AS OF 3 P.M. TODAY, FOCUS

TOOK OVER OTSEGO MANOR

INDEX – The shift that punched out at 3 p.m. today at Otsego Manor worked for the County of Otsego.

The shift that punched in works for Focus Ventures, the private operator of nursing homes, based in Airmont, Rockland County, that now owns the county nursing home.

The plan had been to close the deal last Thursday, said county Rep. Kay Stuligross, D-Oneonta, who had been chairing the Otsego Manor Facilities Corp., established to negotiate the sale. However, it was a complicated transaction and took longer than expected, she said.

Kurt Apthorpe, the last Manor director under county ownership, continues in that role, and Stuligross she doesn’t expect anyone to immediately see any changes in operations.

She was reluctant to estimate how much the county may now save due to the Manor sale, given legacy costs and other issues. County Treasurer Dan Crowell will have a better understanding of financial issues, she said.