Dogs are people too.

LOCAL DOG TRAINER SAYS HOLIDAY PARTIES CAN BE FRAUGHT WITH CANINE DANGERS



As you plan for your parties,
don't forget to account for your canine party-members.

Holiday gatherings that mix the family dog with a larger than normal number of people in the house can lead to all kinds of problems and dangers for man and beast. Dan Rossignol is a local dog trainer and behaviorist who feels duty bound to spread his advice to party givers and partygoers this time of year. According to Rossignol, “When a family dog is used to normally three or four people around the house, stress levels are sure to go up when there are suddenly two or three times that number of people coming over for a holiday celebration.”

When dogs get stressed out they often act out in ways that may not be very healthy. Rossignol says dog owners who throw parties should take steps to keep their dogs and guests safe. “If you’re going to have 5, 10, 20 or more people over, chances are you will be doing some planning for this occasion. An important part of your planning should include deciding what to do with you dog. I recommend sending your dog for an overnight stay at your favorite kennel. It’s the best way to be certain your dog will stay safe and sound,” said Rossignol, who will be offering a free seminar on improving dog behavior this Saturday in Saratoga Springs.

Crowds of noisy, sometimes tipsy, people will often display inappropriate behaviors, and dogs tend to react in one of two ways; with aggression out of fear or aggression out of a territorial pack leader mentality. “Snarls, growls, nips and bites are not at all uncommon in these situations. The key is to keep the dog removed from this atmosphere,” advises Rossignol. Placing your dog in a comfortable crate at a quiet location in your home, away from the party, is another Rossignol suggestion.

If you attend a party at someone else’s home who happens to have a dog loose at the festivities, Rossignol says you should steer clear of that dog as much as possible. “Don’t bend over the dog. Don’t pet, pick up or roughhouse with the pet. Choose another, quieter time after the party if you wish to show your affection for the animal,” said Rossignol.

Can the typical holiday party actually pose a danger to your dog? Rossignol says, “Yes! Parties usually feature food out on display around the home, from the banquet table in the dining room to the candy dishes filled with chocolate kisses, to partially eaten food plates left around. If your dog gets into this food when you’re not watching, especially things such as chicken wing bones or chocolate, it can prove to be disastrous to your dog.”

Rossignol is the owner of Ausdauer Dog Training, LLC, often marketed under the name DanTrainsDogs.com. He provides solutions for most canine problems, including aggression, biting and nipping, with just ONE visit to the dog’s home. He has been often been favorably compared to TV’s Cesar Millan, “The Dog Whisperer”, by the capital region media.

ACC to Offer Advanced Bookkeeping Applications

Adirondack Community College's Business Division will offer
Advanced Bookkeeping Applications (BUS 231) this fall, a new course
designed to assist those in the accounting industry to become Certified
Bookkeepers.
Successful completion of this course, in addition to two years
of work experience and other requirements, may be used to prepare for
the National Certification Bookkeeper's (NCB) examination. Those who
pass the exam will receive the designation of Certified Bookkeeper (CB).

This course covers the six key subject areas in the field of
bookkeeping: adjusting entries; error correction; payroll; depreciation; merchandise inventory; and internal controls and fraud prevention. The subject matter covered within this course will build on the accounting foundations established in ACC's Financial Accounting and Management

Accounting classes and enable an individual to handle the technical
responsibilities of a chief bookkeeper for a small to middle sized
business.

According to the Department of Labor, demand for bookkeepers is
expected to increase as more bookkeepers are called upon to do much of
the work of accountants. The department's Occupational Outlook Handbook
indicates those with several years of accounting or bookkeeping
certification will have the best prospects.

By becoming Certified Bookkeepers, students can advance their
careers and earn more money, enhance their professional image, and
increase their value to current and future employees or clients.

To qualify for enrollment, students must meet applicable
coursework prerequisites OR demonstrate applicable work experience. To
review prerequisite requirements, please call the ACC Registrar's Office
at 743-2280.

For more information about this course, please call Nick Buttino
at 743-2200, ext. 2649; Mary LaPann at 743-2200, ext. 2297; or Matthew
Muller at 743-2200, ext. 2201.

ACC Criminal Justice Student Receives NYSSA Scholarship

Danielle Charbonneau of Saratoga Springs, a graduate of
Adirondack Community College's criminal justice program, has been
awarded a $500 scholarship by the New York State Sheriffs' Association.

This scholarship is given by the Sheriffs' Association to an
outstanding criminal justice graduate at ACC. The presentation was made
recently by Warren County Sheriff Bud York.

"Danielle is a committed student and a role model for other
students who are interested in a career in the field of criminal
justice," said Peter Girard, professor of criminal justice at ACC. "She
developed an impressive resume while at ACC and we wish her good luck in
her future studies."

