David Kleps of Old Forge and Utica, Vice President of the Design-Build/Butler Building Division of  the Utica-based Charles A. Gaetano Construction Corporation, celebrating its 25th Year as a franchised builder of Butler Manufacturing Company's pre-engineered buildings, accepted an award at the recent Annual Butler Sales Meeting in Orlando, FL in recognition of the Company’s quarter century service milestone. He joined Gaetano in 1979 and has managed the Butler business since its inception in September 1982 completing nearly 2.5 million square feet of projects throughout Central and Northern New York including the Northern Safety Company headquarters, Meyda Tiffany’s warehouse and offices, the Utica Converters Manufacturing expansion, the Tri-Valley Beverage Beer distribution facility, the Carbone Auto's Harley Davidson dealership, the Fountainhead Group warehouse expansion and the Fiber Instrument Sales headquarters, as well as many other local and regional projects.

Mark Steigerwald of Inlet and Syracuse, Vice President of the Syracuse-based Cathedral Candle Company, said his Company designed, produced and contributed the seven altar candles for Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the U.S. as Pope that were used at the Mass he celebrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in April 2008. The largest ever made by the Company, each candle was 36 inches tall taking four months to complete, made of the finest beeswax and featuring the Papal coat-of- arms with braided silver and gold leaf details. In addition, the Company made 90 other candles used during the Papal visit. The Steigerwalds founded the Central Adirondack Sailing Association that will gather over Memorial Weekend to plan the annual sail race schedule that comprises many classes of sailboats competing weekly during the summer on Fourth Lake, traditionally on Saturday afternoons. All are welcome to compete by joining the group at the center of the Lake. Alas, there are no sails for the Pope Mobile nor does it drive on water.

William Locke of New Hartford, CEO of Adirondack Financial Services Corp., an affiliate of Adirondack Bank, was elected to the Board of Directors of Adirondack Bank. He has 20 years experience in trust management, estate planning, investment counseling and investment advisory management, as well as 15 years experience in advising Upstate New York not-for-profit corporations on investment management.

Stephanie Davis of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Utica Region, that includes the Central Adirondacks, said that more than 6,400 individuals and companies in New York State have forgotten about $968,279 in checks (2004 claims or refunded premiums checks to members and providers) issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS), and $76,164 of the total has not been claimed in the Utica/Rome/North Country area.  Each year the State requires insurers like Excellus BCBS to make a list of unclaimed checks that are at least three years old. The names are now appearing in ads in major local newspapers in an attempt to find the people who have money to claim. Monies not claimed by the end of August, will be turned over to the State Comptroller. A complete list of names of people and companies with checks to claim is available at https://www.excellusbcbs.com. Click “News Room” for the “Forgotten Funds” press release. To claim a check listed, contact the Excellus BCBS Customer Service Department at the number listed on your membership ID card or through the web link above.

United States Marine Corps 1st Lt. Christopher Simpson (left) was congratulated on his recent promotion to his new rank by his father Bill Simpson (his mother is Kathy) of Old Forge. He completed his second tour in Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines Ground Combat Force, 1st Division, is on a short leave home and will return to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twenty Nine Palms, CA where he assumes his new post as Company Executive Officer working on new combat deployment orders for his Unit.

Donald Caldera of Lake Placid and Hudson Valley was elected President of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) Board of Directors at a special meeting held April 23, 2008 and will lead ANCA’s mission to help members, businesses and communities from throughout the 14 Upstate New York counties to address economic and quality of life issues. Board Secretary since 2002 and elected to the Board in 1999, his 45 year career has been as a manager and entrepreneur in corporate acquisitions, development, finance and senior operations, owner of Country Business Services LLC, (a Lake Placid affiliate of New England’s largest business brokerage group, CBI Inc.) and as a licensed real estate broker. He earned his JD Degree from Yale Law School in 1960, a Bachelor of Science Degree in engineering from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, is a member of the New York Bar, the American Arbitration Association, the International Business Broker Association, the New York Association of Business Brokers, the Northern Adirondack Board of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors. He has served as a director of the Mercy Uihlein Healthcare Corporation and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta. Richard Bird (Bird Marine and Adirondack Real Estate) of Old Forge and Raquette Lake is the Central Region Vice President on the ANCA Board of Directors comprising 24 members from the public and private sectors.