OCTOBER 2012

BITS & BYTES

Whats up with 4G-LTE?
PAGE 27
COACHS CORNER
Love what you do.
PAGE 6
HEALTH-CARE TRENDS
Finding balance in your life.
PAGE 5
www.sibiztrends.com
STEVE WHITE/Business Trends
The Staten Island Board of Realtors held its annual golf outing at the Grand Oaks Country Club. Pictured, from
left, are event chair John Vernazza; co-chair Dawn Carpenter; Frank Frazer; SIBOR President Georgiana Diaz;
event director Annmarie Izzo; and co-chair Michael Blasi.
SIBOR hosts annual golf outing
From the Chamber
Dont not vote in next
months elections.
PAGE 7
Come see the future
By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
The Port Richmond Avenue commercial
corridor has long been considered primed
for growth. With a diverse mix of merchants
and an attractive location on the North
Shore, the areas traits make it unique from
other parts of Staten Island.
How to once again make Port Richmond
Avenue a destination for residents and visi-
tors is a question that many have tried to an-
swer over the years. Now, with the help of a
consultant, backed by the Small Business
Services Neighborhood Retail Leasing Pro-
gram, the area has reason for optimism.
It is fantastic that the citys Department
of Small Business Services is applying this
opportunity to communities, said Joan
Catalano, executive director of the North-
please see RETAIL, page 16
By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
To say that the South Shore
Local Development Corporation
has been a success would be an
understatement.
Since it was formed in 2010
under the auspices of the Staten
Island Economic Development
Corporation and Councilman
Vincent Ignizio, the LDC has done
wonders for improving the com-
mercial districts of Annadale,
Eltingville and Great Kills. With
the help of $150,000 of funding
from Ignizios office to date with
another $80,000 coming in 2013
the LDC has beefed up security,
tackled street cleaning projects,
established community events
and prepared marketing outreach
that has resulted in the opening of
35 new businesses in the last 24
months.
The goal of the program is to
increase their business through
security, beautification and pro-
motion, said Anthony Rapacci-
uolo, executive director of the
LDC. If its a beautiful place,
people will come.
In addition to funding through
Ignizios office, the LDC received
Real
progress
on the
South
Shore
please see LDC, page 25
JOHN J. VENTO
Comprehensive Wealth Management
New Dorp-based financial serv-
ices professional John J. Vento
was recently ranked among the
most successful advisors of a na-
tionwide investment-services
company. Both a certified public
accountant and Certified Finan-
cial Planner, he operates Compre-
hensive Wealth Management Ltd.
and the namesake firm of John J.
Vento, CPA, P.C. Vento has been
an advisor with H.D. Vest since
2001.
We recognize these leaders for
their commitment to their clients
and their profession, said H.D.
Vest President and CEO Roger
Ochs, who presented Vento with
the prestigious H.D. Vest Excel-
lence Award. These advisors
have excelled in all areas of client
service and are great role models
for other advisors in our firm.
Vento graduated Pace Univer-
sity with a bachelors degree in
business administration in public
accounting, and continued on to
earn an MBA in taxation from St.
Johns University.
FERN AARON ZAGOR
Staten Island Mental Health Society
The Board of Directors of the
Staten Island Mental Health Soci-
ety, Inc. announced the appoint-
ment of Fern Aaron Zagor, LCSW,
ACSW, as president and chief ex-
ecutive officer. Zagor has held the
position of executive vice presi-
dent and chief operating officer
of the West Brighton-based chil-
drens mental health services
agency since 2005, with responsi-
bility for the daily operations of
its 20 mental health and related
programs that serve more than
5,300 children with special needs
and their families at 22 borough-
wide locations.
Zagor succeeds Dr. Kenneth
Popler of Westerleigh, who re-
tired after serving as the Societys
chief executive for 31 years. Dur-
ing Dr. Poplers tenure, the num-
ber of children served by the
SIMHS increased from 3,100 to
5,300, its workforce grew from 155
to 360, with an additional 500 vol-
unteers, and its total annual
budget rose from $2 million to $21
million. The SIMHS is considered
a leader and pioneer in the behav-
ioral health field, throughout the
state and nation.
A resident of Rockaway Park,
Queens, Zagor has more than 38
years of professional health,
mental health, and human servic-
es experience in administration,
program and staff development,
supervision, and grants develop-
ment and implementation, ac-
cording to SIMHS Board of Direc-
tors Chair John G. Tapinis.
Zagor is the founder and co-
chair of the Staten Island Coali-
tion - Tracking Youth Substance
Abuse, and sits on the Board of
Directors of the Community
Health Center of Richmond, the
New York Coalition of Behavioral
Health Agencies, and the Staten
Island Partnership for Communi-
2 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
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on the job
please see JOB, page 14
By DR. THEODORE STRANGE
Some days work can make your
head spin. Deadlines, meetings,
commuting it can take its toll.
But for 8 million Americans, its
more than work thats keeping
them off balance, and nothing a
V8 can fix.
Balance and dizziness disor-
ders can be debilitating: constant
interruption in a persons daily
life affecting their work, ability to
stay on the job, personal and fam-
ily life.
Many people who suffer from
dizziness experience vertigo, a
sensation that you or your sur-
roundings are moving when
theyre not.
This motion commonly is de-
scribed as a feeling of spinning or
whirling, but it also can include
sensations of falling or tilting.
Vertigo may induce nausea and
vomiting. Sometimes it makes it
hard to walk or stand or causes
loss of balance and falling.
Balance issues can occur from
very common ailments like an
inner-ear infection or dehydra-
tion, or sometimes something
more complex is the culprit: for
example, Benign Paroxysmal Po-
sitional Vertigo, Menieres dis-
ease, and vestibular disorders.
Many of these disorders can be
treated effectively with physical
therapy.
