Northern Oswego County area is known for fishing and its plentiful amounts of salmon. But it’s also home to one of the largest dairy farms in New York state. Started from scratch by the Alford family, the operation has about 5,000 cows and generates $30 million in annual revenue. P. 54
It’s about more than just weight loss. It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day.
Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way.
Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey. It’s time — and now easier than ever.
Start today at crouse.org/weightloss or call .
The Upstate Cancer Center offers locations throughout Central New York to make it easier for those with cancer to get to the exceptional care they need .
All locations offer the resources of the region's only medical university and teams which are dedicated to specific cancer types.
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER (MAIN CENTER, SYRACUSE)
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER – GYNECOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY (SYRACUSE)
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT HILL MEDICAL CENTER (SYRACUSE)
PATRICIA J. NUMANN CENTER FOR BREAST, ENDOCRINE & PLASTIC SURGERY (SYRACUSE)
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT COMMUNITY (SYRACUSE)
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT AUBURN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT OSWEGO
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT ONEIDA
UPSTATE CANCER CENTER AT VERONA (OPENING IN SUMMER 2023)
We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry. To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions.
A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.
Our Mission.
To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life.
Our Vision.
To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.
Our Team.
Registered Nurses
Licensed Nurses
Certified Nursing Assistants
Physical Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Speech Therapists
Social Workers
Recreational Therapists
Dietitians
In 1993, North Country Storage Barns started as a family-owned and operated shed business. Today, we have three locations in New York State and service dealers across the Saint Lawrence River in Canada.
If you visit, you’ll be able to take a stroll outdoors to look through our many sheds, vehicle storage units, gazebos, playsets, outdoor furniture, birdhouses & feeders, lawn ornaments, and more! Our Philadelphia location is also home to a cabin display model you will enjoy touring through at your own pace.
Inside all three of our locations, you can browse through and order from any of our many catalogs if you don’t see just the perfect item in the showroom. And feel free to sit down with a friendly salesperson who’s ready to guide you through designing your next custom-made structure!
OVER 70 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ONE NETWORK!
Say hello to a more convenient way to stay healthy in Oswego County. ConnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services; family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, and social work under one medical group. Patients within our network can visit any of our seven locations at any time.
ConnextCare also offers medical and mental health services at eight school-based health centers in five Oswego County school districts.
The dairy farm started from scratch in 1975 by Tim and Renee Alford has grown to be one of the largest in New York state with revenues of about $30 million a year.
Features
40 REAL ESTATE
Season’s outlook • Should you go alone or contract an agent? Housing stock not big enough for Micron.
Farming helps grow economy
• Stoney Meadow, Black Creek Farm • Cornell Coop. Extension • The dairy business.
Help wanted: the tough job recruiting docs • Keeping the workforce healthy
• ConnextCare expands telehealth.
April marks the start of our work on a new issue of the Summer Guide — The Best of Upstate New York.
This is our largest project of the year — and by far the most fun.
For a minute or so we set aside issues like economic development, manufacturing, large employ ers, small business and things like that. We’re now concerned with finding the most interesting events in Upstate New York, the most exciting places to go, the best lakes to visit, concerts to at tend and trails to hike.
I started the Summer Guide in the spring of 1995, after my printer, Victor Ianno, owner of now defunct Lakeside Printing in Skaneateles, suggested I do so. Ianno — who used to publish the annual Finger Lakes Vacationer and dozens of PennySaver newspapers — was interested in generat - ing more print jobs for his company. I was interested in growing my three-year publishing business. It was a great match.
We launched the guide — then called Oswego County Vacation — around Memorial Day weekend in 1995 — a nice colorful glossy cover but all black and white inside, printed on newsprint. Some advertisers included organizations that are long gone: Plainville Farms Restaurant, Gateway Boat Rides, Fulton Chocolate Festival, Lock II Restaurant, Harbor Towne Gifts, The Thomas Inn, Captain’s Lounge Restaurant and others.
From that date on, the guide took off.
We now print and distribute over 40,000 copies of the guide. It’s a glossy, colorful publication with a slick design that’s distributed all over the region. Last year, the Summer Guide had more than 100 pages, a record for us. And the feature stories highlighted tons of fun stuff — the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, where to find the best barbecue, a list of concerts, best roller coasters in Upstate New York, 10 fun things to do in Syracuse and where the hottest beaches were, to mention just a few of
the stories.
We’re now contacting a number of businesses and organizations to invite them to advertise. Advertisers make it possible for us to produce distribute the guide free of charge to places as far as Thousand Islands, Wolcott-Fair Haven and the Finger Lakes.
In general, advertising in the Summer Guide makes a great deal of sense — ad rates are relatively low, the design is free and the publication is available all season long. As we say, you advertise once, get results all season.
Advertising this time of the year is even more important given the fact that people are eager to go places, do things, be outdoors and enjoy themselves.
