SHS Business Olympics 2012

 

Each year the School of Business at Smithtown High School, in cooperation with the Smithtown Industry Advisory Board, sponsors a Business Olympics competition.  The theme for The 18^th Annual Business Olympics competition was “Smithtown Shark Tank” – the students had to develop a new product or modify/enhance an existing product.  There were 50 teams, with over 200 students from High School East & West, focused on creating a new product or modifying an existing one.

The major sponsor for this event was People’s Bank in Smithtown who provided dinner for all students who participated and over 90 judges.  Smithtown Industry Advisory Board members from the district, local companies and organizations participated in the event and judged the students on their ideas, depth of research, appearance and overall presentation.  All student teams were required to have a Power Point, a print ad, a prototype and a sales pitch.

1^st Place:  Sarah Fleischman, Allison Kollmer, Melissa Shaw, Daniela Castelli and Ashley Jacks

2^nd Place: Garbielle Donnelly, Alycia Santosus, Brielle Arneo, Hope Lefko and Kaitlyn Kronwitt

3^rd Place: Justin Micozzi, Michael Donofrio, Matthew D’Arienzo and Roman Berger

4^th Place: Alexis Barnes, Tyler Vigliarolo, Andrew Adams and Matt Glaser

5^th Place: Michael Gajda, Steven Reddan, Anthony Parrillo and Ezra Guttman

6^th Place: Bill Tang, Sasha Gray and Michael Carlin

7^th Place: Jordan Alperin, Matthew Grunenberg, Dilan Mistry, Ahad Anwar and Morgan Mansfield

Other sponsors of Business Olympics included: State Farm Insurance – Lynn Barnhardt, The Sexy Salad, Northeast Tree Company, Smithtown Teachers Association, Mill Creek Agency, Smithtown Children’s Foundation, White Lotus, Henry Schein Medical, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Buona Sera, Val Manzo, Atty. At Law, Howard S. Grafstein, Att. At Law, Henrietta Properties Inc., Joseph Reboli-An Artist’s Store, and Choice Cleaners and The NY Mets.  Students from the Top 7 teams received gift cards, gift certificates and tickets from our Sponsors. 

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the 18^th Annual Business Olympics!  Everyone who participated in this exciting event benefited from the experience.

Commack Resident Meredith Weiss "Best Of Remodeling And Design " Houzz.com

Meredith WeissThink you can’t afford an interior designer/decorator? Don’t like the idea of someone telling you what color you should paint or how to design your kitchen, bathroom or anything in your house? Meredith Weiss, of Merri Interiors in Commack, agrees with you. In fact, she will tell you that the most important aspect of her job is listening. Listening to the customer’s goals, listening to likes and dislikes, and listening to budget considerations. Listening, according to Ms. Weiss, is paramount to a successful project and having a satisfied customer.

Many people think that they can’t afford a decorator or because they are doing a do it yourself  (DIY) project, it is unnecessary. A good deal of what Ms. Weiss does is as a consultant for people planning to tackle a project on their own. The services I provide to customers can be as simple as helping them to decide on colors or window treatments, etc. or it can involve my shopping with them, designing an entire kitchen, bathroom, living room. “I become their advocate”.

Listening and advocating for people is something Ms. Weiss does very well. This past January she was notified by Houzz.com, an online website for residential remodeling and design, that she is the recipient of its 2013 “Best of Remodeling Award” in both the Customer Satisfaction and Design categories. An honor that Weiss said was unexpected and delighted with, “I didn’t know they gave awards”.

Houzz.com has 1,119,860 home design photos.  These photos are of actual finished projects. Project ideas are available for every part of your house, in almost every style and outdoor space, and is available to you 24/7 at no cost. Designers submit photos of completed projects and often make themselves available to answer questions about designs, products used and challenges they dealt with.

“Using a designer for a DIY project makes sense especially when you consider the expense involved in renovations. The price of paint, for example, is not cheap. Selecting a color that works in the overall scheme of your home can be challenging and it is a decision that you live with for years”, said Weiss.  A lot of people call on me for help with colors and purchasing items.