Patients who experience these
effects generally respond well to
balance retraining and strength-
ening exercises, says physical
therapist Michael Chiacchiero.
For instance, BPPV can often be
treated successfully in 1 to 2 ses-
sions of physical therapy.
Patients with BPPV experience
a spinning sensation when they
roll to one side or turn their head
a certain way.
Calcium carbonate crystals col-
lect in the semicircular canals of
the inner ear. These crystals re-
sult in mixed messages to the
brain causing the spinning sensa-
tion.
To treat this problem, physical
therapists perform a Canalith
Repositioning Maneuver, which
involves specific head positions
that allow movement through the
canals so the crystals can be car-
ried away, often relieving the
symptoms.
Other disorders such as
labrynthitis, neuritis, head trau-
ma and stroke can also cause
dizziness and vertigo. A physia-
trist can evaluate a persons
movement, vision, balance and
gait and develop a treatment plan
based on results.
Always make sure you consult
your primary physician who may
refer you to a neurologist or an
ear, nose & throat MD. You may
need to be evaluated for physical
therapy.
Theodore Strange is Staten Island
University Hospital associate chair-
man of medicine and vice president
of medical operations/South Site. He
may be reached at (718) 356-6500.
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 5
Parisi Rampulla & Lenza, P.C.
78 Martin Avenue | Staten Island, NY, 10314
(718) 761-3333
Short Sales, Mortgage Modification,
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Finding balance in your life
HEALTH-CARE TRENDS
Drop us a line
Email: news@sibiztrends.com
in our opinion
Economic recovery rampant on SI
6 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
C
lose readers of Business
Trends may have noticed a
theme in this and last months
editions. Each contains stories about
how commercial districts on Staten Is-
land are being revitalized through the
efforts of bands of local merchants,
with some assistance from local elect-
ed officials and economic development
groups.
Grassroots movements to improve
individual business strips seem to be
springing up all over Staten Island.
Two cases in point are the recently
launched Castleton Commercial Cor-
ridor that hopes to bolster business on
Castleton Avenue, and the redevelop-
ment work being done on Port Rich-
mond Avenue that is featured in one of
our cover stories this month. Add to
those the documented successes of the
relatively new South Shore LDC,
which is striving to create actual Busi-
ness Improvement Districts in An-
nadale, Eltingville and Great Kills.
There is also renewed interest in
creating a Business Improvement Dis-
trict on a strip of Victory Boulevard
near Manor Road. This idea was
spawned years ago, but stalled. Now, it
looks like it might be picking up steam
again. And there has been a small but
concerted effort by a group of mer-
chants of Richmond Road in Dongan
Hills to move toward creation of a
BID. In fact, its been interesting to us
that Staten Island for many years has
had only one Business Improvement
District the Forest Avenue BID. Con-
sidering how successful that one has
been, its somewhat surprising that
more havent cropped up before now.
But it appears that now the stars are
aligned for a surge in this up by your
bootstraps group approach to busi-
ness development. The lingering flat-
ness of the economy is still being felt
across most sectors, and merchants
are realizing that one of their best
hopes is to work as a team with their
neighbors to draw business to them.
Theres a famous quote attributed to
former U.S. Speaker of the House of
Representatives Thomas Tip ONeill
that says, All politics is local. It looks
like economic recovery might be a
local thing, too.
Do you know of any other such
grassroots efforts on Staten Island? If
so, wed like to hear from you.
66 Willow Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
347-682-4867
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 347-682-4867 or
email janet@sibiztrends.com.
By BILLY SPARKLE
Dear Coach Billy,
Ive heard it said, Do what you love and
the money will follow. I love that advice
and would really enjoy it if I could actually
do that. My challenge is the thing that Id
love to do isnt something that Id actually
make any money at at least not right
away. And what Im currently doing to
make money consumes so much of my
time I dont see how I can possibly make
the transition. I dont enjoy what Im doing;
but I need to make the money. Any sugges-
tions?
Yes, in fact, I have a simple one. Love
what you do.
They say Do what you love and the
money will follow, because the money will
follow the love.
Imagine all emotional states arranged
on a scale from lowest to highest. The high-
est emotion one can feel would be some-
thing along the lines of love, joy or ecsta-
sy emotions that many people, unfortu-
nately, dont feel when theyre engaged in
their work.
The thing about emotions though, is that
youre the one who feels them. Regardless
of what justification we give for feeling the
emotion that we feel, such as I dont like
this work, or Hes making me angry, its
me who feels that way. So an emotion is lit-
erally something I receive. It is a form of
earning. So if I were looking at an emo-
tional scale arranged from lowest to high-
est, Id be inclined to ask myself At what
level do I wish to earn? Do I want to earn at
a low level and experience annoyance and
frustration as I do my work? Or do I want
to earn on a high level and experience love,
joy and ecstasy?
I recall an experience I had when I was a
young Wall Street broker. I was 19 years old
and I was learning how to get on the phone
with wealthy investors and ask them for
money.
One day, I finally got the owner of a
large company on the phone after convinc-
ing his secretary that this was, in fact, an
important call (which wasnt easy and not
yet typical for me to accomplish). The man
said Hello I opened up my mouth no
words came out and after a few of the
most excruciating seconds of silence I ever
endured, I heard the phone hanging up.
Now the shocking part of this is that he
didnt hang up on me. I hung up on him!
(And you better believe that I certainly
wasnt loving my job in that particular in-
stance.)
Now why in the world did I do that? I
hung up because I had absolutely no idea
how to talk to this man. I was terrified.
Here I am trying to get a guy who I dont
know to send me thousands of dollars
when Im having a hard time to get my
work mate to lend me five bucks so I could
buy lunch that day.
