Samaritan Health boosts minimum wage to 15 bucks

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Samaritan Health of Watertown has adopted a $15 minimum wage benefitting about 1,300 current employees and all new hires. The new standard raises current and starting wages 19 percent, the health-care provider announced on Aug. 18. Employees working the evening and night shift will receive additional compensation beyond that. Samaritan is actively […]

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Jefferson County hotel-occupancy rate jumps 33 percent in August

New York News, Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Hotels in Jefferson County saw significantly more guests in August compared to the year-prior month, as the hospitality industry continued to recover from the pandemic, according to a recent report. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county rose 32.8 percent to 69.9 percent in August,

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Deep Roots Market & Bistro opens in Lewis County

Regional News, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

LYONS FALLS, N.Y. —The Deep Roots Market & Bistro, a new business specializing in offering North Country food and products, recently opened in Lewis County. Deep Roots held a grand opening on July 28 at its location in the Edge Plaza on Route 12 in Lyons Falls. Owners James and Bethany Munn said the event

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St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum uses grant for restoration of historic church

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MADRID, N.Y. — The St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum in Madrid is working to stabilize and restore the historic Nevin Memorial Church that once stood in Lisbon in St. Lawrence County. The Northern New York Community Foundation provided a grant of $10,000 for the project. The structure, which was built in 1855, was donated

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MADRID, N.Y. — The St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum in Madrid is working to stabilize and restore the historic Nevin Memorial Church that once stood in Lisbon in St. Lawrence County.

The Northern New York Community Foundation provided a grant of $10,000 for the project.

The structure, which was built in 1855, was donated to the museum in November 2020. In February, museum officials commissioned its deconstruction and successfully moved the structure to the Power and Equipment Museum’s main campus at 1755 State Highway 345. It joins more than a dozen other historic buildings on the museum’s village green.

Nevin Memorial Church permanently closed its doors in December 2019 after 164 years of worship. Anticipating its closure, church trustees approached the Power and Equipment Museum’s board and offered the building and its contents to the museum.

The museum plans to feature historic exhibits in the church and add it to campus tours. The structure features 12 stained- glass windows created by the Horwood family of stained-glass artists from Ogdensburg.

In addition to its role as an addition to the village green and depiction of early North Country life, museum officials plan to offer the church as a venue for weddings, memorial services, and other community gatherings.

“The museum is one of our region’s gems. Our holistic partnership has helped enhance the museum’s work and mission now, and will sustain it for future generations,” Rande Richardson, executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation, said in a statement. “We are pleased to be part of this project, which will be a meaningful complement to its current offerings for those who visit.”

Ronald Sheppard, president of the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum board of trustees, said Community Foundation support “is an invaluable addition to our efforts as we build out this significant and impressive contribution to our campus.”

“This will enhance a strong sense of community involvement and pride, foster historical preservation, and promote economic development in our rural corner of the county,” Sheppard said. “Thanks to generous supporters like the Community Foundation, the museum continues to grow its endowment and develop exciting plans for the future.”

The museum has a near decade-long history of working with the Community Foundation.

In 2012, not long after the Community Foundation expanded its service area to include St. Lawrence County, the Power and Equipment Museum was one of the first nonprofits in the county to establish a Foundation partnership with a permanent endowment fund.

In 2017, the museum successfully fulfilled a matching grant challenge for its endowment that is stewarded at the Community Foundation.

Since 1983, the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum has aimed to preserve and teach the history of how early North Country residents lived and the many ways technology and equipment helped shape their lives. It says its collection includes hundreds of artifacts and features approximately 30 historical buildings, exhibits and collections. Featured buildings and artifacts include a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, a two-story granary, a gas station, steam engines, and log cabin.

Clarkson prof. uses NSF grant to study children’s statistical thinking

Health Care, New York News, Nonprofits, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

POTSDAM, N.Y. — A Clarkson University professor is using a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study statistical thinking in children. The NSF grant will support Andreas Wilke’s investigation of the cognitive mechanisms underlying children’s perception of randomness, and their susceptibility to erroneous judgments. Wilke is an associate professor and chair of

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POTSDAM, N.Y. — A Clarkson University professor is using a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study statistical thinking in children.

The NSF grant will support Andreas Wilke’s investigation of the cognitive mechanisms underlying children’s perception of randomness, and their susceptibility to erroneous judgments.

Wilke is an associate professor and chair of the Clarkson University psychology department.

“We developed three novel statistical decision-making paradigms — based on our work with adults — that will assess how three- to 10-year-old children decide whether sequential events will continue in a streak, how they understand randomness, and how they reason about sequential patterns in space and time,” Wilke said in a release. “Our results will contribute to developing better methods of science education for helping children and students to more accurately recognize what are likely patterns and what is random. The world is statistical in nature. A sound understanding of randomness is central to teaching statistics, informs our decision-making processes, and provides guidance when facing judgments under risk and uncertainty.”