It’s the very first summer we can enjoy without any reservations. Last year this time, we were heading toward summer under the shadow of COVID-19. The New York State Department of Health was issuing in April — just April last year — a recommendation that people in 23 Upstate New York counties (three of them in Central New York) wear masks. We were a bit uncertain about certain events that involved gathering large numbers of people. Was it safe? Well, we’re back to a normal summer. Finally. Hooray!
Let’s make the best of it.
And please advertise in the Summer Guide — The Best of Upstate. It’s a publication that reaches well over 500,000 readers, including the ones who visit our site at www.cnysummer.com.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com
WRITERS
Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone, Ken Sturtz
Stefan Yablonski, Aaron Gifford
COLUMNISTS
Austin Wheelock
Bruce Frassinelli, Sandra Scott
ADVERTISING
Peggy Kain peggylocalnews@gmail.com
Kim Micca kimlocalnews@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Loni Zardus localnewsoffice@gmail.com
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Angel Campos Toro
COVER PHOTO
Chuck Wainwright
OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., publisher of the Business Guide, Upstate Summer, Fall, & Winter guides, College Life Newspaper, In Good Health—The Healthcare Newspaper (across four regions) and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester and Central New York.
Subscription rate is $21.50 a year; $35 for two years. Single-copy price is $4.50. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725.
WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
© 2023 Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. No material from this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher.
HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776; editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Consumers have certainly felt the pain of inflation at the register and gas pumps; however, businesses also have experienced varying effects of inflation. We recently asked area business leaders their reaction to current levels of inflation. Here’s what they said:
“It’s definitely affected my business and made it very challenging due to the rising cost of supplies and labor. It’s affected my business dramatically and it’s making it more difficult to stay in business.”
Kathy Hotaling Owner, Kathy’s Cakes & Specialty Treats, Fulton.“The recent inflation spike has affected our business tremendously, as it has for all of us, essentially. Our material costs and wages continue to increase, as we try to slowly adjust our pricing to keep up, without upsetting our great customer base that is also dealing with these struggles from all angles.
Wayne Goppelt Owner, Wayne Design, Sign & Print, West Monroe.of my doing business for some of my subcontractors. For example, because of inflation and supply chain issues, it can be difficult to get specified paper stock from a printer. We’ve had to either substitute a different stock or wait longer for the specified stock to arrive. In addition, it costs me and anyone else who travels for business, more money for gas, which increases my overhead and cuts into my profit.”
Steve Chirello Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton.“It increased our prices. I’ve noticed that the prices go up month by month, and it’s noticeable over the course of the year. Some prices go up by 50%. PCP piping, for example, has for sure gone up.”
Tyler Carlton Office manager, Chiasson’s Heatingand Air Conditioning, Oswego.
“I contract at a local nursing home. Everything has gone up and it’s put a hurt on the nursing homes. It has affected a lot of things in nursing homes. There are already tight margins especially with everything they had to buy for COVID. I don’t think people realized that.”
Janice Scott Director of housekeeping and laundry, Eagle Janitorial Supply Service in Oswego County.“Freight has been crazy. Inflation in general is hard when you’re a small business, especially a brick-and-mortar store and you’re competing with Amazon and all the big websites. Those two big things — freight and competition from big websites — are making small brick-and-mortar businesses suffer.”
Amy Burns Owner, Fringed Benefits, Fayetteville.“It hasn’t affected my business in the home inspection industry, at least nothing noticeable at this time. Hopefully, it stays that way.”
Ryan
MackridgeOwner, Hands On Home Inspections, LLC, Pennellville.
“We felt it a little. I think as wages go up, so are prices. At some point, it will balance out, I hope, and we can get back to normal. We haven’t had a big downturn.”
Mike Tryniski Owner, Lakeview Lanes, Fulton.“Inflation has affected my business extremely adversely. I’m in the website design business for my large tourism website for New York, DiscoverUpstateNY.com. The cost of maintaining the site, the cost of hiring individuals to contribute to the site, like for blogs and to hire people who are assigned to get advertising have all increased to the point that I’m not sure I’ll be able to continue. The profit margin was getting narrow before but in the tourism field,
“Inflation has affected the pricing of our products and that gets passed on to the consumer. While this has been a terrible winter for snowmobile parts , I’m still seeing a reduction in business due to pricing.”
GUY FOX, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe.
“Inflation has affected the cost
it’s very expensive to find people to promote and network with to make the advertising profitable. Inflation has caused some of those advertisers to no longer advertise with us because they can no longer afford it. Any news media is having tough times. I’m doing the work of three people now because I can’t afford to hire the other two. I can’t find anyone qualified to do basic work for a reasonable price.”
David Granoff Owner, DiscoverUpstateNY.com, Oswego.“It’s not so much the inflation, but the interest rates have slowed us down a little bit. Overall, things are OK. Inventory is down a little, but business is OK.”
