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This is an article that was printed in the Gazette today. It was emailed to us for posting:

Quoted Text
On the Clock
One sweet job
Handling orders for chocolate is a treat at Uncle Sam’s

BY JEFF WILKIN Gazette Reporter

    The candy line was busy at Uncle Sam’s Homemade Chocolates. So was Deb Butler. “How many people do you have on your staff?” asked Butler, as she talked to a customer at 1:03 p.m. on a cold and sunny December Tuesday. “A $50 tray is going to feed quite a few people, that’s giving them a few pieces each.”
    There was a pause. Then a sale.
    “A 3-pound box is $41.97, there’s a $10 shipping fee and we have to add tax,” Butler added. “I think that will be plenty. It’s not like somebody’s going to sit down and eat the whole box.”
    They might. Uncle Sam’s assortments of milk, dark and white chocolates have earned good reputations, and that’s one reason customers call and visit Butler. As floor supervisor of the sweets shop on Albany Street in Schenectady, the girl from Uncle also manages personnel.
HANDLING THE HELP
    “We have six or seven,” said Butler, 44, who lives in Schenectady and has worked at the store for the past three years. “Then I have to supervise Joe. That’s the big one.”
    That’s owner Joe Suhrada, who opened Uncle Sam’s in 1993. Suhrada was on cash register duty at the front of the store during the early afternoon. Butler spent time on the phone, showed customers the licorice stocks, boxed candy and carried boxes full of cocoa products to cars and vans.
    “They want to know how fresh it is. They want to know what the best seller is, which is, of course, our butter crunch,” Butler said. “They ask, ‘What’s the smallest amount I can buy?’ I guess with the economy, that’s an OK question today.”
    Uncle Sam’s looks and smells like Christmas. Oversized snowfl akes have been hung from the ceiling, and glitter-covered red and gold Christmas ornaments are in the windows. Green garlands with white lights have been tacked to tops of walls, near the ceilings, and Christmas carols and other songs of the season sound through the store. The smell of chocolate is everywhere.
    At 1:10, Butler received a phone call from Mary Shea of Saratoga Springs. Shea would arrive within the hour to pick up a large order of almond butter crunch, and she wanted an extra 10 pounds. She runs a small business and gives away boxes of the nutty, crunchy chocolate to clients around the holidays.
    Butler hung up the phone. “We’re going to try to get it done in an hour,” she said.
    Clerk Courtney Buchalski received the assignment and began to box crunch from Sam’s existing stock. Butler looked for customers to assist, and stayed behind the counter and its compartments of fruit slices, caramel nut top hats, rum cordials and dozens of other sweets.
    “Christmastime is our busiest,” she said. “There are a lot less parking spaces available. A normal day for me is 12 hours, if not a little bit longer.”
RIGHT ON THE MONEY
    At 1:15, Elizabeth Nicols of Galway placed a small order with Butler — just a quarter-pound of milk chocolate butter crunch. Butler, with latex gloves on her hands, put a bunch of crunch into the box and put the box on the scale. The weight was exact, just a quarter-pound. “Boy, you have that down to a science,” Nicols said.
    “Now if I can just get it to fit in the box,” answered Butler, who then began collecting a half-pound of raspberry hard candy for Nicols. Right after, Buchalski had bad news about the extra pounds for the Shea order. “There’s not going to be enough?” Butler asked.
    That was the case. With Shea en route, Butler and Suhrada decided to take some butter crunch from an order promised for Wednesday. Butter crunch made Tuesday night would be ready for the Wednesday customer.
    “Can’t get any fresher than that,” Suhrada said.
    Dan Schettine walked into the store at 1:23 and asked Butler about possible peanut contamination in products. Because peanut products are used in the store, she said, there’s a chance for peanut particles in the manufacturing process. Schettine decided to order 3 pounds of chocolate-covered strawberries for a holiday party he’ll attend this weekend.
    A few minutes later, Butler saw Helen Savoie of Schenectady standing in front of the counter. She had a shopping basket at her feet packed with 18 red-wrapped boxes of chocolate; Butler offered to place the boxes into a large cardboard container before Savoie hit the check-out.
    Savoie took the offer. She said she won’t have the chance for extensive shopping this December.
    “It’s going to be Uncle Sam’s, gift certificates and whatever I can do on the Internet,” she said. “I’ve got a large family, 22 people. I also do this at Easter time; they ask for their Easter bunnies.”
    At 1:45, Butler was back on the telephone. A caller from Georgia ordered goods that will be shipped to Georgia, North Carolina and Vermont. Then it was back behind the counter.
DOUBLE ORDER
    At 1:50, Shea showed up for her double order — she also was picking up boxes of crunch for her brother John Shea, who depends on Uncle Sam’s for holiday good will. There was good news and bad news. “It’s not done yet,” Butler said of the rush job. But she added that brother John’s allocation was ready to go. “Do you want me to carry it out? I can carry it out,” Butler said. Once John’s goods were in back of Mary’s van, Butler said her staff would need another 15 minutes to fi nish the other order. That was OK with Mary, who said her clients appreciate butter crunch around Christmas. Suhrada took a telephone call just before 2 p.m. A customer was wondering if she could pick up her order a little earlier. “She wants it a day earlier? Sure,” Butler said. “Nobody’s called yet to see if they can pick it up a day late,” Suhrada joked. It had been a busy hour — so busy that Butler hadn’t had the chance to sample any
chocolate around the store. She’ll always make time for a bite. “I eat chocolate every day,” she said. “There’s always something different. My new vice is peppermint bark. The girls are making it perfectly.”
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joebxr
December 17, 2011, 3:14pm Report to Moderator