Now what I would have said at the time
if you had asked me was that I hated what I
was doing. I didnt actually enjoy it. What I
found out later was that the truth was I just
wasnt any good at it. After this experience,
my boss gave me a book (Cold Calling Tech-
niques in the 80s). Shortly thereafter I got a
mentor. Within two years, I was actually
training brokers to go through the same
transition that I had gone through getting
Make sure that you love what you do
COACHS CORNER
please see COACH, page 8
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 7
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By TOM SCARANGELLO
Bad politicians are sent to
Washington by good people who
dont vote. William Simon, for-
mer U.S. treasury secretary, said
that and he should know he
worked for Dick Nixon.
Not voting is an epidemic. Only
63 percent of eligible voters
turned out for the presidential
election in 2008 and that was
high!
Stanley Friedman told me
when his pal Abraham Lincoln
was elected over 81 percent voted
(true number but Stanley totally
guessed as he is only 139 years old
so he just missed that election).
Voter turnout for Bill Clintons
1996 re-election bid was a paltry
49 percent, and that included
Monica Lewinsky voting Republi-
can (she said the Democrats left a
bad taste in her mouth).
Its estimated that more than 60
million people died as a result of
World War II, 20 million of which
were military, more than 400,000
of those U.S. Military.
Yet every teenager I have ever
met is more excited about getting
their drivers license than their
hard fought, blood stained, right
to vote.
Local election turnout is even
more horrific. The Staten Island
Borough Presidents race usually
gets about a 15 percent voter
turnout. The other local races
turnout is so small that if the can-
didates immediate family votes it
can actually decide the election!
Thats why I cant run for office;
my over 18 kids would sway the
results in the other direction.
That is funny because Im the rea-
son they exist and have fed and
clothed them since birth, yet they
disagree with just about every
single thing I have ever said.
Sorry, I got side tracked there.
So the point is Dont Not
Vote! If youre worried about
making the wrong choice because
you dont know enough about the
candidates or the issues please
dont let that stop you.
It hasnt stopped so many oth-
ers as evidenced by the election of
Mel Carnahan to the U.S. Senate
in 2000 despite the fact that he
was dead. Los Angeles voters
elected Jenny Oropeza to repre-
sent them in the state senate even
though she had died a month be-
fore the election. So vote, even for
the dead guy (that is NOT an in-
advertent endorsement for Rom-
ney).
But how do you find out about
the issues and the candidates
stance on them and figure out
how to vote? You could just vote
along party lines.
You could count campaign
signs and divide by 1,000 and
choose the number closest to your
favorite. You could consult a
Ouija board or put candidates
pictures on a dart board. But,
there is a better way!
On Oct. 25, the Staten Island
Chamber of Commerce is holding
a forum for all local candidates at
the Hilton at 9 a.m. Candidates
will briefly present their slates
and then answer questions. What
a great opportunity to find out
about the candidates and their po-
sitions so you make an intelligent
decision on Election Day.
Please take advantage of this
and call the Staten Island Cham-
ber of Commerce at (718) 727-1900
to reserve a spot.
I wont beat a dead senator and
tell you thousands died for your
right to vote so dont waste it by
not voting. Or tell you not to com-
plain after the election about your
representative if you were too
lazy to go and have your voice
heard.
But I will remind you that you
live in a country that not only de-
fends your freedom but keeps it
safe all over the world and if you
are not walking out of a voting
booth on Nov. 6 then I can honest-
ly say as a United States citizen
You are doing it wrong.
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.
Dont not vote next month
FROM THE CHAMBER
good at something they were
starting out at.
So what was my problem? That
I wasnt doing what I loved? No.
My problem was I wasnt loving
what I do. Now I understand that
many people reading these words
would say, Well I can under-
stand. Its hard to love something
if youre not very good at it.
Well, I say, Its hard to get good at
something if you dont learn how
to love it.
This brings me to another ex-
perience that happened just a
couple years ago. I was with a
good friend and I said in response
to something that had happened
I absolutely love my life. My
friend then said, I really look for-
ward to the day that I can say that
about my own life. I told my
friend, Dont you see, its not that
your life has to look a certain
way and then you end up loving
it. First, you learn to love the life
that you have, and then your life
literally becomes a life that you
would love if you were being at
the effect of it.
So regardless of whatever kind
of work we do whether youre
standing on line waiting for a bus
to take you into the city, or youre
standing on hold waiting for a
customer to take your sales vol-
ume up another notch Whatev-
er you happen to be engaged in,
what youre also engaged in is
called living your life. And if
while youre living your life
youre practicing earning lower
grade emotional states like frus-
tration, and hostility, and annoy-
ance, and boredom, then youre
not learning how to earn high. If
you want to earn a lot of money,
youve got to be a high earner;
and that includes emotions.
So Do what you love and the
money will follow is true. But
whats true about it is that the
money will follow the love. So if
you can learn to love what you do,
you will find money following
you.
Coach Billy works with highly com-
mitted men & women to produce un-
precedented results in their busi-
nesses and their lives. Learn more at
www.billysparkle.com or contact
Billy directly via e-mail at
billy@billysparkle.com.
8 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012


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!
..................................
Love what you do
COACH
Continued from page 6
RUMC receives award
Richmond University Medical
Center has received the Ameri-
can Heart Association/American
Stroke Associations Get With
The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus
Quality Achievement Award.
The Achievement Award recog-
nizes RUMCs commitment and
success in implementing excel-
lent care for stroke patients, ac-
cording to evidence-based guide-
lines.
To receive the award, RUMC
achieved 85 percent or higher ad-
herence to all Get With The
Guidelines-Stroke Quality
Achievement indicators for two
or more consecutive 12-month in-
tervals and achieved 75 percent or
higher compliance with six of 10
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke
Quality Measures, which are re-
porting initiatives to measure
quality of care.
10 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
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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. For info, 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
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. For
info, call Christina Fiorenza at 347-
581-5022.