Thomas Gilbo General manager, Par-K Chrysler-Jeep, Fulton.“I think people are cutting back. All the products are going up in price.”
Jolie Kallfelz Owner, Square Deal Liquors, Central Square.“We’re just as busy as we were before so I don’t think it’s affecting us as far as the number of customers. They still want to get out of the house and enjoy an experience. Our prices are very affordable so it’s a nice option to come with the whole family.”
Alison Scanlon Co-owner, The Press Box, Oswego.“Mostly, it’s been in operating costs. That’s probably the biggest thing, and the cost for things like retail expenses.”
Matt Talamo, Owner and president, Southern Image Automotive, Oswego.“Business has been good, so it’s primarily tougher to borrow and make investments. The price of goods is going up. As a result, we’ve increased wages and salaries based on inflation, knowing that our employees have to purchase goods at a higher rate.”
John F. Sharkey IV President, Universal Metalworks, Fulton.“We noticed the impact of inflation almost immediately with fewer registrations to classes for adults and fewer registrations for all of our children’s programming. In addition, the lower attendance in events such as children’s activities, movies and live
shows dropped by at least 40% in overall attendance. This is the revenue that we depend on to keep the CNY Community Arts Center and programs operational.
Bonnie McClellan Interim executive director, CNY Community Arts Center, Fulton.
“Similar to many other small businesses, we have been forced to institute product price increases, which have been more than offset by the across the board increase in all of our direct and indirect operating expenses.”
Dave Canale Co-owner Canale Insurance and Accounting, Fulton, Oswego and Stamford.
“On the service side of things, we have had to increase prices across the board for the first time since we started business. I’ve never had to do this. We’ve gone up $2 a week for diaper and laundry services. It’s because of the gas costs going up, minimum wage increases, and increases in the price of energy. These have had a significant impact on our service. The laundry side of things has blown up for us though. I think because we’re local. In the last month, we’ve taken on three new commercial clients. On the retail side of things, postage and shipping have gone up. Our web service costs have gone up. Keeping the lights on has gone up. A lot of my distributors have had price increases. Melissa & Doug is one of the bigger companies we do business with and in the past year, they’ve increased prices four times. That’s an enormous hardship for us as we have to change all the prices in the store and online. It takes a lot of manhours to update all of that information. Those are the things people don’t see when prices increase. We’re doing OK overall. I understand how customers are feeling with the prices going up and we’re working hard to help with specials and to give customers extra service and things that don’t cost us anything. Our customer service is one of the most important things so we can help customers in a way that’s welcoming and supportive. People can’t buy that online. That encouragement is one reason that customers keep coming back. I like being able to serve the local community. It’s good to keep those dollars here with businesses supporting businesses.”
Lisa Emmons Owner, Mother Earth Baby LLC, Oswego.Owner of Century 21 Leah’s Signature started as a one-person operation — 26 years later it has between 30 and 35 agents who sell over $30 million worth of property annually
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: We opened in 1996 as Leah’s Signature Realty and became Century 21 Leah’s Signature in 1997 when we acquired the Century 21 franchise. Originally, I rented a room in the Video Keepsakes building, which was located on the corner of Pratt Street and Route 481 in Fulton. After a couple months, I purchased the building we are in now. At that time it was owned by the Ron and Evelyn Taylor who had their antiques shop located there for many years and then it was Ron Clark’s dive shop for a while.
Q: Why did you decide to go into this type of business?
A: I had been selling real estate as a licensed real estate salesperson for approximately three years and needed to make a change. I obtained my licensed real estate broker license and at that time wanted to stay local, so I opened up my own brokerage. After doing a lot of research, I purchased the Century 21 franchise in late 1996.
Q: Do you have background in this line of work?
A: I had previously sold premium condominiums with a developer in El Paso, Texas.
Q: Did you have a job prior to starting your business?
A: I worked a variety of jobs growing up. I was taught early on the value of work and the value of doing a good job at work. I worked in the food services industry, retail sales and office clerical work. Each of these jobs taught me something, whether it was being on time, working with the public, paying attention to detail or being creative. The job that led me into real estate sales was when I worked as a sales consultant for a real estate developer in El Paso, Texas. The company was developing a community of premier quality condominiums. It was while working here that I was bitten by the bug and became interested in real estate as a profession. Subsequently, I moved to Buffalo and was attending college. While there I decided to take a real estate law and sales course. I was bitten by the bug once again and knew this was what I wanted to do. When I moved to Fulton I obtained my real estate license and began to work at ERA Abel, one of the real estate companies in the city at that time.
Q: What was the cost to start?
A: The cost to start as a real estate salesperson was relatively low at the time. The most expensive portion was membership in the various boards and MLS’s that one needed to belong to. Initially I worked out of the office at ERA Abel. But, like most agents, I also had a home office and worked a lot right out of my car.
Q: How hard was it to get the business on its feet?
A: It was a lot of hard work, long hours working days, evenings and weekends.