Wilke and his co-investigator Annie Wertz — a developmental psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany — will team up to test children at daycare facilities such as the Childcare Center at SUNY Potsdam.

The research team also includes Peter Todd (Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University-Bloomington); Clark Barrett (UCLA Anthropology); Bang-Geul Han (Design and Digital Media, CUNY College of Staten Island); and Steven Pedersen (Communication, Media, and Design, Clarkson University).

For their project, they’ll give the children involved “fun and engaging” short iPad tasks and study the development of their statistical thinking. Wilke’s study will begin later this fall “under strict and safe” COVID-19 testing protocols. His team is seeking to enroll more children for the study, ages three to 10.

To learn more about these studies and/or help by enrolling your child in it, those interested can email the Evolution and Cognition Lab at ecl@clarkson.edu.

Part of the funding from this grant will go directly into training Clarkson undergraduate students in conducting multidisciplinary international research, supporting their attendance at scientific conferences, as well as accompanying Wilke on research visits to Germany, the school said.

VETCON event for transitioning veterans returns this year

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, Nonprofits, Regional News, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Veterans in Economic Transition Conference (VETCON) is returning in 2021, set for the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Albany on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The conference seeks to assist veterans in their transition from service to everyday life. It focuses on providing financial tools, resources, and support, according to the

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ALBANY, N.Y. — The Veterans in Economic Transition Conference (VETCON) is returning in 2021, set for the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Albany on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The conference seeks to assist veterans in their transition from service to everyday life. It focuses on providing financial tools, resources, and support, according to the Tully Rinckey Foundation.

A press conference, held May 27, brought together members of the 2021 VETCON Alliance to announce the plans for this year’s conference.

Anthony Kuhn — founding partner of the Albany–based law firm of Tully Rinckey Kuhn PLLC and chair of the 2021 VETCON Alliance — spoke about the plans and expectations about this year’s conference.

“In this, our first VETCON since the pandemic, our goal is to continue to enable veteran business owners to grow their businesses, build their networks with other veterans and market their products and services to New York State agencies,” Kuhn said.

In the past, this event has brought together public and private businesses, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and New York State agencies for two days of hands-on workshops and networking opportunities.

More than 100 service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses (SDVOBs) and more than 130 state agency and authority personnel participated in the inaugural VETCON in 2016. The in-person conference and job fair was held again in 2017, 2018, and 2019, but didn’t take place last year due to the pandemic.

Attendees at this year’s event will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops and in numerous informational and networking sessions with businesses, organizations, and state-agency purchasing personnel.

Practical workshops will include information about certifying a veteran-owned business and obtaining federal and state contract set asides, proposal and business plan writing, business fundamentals, and matchmaking between entrepreneurial business and government agencies.

All proceeds from VETCON will be donated toward the advancement of veterans’ services.

Registration and more event information is available at the website: www.VetConNY.com.

About the Tully Rinckey Foundation

The Tully Rinckey Foundation is the charitable arm of Tully Rinckey PLLC, which in addition to its Albany headquarters has an office in Syracuse and other offices throughout New York state, along with Washington, D.C. and San Diego, California.

The Tully Rinckey Foundation sponsors VETCON events in Albany and Buffalo.

DeWitt firm wins more than $27M Army contract for Fort Drum work

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Subscriber Only

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Structural Associates Inc., of DeWitt, was recently awarded a more than $27.3 million contract from the U.S. Army for design and construction of a new operational campus for a new railhead-loading area and facilities at Fort Drum. Bids were solicited via the internet with three companies submitting them. The estimated completion date

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Carthage Area Hospital adds three to therapy-services team

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Nonprofits, People on the Move, Regional News, Subscriber Only

CARTHAGE, N.Y. — Three new providers have joined the Carthage Therapy Services Team at Carthage Area Hospital. The hospital said Cale Siver, occupational therapist; Fran Garner, physical therapist; and Vania Falen, speech-language pathologist, have come aboard. Siver received his associate degree in health studies in 2013 from Jefferson Community College in Watertown. He went on

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CARTHAGE, N.Y. — Three new providers have joined the Carthage Therapy Services Team at Carthage Area Hospital.

The hospital said Cale Siver, occupational therapist; Fran Garner, physical therapist; and Vania Falen, speech-language pathologist, have come aboard.

Siver received his associate degree in health studies in 2013 from Jefferson Community College in Watertown. He went on to Utica College for his bachelor’s degree in health studies and master’s in occupational therapy where he graduated in 2017. Siver moved to Maryland, where he worked for Caroline Nursing and Rehab in Denton, Anchorage Healthcare Center in Salisbury, and The Pines Nursing and Rehab in Easton. His career then took him to California and Arizona, before finally landing in Texas in 2020 at Keller Oaks Healthcare Center.