Remodeling a kitchen?  This is Ms. Weiss’s passion, even as a student, “I always loved the math and science involved in the configuring and development of a project. Understanding the placement of things and how installation works is very important. I recently went to a home where a contractor installed cabinets improperly. Using a reliable contractor with a good reputation is important.” Ms. Weiss keeps a rolodex filled with the names of contractors who have the skills and the work ethic required to do a job properly and timely.

No stranger to receiving recognition for her work, Meredith Weiss also holds two CotY (Contractor of the year) awards from the National Association of The Remodeling Industry (NARI). In recognizing Ms. Weiss’ work, the Vice President of Community at Houzz.com, Lisa Hausman stated, “ We’re delighted to recognize Meredith Weiss among our “Best Of’ professionals for design and exceptional customer service as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes”.

What’s the secret to Meredith’s success?  Her training and background in design which allows her to take on the most challenging projects. “There is something special about accepting responsibility for a ‘big’ project from the creative stage through its completion that is especially rewarding.” Meredith also credits her organization skills, attention to detail and a love of what she does as the reasons for her success.

Meredith Weiss lives in Commack with her husband Seth and their two children. She can be reached at  Merri@Merriinteriors.com or by phone at 917 -660- 7658.

Commack Student's Artwork Chosen For NYSSBA 2013 Holiday Card

Each year the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) selects artwork to use on the front of its holiday card that features the talent and creativity of New York’s public school students. The artwork is selected from the student art exhibit, coordinated by the NYS Art Teachers Association at its annual convention, held in October each year. The honor this year goes to North Ridge Primary School second grader, Eleftherious (Eli) Demacopoulos. Eli’s artwork was chosen for the cover of the 2013 NYSSBA holiday card.

Eli’s picture, entitled “Starry Starry Night,” was created when he was in the first grade. His picture was on display in the Empire Room of the Rochester Convention Center in Rochester,NY. The picture was choosen out of hundreds of submissions statewide. The holiday card is distributed to education-related associations, legislators, and a select group of organizations and individuals with a relationship to NYSSBA. They are not sold for profit, and Eli’s family will be sent a supply of cards for their own use.

Eli was bubbling with excitement when the above photo was taken, eager to share his techniques and his favorite one: “The doors even open!” In the photo with Eli are his art teacher, Carolann Lally, who is holding his certificate, and from left to right: Paul R. Infante, Director of Fine and Applied Arts, Dr. Donald James, Superintendent of Commack Schools, and Katherine Rihm, Principal of North Ridge Primary School.

280 Groups Across NYS Support Women's Equality Agenda

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that more than 280 groups across New York state have signed on to support Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Agenda. All the groups will be published today on www.NY4Women.com. New Yorkers can go to www.NY4Women.com to sign up to support the 10-point plan. Organizations include labor groups, business associations, civil rights organizations, medical associations, and religious groups.

New York has long served as a model for equality and fairness on several issues including women’s rights. In his 2013 State of the State Address, the Governor announced plans to advance a 10-Point Women’s Equality Act that will break down barriers that perpetuate discrimination and inequality based on gender.

The Governor’s 10-Point proposal will:

• Achieve Pay Equity
• Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
• Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
• Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
• End Family Status Discrimination
• Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
• Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
• Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
• Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws
• Protect a Woman’s Freedom of Choice

Sally Garito Celebrates 100th Birthday

Sayville, NY 11782 – On December 2, 21012, Sally Garito, a resident at Good Samaritan Nursing Home celebrated her 100^th birthday.  Sally was born in New York and was a homemaker where she raised 2 children Valerie and Greg. Sally has been a resident at Good Samaritan Nursing Home since July 2012 where she is an avid reader and loves crocheting and knitting.  Sally is an animal lover who has fallen in love with Maureen, the pet therapy dog at Good Samaritan Nursing Home who visits weekly. To celebrate this special day, a birthday celebration was held at Good Samaritan Nursing Home with her family, staff and friends. When asked what advice Sally has for the younger generations, she replied, “Live a clean life: be good to yourself and the people around you.  Be grateful for the things in your life like a loving family and beautiful friends. We must all be thankful for what we have.” Sally is blessed today to share her life with her two children, five grandchildren and five great-children and Good Samaritan Nursing Home is blessed to share it with her.