Archive: Business & Technology

Buffalo, NY- Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, announced today they have introduced the Rx Timer CapTM. The Rx Timer CapTM is a patented smart capTM with a built-in LCD timer that fits the same standard vials patient’s medications already come it. Tops will give away a free Rx Timer Cap As part of Tops’ wellness program encouraging customers to “Shop for Better Health.”

A free Rx Timer Cap, which fits the same standard vials patients’ mediations already come it, will be given away with any prescription purchase at all Tops Pharmacy locations. Additional Rx Timer Caps may also be purchased at any Tops Pharmacy.

National Book Auctions hosted a Sunday, January 8th auction featuring a broad range of rare antique and vintage books, as well as a fine collection of deluxe, limited bindings and an array of ephemera.

One of the highlights of this auction was a substantial collection of printings by The Limited Editions Club, Easton Press and The Franklin Library including hundreds of signed first editions and signed limited editions, most of which are housed in handsome, deluxe leather bindings. This 484-lot auction also featured several important modern first editions, a great quantity of author-signed titles by prominent writers, and ephemera such as antique postcards, photographs, and travel-related material.

Susan Johnston, General Manager of Cayuga Radio Group in Ithaca New York, announced yesterday her plans to retire from the position towards the end of March 2012.

October 2011 marked Johnston’s 25th anniversary with the group of Ithaca radio stations.  WHCU AM/FM was purchased by Eagle Broadcasting in 1986 from Cornell University.  Over the past 25 years the group has grown to 2 AM stations, 3 FM stations and 2 experimental HD stations.   In 2005, Eagle Broadcasting was acquired by Saga Communications and Johnston has been the General Manager of the group since the acquisition.

When Borders closed in the mall last year it wasn't just an isolated fluke.  It was part of a dramatic shift in the book business.  Amazon is the number one online seller in the world, and the sucess of their Kindle line went ballistic with the introduction of the Kindle Fire just in time for the Christmas Season.  The Fire is a combination of a Kindle and an iPad, prices at $199.  While Amazon has branched out to sell just abouit any imaginable product, they are best known for revolutionizing the way books are sold and consumed (see graphic below).

Amazon has been criticized for selling Kindles at a loss, but that makes them crazy like a razor company.  Reading on an electronic pad device is easy and fun, and there is some data that suggests people read more books on the devices than they do reading physical books.  They are selling the blades (books) and selling the razors (Kindles) at a loss.  You only need one razor.  You need lots of blades.

Ithaca’s one-of-a-kind Winter Recess festival is more than a feel-good event for the Finger Lakes college town. The weeklong celebration of public school educators, Feb. 17-26, is expected to pump a half-million dollars into the local economy.

An economic impact analysis by the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau shows that the annual festival generated $487,000 in economic activity in 2011. The 2012 edition should cross the $500,000 mark, said Fred Bonn, director of the visitors bureau.

Kevin Cartmill has been named the new Commercial Services Officer for Tompkins Trust Company, said Ursula Russ, vice president and sales & marketing manager. Cartmill joined the Trust Company as a residential mortgage officer in 2008.

He resides in Ithaca with his wife, Kelli, and their three children, Nicholas, Zachary and newborn, Lilia. Kevin is an alumnus of Ithaca High School and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

Homeownership, the foundation of the American Dream and the American economy, is under attack. Lawmakers are considering tampering with the mortgage interest deduction—which has been part of the tax code since its inception in 1913—in a bid to reduce the federal deficit.

But the mortgage interest deduction is often a key consideration in household financial planning and a family’s ability to afford their monthly housing payments—especially young families that are new home owners. In the continuing economic downturn, changing this important tax provision could tip the scales for millions of families who are struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis.

National Book Auctions hosted a Sunday, December 4th auction featuring a broad range of rare antique and vintage books, as well as a fine array of atlases and ephemera. Another highlight of this auction was a large, handsome personal library of scholarly books relating to ocean liner history, interior design, art history and gardening, impressive for both its quality and condition. This 465-lot auction also featured a number of antique titles dating back to the 1600’s and other important early printings, many of which were housed in fancy leather bindings.

An 1844 printing of H. S. Tanner’s “A New Universal Atlas” fetched a hammer price of $3198.00 (including buyer’s premium). This scarce edition of this landmark atlas is beautifully illustrated with a hand-colored frontispiece showing comparative lengths and heights of rivers and mountains as well as numerous hand-colored lithographed maps.

Cayuga Medical Center and Schuyler Hospital announced yesterday they have entered into a long-term affiliation agreement that will allow both hospitals to collaborate, plan, and enhance the delivery of health care services in Schuyler County.  Both hospitals will continue to remain independent.

As part of the agreement, Schuyler Hospital and Cayuga Medical Center will explore collaborations in a number of support and clinical areas that will be mutually beneficial to both organizations. In addition, they will work together on regional health planning that will meet the current and future health care needs of patients throughout the region.

A lot of toys are piling up at Santa’s Workshop, the headquarters of Cops, Kids & Toys, at the Triphammer Marketplace.  All year long donations of money and toys have been generously donated by the community.  Soon these toys will be packed and delivered by law enforcement officers and volunteers to families throughout Tompkins County.

“We anticipate an 8% increase in need this year.  Last year we brought smiles to 1,261 kids, which was about 750 families,” says Bill Apgar, vice president of Cops, Kids & Toys.  “This is a huge volunteer effort.  Law enforcement rallies together with community members to make this a success,” says Apgar.

McCune & Murphy Physical Therapy recently hired Ann Carter, a physical therapy assistant, to work in the Trumansburg office (44 E. Main St) and the Dryden office (15 Ellis Drive).  Ann has a strong connection to the Ithaca community as the previous coordinator of wellness programs for the Cancer Resource Center and the AIDS Ride of Life Coordinator from 2004 to 2008.

In addition to treating patients' orthopedic problems, she is also coordinating the community fitness programs and teaching the “Ageless Agility” class for seniors in Dryden.  Ann is responsible for the development and coordination of the fitness classes being planned for the Trumansburg area.

National Book Auctions, located in Ithaca, NY, hosted a Sunday, November 20th auction featuring a broad range of rare antique and vintage books, as well as a fine array of artwork, maps, and ephemera. Highlights of this auction included several personal libraries of scholarly books relating to art, theology and a private collection of works by Anthony Burgess. This 422-lot auction also featured antique engravings with architectural content, Victorian chromo-lithographic items, and a collection of Asian art and artifacts.

A British first edition volume of Anthony Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange” fetched a hammer price of $2583.00 (including buyer’s premium). In 1998, the Modern Library ranked “A Clockwork Orange” 65th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. This 1962 dystopian novella contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian.