Tom Casey reports in the Register Star that members of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce are cautiously optimistic about the area's business climate. According to the 25th Annual Capital Region Business Climate Survey conducted by the consulting firm Marvin and Company and The University at Albany School of Business and released last month, 37 percent of those surveyed said business increased overall, and 28 percent said it remained stable in 2010; the majority believed the trend would continue. The greatest concerns: The national economy and taxes. More than half said the increase in technology-based businesses in the Capital Region have had no impact on them at all. “I think it shows...a lot of optimism about the state of the economy and where things are going,” Chamber President and CEO David Colby told Casey. “We are not back to a level of optimism from a couple years back, but it’s certainly an improvement.” Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Pat Grattan is cautiously optimist himself, telling Casey the outlook is positive but the economy "is not out of the woods just yet." Read the full story in the Register Star. Read the full Capital Region Business Climate Survey online.