Business Notebook: Thinking snow, ‘personal geek' and the holidays

Warwick - Mount Peter Ski Area was all set to open for the 2005-2006 season on Saturday, Dec. 10 but something happened to change those plans. A couple of days before the scheduled opening, Mother Nature lent Mount Peter a helping hand with a major snowstorm that deposited an extra foot of fresh snow on the slopes. “It was awesome,” said Amy Richardson, director of sales and service. “The conditions were so good that we opened a day earlier.” This season, Mount Peter is celebrating its 70th anniversary. And unlike those early days that began in 1936, the mountain has plenty of snow making equipment in case there’s a dry spell. Today, skiers and snowboarders also enjoy the convenience of chair lifts and extensive lighting for nighttime operations that were not deemed necessary 60 or 70 years ago. And every year, current owners Don and Gail Sampson add new improvements. This season, for example, the lodge has had a few renovations and there’s a new outdoor “Hot Spot Grill” next to the Mount Peter pavilion. Snowboarders will also enjoy “The Comet” Terrain Park complete with rails and jumps. “We have also increased our snowmaking capability and with a good chance for a snowy winter,” said Richardson, “it looks like this will be a great season.” Mount Peter is also well known for its popular family fun events. And the first one this year is “The Snowball,” a New Year’s Eve party for everyone including the toddlers. For information on lessons, season events, programs or snow conditions, call the “snow phone” at 986-4992, the office at 986-4940 or visit the Web site at: www.mtpeter.com. New business Lifelong Warwick resident Mike Paulcheck doesn’t mind being called a geek. “In fact,” he laughed, “think of me as your own personal geek.” Paulcheck recently moved his business, Ultimate PC, from McAfee, New Jersey to 10 Oakland Ave., Warwick. The “geek” reference comes from his 14 years of computer expertise in both sales and service. Paulcheck has also received extensive technical training from Creative Network Concepts (CNC) and more important, he is Microsoft Certified. Ultimate PC offers sales, installation, networking and service for all computer products including Macintosh. The shop is open every day except Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since Paulcheck makes “house calls,” however, there may be times when he has to leave a sign that he’s on an emergency call or performing a pick up or delivery. Paulcheck promises his customers competitive pricing on equipment and affordable service charges. But he guarantees good service. “I even read ‘The Nordstrom Way,’ a book about excellence in customer service,” he said. “And I was happy to learn that someone agrees with me.” Although Paulcheck will try to meet or beat prices offered by the major computer discount houses, he also says that he will be up front with his customers. “If it sounds like a better deal,” he said, “I’ll tell them to buy it there. But in many cases, the people in those stores will try to sell you stuff that you will never use. And, if there’s a problem later, you can always talk to me and not some outsource technician in a foreign country.” To contact Mike Paulcheck at Ultimate PC, call 544-1762. More ‘Home for the Holidays’ Warwick Merchants appreciate all the support they’re receiving from the community and they would like to remind everyone that they are returning the favor by sponsoring the “Angel Tree” and the annual warm clothing “Coat Drive,” both established for needy residents served by The Alamo and the Ecumenical Food Pantry. As usual, the Village is offering free meter parking during the holiday shopping season. And last Sunday, the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and participating Real Estate Agencies including Century 21 Peck, Mystic Valley, US Preferred and Claudia Vaccaro arranged for a visit by Santa and horse and carriage rides featuring a wagon drawn by world-class Percherons. Santa’s sleigh, by the way, is in Railroad Green Park and the Nativity Scene, Christmas Tree and Menorah can all be viewed at Lewis Park. The merchants also wish to remind shoppers that gift certificates in $5 and $10 denominations are available at The Inkwell, Peck’s Wines & Spirits, Victorian Treasures and Newhard’s. “The make excellent gifts for teachers, coaches, bus drivers or any hard-to-buy-for person,” said Debbie Iurato, treasurer of the Merchants’ Guild. The certificates are redeemable at many local restaurants, shops, farm markets and even the car wash, to name a few.