LI Business News articles from December 2007

LI Business News archives from December 2007

Garden City-based Lifetime Brands to close 30 stores.
December 3, 2007... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Kitchenware and appliance marketer Lifetime Brands on Monday said it will close 30 of its underperforming outlet stores. The Garden City-based company also said the sale of its former headquarters in...

Long Island Power Authority's Kevin Law solicits planning board.
December 4, 2007... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Kevin Law, the freshman chief executive of the Long Island Power Authority, met with members of the Long Island Regional Planning Board Tuesday to ask for ideas in overhauling the utility's energy master plan....

Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings upgrade Babylon.
December 4, 2007... Byline: David Reich-Hale Wall Street agencies Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings have upgraded Babylon's debt rating, the Suffolk town announced in a press release Tuesday. Moody's upped its debt rating to "A1," while Moody's...

Long Island-based Grant Thornton buys Pa. firm.
December 4, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis Grant Thornton LLP, the sixth largest accounting firm on Long Island by employees, announced Tuesday that it acquired business advisory services firm GR Consulting in Jenkintown, Pa. Chicago-based Grant Thornton...

State of New York preserves Riverhead lot.
December 4, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg Riverhead's Weeping Willow Motel will be demolished and its riverfront property preserved as open space, with help from a $500,000 state grant. The money is part of the $25.3 million recently granted to...

Suffolk County Legislature passes social host law.
December 4, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller Suffolk parents be warned: Knowingly allow minors to consume alcohol in your home, and you run afoul of the law. By a 12-2 vote with four abstentions, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a "social host" law...

Makeover unveiled for Long Island Marriott in Uniondale.
December 5, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg RexCorp on Wednesday revealed its plans for a $40 million makeover of the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale to coincide with the Lighthouse group's $2 billion plan to redevelop 150 acres around Nassau Coliseum. The...

Citizens Bank ups Nassau presence.
December 5, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis Citizens Bank announced Wednesday that it had opened two new branches in Levittown and East Meadow in late October, and that two more branches in Hempstead and Port Washington will open by the end of the week. All of...

STP Associates plan in Syosset stalls.
December 5, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg The new owners of a Syosset trailer park have offered tenants $500,000, to be split among them, to relocate after November, 2008. STP Associates plans to build townhouses on the site where 59 mobile homes now sit....

Business booming for Long Island attorneys who defend foreclosure actions.
December 6, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller From the "Bright Side of the Mortgage Crisis" file comes this cheery bit: Business is booming for attorneys who defend foreclosure actions. The subprime mortgage crisis and its effect on local and national...

Fraud found at Roslyn Heights child center.
December 6, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman announced Thursday that two employees of the North Shore Child & Family Center in Roslyn Heights defrauded the not-for-profit out of nearly $71,000. Weitzman recently...

Long Island home sales, prices dip.
December 6, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg Long Island home prices continue to sink and sales continue to ebb. The contracted median home price for Long Island dropped by $25,000 last month, an overall decrease of about 6.5 percent from November 2006,...

Woodbury-based Delta Financial to file bankruptcy.
December 6, 2007... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Mortgage lender Delta Financial, which has been fighting for survival during the recent subprime crisis, said Thursday it intends to file for bankruptcy protection after a previously announced financing...

Neighbor Newspapers strikes deal with Suffolk Life Newspapers.
December 6, 2007... Byline: David Reich-Hale Media mogul Stan Henry's Neighbor Newspapers has struck a deal with Suffolk Life Newspapers to allow the sales staff of both to cross-sell into each other's publications. Henry acquired South Bay's Newspapers...

Long Island law firms announce staffing changes: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Marvin Salenger, a partner of the law firm Salenger, Sack, Schwartz & Kimmel, has been named in the 2007 issue of New York Super Lawyers. Salenger's firm concentrates its practice in personal injury and medical...

Long Island medical facilities announce staffing changes: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Ashok Dubey has joined Rockville Centre-based Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group. Dubey is a fellowship-trained surgeon specializing in hand conditions who treats patients with the latest in hand and microvascular...