Q: Who has helped you along the way?
A: My husband, Tom, after retiring from the US Border Patrol, got licensed as a real estate salesperson, then got his broker license. As well as my children, my son, Patrick, has his broker’s license and handles many of the managerial aspects of the business. My daughter, Meagan, is licensed as a salesperson and is working on her broker’s license. My whole family works in the business and has been a tremendous help.
Q: Were you the only agent to start?
A: Yes. At first it was just me. Then, within a very short period of time there were four or five of us working.
Q: How many properties did you sell at the beginning?
A: Well, when I started my business I started from scratch, I didn’t buy someone else’s real estate office. Rather quickly other agents joined the brokerage and we were up and going with four agents and myself. The very first year it was a small number of properties that we sold. I can’t remember exactly, but it was enough to keep the company afloat and get us into the second year when we were able to purchase the Century 21 franchise.
Q: How much does the business sell these days? And how many agents does it have?
A: After 26 years the brokerage has grown to between 30-35 agents. We sell more than $30 million worth of property annually.
Q: When did you expand?
A: I am proud to say that we have expanded our area of coverage into Onondaga and Cayuga counties by opening a branch office in 2006 in Liverpool. Thus, we are positioned to assist buyers and sellers in Oswego, Onondaga and Cayuga counties. Although I must add that we have assisted our clients from as far north as
Lake Placid and the Adirondack region to as far west as Buffalo. We are pleased to be a part of the Century 21 system, which is a franchise system. Each office is independently owned and operated.
Q: What makes a good real estate agent? What are some of the pitfalls newer agents face?
A: A good real estate is a kind, caring, knowledgeable professional who puts the interests of his or her client first. It takes a special someone to be a successful real estate agent. We don’t just sell houses, we help people achieve the American dream, to be a homeowner! New agents have a pretty steep learning curve. The requirements of the New York state real property law are pretty intricate and demanding to learn. After obtaining a New York state real estate License an agent must then learn the intricacies of the process of assisting people in buying or selling their home. This is a hands-on process and usually involves a good deal of one-on-one mentoring.
Q: You didn’t have websites, email, etc., starting out. What are some changes you’ve seen in the profession over the years —has technology made things easier?
A: Oh my, where do I even start with this question? Technology has affected every aspect of the real estate process. From the earliest use of technology, fax machines to using cell phones as not only a means of communication but also as your computer. Buyers are now searching for homes on the internet. Years ago it was said your first showing of a property was the pictures you post on the listing. At that time, we were limited to six or seven photos of the property. Then, the second showing was when the buyers actually saw the property in person. Now, between electronic signatures for legal contracts on listing and purchase offers contracts, to scanning all the documents to all parties involved and then forwarding them electronically to attorneys for legal review and bankers for mortgage commitment the process has changed radically. We now can place 30, 40 or in some cases more photos of a property on a listing. In addition to photos, we can also do videos of the property including professional drone photos and videos and inside photographs. Instead of steel or wooden file cabinets to maintain records of transactions all documents are now kept online where
the agents can have access to them from their laptops or phones at any time of the day or night.
Q: How many employees and agents do you have?
A: Currently, we have one employee which is our full-time admin and office coordinator. However, we have 30-35 agents, all of whom are independent contractors, between the two offices. We’d love to have 50 agents working out of the two locations and are always looking for new or experienced agents to join our team.
Q: What is the best part of the job?
A: The best part of the job is closing day. Whether it is selling a property for a homeowner or when you see that firsttime home buyer achieve their dream of home ownership or you help that move up buyer get into the home of their dreams with more living space, land, garages, etc. these are the best days!
Q: What’s the worst?
A: The worst part is the reality that the real estate business is a 24/7 type of business. Without support both at the office and at home it would be very difficult.
Q: Do you have a business philosophy?
A: We have a great culture in our offices. This culture becomes pretty self-evident to our clients. We — all of us — are here to help them. They are our number 1 priority. We give 121% effort each and every time. We recognize we are working with people who are making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. We strive to do it in such a fashion that it is as smooth and seamless a process as possible.
Q: Any thoughts of retiring?
A: There are no immediate plans of retiring. We certainly have some very capable people standing in the wings to take over when that eventuality happens.
Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
A: I truly don’t know. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I have always loved the real estate industry and helping buyers and sellers. Now I enjoy helping my agents grow their businesses. It’s truly wonderful to see people succeed and become the best they can be, while at the same time helping others achieve their dreams of home ownership.
Sara Broadwell knows what it takes to be a successful small business owner. Her parents were small business owners and she married into a family of small business owners.
The executive director of the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce is using that experience in her new role to assist the local business community.
“I was raised in the Rochester area, and I attended Oswego State University. I met my husband Scott, an Oswego native, in college and settled here after,” she said. “It is exciting to know I have now lived in Oswego for over half of my life, and am raising my two boys, Parker and Easton, in this great community.”