Danielle graduated from ACC in May with a degree in criminal
justice/police science. She will continue her education in the fall at
John Jay College in New York City, one of the premiere criminal justice
schools in the country.

"Many of our students carry a full course load, work part time
and have various outside commitments," Girard said. "This award
demonstrates that, in spite of these challenges, our students can meet
and exceed the high academic standards that ACC expects from its
students."

While attending ACC, Danielle maintained a high grade point
average, was president of the Criminal Justice Club, participated in a
year-long mentoring program with the Washington County Youth Bureau,
worked part-time in the private security field in several different jobs
and was involved in many other criminal justice-related activities.

ACC's criminal justice degree program allows students the option
of focusing their studies in either police science or substance abuse
services.
Approximately 200 students are enrolled in this program at ACC.

ACC is also offering graduating criminal justice students an
opportunity to earn a four-year criminal justice degree through SUNY
Plattsburgh at the ACC campus.

ACC Culinary Arts Student Awarded Scholarship

Vivian Brammer of Hadley, a freshman culinary arts student at Adirondack Community College, has been awarded a scholarship from the Cooperative Association of Food Enterprises (CAFÉ) Workers Compensation Trust and First Cardinal LLC, the first ACC student to receive such an honor.

Vivian returns to ACC in the fall to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts and baking. She currently works two jobs, at Prime at Saratoga National in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga Rose in Hadley.

"Vivian was selected for this award because of her strong professional ethics, her outstanding grade point average and her commitment to working in the food service industry while attending ACC," said Chef William Steele, director of ACC's Culinary Arts program.

Vivian plans to graduate ACC next spring and pursue a four-year degree at either Paul Smiths College or Johnson and Wales University in Boston.

The CAFÉ Trust, the largest self-funded restaurant trust fund in New York State, was formed for the specific purpose of providing statutory workers'
compensation and employers' liability coverage.

First Cardinal Corporation, based in Latham, administers the CAFÉ program and provides full marketing, risk management, claims administration, finance and underwriting services.

To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must maintain a GPA of at least 2.75 and be employed in the food service industry that provides table service while taking classes at ACC. In addition, an applicant must volunteer for two community scholarship fund raisers for the American Culinary Federation's local chapter or for two events that would benefit First Cardinal.

"Lean Six Sigma"

ACC Center to Offer "Lean Six Sigma" Process Improvement Program for
Fall 2008

Adirondack Community College's Center for Personal and
Professional Development will offer "Lean Six Sigma," an intensive and
comprehensive process improvement program designed to benefit both
service sector and manufacturing companies, for the Fall 2008 semester.

An informational session covering the Lean Six Sigma program
will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4., at 7 p.m. on the ACC campus.

The program consists of three courses - White Belt
Certification, Green Belt Certification, and Black Belt Certification -
designed to introduce and engage participants in the elements of Lean
and Six Sigma processes.

Companies and organizations that integrate these principles into
their process improvement programs have realized substantial savings in
terms of design, production, inventory and customer service costs.

Lean is a process designed to bring about rapid, dramatic
improvements in the performance of an organization through a
simplification of the value stream.

Six Sigma is a business-driven, multi-faceted approach to process
improvement, cost reduction, and increased profits.

"This program was offered at Monroe Community College in Rochester last fall, and the 46 companies which participated in the program saved over $14 million from the projects lead by Lean Six Sigma candidates," said Louis H. Buck, ACC's dean for personal and professional development. "We are confident this program can have a similar impact on companies and organizations in the greater Glens Falls area."

The White Belt Certification program is a 20-hour introductory
course designed to cover the basics of the Lean Six Sigma philosophy
and concepts. Classes are taught with small group interaction and
hands-on exercises. This program is directed at anyone interested in
learning the basic concepts and principles of Lean Six Sigma.

The Green Belt Certification program will teach participants how
to implement the features of both Lean and Six Sigma to help secure the
long-term competitive advantage of their respective companies and
organizations. This program consists of two weeks of classroom training
and follow-up projects involving the real-world application of newly
acquired skills and knowledge.

The Black Belt Certification program consists of four weeks of
classroom training and is designed for those who have developed a high
proficiency in Lean and Six Sigma philosophies, concepts and tools;
understand how the methodologies augment each other; and who are leaders
and change agents for their respective companies and organizations.

The program is taught by Transformation Partners Co., LLC. Anwar
El-Homsi, president of Transformation Partners, will be on hand at the
September 4 information session to answer questions about the program.

For more information on the Lean Six Sigma program, or to RSVP
for the information session, please call the ACC Center at 743-2238.