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. For info, call the SBDC at
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. For info, call the SBDC at
718-982-2560.
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.
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. For info, call Len Bosso at
347-592-1937.
Rotary Club of Gateway: The Lake
WEEKLY MEETINGS
please see MEETINGS, page 20
COMMUNITY
RESOURCES
ANNUAL GALA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100
South Ave.
For information, call 718-447-5200
SCORE WORKSHOP:
PAY PER CLICK
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1550 Richmond Rd.
For information, call 718-727-1221
PROJECT HOSPITALITY
HARVEST GALA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100
South Ave.
For information, call 718-448-1544
NYS WOMEN, INC.
(RICHMOND CNTY.)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Bella Vita Cafe
For information, call 718-816-5991
HOME IMPROVEMENT
CONTRACTORS
MONTHLY MTG.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697
Forest Ave.
For information, call 718-356-2323
WBCLDC: SECRETS OF
EFFECTIVE DESIGN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Time: 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
RICHMOND CNTY.
BANKERS ASSOC.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Location: Mikes Place, 4677 Hylan
Blvd.
For information, call 718-370-7037
CHILDRENS AID
SOCIETY: 100TH
ANNIVERSARY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697
Forest Ave.
For information, call 718-447-2630
FATHER DRUMGOOLE
AWARD RECEPTION
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Old Bermuda Inn, 2512
Arthur Kill Rd.
For information, call 718-317-2804
SI HISPANIC CHAMBER
SOCIAL GALA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Location: Vanderbilt, 300 Father
Capodanno Blvd.
For information, call 718-727-5670
SIUH: CASINO NIGHT
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100
South Ave.
For information, call 718-227-0812
12 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
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.
Business Calendar
please see EVENTS, page 18
14 OCTOBER 2012
St. George - 29,730 sq. ft. 5-story commercial office build-
ing with 38 off-street parking spaces. Across from new
court house. Banks Welcome!! Only Drive-Thru opportuni-
ty in St. George. Call Robert for details. Asking $6,475,000
- 7 % Cap Rate.
West Brighton - 4,000 sq. ft. Commercial building with off-
street parking on Forest Avenue. Sit back and collect rent on
this fully renovated property consisting of a restaurant & retail
store. $100k net income. Asking $1,185,000. Call Robert for
details at Ext. 17.
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
Your gateway to better business and better living on Staten Island
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
Now leasing 1,800 square feet of prime retail space and brand new 1,000-
5,000 square foot office spaces in professional elevator office building.
Located on Hyatt Street with excellent exposure to all municipal buildings,
new court house and St. George Theatre. Call Robert for more info.
Four Story, 16,000+ square foot development opportunity. Excellent site
for condominium, community facility or investment property. Building to
be built into hillside with proposed views of the harbor and underground
parking garage. Minutes to S.I. Ferry Terminal, shopping and transporta-
tion. Asking $799,000. Call Robert for details at Ext. 17.
INVESTM
ENT
ST. G
EO
RG
E
INVESTM
ENT
LO
W
ER W
ARD
H
ILL
Drop us a line
Email: news@sibiztrends.com
On the
Job
JOB
Continued from page 2
ty Wellness. Among her other
current affiliations, she is presi-
dent of the SI Committee on
Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services.
Immediately prior to joining
the SIMHS, Zagor served as chief
administrator of Community and
Mental Health Services at the
Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health
Center in Rockaway, where she
had been employed since 1991.
DOMINICK IORIO
GAMA International
Dominick Iorio has received
GAMA Internationals Master
Agency Award and the GAMA In-
ternationals International Man-
agement Award, at the Diamond
level. Iorio is a managing director
with Bridge Financial Group, an
office of MetLife.
GAMA International is an as-
sociation dedicated to supporting
the professional development of
field leaders in the insurance and
financial services industry. Its
awards program recognizes excel-
lence in traditional and contem-
porary field management
throughout the financial services
industry. GAMA created the Mas-
ter Agency Award to recognize
those agencies that have met or
exceeded $7,600,000 in commis-
sions.
Iorio is a graduate of Wagner
College where he earned a Bache-
lors Degree in business adminis-
tration and a Master of Business
Administration in marketing. In
addition to receiving the Regional
Award of Excellence, Iorio was
honored by MetLife for his
achievement as a Chairmans
Council qualifying office, twice.
He holds the Life Underwriting
Training Council Fellowship des-
ignation, is a graduate of the Gen-
eral Agents and Managers GIFT
Program, and is a member of the
General Agents and Managers
Association.
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 15
around the island
FLINT GENNARI/Special to Business Trends
SIEDCs Leadership Institute members kicked off the Stepping Stones to Success program at Commu-
nity Health Actions Food Pantry. More than 160 people were served freshly grilled barbeque, as well as
healthy, affordable food at the free family picnic. Through the program, young business leaders will do-
nate time, talent and resources directly to individuals under the care of CHASI. Those interested in vol-
unteering in the Stepping Stones to Success program, may contact either the SIEDC at (718) 477-
1400 or CHASI at (718) 808-1300.
FLINT GENNARI/Special to Business Trends
SI Premiere Properties presented a green Mother/Daughter Fashion Show to promote The Staten Is-
land Green Charter School for Environmental Discovery at Hand Picked Creations in New Dorp. Pictured,
from left, are Greg Diaz of SI Premiere Properties, Elaine Friedland, Christine Fiorenza of SI Parent mag-
azine, Carol Di Marco of Blue Label Designs, Stephanie Seeloch of Save the Date, Claire Guadagno of
Hand Picked Creations and Total Drama Performing Arts Studio, Dr. Carole Reiss of The Staten Island
Green Charter School for Environmental Discovery and mother/daughter models Sofia and Lisa.
