The NYS Pollution Prevention Institute is hosting two workshops this month to learn how to help reduce the nearly 11.4 million tons of food waste generated by U.S. restaurants each year. About 50% of U.S. restaurants already practice food donation and food waste reduction, and for every dollar invested in reduction, data shows an average…

The ESRTA Safety Group 554 and Sedgwick (formerly the Risk Management Planning Group/York Risk Services) celebrated the group’s 25th Anniversary by declaring a 40% dividend for qualified and participating group members. This year’s dividend is a 5% increase over last year and is the result of the consistent financial strength of the group. For the…

We’re once again conducting free trainings for owners, managers and servers of restaurants, taverns and bars in collaboration with the State Liquor Authority. Our ABC’s of the ABC Law seminar educates owners and managers of on-premises establishments about their responsibilities operating a licensed premise and our ATAP training provides alcohol beverage servers with the tools…

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) is offering free training in the use of naloxone (Narcan) to reverse suspected overdoses for groups and organizations and is seeking hosts. The hospitality industry is targeted specifically in this effort. OASAS offers this training to a wide audience and seeks to train…

We’ve joined together with the Food Industry Alliance of New York State, the New York Association of Convenience Stores, and the Gaming Commission to launch the Retailer Age Verification Alliance to provide education regarding lottery age verification and help develop best practices to deny youth access to lottery products in order to prevent problem gambling.…

Governor Cuomo signed into law sweeping new workplace harassment legislation passed by the Assembly and Senate. This legislation eliminates the requirement that harassment be “severe or pervasive” in order to be legally actionable, mandates that all non-disclosure agreements allow employees to file a complaint of harassment or discrimination, and extends the statute of limitations for…

The deadline for your employees participating in a sexual harassment training program is October 9th so, if you haven’t already taken care of this now’s the time. We’ve chosen not to endorse any program but we’ve found several that appear compliant with New York State’s requirements: TrainingNow.com ($12 per employee – $16 per manager) ReadyTrainingOnline.com…

The past few months has seen a spike in activity by local governments across New York State to regulate new aspects of your business. The most common activity has been around environmental issues – plastic bags, plastic straws, disposable cutlery and polystyrene (Styrofoam) bans of one sort or another. The state banned plastic bags for…

We’ve got a few tickets left for the Big Bucks Raffle. The drawing will be held at dinner during our Fall Board Meeting on October 22rd in Saratoga. The meeting is being held at the Saratoga Casino Hotel and the dinner is at The Lodge, the hotel’s rustic restaurant which has been a Saratoga Springs…

After several years of discussion with no progress, the Association has ratcheted up our efforts to put an end to the pricing practices of wine and liquor wholesalers that cause small retailers to be charged substantially more than large retailers. We’re launching a campaign to rally support for our proposals to level the playing field…

The New York State Division of Lottery has been forced to stop it’s Thursday Quick Draw bonus play and Quick Draw agents and their employees are feeling the loss. According to the Lottery Director, the Quick Draw bonus and other prize supplements had been funded through lapsed prizes (uncollected winnings). This year during the state…

Cronin’s Golf Resort in Warrensburg once again hosted our annual golf outing on June 3rd. Sixty-three golfers ventured out in the shadows of the picturesque Adirondack Mountains to enjoy the hospitality of our host and our sponsors. Not only did the group have a great time but thanks to the participating golfers, tee sponsors, and…