January marked her sixth year with
Over the past five years, she has developed strong relationships with Oswego County leaders, business owners and community members.
“I am very honored to serve in this capacity. It’s an unprecedented time in Central New York — the momentum and excitement are palpable. I am thrilled to have a seat at the table representing the business community of Oswego County,” she said.
In her previous role, Broadwell helped to establish several very successful community-based programs across Oswego County, including Oswego County Restaurant Week and helping to partner with Novelis on its employee discount key tag program. Both programs are “perfect models for
community. They truly contribute to our local community in many ways including to our economy, other business owners and their employees.
“One of our jobs at the GOFCC is to amplify their engagement and create programs that benefit the business community as a whole. To do this we will continue to cultivate partnerships and programs.”
Taylor Davis is the chamber’s member engagement and operations coordinator.
“She manages the GOFCC ambassador program and is the key contact for our community focused programs, including Project Bloom, Oswego-Fulton farmers’ market and Oswego County Restaurant Week,” Broadwell explained. “Taylor brings a ton of energy, passion and ideas to all of our community facing events. I am looking forward to all that we will accomplish in 2023, together.”
“I think it is important for leaders to create a positive and comfortable environment that lends itself to open communication. Giving my team the tools and empowering them to make decisions will only enable this organization to advance its mission and create greater impact for our members. I’ve been extremely fortunate that the leadership at CenterState CEO has supported my personal and professional growth and I aim to pay that forward with my own team,” she said in describing her managerial philosophy.
The Greater Oswego Fulton Chamber is a fully integrated partner of
“This relationship enables us to more effectively and efficiently deliver the tools and business resources our members need. We are also able to work collaboratively to address the needs and challenges of the regional community and amplify the voice of this business community,” she said.
Growing up, her parents owned a small business. Additionally, she married into a family that for several generations has been business owners in Oswego County.
“This has enabled me to have a deeper appreciation of the energy and work that goes into operating a successful small business. I keep this experience in mind when I meet with business owners across the county, really listening to the needs they have and
Husband, Scott. Sons, Parker and Easton. Dog, Bodin. Gardening, cooking, reading, spending time with family, dining Oswego County
OSWEGONY.ORG
Be in the heart of it all with views of the water — Oswego River and Lake Ontario — shopping, dining, outdoor recreation including riverwalk trails at your front door. Young professionals, empty nesters, families — hundreds make their home right in Downtown Oswego.
The downtown living offers a variety of options to suit everyone's specific needs. And the living spaces themselves, from modern apartments and condos to spacious lofts in historic buildings, are beautifully distinctive.
The Oswego area Bolsters a wide vareity of events yearround from: Festivals, World-Class Fishing, Movie Theater & A Drive in Theater, Several Music & Performing Arts Groups, Races & Derbies, Museums & Historical Sites, Bustling night life and Accommodations available in walking distance to attractions. There is something for every individual and family to choose from.
Our community here in Oswego is always expanding. Creating new activities for you and your family. Places for business to grow and thrive. Elected officals that push for clean streets, and better quality of life for its citizens and visitors.
A few hours from Lima, Peru’s capital, Nazca has been known for its gigantic lines, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994
Nazca is five hours by bus south of Lima, the capital of Peru. Nazca is famed for the geoglyphs etched into the arid desert.
Thought to have been designed by the Nazca people between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500 they remain an enigma.
The reason for making such large drawings, which the designer would not be able to see, has given rise to the theory that aliens were somehow involved.
A Peruvian archaeologist was the first to study the lines but it wasn’t until a pilot flew over the area in the 1930s that the scope and scale of the designs were fully appreciated.
The lines are divided into two groups: ones that depict a variety of animals, birds and other living things; the other is comprised of lines that crisscross the desert and include some that form a design of geometric figures such as spirals, triangles and the like.
The geoglyphs were created by removing the dark sand and iron-oxide-coated gravel surface to reveal the pale ground underneath.
Today there are flight-seeing trips to view the lines and designs. There is also a viewing tower for those who choose not to fly. The Nazca lines were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
The Nazca lines are the main draw to the area but there are several other interesting things to see and do.
The Cantalloc aqueducts are nearby and date back 1,500 years. They were built by a pre-Inca civilization. The aqueducts are a series of spiral steps that are lined with stone and join the underground tunnels. The system was capable of transporting water over long distance which was necessary for such an arid area.
To learn more about the Nazca culture visit the Museo Antonini. On display are more than 300 artifacts and art objects including instruments, textiles, tools and ceramics and explanations of how they were used. There is also a scale model of the Nazca lines and replicas of Nazca tombs. One gallery has human skulls that may have been part of a human sacrifice ceremony to appease Inti, the Nazca sun god. Behind Museo Antonini is another example of advanced Nazca engineering, the Bisambra aqueduct, an ancient hydraulic system that directed water from the Bisambra canal to nearby Nazca settlements.