Long Island-based Arbor Commercial Mortgage appoints director of operations and compliance.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Arbor Commercial Mortgage has appointed Timothy Williams to the newly created position of director of operations and compliance. Williams will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all investor and regulatory...

Long Island's Molloy College appoints two to board of trustees.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Molloy College has appointed Theresa P. Ahlstrom and Philip Darcy as members of the college's board of trustees. Ahlstrom is the managing partner of the Long Island office and the Northeast Audit Quality support...

Long Island executives forecast job cuts.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis More than one-fifth of Long Island executives say they plan to cut staff, while another four in 10 hope to keep staffing levels flat as rising crude costs and lower real estate prices drive down the regional economy....

Commentary: In the affordable housing arena, a little grandstanding.
December 7, 2007... Byline: John Kominicki If you enjoy political intrigue - and if you're a Long Islander, you know you do - you'll delight in the back-hall treachery surrounding last week's news conference on affordable housing hosted by Suffolk County...

Long Island-based firms choose home base over war-torn regions.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik It's the next best thing to being there. Hauppauge-based Globecomm Systems has built a telecom hub at its Long Island headquarters to mirror its mobile telephone operations in the war-torn country of Afghanistan....

Long Island's smaller firms hail loosened regulations.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis Easier access to capital for small public firms is on the way after the Securities and Exchange Commission lifted heavy regulations that had spooked investors. On Nov. 15, the SEC voted unanimously to adopt changes...

Docs turn to Congress to stop Medicare cuts.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Alison Snyder Physician groups are aggressively lobbying Congress to stop a controversial 10 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements, which doctors on Long Island argue would force some to stop taking the government-sponsored health...

Long Island Business News Follow Ups: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: LIBN staff In good health Last December, Stony Brook University Medical Center launched a $4 million clinical skills center to give hands-on training to medical students. One year later, the center's in good health. ...

Business Council deal lifts Garden City-based Cullen & Dykman profile.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller One of Long Island's oldest and largest law firms has hitched its wagon to the state's most powerful business organization. Garden City-based Cullen and Dykman LLP announced last week its appointment as general...

Two minutes with Yogesh Gupta, CEO of FatWire Software.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Alison Snyder Yogesh Gupta joined FatWire Software as chief executive in August, coming over from CA, where he was senior vice president and chief technology strategist. Gupta's four-month reign has been one of transition for the...

Commentary: Tight times.
December 7, 2007... Byline: LIBN Staff Gov. Spitzer faces some tough choices in the months ahead as sales tax revenues start to flag and mortgage-related woes whip Wall Street profits and bonuses. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli notes that a...

Nassau County's property assessment program under fire.
December 7, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg The uncertainty of today's real estate market has certainly become a taxing issue for Long Island schools, villages, towns and counties. As housing prices slide, commercial property owners are bracing for the...

Nanz Company eyes Suffolk move.
December 7, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg Babylon and Smithtown are competing for the Nanz Company and its 150 jobs. The upscale hardware manufacturer will relocate its Brooklyn factory to either Deer Park or Hauppauge, according to company principal...

Trudi Williams becomes executive VP at Lake Success-based City Underwriting Agency.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds NAME: Mary G. "Trudi" Williams NEW TITLE: Executive Vice President COMPANY: City Underwriting Agency, Inc. HOMETOWN: East Hampton Lake Success-based City Underwriting Agency has appointed Trudi Williams as...

Jericho-based State Bank of Long Island names assistant vice president.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Jericho-based State Bank of Long Island appointed Marjory Giordani-Petion as assistant vice president and officer in charge of the Westbury branch. Her responsibilities will include developing new customer...

Long Island man is fishing for success in photography field.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Ambrose Clancy The third time was a charm for Joel Lucks. After three careers, Lucks finally got it right and he is living his dream with Full Spectrum Photography and Journalism, a start-up based in East Northport, launched a...

Commentary: Building an organization's center.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Kennth R. Cerini It's becoming harder and harder for non-profit organizations to balance program delivery and the need for back office administration. Funders and donors are focused on ensuring that organizations are dedicating as...