FLINT GENNARI/Special to Business Trends
District Attorney Daniel Donovan administered the oath of office to the incoming Board of Directors and
officers of The Rotary Club of Staten Island. Pictured, from left, are Samir Farag, Frank Scarangello,
Gladys Schweiger (vice president), Ron Victorio, Rosemarie Scampas, John Tapinis (president-elect),
Joseph Pane (treasurer), Neal Segal (secretary) and Donovan.
STEVE WHITE/Business Trends
A new Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchise has opened on Staten
Island on Richmond Avenue. Pictured, from left, are Christian Sailer,
director of operations, with Randy Warren, vice president.
Special to Business Trends
In honor of Septembers National Hunger Action Month, dignitaries
from the Staten Island community participated in a Help Bag
Hunger event at the ShopRite store on Hylan Boulevard to raise
awareness and funds for local food banks. Pictured hard at work are
Borough President James Molinaro and state Sen. Diane Savino.
16 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
field Community Local Develop-
ment Corporation, which servic-
es the area.
Port Richmond Avenue was
one of six communities through-
out the city that were picked for
the retail leasing program, and
the only one on Staten Island, so
Catalano said they feel very fortu-
nate to have been chosen.
As part of the program, The
JGSC Group served as a consult-
ant to the LDC, studying the Port
Richmond Avenue area and pro-
viding in-depth analytics behind
retail attraction. This included an
analysis of the trade areas to find
where customers are coming
from and studying patterns of re-
tail and shopping to provide in-
sight on what would give the area
the best retail attraction plan
from a customer audience point
of view.
Having those analytics is very
valuable, said Michelle Sledge,
economic and community devel-
opment coordinator of the LDC.
This is a remarkable and excep-
tional program in that it gives the
commercial corridor a retail at-
traction roadmap.
One of the initial conclusions
The JGSC Group provided is that
there are many potential shop-
pers for Port Richmond Avenue
but not enough stores. Shoppers
are hungry for quality retail
merchandise and all types of din-
ing, and with an average dispos-
able income of $49,000 per house-
hold, they have a lot of money to
spend, the study found.
Shoppers spend $2.3 billion an-
nually on retail goods and servic-
es and an additional $367 million
at restaurants. Demand for furni-
ture exceeds supply by $23 mil-
lion per year, and uncaptured
demand for full-service restau-
rants is $77 million per year with
another $66 million for limited
service restaurants, the study
found. As such, there are plenti-
ful opportunities for Port Rich-
mond Avenue. Sledge said the
program has helped the LDC
identify who they consider desti-
nation retailers, specifically in
the industries The JGSC Group
recommended home furnish-
ings, home-related goods and
restaurants. There is already a di-
verse mix of ethnic merchants
who provide everything from
hand-crafted items to an eclectic
selection of food, and the LDC
hopes to build on that to attract
people to the area. And for mer-
chants that are looking to open or
re-locate, Port Richmond Avenue
has spaces for businesses of all
size at a relatively cheaper price
than other parts of the Island.
Come see the future
RETAIL
Continued from page 1
please see RETAIL, page 22
SCORE WORKSHOP:
FACEBOOK FOR
NETWORKING
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1550 Richmond Rd.
For information, call 718-727-1221
NYS WOMEN, INC.
(STATEN ISLAND)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697
Forest Ave.
For information, call 718-226-6462
BUSINESS LEADERS
TOASTMASTERS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: 43 Ramona Ave.
For information, call Arlene Trunzo
at 718-317-0949
SI WEB GROUP: SALES
TAX BASICS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17
Time: 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
NETWORKING PLUS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Location: Golden Dove, 3281 Rich-
mond Ave.
For information, call 718-966-6289
COAHSI 20TH
ANNIVERSARY GALA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Old Bermuda Inn
For information, call 718-447-3329
CHAMBER: BUSINESS
AFTER HOURS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Location: SI Mall, Center Court
For information, call 718-727-1900
WBCLDC: BOC CAPITAL
- HOW TO APPLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23
Time: 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
SCORE WORKSHOP:
SPREADSHEETS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1550 Richmond Rd.
For information, call 718-727-1221
WBCLDC/COAHSI
WORKSHOP: SEO
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24
Time: 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Location: 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl.
For information, call 718-816-4775
SEAMENS
SOCIETY GALA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Vanderbilt, 300
Father Capodanno Blvd.
18 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
Drop us a line
Email: news@sibiztrends.com
Business calendar
please see EVENTS, page 19
EVENTS
Continued from page 12
For information, call 718-447-7740
x4269
NEW DAY
TOASTMASTERS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: SI Univ. Hosp., Seaview
Ave.
For information, call 347-265-1161
SI MENTAL
HEALTH SOCIETY:
DINNER/COMEDY
SHOW
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100
South Ave.
For information, call 718-442-2225
24-7
NETWORKING SALES
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Z-One Restaurant, Rich-
mond Ave.
For information, call 973-697-8872
SIEDC ANNUAL
GOLF OUTING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Richmond County Country
Club
For information, call 718-477-1400
WORLD OF WOMEN
MONTHLY MEETING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Marina Grand, Mansion
Ave.
For information, call 718-948-8175
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 19
Business calendar
International Association
of Counseling Services
grants CSI accreditation
The College of Staten Island
Counseling Center has recently
been granted accreditation by the
International Association of
Counseling Services Inc.
Counseling Center Director
Ann Booth noted that, the CSI
Counseling Center is the first
CUNY Counseling Center to be
granted this accreditation. IACS
accreditation is an acknowledg-
ment of high-quality services,
ethical practices, and staff dedi-
cation.