Nazca is located in the Ica Valley one of Peru’s grape growing regions and is famed for producing pisco. There are nearly 85 wine producers in the area. Pisco is made from the Muscat varieties of grapes. The high–proof spirit is used to make pisco sours, the signature cocktail of Peru.
There are a several wineries offering a variety of experiences from dining to horseback riding. Some even have accommodations. The best tours not only show how wine is produced today but also the traditional way of making wine. Vineyards were introduced in Peru by the Spanish.
Not to miss is a thrilling dune buggy ride in the Cerro Blanco Sand Dune, one of the tallest sand dunes in the world. From the top at 3,860 feet it is possible to see the entire Nazca Valley. Many locals hold to the belief that it was the source of water and occasionally leave offerings on top of the dune. The more adventurous might want to try sandboarding.
It is best to visit Nazca as an add-on when in Lima. A valid passport is all that is necessary when visiting Peru. Credit cards are widely accepted in tourist areas. English is widely spoken in some areas, but a translation app is helpful.
1. Nazca is located in the Ica Valley one of Peru’s grape growing regions and is famed for producing pisco. The high–proof spirit is used to make pisco sours, the signature cocktail of Peru.
2. It wasn’t until a pilot flew over the area in the 1930s that the scope and scale of the designs in Nazca were fully appreciated.
3. Not to miss is a thrilling dune buggy ride in the Cerro Blanco Sand Dune, one of the tallest sand dunes in the world.
4. Gigantic lines in Nazca have given rise the theory that aliens were somehow involved.
Do you enjoy reading Oswego County Business Magazine? Consider advertising in it. Low advertising rates, free design, and a huge readership. Plus your ad will be hyperlinked on our online issue at no charge. editor@cnybusinessmag.com
By Christopher Malone
Although the weather as in March is still on the chilly side for Central New York (no surprise here), comfort food and sports are year-round and never have an off-season. Neither does The Press Box in the 39 years it’s been in operation on East First Street in Oswego.
The sports pub has a comfortable atmosphere. There are plenty of TV sets, including personal screens at the booths around the dining area. Of course, there is sports décor scattered throughout — including a front-page paper celebrating Syracuse University men’s basketball team’s 2003 NCAA Championship and a Rocky Marciano poster — but not overwhelmingly.
The menu is straightforward as well.
The Press Box’s two-sided menu boasts a lot of familiar favorites for any sports pub. Do they hold up — or should they be benched?
The deep red sudden death chili ($6.99) is not apologizing for anything. To go along with the sports theme of The Press Box, the name sounds more intimidating than the do-or-die, nail biting, knuckle clenching endgame of a sporting event — as well as the chili itself. But the moment may stick with you.
The hearty chili is chock full of red beans, peppers, onions and seasoning. There is a nice kick to the bowl of the southwest concoction, but not overwhelming. It makes its presence known, is confident and is insistent (not rude) about this is the way it should be.
I had the chili covered with a blanket of melted cheddar cheese for a dollar upcharge, which I saw later, when the bill was presented. The cheese covered the rim of the bowl and chili with precision of a French onion order. A chili needs some sharp, gooey cheese.
The chicken pesto panini ($13.99)
TOP: Pear and arugula pizza was in the spotlight special when I visited. BOTTOM: The wings at Press Box come in two styles — traditional and boneless for a dollar less. Being a fan of traditional, I ordered them hot barbecue style.came out next. Between the grill-pressed crispy halves of ciabatta bread sat pesto, roasted red peppers, chicken and mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella stretched with each bite, joining the light pesto.
The panini came with a dill pickle spear and a handful of rippled chips. Aside from the satisfying sandwich, especially since there was actual chicken breast and not deli meat in the mix of things, the size of the portion did seem a little light for the price of the option.
What’s the point of hitting up a sports bar without getting pizza and wings? The wings come in two styles — traditional ($12.99) and boneless for a dollar less. Being a fan of traditional, I ordered them hot barbecue style. The lightly sauced barbecue wings featured cayenne pepper to kick it up a notch.
There were only eight wings in the order but they were meaty. They also boasted a slight crispiness, which was a pleasant surprise, and were not dry.
Aside from daily specials, The Press Box boasts weekly specials, allowing new and returning patrons delicious options and a larger window of opportunity to order and enjoy something not typically seen on the menu. For this particular week, the pear and arugula pizza ($13.99) was in the spotlight.
The enticing pizza, which initially jumped out at me, left me impartial toward it, which is why this is saved for last. For the sake of ingredients, I’m always down for pears and arugula, but also the other ingredients — goat cheese, balsamic figs, and caramelized onions. All the ingredients were abundant, fresh tasting and visually bright. The flavor
combination of everything was out of the ballpark.
Unfortunately, all the ingredients add up to be weighty for the very thin flatbread. Where it’s great to know the flatbread isn’t a store-bought crust, it’s rolled out pretty thin and baked lightly. There’s no cheese holding the ingredients in place and a lot of time is spent picking up spillage.
