

everything from assistance with

but that rate may increase when a

10 BUSINESS TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2015

Is it time for Apple Watch?

How hard is it to use?

Continued from page 6

Apple sales folks will get you

line appointments in 18k gold.

watch on at about 6 a.m. and take

Bill Dubovsky is an entrepreneur,

Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com

Dome Property Management - managers of

Join national companies like Time Warner

For more information, call

Connect to global market Sept. 30

TOP INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS

Special to Business Trends

WHERE AND WHEN

of information and networking

through March 2015, total international sales were estimated at

Global Connect, said SIBOR

Department of City Planning;

About The Staten Island Board