The IACS evaluated the Coun-
seling Center against high stan-
dards of counseling practices and
the Center was found to offer
competent and reliable profes-
sional services to its clientele. Ap-
proval by the IACS is also depend-
ent upon evidence of continuing
professional development as well
as demonstration of excellence of
counseling performance. The
Center offers individual and cou-
ples counseling, crisis interven-
tion, medication evaluation and
management, consultation serv-
ices, academic counseling, and
outreach programming on topics
related to mental health and aca-
demic success. The Center also
serves as a training site for stu-
dents in the CUNY PhD program
in Clinical Psychology and CSI
Masters program in Mental
Health Counseling.
EVENTS
Continued from page 18
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. For info, 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.
Kiwanis Club of Staten Island:
LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave.
7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345
or go to
kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com.
Rotary Club of South Shore: Mari-
na 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. For info, call 718-981-
0700.
SCORE Business Counseling: SI
Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9
a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-
essary. No charge. For info, 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: Perkins Restau-
rant, 4370 Amboy Rd. 7:30 to 8:30
a.m. For info, call Timothy Houston
at 718-981-8600.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) High
Achievers Chapter: Perkins, 4370
Amboy Road. 7:30 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 Bob Williams at
718-356-1952.
Business Guild III of the SI Cham-
ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:30 a.m. New
members welcome. Call Melody
Minkoff at 718-370-0040.
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 718-
448-7160 or e-mail
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. For info, 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.
20 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
Fidelity Payment Services is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, NA, Walnut Creek, CA - Member FDIC and US Bank Minneapolis, MN.
ADVANCED PAYMENT PROCESSING.
SIMPLIFIED.
718-983-9272
doviddovid.com
Advice - Not 1ust Price!
Business calendar
MEETINGS
Continued from page 10
22 BUSINESS TRENDS OCTOBER 2012
We want to celebrate that and
attract additional retailers who
are regional name brands who
can help build upon that recogni-
tion as a great place to eat and
shop, Sledge said.
The LDC is building consensus
among the stakeholders in the
community to see what changes
can be made for long-term im-
provement. Port Richmond Av-
enue has a strong residential base
of which to take advantage, if
particular stores are located
there, said Kathleen Bielsa, the
LDCs deputy director.
Its all coming together, she
said. Hopefully, well be able to
get the most out of this opportu-
nity.
The JGSC Group also analyzed
the merchants currently located
in the corridor and took a look at
what existing programs at the
city, state and federal level the
LDC could use to further its retail
development, such as brownfield
opportunities on waterfront prop-
erties.
Part of the strategic plan is to
focus on redevelopment on the
portion of the commercial corri-
dor that is closest to the water-
front, Sledge said. Those sites
and that portion of the commer-
cial corridor have the best oppor-
tunity for catalytic for change.
While the LDC looks to fill
empty spaces with new business,
it will focus on shorter-term goals
such as streetscape improve-
ments and marketing. By utiliz-
ing The Port Richmond Partner-
ship, a joint program with Wagn-
er College, the LDC will initiate a
major street cleaning and store-
front revitalization on a monthly
or bi-monthly basis with the help
of students, merchants and resi-
dents, Sledge said.
The JGSC Group is also help-
ing the LDC kick off a major mar-
keting plan that will include a
new website listing all the mer-
chants and providing an Invest
page with resources for mer-
chants who are looking to move
or open.
Over the next year, major com-
mercial events will be planned to
drive foot traffic to Port Rich-
mond.
One of the areas that we have
always found very challenging for
our organization is getting the
word out, and being able to have
someone actually design the liter-
ature thats going out, Catalano
said.
This will greatly help a major
emphasis of the program: To ex-
pand the Port Richmond Avenue
area and make it a destination for
shoppers from all over, not just
the direct community.
Everyone that gets to know
Port Richmond really thinks its a
great place and that its poised for
revitalization, Bielsa said.
Were really getting great atten-
tion right now, and were hoping
to build some momentum.
Come see the future
RETAIL
Continued from page 16
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 23
around the island
Special to Business Trends
Approximately 175 people attended the New York Center for Interpersonal Developments annual
fundraising benefit at the Hilton Garden Inn. Ron Malanga of RGM Signs was one of those honored at the
event, receiving the Community Business Partner Award. Pictured, from left, are Lois Nicotra, Malanga,
Richard Nicotra, NYCID Board Chairman John Minardo, NYCID Director John Mancuso and NYCID Secre-
tary Michael OBrien.
JANET DUGO/Business Trends
Con Edison hosted representatives from community organizations during a Staten Island Yankees vs.
Tri-City Valley Cats game at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Pictured, from left, are Mark Dray of the
SI Childrens Museum, Eric Kim of the Korean-American Senior Citizens Association of NY Inc., Juliet
Lewis of Con Edison, Sylvia DAlessandro of Sandy Ground Historical Society, Alan Troshane of McKee
High School and Mark Irving of Con Edison.
JANET DUGO/Business Trends
The team at Richmond County Savings Bank hosted a Business Expo at their Richmond Avenue location
to provide information and assistance to the local business community. Pictured, from left, are Teddy
Taylor of New York Community Bank, Maylee Borg of Richmond County Savings, Lorraine Frazier of NYC
Business Solutions, Michael Fekete of TransFirst, Keith Christensen of New York Community Bancorp
and Josephine Portuesi of Richmond County Savings.
Special to Business Trends
West Brighton Community Local Development Corp., Victory State
Bank and United Church of International Praise Ministries have part-
nered in a new initiative called Suit Up and Succeed. The program
provides business attire to Staten Island men, women and young
adults returning to the workforce and/or enrolled in career develop-
ment, mentoring and educational programs. Pictured at a recent Suit
Up and Succeed event are, from left: Pastor Thomas Cletus of Unit-
ed Church International Praise Ministries, Carmela Schiano of Live
Free Coaching, Irena P of Realestatesiny.com, Angela DAiuto of WB-
CLDC, an intern from the NY Center for Interpersonal Development
ACES program, Amy Lavelle of NYCID, and Claire Guadagno of
Handpicked Creations.