After throwing a beer draft ($5.50) in, the bill came to just less than $59.
It may have not been a home run, but The Press Box gets on base. The Oswego staple and friendly staff caters to different palates and people of all ages — including my 8-month-old.
TOP: Deep red sudden death chili: chock full of red beans, peppers, onions and seasoning.
BOTTOM: Chicken pesto panini: Between the grill-pressed crispy halves of ciabatta bread sat pesto, roasted red peppers, chicken and mozzarella cheese.
Sample News Group, which owns The Palladium-Times in Oswego, has purchased four other Upstate New York newspapers.
It has acquired the Batavia Daily News, Livingston County News, Oswego County News and the Oswego Shopper.
The publications were previously owned by the Johnson Newspaper Corp. in Watertown.
The sale price is not being disclosed, according to Alec Johnson, president of JNC.
The Sample News Group is a privately held publishing company based in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It is the parent company of Oswego County Media Group. It publishes The Palladium-Times, The Valley News, The Oswego County Advertiser and online at OswegoCountyNewsNow.com.
They also own 17 daily newspapers and more than 35 weeklies and specialty magazines. The company owns and operates 30 local websites and six centralized production facilities,
employing more than 700 people in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The Sample group approached JNC and they both agreed that the Oswego publications are a natural fit with their daily newspaper, Johnson said, adding, Batavia is also a good fit for their company.
The announcement was made March 22 jointly by owner George “Scoop” Sample of Sample News Group, and Johnson.
“We are thrilled to be adding these publications to our Sample News Group family,” Sample said in the statement. “These news operations have been successfully run by the Johnson family and we look forward to continuing to serve these revitalized regions of Western and Central New York.”
“We are proud to be passing on the stewardship of these community newspapers to Sample News Group, as we continue to publish daily and weekly newspapers,” Johnson said in the statement. “Sample, like Johnson
Newspaper Corp., is a company with its family name attached. Scoop has proven to us that he has the commitment and ability to ensure the continued success of these community newspapers.”
Sample News Group will officially take ownership of two of the publications on May 1. They currently operate three properties and a printing plant in Oswego under the leadership of Publisher Sharon Lynett. She began integrating the Oswego County News and Oswego Shopper into her existing operation in early April.
“It’s all happening very quickly,” Lynett said. “The two Oswego papers we actually acquired in April. The Batavia and Livingston, that’s May 1, so there’s a little bit of breathing room there.”
Brian Nalepa, regional vice president of Sample News Group, will oversee operations.
The Shopper won’t compete with the Pall-Times.
“Not necessarily; what it really did compete against was our Oswego County Advertiser,” Lynett explained. “But we send them different routes — their Shopper is like a saturation of 13126 zip code. Ours is more rural. We have some in Oswego, some in Fulton, so combining them is actually going to make a stronger product. It’s exciting stuff. Their whole team is going to come on over here. That whole crew will stay the same.”
“As we have reviewed our business, we made major changes in the past year and set forth on a path to return to our company’s roots in Northern New York,” Johnson told Oswego County Business Magazine following the announcement. “Our Watertown Daily Times has been in the family for four generations, and the papers outside of northern New York were acquired when the FCC forced the company to sell WWNY TV in the 1980s.”
“We look forward to publishing the Watertown Daily Times, St. Lawrence Plaindealer, Ogdensburg Journal, Courier-Observer, Journal & Republican, Pennysaver and NNY360.com,” Johnson added. “It will mean a smaller, more nimble news business that is focused on the NNY region including Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.”
By Stefan Yablonski
The Press Box, a popular sports bar and restaurant in Oswego, has lost three parking spots.
However, it is gaining a 900-square-foot kitchen.
In mid-March, the new facility was a work in progress. The kitchen staff hustled to prepare for that day’s lunch crowd — while construction workers went about their task.
“This was a parking lot. Actually, right here was our loading dock. We’ve lost three parking spots,” Alison Canale Scanlon, manager, said.
The expansion will allow for faster food service and will enable the staff to serve more people at the same time, especially as the weather warms up and a greater number of people is expected to visit the location.
They had nine posts dug down six feet deep through the concrete. “They built it up and then we framed it and then we did the roof and then added the walls,” she said. “It takes time and it’s done right — it takes time.”
They tore apart the dish room and put a waitress station in its place.
“We’ve got new equipment on this whole line, the front and the back. So this is really exciting. The room out here is functioning — we are waiting on some more new equipment and other things,” Scanlon said.
Among the equipment they’ve added are a new refrigerator, new freezer, new grill and flat top and a new dish machine, a whole new dish set up, she said.
“The grill is a whole foot bigger. We actually had an 18-inch one a few years ago,” she said. “We now have a second oven. We’re not using it yet. But we added it in case we have a big party or something, that’s what we’ll use it for. We doubled the size of our walk-in coolers — we have plenty of room and storage.”