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Congratulations to Uncle Sam's for making great product, locally owned and not governemtn subsidized....they don't have to be. Quality product, great customer service and obviusly a following from around the country....true success story. It's amazing that people call and come from all over, when they have homemade chocolate stores closer to them.....speaks volumes.  Keep it up Joe! I plan on visitng just before Xmas.


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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Hamburg
December 17, 2011, 4:57pm Report to Moderator
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The owner has been known to be very insulting to Rotterdam residents whilst campaigning door to door. I would suggest that you not buy the specific brand of ka-ka he sells..  I say nay -- go directly to Krause's or the very wonderful Saratoga Sweet where they have the sensational Peppermint Pig -- Something Uncle Sam's only dreams about having.


"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society."
---Angela Davis



"When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses."

---Andrew Sullivan




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bumblethru
December 17, 2011, 6:41pm Report to Moderator
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We order candy from  Uncle Sams every year and have them delivered to friends and family. And they look forward to it yearly!!


When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM
In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche


“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.”
Adolph Hitler
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rachel72
December 17, 2011, 8:07pm Report to Moderator
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Even in a bad economy coupled with the horribly unlevel economic playing field the Metroplex has created within the entire County, it is a blessing to have Uncle Sams as a hallmark of the community.

Want to hate someone because of their political affiliation - that's your choice. Want to give or buy the best candy the area has to offer, go to Uncle Sams. My children get special Easter candy EVERY year from family friends and I'll be going there this week for some Christmas sweets.
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Hamburg
December 17, 2011, 8:25pm Report to Moderator
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..and the RENAISSANCE GOES ON ... and the RENAISSANCE goes on (!!!) ... WITHOUT the candy - jerking NAZI that runs that Godforsaken DUMP of a turd hole where he sells his doo-doo to unsuspecting Nayboobs..


"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society."
---Angela Davis



"When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses."

---Andrew Sullivan




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Patches
December 17, 2011, 9:03pm Report to Moderator
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Christmas with UNCLE SAM'S candy is the best///no on needs to wonder out of the area to get the best candy ever...


       CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IS IN EVERY PIECE OF CANDY FROM UNCLE SAM'S    


EAT YOUR HEART OUT  
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GrahamBonnet
December 17, 2011, 9:05pm Report to Moderator

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Unfortunately the owner is a Republican so he has to be a hater. It is in his democrap DNA.


