How to be a local hero – in less than 1 hour By Clare Hammerl, Digital Marketing Specialist, ConnectLife July 21, 2021 Everyone wants to be a hero, right? One of the easiest ways you can be a local hero is to roll up your sleeves and donate blood. Only one hour of your time Read More
Seniors and their Caregivers Deserve Support by Val Nowak, CEO, Harmonia Collaborative Care As our loved ones age or begin to need more care, many of us have assumed the role of caregiver for those we cherish. This job often involves assisting someone in their daily lives with cleaning, cooking, bathing, and medical care. Across Read More
May 21, 2021 The newest trends in interior design are out! By: Vicki Weixlmann, Owner Home Décor Consulting I am Vicki Weixlmann and I created Home Décor Consulting LLC. It’s a passion I’ve had all my life but finally developed after retiring from my 32 year banking career. I am a Certified Interior Decorator now, Read More
The Dangers of Ice Damming by Dan Bauer from SERVPRO of the Southtowns We’re all hoping that 2021 turns out better than 2020 did. So far, though, the jury’s still out. Among other things, the past week saw the arrival of Winter Storm Uri, a major snow and ice storm that affected nearly the entire Read More
Home fires are, thankfully, trending downwards in the last ten years, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t happen. According to FEMA, there were over 1.3 million fires in 2018 (the last year for which they have data). Past that, the vast majority of fires are not just unintentional, but totally avoidable with a bit Read More
As we reflect on October and National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, we recognize the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on many people’s mental health. For many, these past months may have worsened mental health disorders and increased suicidal ideation for some. However, you do not have to struggle alone. At Harmonia we Read More
Seniors in the Community By Harmonia Collaborative Care July 26, 2020 As we age, we often need increased help with daily tasks, mental health, and physical health. This support is vital to ensure independence, well-being, and good health. Harmonia Collaborative Care is working to meet these needs. Through both our Senior Care Coordination and CarePanion Read More
What can good mental health mean? Valeria A. Nowack, LMHC, MPA – CEO Harmonia Collaborative Care May 5, 2020 What can it mean to our families? To our friends? To our communities? To each of us, personally? Good mental health can mean we can participate in the present. We can share with our families and Read More
Life with balance. By Valerie Nowak, LMHC, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, Harmonia Collaborative Care March 30, 2020 We all strive to find balance in our lives. To find concordance between our family, our passions, our work and our home. There are many challenges to a balanced existence, sickness, addiction, the realities of aging and the Read More
Tactics to help your business now so you can hit the ground running. By: Jamie Decker, Marketing Director, Southtowns Regional Chamber of Commerce March 23, 2020 We are upon a new and foreign time. Not only are humans social creatures but many depend on in-person interactions for our businesses. Your customers and employees are being Read More
Coronavirus Raises Legal Questions for Employers By Scott Horton, Founder/Attorney, Horton Law PLLC March 10, 2020 If you manage employees, most likely they’ve already started asking about how your company plans to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Hopefully, you’ve been giving thought to the practical impacts these new health concerns could have on your Read More
The saga of the plastic bag ban defined. By Jamie Decker, Sr. Marketing Director, Southtowns Regional Chamber of Commerce March 4, 2020 I just read an article from the archives of the NY Times, dated, Nov. 17, 1984. It was titled, Battle of the grocery bags: plastic versus paper. The article is a battle back Read More
How to Make the Most of Your Networking Event By Jocelin Parkin , Events Coordinator, Southtowns Regional Chamber of Commerce February 20, 2020 We’ve all heard the saying, “People do business with people they know, like, and trust”. But how exactly do you accomplish that? In a world that so much of business is Read More
Professional Courtesies and you, by Steve Wichmann, President/CEO Horizon Performance Solutions All of us have experienced the inattentive worker at the check-out counter, the business contact who won’t return our calls, the less than friendly bank teller, the co-worker who refuses to put paper in the copier, the far-away stare of the department store employee, Read More
How does a home inspection help buyers? By Bradley Beck, owner, Alto Home Inspection, LLC The process and timeline involved in buying a house or investment property can be stressful and overwhelming. Once a home is under contract, the buyer will typically follow the advice of their real estate agent, friends and others and Read More
Plan Now! Save Later! Deals & Discounts for the 180th Erie County Fair There are so many ways to save when attending the 180th Erie County Fair. The Erie County Agricultural Society, sponsors of the fair, encourages everyone to take advantage of the deals and discounts from opening day Wednesday, August 7th until the gates close on Read More
Organizational Alignment: People, Purpose, and Productivity By: Steve Wischmann, President/CEO, Horizon Performance Solutions Getting everyone on the proverbial “same sheet of music” in an organization is the process of gaining organizational alignment. The effort to align can be equated to an orchestra learning a new arrangement. When everyone has the right music for their respective instrument – Read More
The Bundles of Money at Hamburg Development Companies By: Sean Doyle, Hamburg Development Companies Sorry folks, not the case. Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s talk about what tax incentives are and how they work. Industrial development agencies like the Hamburg IDA are often scrutinized for recklessly dolling out tax incentives to rich investors Read More
After Fifty-One Years, the Battle to Uphold Fair Housing Continues by Christopher Hull, Director Town of Hamburg Department of Community Development The Town of Hamburg recently honored the 51st Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the “Fair Housing Act”. While it has been 51 years since this enactment, it seems Read More
A Step Back in Time: A Visit to Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve By Holly A. Schreiber, PhD, Director of Education, Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve Western New York offers one of the most unique experiences that you can have – fossil collecting in a fun, family-friendly environment. Penn Dixie Fossil Read More
Start Enjoying the Erie County Fair Now: Insights from the 2018 Ultimate Fairgoer By: Judy Wilder, Founder of Photos by Judy Wilder No need to wait for August to start enjoying the Fair, there’s lots you can do now to plan for and participate in the upcoming 180th Best 12 Days of Summer. A Great Read More
Fostering Cultures of Success: Five Key Investments in Capacity and Climate By: Steve Wischmann, President/Owner Horizon Performance Solutions, LLC High-performing organizations sustain their exceptional standards by establishing and fortifying an atmosphere of excellence – they foster a culture of success. Certainly, many organizations experience a high-water mark of elevated performance, but too many do not Read More
THAT RAINY DAY FEELING Written by Katie Mika, for the Southtowns Regional Chamber of Commerce Tourism Initiative We all know that rainy day feeling (maybe a little too well), but when you’re looking for something to do, and the weather won’t let up, Hamburg has you covered. Whether you’re seeking an offbeat adventure, a quiet Read More
Let’s start with the big question. Why TV? By Laurie Lis, Field Marketing Specialist, Spectrum Reach If you’re running a small or local business, you’ve probably felt overwhelmed about the marketing and advertising options out there. We’re not going to sugarcoat it—there are a lot. And there are even more media experts that make bold Read More
Sean Fitzgerald, founder at Gung Ho Local, llc When you’re on a website, and that popup appears asking you to opt-in or not, do you look at it or just ignore it? Whether or not you decide to opt-in, or if you think those “popups” get in your way, your site needs one. You need Read More