Special to Business Trends
Richmond University Medical Centers Advanced Life Support team
took home the overall grand prize at the first ever Sim Lab Wars held
at Staten Island University Hospitals Regina M. McGinn M.D. Educa-
tion Center. A team of five judges assessed their responses to the
patient in simulated distress. Pictured, from left, are: William
Amaniera, Director of Emergency Medical Services; Paramedic Matt
Caron; Paramedic Javier Toledo; Paramedic Anthony McKay; EMS
Medical Director Dr. Cindy Baselous; and Paramedic Alex Rosa.
By ROBERT CUTRONA
Let me share a story about an
individual that some of you may
know. Born in Brooklyn to first
generation parents, he lived over
a plumbing store in a small apart-
ment with his parents, a sister
and his grandparents. His dad
worked three jobs to make ends
meet, never giving a single
thought to any form of public as-
sistance. After graduating high
school, his plan was to get a job
and buy a car. His father, however,
had a different plan in mind col-
lege!
Forced to get out the college
exam prep books, he began by at-
tending a community college and
earned an Associates degree
along with the new realization
that an education would equip
him for a better life. He went on to
earn a Bachelors degree and a
Masters degree, attending school
at night while working full time.
Many nights, he would get home
just before midnight. Over the
years, he earned a high executive
position with a major corpora-
tion.
Several times in his corporate
career, he experienced discrimi-
nation. One situation stands out
where he was told your name
ends in a vowel so your opportu-
nities here are limited. He never
gave a second thought to the hard
work, the long hours or the dis-
crimination, but clawed ahead to
achieve his goals and aspirations.
Ultimately, he decided to fulfill a
dream and set up his own busi-
ness.
Today, he operates a thriving
business that he built himself,
without any government help.
The message here is that any
individual with proper parental
guidance can lift himself or her-
self up out of poverty.
Poverty and inequality are due
to our own benign thoughts and
the dependent conditioning
that seems to be growing in our
culture. Too many people do not
see the world as it is; they see it as
they are or as they have been con-
ditioned to be. Unfortunately,
todays leaders are conditioning
our young generation to be de-
pendent with cradle-to-grave pa-
ternalism. Social safety nets are
critical and important and should
be made available to those who
have real needs.
However, enabling people
throughout their lifetime is im-
proper use of available safety
nets and is serving to destroy our
social fabric.
The story of the young man
portrays a model that would work
to substantially reduce poverty
and the problem of inequality.
Parents must convince their chil-
dren of the critical importance of
education and must see to it that
their children attend school, stay
in school and at least graduate
high school and, if possible, col-
lege.
Various studies over the years
show that graduating high
school, going to college, getting
married and delaying having chil-
dren substantially reduces the
poverty rate. Only 8 percent of
those who play by these simple
rules turn out poor.
A social contract that gives out
messages that the government
will be your keeper, that some-
body else is going to do it for you,
that somebody else is paying for
the welfare checks or food
stamps, perpetuates the depend-
ency evolution from generation to
generation. Also, a social contract
that redistributes income does
nothing to advance the recipient.
In fact, it deprives individuals of
a chance to become self-reliant
and successful.
Coupled with high out-of-wed-
lock births, and the absence of a
family structure, we are destroy-
ing independence, the sense of
purposefulness, self-esteem and
life planning.
Our enabling culture is stifling
the economic and social mobility
of our young. Too many of our
young are going down this road,
where the seeds of inequality are
sown.
Education is the foundation
that will ultimately reduce the in-
come gaps and bring equality to
our next generations.
Robert Cutrona, president of
Project One Services, is a director of
Business Trends
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IN YOUR OPINION
a $40,000 grant from the Rich-
mond County Savings Founda-
tion and a $10,000 grant from Wal-
mart to provide these services
that are above and beyond what
the city provides, Rapacciuolo
said.
The funds have allowed the
LDC to provide one security
guard per town three days per
week for four hours per day, work-
ing in tandem with local authori-
ties to improve security. Street
sweeper service and pressure
washing of sidewalks in each
town have beautified the neigh-
borhoods, and community events
such as a Concert in the Park se-
ries and Christmas Tree and
street lightings have brought the
residents together. For Halloween
this year, each town will enjoy a
free event that includes a family
photo booth and DJ, where mer-
chants can present their business
to the community.
The LDC has also worked dili-
gently on raising awareness by
displaying thank you banners
throughout the communities,
rolling out unique Facebook
pages to market each town, and
planning to create a shoppers
guide for visitors.
As a new business located in
Great Kills, the value of the LDC
is clear, said Benny Umbra,
owner of USA Tax Prep Plus.
Making the town safer and more
inviting to potential consumers
has already increased our bottom
line.
The financial support the LDC
has received through public and
private sources has been terrific,
Rapacciuolo said, but to take
their efforts to the next level, he
and the rest of the board of direc-
tors would like to see the LDC
form into an official Business Im-
provement District. Becoming a
BID would allow the three com-
munities to be self-sustaining and
self-sufficient, he said, particular-
ly because they would have a set-
in-stone budget with which to
work each year.
The services provided under-
neath the BID would be complete-
ly controlled by the merchants
and landowners, led by a steering
committee appointed by the mem-
bers. Its a business entity within
the group of merchants that
would allow the LDC to not have
to worry about whether the City
Council will be so kind and con-
tinue giving money in the future.
It will enable us to provide
these businesses with marketing
capabilities outside their own
ability, Rapacciuolo said. By
keeping the towns clean and
inviting, the people will definitely
come.
Officially becoming a BID is
not a quick process, Rapacciuolo
said, but he and the LDCs board
are confident theyll be able to
fast track it because of the
background planning and work
thats already been done.