"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
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MobileTerminal
December 17, 2011, 9:30pm Report to Moderator
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Damn - I forgot to order, and I'm not in town next week.  Gonna have to see if I can get someone to do a pickup and ship to us - gotta get us some ribbon candy and asst chocolates.  We sure luv us some Uncle Sam's!!

Used to get a box of ribbon candy from a teacher friend who worked for NDBG (I hear he bought dozens of boxes) - it was the one gift we looked forward to getting, every year.  Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago - now, whenever we enjoy Uncle Sam's ribbon candy, it brings back great memories of TJ!  RIP friend!
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TakingItBack
December 17, 2011, 9:38pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Hamburg
The owner has been known to be very insulting to Rotterdam residents whilst campaigning door to door. I would suggest that you not buy the specific brand of ka-ka he sells..  I say nay -- go directly to Krause's or the very wonderful Saratoga Sweet where they have the sensational Peppermint Pig -- Something Uncle Sam's only dreams about having.


I heard you enjoy Rotterdam's version of the  Peppermint Pig a freshly shaven DVR.......a just threw up in my mouth typing this post.


Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne


TIP TO NEW VISITORS TO THIS FORUM - To improve your blogging pleasure it is recommended to ignore (Through editing your prefere) the posts of the following bloggers - DemocraticVoiceofReason, Scotsgod08 and Smoking Bananas.  They continually go off topic, do not provide facts and make irrational remarks. If you do not believe me, this can be proven by their reputation scores or by a sampling of their posts.  
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GrahamBonnet
December 17, 2011, 9:40pm Report to Moderator

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Quoted from 147
Damn - I forgot to order, and I'm not in town next week.  Gonna have to see if I can get someone to do a pickup and ship to us - gotta get us some ribbon candy and asst chocolates.  We sure luv us some Uncle Sam's!!

Used to get a box of ribbon candy from a teacher friend who worked for NDBG (I hear he bought dozens of boxes) - it was the one gift we looked forward to getting, every year.  Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago - now, whenever we enjoy Uncle Sam's ribbon candy, it brings back great memories of TJ!  RIP friend!


He was a really nice man. I thought of him the other day too. A lot of nice people have passed on. The ones who made Schenectady special.


"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
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benny salami
December 18, 2011, 9:00am Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Patches
Christmas with UNCLE SAM'S candy is the best///no on needs to wonder out of the area to get the best candy ever...       CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IS IN EVERY PIECE OF CANDY FROM UNCLE SAM'S    EAT YOUR HEART OUT  


Thank God for locally owned businesses! Will be in today to pick up my Christmas order. Let politards run out of County to pay more. No wonder Uncle Sam's win's Best Of every year!
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bumblethru
December 18, 2011, 9:46am Report to Moderator
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It is the best candy with the largest assortment....hand made....fresh! And the service is unmatchable!! A locally owned business for years that keeps on giving!!! Our orders have already been placed....'thank you'!!


When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM
In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche


“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.”
Adolph Hitler
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mikechristine1
December 18, 2011, 10:43am Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Hamburg
..and the RENAISSANCE GOES ON ... and the RENAISSANCE goes on (!!!) ... WITHOUT the candy - jerking NAZI that runs that Godforsaken DUMP of a turd hole where he sells his doo-doo to unsuspecting Nayboobs..


DV, you are the ONLY person in ths capital region who dislikes this business.

Now watch DV start posting here that others don't like it either, etc etc.

If people didn't like the business, the people and it's product, it would go out of business, wouldn't it.   But since Uncle Sam's is thriving, and thriving well beyond the capital district area, then it is obviously a good business, with a good owner, good employees, good customer service and a good product.

Therefore DV, you are CLEARLY in the tiniest minority.   You might as well not even waste your energy trying to criticize them because no one listens to you anyway and you have no credibility.   Hell, even your buddies in your political party aren't interested in you no matter how much you try to suck up to them, they don't even bother to give you a job


Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent.  
Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and
speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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bumblethru
December 18, 2011, 10:57am Report to Moderator
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We have friends and family members who have moved to other areas of the country. They all ask for Uncle Sam's candy for Christmas. So we always send them.


When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM
In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche


“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.”
Adolph Hitler
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