Garner was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended Broward College in Pembroke Pines, where she received her associate degree with a pre-med emphasis in 2010. Following Broward College, Garner completed her bachelor’s in athletic training with a minor in exercise science at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale in 2014. She finished her doctorate degree in physical therapy with a manual-therapy emphasis at University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences in Florida in 2020. Garner is also a certified strength and conditioning coach. Prior to arriving at Carthage Hospital, she worked as a school-based physical therapist for the Board of Cooperative Education Services in Watertown, as well as a skilled-nursing physical therapist at Center Care Rehabilitation in Carthage. She also has five years of experience working as a licensed athletic trainer in Orlando, providing injury-prevention services to high-level athletes and industrial workers.

Originally from West Virginia, Falen is a speech-language pathologist with more than 25 years of clinical and administrative experience in a variety of therapy settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers/clinics, private practice, and schools. She received her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and master’s in speech-language pathology from the University of Tennessee. Falen comes to Carthage from Claxton- Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, where she’s provided care since 2013 and continues to provide per-diem coverage as well as providing per-diem services to Canton-Potsdam Hospital and Saranac Lake Hospital. She also previously worked at Memorial Hospital for Children in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“We are very excited that these highly-skilled professionals have joined our team at therapy services. They each bring their individualized skills and talents, which support our mission of committing to health-care excellence and value-based personal care to all who seek comfort and healing. While we have had occupational and physical-therapy services available, it has been many years since we have been able to offer speech-language pathology services. We are now able to offer adult and pediatric services focused on feeding & swallowing, language and cognitive rehabilitation,” Cheryl Tousant, Carthage Area Hospital’s therapy department manager, said in a news release.

Carthage Area Hospital provides physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy at two outlying clinics located on-site at the hospital and at Philadelphia Physical Therapy in the town of Philadelphia in Jefferson County, as well as acute & sub-acute therapy services. Its providers can help patients with pain, stiffness, muscle weakness, balancing concerns, issues with limited mobility, and more.

New York milk production edges up in August

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Subscriber Only

New York dairy farms produced 1.3 billion pounds of milk in August, up 0.3 percent from 1.296 billion pounds in the year-ago month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. Milk production per cow in the state averaged 2,070 pounds in August, the same amount as a year prior. The number of milk cows on

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VIEWPOINT: Ask Rusty: Will Retiring Early from Work Affect my Social Security?

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Dear Rusty: I stopped working at age 55, well before my full retirement age of 66 years and 10 months. I had more than 35 years working prior to retiring from work. I don’t intend to start collecting Social Security until my full retirement age. Will I be penalized for all those years between when

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Dear Rusty: I stopped working at age 55, well before my full retirement age of 66 years and 10 months. I had more than 35 years working prior to retiring from work. I don’t intend to start collecting Social Security until my full retirement age. Will I be penalized for all those years between when I stopped working and my full retirement age?

Signed: Planning Ahead

Dear Planning Ahead: Will you be “penalized?” No, because whenever you claim your Social Security benefit, it will be based upon the highest-earning 35 years over your entire lifetime (with the early years adjusted for inflation). Would your benefit be higher if you had continued to work and have high earnings longer? Probably, because earnings in the latter part of one’s career are usually considerably higher than those in the early years. But everyone’s situation is different.

Higher earnings today don’t necessarily replace those in earlier years because of the inflation adjustment. For example, someone with $50,000 in 1990 earnings would need to earn more than about $115,000 in today’s dollars to replace the earlier year. And keep in mind that your benefit computation uses only the dollars on which you paid Social Security taxes. So, someone earning $500,000 this year would, for benefit-computation purposes, only get credit for $142,800 in earnings because the latter amount is what Social Security FICA (or self-employment) taxes were paid on.

It is from your highest-earning 35-year history that your average indexed monthly earnings or (AIME) is determined, followed by yet another formula to convert your AIME to your primary insurance amount (PIA).

Your PIA is what you are entitled to in the month in which you attain your full retirement age. If you claim before your full retirement age (FRA) you’ll receive less than your PIA, and if you claim after your FRA, you’ll get more than your PIA. If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, you’ll earn delayed retirement credits (DRCs) up to age 70, at which time your benefit could be as much as 29 percent more than your PIA. Of course, you can also claim at any time between your FRA and age 70 to get all DRCs you’ve earned to the point you claim.

So, as you can see, the Social Security benefit you get will be determined by two main things — your 35-year lifetime-earnings history, and the age at which you claim. You can’t do much now to change your 35-year earnings history (short of returning to work and having very high current earnings), but you can control when you claim. And that decision, of course, should consider your health and your life expectancy, how badly you need the money, and your marital status. Your marital status is important if your spouse can collect a spousal benefit from your record, or if you are concerned about the amount your survivor(s) will receive if you die first.

Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4 million member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: SSadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Author note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.

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