Long Island Nonprofit Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Little Flower honors Father Fagan Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, one of the state's leading foster care and family service agencies held a tribute mass and dedication ceremony of a...

Long Island banks, credit unions see silver lining in subprime clouds.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik While many banks are facing turmoil from problems related to subprime loans - risky loans offered at higher rates - some banks are actually increasing their loans business as a result. The subprime mortgage storm...

Long Island's little bank that could.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik In the banking world, there are many Davids and Goliaths. But on Long Island, only one bank fits both descriptions: Wachovia Corp. Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia continued to grow slowly in 2007, expanding one...

Riding the real estate roller coaster in Long Island.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik Mortgage meltdowns and foreclosure fears have been bad news for many consumers and investors. Not so for lawyers. Not by a long shot. Bankruptcy law, patent law, mergers and acquisitions and labor law all are...

Commentary: Hub challenge creates opportunities.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Richard Kessel Islanders' owner Charles Wang and developer Scott Rechler have now proposed a new and slimmed-down vision of developing the Nassau Hub. The plan, which was submitted to the Town of Hempstead, calls for a remaking of...

Commentary: For professional services, it's about the brand.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Cecilia Alers Branding is important for marketing professional services. Unfortunately, many professional service firms skip this step, believing that branding doesn't apply to them. They are wrong and here is why: People buy...

Commentary: NIMBYs beware, it's about more than tunnel vision.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Alfonse D'Amato Hear that? It's the sound of a thoughtful response. It's rare on Long Island, so savor it. One can't say when we may hear it again. It is the reaction to a proposal by businessman Vincent Polimeni to create a...

Commentary: Does Spitzer get Long Island's deepest challenges?
December 7, 2007... Byline: Matt Crosson Does the Spitzer Administration understand and appreciate Long Island? That's a question I've heard asked frequently during the last year. A year ago, my answer would have been a definite yes. And that answer...

Commentary: Out East: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Jeff Miller Giuliani learns a Hamptons lesson the hard way Allow me to begin with a historical note about the name Gotham, which is Anglo-Saxon for goat town. In the Middle Ages, residents of Gotham, England, tried to avoid...

Long Island Financial Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis A new world for accountants seeking 401(k) plans AccountantsWorld, a provider of Web-based software to the accounting industry, is teaming up with retirement product provider ExpertPlan to offer 401(k) plans to...

Long Island Real Estate Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg State lawmakers locked out of counties' housing plan Members of Long Island's state senate delegation are less than thrilled that county execs Steve Levy and Tom Suozzi left them out of the loop on their new...

Long Island Technology Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Alison Snyder SCCC expands its manufacturing training initiative Manufacturing on Long Island is not a faded memory of the glory days, as John Lombardo will tell you. Though still a shadow of its former dominance, the...

Long Island Medical Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Alison Snyder While the drill is unpleasant, the visit is sublime The days of the looming dental appointment are dwindling, according to periodontist Cary Ganz. Dentists are moving out of their cold, industrial-type...

Long Island sales trainer learns valuable lesson in generating leads.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Ambrose Clancy Peter Fasulo, at 42, was ready. Or so he thought. In the spring of 2005, with 20 years experience working in sales management and training for corporate powerhouses such as AT&T, Sprint and Cablevision, Fasulo...

Long Island Legal Briefs: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller Island bars demand Musharraf free all the lawyers It's a story as old as the concept of "law" - courts disbanded, lawyers jailed by the hundreds, entire legal systems eradicated, prologue to a coup or the...

Commentary: How To...Select a corporate holiday gift.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Bernadette Starzee 'Tis the season for giving, and companies often give employees, clients and others a gift to show their appreciation for a year of loyal, dedicated service. The right gift can go a long way in making your...

On Long Island, less land, more litigation.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik Joe Campolo, a Smithtown attorney in private practice, said investors are shying away from acquiring real estate, choosing to buy companies instead. "Certainly, this year the trend has been away from real estate...

