Business Notebook: Service first at Queens Village Cleaners

Warwick - This March, Chul Park, will celebrate his third anniversary as the owner of Queens Village Cleaners, 2 High St., Warwick. When he purchased the business, Queens Village Cleaners had already become a landmark establishment. Most residents recognized it as the place where the Queens Village Queens girls band trophies were displayed. The trophies are still there but much has changed. Park, who learned the business while working for a large metropolitan cleaning company, now offers shoe repair and tailoring in addition to dry cleaning. The firm also specializes in cleaning suede and leather garments. Park offers his customers free pick-up and delivery for a much wider area than one might normally expect. “We’ll go to Goshen or Vernon as well as Pine Island, Sugar Loaf and Greenwood Lake,” he said. Since all dry cleaning is performed on premises, Queens Village Cleaners can also offer one-day service at no extra charge. And members of any police or fire department receive extra discounts. An introductory discount is also extended to new homeowners, many of whom are referred by their Realtor. Queens Village Cleaners is opened Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 986-4786. The organization woman Take in more cats and dogs than space permits and let a few of them room in your office. Then spend your days running around, climbing trees or rowing out on lakes to rescue local wildlife and it’s not surprising that your workplace might get a little cluttered. That may be why Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society, readily accepted an offer she couldn’t refuse from Lisa Montanaro, owner of LM Organizing Solutions in Warwick. According to Montanaro, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), of which she is a member, had designated January as National Get Organized Month. The month, she explained, was chosen because of its association with New Year’s resolutions. And during this time, many professional organizers conduct a community service project in honor of Get Organized Month. Montanaro, an animal lover who also happens to be married to a veterinarian, chose the Warwick Valley Humane Society. “I believes in all the good work that the society does and I also know that it has a limited budget and a need for organizing assistance,” she said. “Many organizers choose non-profit organizations to donate services to in honor of Get Organized Month. For me, the Warwick Valley Humane Society was a natural choice.” In January, Montanaro visited the society’s animal shelter, which is located just off Kings Highway, to perform a detailed needs assessment. At that time she identified organizing problems and offered some immediate solutions so that Barron could start to implement an action plan on her own. On Feb. 7, Montanaro returned to the shelter for a three-hour hands-on organizing session. Her job was to assist Barron and her staff in better organizing the facility, paperwork, and supplies. “I was there to help Suzyn decide what to purge, what to keep, and how best to organize and store what she is keeping,” said Montanaro. “And I plan to go back and keep organizing her office and the lobby and front desk as a continued community service project.” Barron praised Montanaro for her help in organizing her office. “This will not only help me save time, but it will be easier for my staff to find what they need without my assistance when I’m out in the field,” she said. For more information about LM Organizing Solutions, visit www.LMorganizingsolutions.com. Important reminder for high school seniors The Provident Bank Charitable Foundation will be accepting applications for the 2006 Community Involvement Scholarship Program only until May 2. The foundation will award $1,500 scholarships to local high school seniors demonstrating an outstanding commitment to community service. Students can obtain an application at any Provident Bank branch or from their high school guidance counselor. For more information, call 369 - 8040.