The key up to this point, he
said, is the unwavering support
the LDC has received from Ig-
nizio, the SIEDC, the dedicated
board of directors and the mer-
chants and landowners in the
three communities.
The SIEDC and Councilman
Ignizio have done a good job these
past few years, helping make the
towns safer and customer-friend-
ly, said Camille Von Hugel,
owner of The Curly Wolf Saloon
in Annadale.
What businesses need to real-
ize is that these services are
above and beyond what the city
provides, and the movement to-
ward forming a BID will allow us
to continue to reap these benefits
and the new customers it brings
as a result.
While Rapacciuolo and the
board prepare information about
the BID process, he said the LDC
is always looking for more mer-
chants, landowners and residents
to get involved. He refers people
to the website
www.southshoreldc.org, as it pro-
vides information regarding
what the LDC needs and how peo-
ple play a part.
The hard work and dedication
that have been provided has al-
ready produced tangible results,
Rapacciuolo said, and theres
even more that can be accom-
plished on the South Shore.
We want to be able to let the
merchants know that this is being
done for them. The more they
participate in any way, the bet-
ter, Rapacciuolo said. The ulti-
mate goal is to increase the busi-
nesses and increase the revenue,
bottom line, for the people in
these towns. As a group, theyre
always able to function better to-
gether than as individuals.
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 25
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S T A T E N I S L A N D
C H A P T E R
South Shore progresses
LDC
Continued from page 1
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By BILL DUBOVSKY
Situation
4G or 4G-LTE is touted as the
newest and fastest mobile data
network speed but how its being
marked is confusing at best. Here
is a brief snapshot.
What is it?
4G stands for the fourth gener-
ation of cell phone standards, the
successor of the current 3G stan-
dards.
The big advantage of 4G is that
it provides faster Internet data
transfer rates than any existing
cellular services (except Broad-
band and WiFi).
It is designed for laptops with
USB wireless modems, smart
phones, and other mobile devices.
There are two major 4G systems
deployed; the WiMAX standard
(Korea 2006) and Long Term
Evolution (LTE Sweden 2009),
but the debate over the technical
standards of each are evolving.
While technical standards are
supposed to be international, it
seems that countries are putting
their own spin on them (such as
frequency bands) so that right
now there is no agreement on an
international 4G-LTE standard or
device.
In the U.S., the four available
LTE services are provided by
MetroPCS, Verizon Wireless,
AT&T, and US Cellular providing
service with Sprint Nextel to
switch from WiMAX to LTE soon.
Why would you need it? Many
folks are using their smartphones
and tablets as their
computer/telephone/entertain-
ment system. With increased data
usage, speeds are maxing out on
the current 3G networks and 4G
is hoped to be the answer for high-
definition mobile TV, 3D TV, VoIP,
video conferencing, and on-line
gaming services to name a few ap-
plications.
Pros
4G promises to be faster than
the current 3G network and pro-
vide more capacity and speed.
The peak data speeds of LTE are
100 Mbit/s down and 50 Mbit/s
up, with WiMax at 128 Mbit/s
down, 56 Mbit/s up. Current 3G
speeds are about 2 Mbit/s walk-
ing and 384 Kbit/s in a moving ve-
hicle. As you can see a big differ-
ence in performance!
Cons
4G networks are not back-
ward compatible with 3G. 4G
also runs on different frequencies
in different places, and is techni-
cally complex as it has to be reli-
able while youre moving. There
is no standard; some places use
4G WiMAX and others are using
some flavor of 4G LTE.
Bottom-line
According to PCWorld Newslet-
ter (April, 2012), the fastest coast-
to-coast 3G carrier was T-Mobile
(down & up) and the fastest 4G
carriers were AT&T (down) and
Verizon (up).
While the 4G terminology is ar-
bitrary and specifications are
constantly evolving, a good rule
of thumb is to check with Profes-
sor Google as well as your friends
to see which service seems to be
best in the geography that you
will use it in the most. Some users
swear by one carrier over anoth-
er, but most just swear at them.
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 at
billdubovsky@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 2012 BUSINESS TRENDS 27
1140 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10301
Tel: 718.370.3464
Fax: 718.370.3462
www.paulofinancialadvisors.com
Money Management
Retirement
Financial Consulting
Estate Planning
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Visit us on the Web at www.sibiztrends.com
Whats up with 4G-LTE?
BITS & BYTES
RANDOM ACCESS
Tech Tip...1.4: Is your organization or business moving outside of your
current Verizon Central Office and you want to keep your phone num-
ber? By planning ahead, you can convert your current lines to a digital
service (T1, VoIP) and then when youre ready to move, everything is
made simple. Check with your telecom consultant for details.
Did you know that...you can download any of more than 100,000 free
electronics and appliance manuals on-line at www.retrovo.com? I even
found info on my vintage 1960s music amplifiers.
How do I...tune my Internet connection to give me the fastest speed? If
you are using a Windows device, go to www.speedguide.net/down-
loads.php for a free SG TCP Optimizer which will tweak your Windows-
based computer to optimize your Internet connection. There is no
installation required just download and run.
Beware...of phishing scams! Emails asking you to check into your
Facebook, Linkedin, Chase, BBB (Better Business Bureau), Amex, UPS,
ADP and many other accounts by clicking on an embedded link. Log in
to your account separately or call them on the phone to avoid going to
a spam site or downloading a virus. Never click on the link in the email.
Useful Web sites: If you dont know how to open a certain type of file,
www.openwith.org will tell you which programs will open the file and
suggest free software if you dont have the necessary program.
App Update: Useful news apps you should consider for your
tablet/smart phone: SILive (SI Advance local news - free), WSJ (Wall
St Journal - free app limited free content, best with a subscription),
The New York Times (NYTimes - free app limited free content, best
with a subscription), AP (Associated Press free), USA Today (free).