Long Island not seeing drop-off in labor litigation.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik The economy remains a big question mark in 2008, but labor attorneys believe there is cause to be optimistic. A bad economy, after all, can breed more labor lawsuits. Dan Rizzi, a Jericho-based partner in Nixon...

U.S. Supreme Court ruling changes standard to obtain patents.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik The U.S. Supreme Court quietly changed a standard that could make it tougher to obtain patents. It changed the definition of what is "obvious" and potentially created roadblocks to invention claims. In order to...

Bohemia-based Edge Electronics hires product manager.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Bohemia-based Edge Electronics, a distributor of electronic components, has hired Ross Hilman as product manager. A former operations manager at Arrow Electronics, Hilman brings to Edge an array of skills, including...

Arlen Shelton named sales manager of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty's St. James office.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty has named Arlene Shelton as sales manager of its St. James office. A top-producing agent on Long Island's North Shore for 20 years, Shelton joined Daniel Gale last year...

Long Island nonprofits announce staffing changes: December 7, 2007.
December 7, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Executive Director of the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, Dale Lewis, was awarded the Art Supervisors Association Visual Arts Leadership Award, which recognizes the exemplary contributions,...

Cedar Shopping Centers sells mall stakes in Penn. and Mass.
December 10, 2007... Byline: David Winzelberg Cedar Shopping Centers got $53.2 million for an 80 percent interest in nine of its supermarket-anchored shopping centers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, the company announced Monday. Homburg Invest Inc., a...

Long Island-based NBTY posts lower sales.
December 10, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis NBTY Inc., a maker of nutritional supplements, said Monday its net sales for November on an unadjusted basis fell 2 percent year over year. The Bohemia-based company's sales for the month totaled $159 million, down...

Hain Celestial Group acquires Wisconsin-based TenderCare buy.
December 10, 2007... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Natural foods and beauty products distributor Hain Celestial Group Inc. on Monday said it completed its acquisition of TenderCare International Inc., a maker of natural baby products. Hain paid $3.4 million...

Empire State Development Corp. names Long Island leader.
December 11, 2007... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II The Empire State Development Corp. on Tuesday named Andrea Lohneiss, former community development director for the town of Riverhead, director for the Long Island region. She received the nomination from...

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo thwarts deceptive lender.
December 11, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Florida counterpart Bill McCollum announced Tuesday a settlement with Student Financial Services Inc., a company that, according to Cuomo, used deceptive techniques to...

LIPA/Grid issue repowering RFP.
December 12, 2007... Byline: Laura Theis The Long Island Power Authority and National Grid, which recently purchased KeySpan, announced Wednesday they submitted a request for proposals to perform a repowering study of Port Jefferson and Northport power plants....

Nassau County judge tosses loophole lunge.
December 12, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller A home-repair contractor's clever attempt to escape criminal prosecution has been nixed by a Nassau County judge. Contractor Paul Biegler, doing business as the P.E.B. Group, was charged with operating a...

Nassau County Bar Association salutes returning vets with free counsel.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Gregory Zeller War may be hell, but litigation's no walk in the park either. So the Nassau County Bar Association has partnered with the county's Veterans Service Agency to ensure that U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and...

Long Island Business News Follow Ups: December 14, 2007.
December 14, 2007... Byline: LIBN staff The race is on The New York Racing Association's contract to run thoroughbred racing tracks expires at the end of the year. Will the group win an extension? Gov. Eliot Spitzer has recommended a 30-year deal for...

For this ex-LI tech guy, life's much better in Texas.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Ambrose Clancy The nearest beach is four hours away and it's not much when you get there. And the days of spontaneously catching the train to the city to check out a new exhibition at a world class museum are long gone. But...

Commentary: Ill conceived.
December 14, 2007... Byline: LIBN staff On one hand, the federal government is threatening to cut billions from the Medicare till, promising to lower payments to physicians, which, in turn, would limit health-care coverage for the less fortunate. On the...

Commentary: Bernanke, Bush missing the point.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Martin Cantor The national and regional economies are teetering on the precipice of recession and the two most important and influential national economic policy makers seem intent on focusing on the wrong causes. The first is...

Commentary: Unions make major inroads.
December 14, 2007... Byline: John R. Durso Gasoline prices are through the roof. Housing costs, health-care costs and college costs are skyrocketing. This is an uneasy time for working families. Yet, this holiday season there is much to be optimistic about....

Commentary: Huckabee gains steam, but the spotlight's waiting.
December 14, 2007... Byline: John Kiernan There is an axiom that continues to ring true - a month can be a lifetime in politics. If you doubt it, just ask former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who went from an overwhelming reelection victory to resignation in...

Commentary: Endorsements matter, but it's still about money.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Jerry Kremer If your favorite presidential candidate was endorsed by Chuck Norris, Oprah Winfrey or Bill Clinton, would it influence your final choice? For me personally, the answer is no, but I can't speak for the average voter....

Commentary: Out East: December 14, 2007.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Jeff Miller Tide turns against East Hampton's anti-ferry stance One of the captivating things about the East End is its long history. The lore, the laws, even the feuds have ancient echoes. It all started in 1648, when...

Long Island Technology Briefs: December 14, 2007.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Alison Snyder CA bloggers blow the whistle on networking site CA has been stirring up national concern about privacy features on popular social networking Web site Facebook. Facebook launched its "Beacon" program Nov. 7,...

Garden City-based Quest Service Group names director of fixture installations.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Garden City-based retail services firm, Quest Service Group appointed Scott Breeden as director of fixture installations. In this position, Breeden will be responsible for managing fixture installations for clients,...

PL Developments of Westbury hires systems analyst.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds PL Developments of Westbury has hired Jose Chica as systems analyst and developer for its information technology team. Chica hopes to enact cost-effective changes. PL Developments also hired Ana Rodriguez to its...

New York-based Contractors for Kids adds advisory board member.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Michael Costa of accounting firm Armao, Costa & Ricciardi has been selected as an advisory board member for Contractors for Kids. Costa will bring his specific industry knowledge in construction accounting to the...

Deirdre Doherty named director of development and corporate relations for The Long Island Museum.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Deirdre Doherty has been hired as director of development and corporate relations for The Long Island Museum. In this position, the former Island Harvest development manager plans to develop support for the museum...

Long Island-based Ruskin Moscou Faltischek hires three first-year associates.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds The law offices of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek hired David Schoenhaar, Jessica Heller and Dennis Loiacono as first-year associates. Schoenhaar, a former summer associate of the firm, has joined the firm's Trusts &...

Long Island hospitals announce staffing changes: December 14, 2007.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds New Island Hospital has named Robert Lamagna to the newly created position of vice president of operations. Prior to New Island, Lamagna was vice president of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. He has experience in...

Long Island chef wins first place at exhibition in Germany.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Executive Chef Stephen Bello of Oceanside-based South Nassau Communities Hospital has won first place at the recent Les Amis d'Escoffier Society Culinary Exhibition in Cologne, Germany. Bello, a member of the U.S....

Commentary: Language a gateway to academic success.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Kennth R. Cerini Emerson once said that "speech is power," but it's possible he had no idea to what extent. According to Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman, founder and executive director of the School for Language and Communication...

Long Island Nonprofit Briefs: December 14, 2007.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Erin E. Edmonds Thank you, Peconic Landing Last February, an anonymous donor made a pledge of $100,000, in the form of a "challenge gift," to the Second Century Campaign at Eastern Long Island Hospital along with a call to the...

Live and learn: The future of education on LI looks bright.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik Long in the shadow of New York City, Long Island's schools are shedding their provincial image and taking a place on the national stage. Many are transforming: expanding through construction, relying more on...

Long Island educators discover the environment.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik A century-old windmill stood quietly at Southampton College, paint peeling and picturesque, as a quaint reminder of a time before crowds crammed roads heading east. But that windmill - an example of how wind can...

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsburg Law Center has new home in Central Islip.
December 14, 2007... Byline: Claude Solnik Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center didn't launch in 2007, but it began a chapter that amounts to a bold, new beinning. The 30-year-old school, long housed in a former junior high school in Huntington, now...