The rest of the new equipment was expected to arrive by the end of March.
The restaurant opened in 1984. The first renovation was in the late ‘80s.
By Stefan Yablonski
Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels
The Syracuse Parks Conservancy
planning to decide what projects it can complete over the next two to three years.
recently joined the Oswego County Micron steering strategy committee, led by SUNY Oswego, to position the county to capitalize on the opportunities presented by Micron’s investment in the area. Mayor Michaels has recommended members of the Fulton Common Council and community leaders to serve on subcommittee work groups.
Michaels
“Fulton’s location, educational and industrial base, housing stock and continuing housing development make us a prime location to Micron’s needs while mutually benefiting our city,” Michaels said. “We can be the bedroom community for those thousands of people who will be employed there. From improvements to Route 481 to utilizing funds from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, we’re working to find different ways to position Fulton as a Micron partner.”
According to Mary C. Toale, SUNY Oswego officer in charge, “The steering committee will create, unite and implement Oswego County’s strategy to best support and mutually benefit from the tremendous opportunity Micron presents. Work groups are being created with leaders from across all segments of Oswego County to align and enact efforts to position Oswego County’s workforce, infrastructure, environmental and educational assets so that we all may capitalize on this unprecedented investment.”
(SPC) recently hired its first executive director, Heather McClelland, a Syracuse native and graduate of Cazenovia College with a degree in human services.
McClelland has a background in entrepreneurship and working in the nonprofit area and previously owned a business in Fayetteville for five years. She worked as an assistant to the executive director for a nonprofit in Washington DC, where she aided in the funding and creation of programs for children and young adults with disabilities.
The Syracuse Parks Conservancy is a local nonprofit that ensures all Syracuse parks, public lands and their habitats are sustainably protected, restored, enhanced and developed for the educational, recreational and wellness uses of our citizens and their guests.
“With the decision to hire Heather as the executive director, our hopes are that the Syracuse Parks Conservancy can take steps toward making the conservancy the first thing the community thinks about when they envision what a Syracuse park may become. Heather has the skills to give the SPC a presence, put together a funding plan and connect with our volunteers and donors,” said Christopher Wiles, president of the SPC.
McClelland said, “I would love for the Syracuse community to be aware of the conservancy and its mission and to get involved with what we do. Beautiful community parks that the public uses lead to a healthier, happier population.”
The SPC is in the midst of strategic
William Scriber, Port of Oswego Authority executive director and CEO, recently attended Great Lakes Day in Washington, DC, where he met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development on increasing commerce and economic development in the Great Lakes.
“As the only representative from
New York at this conference, I made the most of my opportunity to personally meet with members of the Biden administration and Congress to invest in projects and programs that will increase economic development for our Port and for our region,” Scriber said.
One of the most important meetings, Scriber said, was with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, (D-OH), co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force working with the newly created Great Lakes Authority. “This authority will receive up to $30 million a year in appropriations and it has a special mandate to develop the transportation infrastructure of the region. This includes port infrastructure. Congresswoman Kaptur stressed at the meeting that the economic development of the Great Lakes is its primary mission.”
Scriber also met with Adam Tindall Schlicht, administrator of the Great Lakes Seaway Development Corporation on the Port Infrastructure Develop-
McClelland Scriber
ment Program. It’s the primary source of federal investment in the nation’s port infrastructure, such as dock reconstruction, rail improvements, road access, storage expansion, and modernization of cargo handling equipment.
After serving Fulton Savings Bank mortgage customers since 2017, Greg Rodgers, mortgage loan originator, is retiring.
“Greg worked out of our Baldwinsville and Phoenix branches but served many customers throughout all of Oswego and northern Onondaga coun-
To commemorate World Recycling Day, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced a new three-year partnership with Novelis. The company will serve as the zoo’s official sustainability in action sponsor.
The partnership will advance the zoo’s ongoing conservation mission that seeks to foster the intrinsic connections between people, plants and animals, and the shared environment to promote
ties,” said Julie Mazzoli, the
bank’s senior vice president, lending compliance & CRA officer. “We wish him all the best in his retirement. His colleagues, mortgage loan originators Bob Chetney and Jennifer Whalen, will be taking over for his customers with the same dedication and commitment.”
Fulton Savings Bank has offices in
Fulton, Baldwinsville, Phoenix, Central Square, Brewerton, and Constantia with eleven ATMs throughout its service area and assets totaling more than $475 million and deposits totaling more than $315 million.
Meghan Lawton has been selected as the new president and CEO of the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance (FLTA).
Lawton has strong ties to the Finger Lakes region both as a resident and as a part of the tourism industry in both Wyoming and Cortland counties, as well as a strong affiliation within the industry statewide as a part of the New York State
year. The company’s website touts that “a can that is recycled today can be back on store shelves in just 60 days.”
“Novelis’ vision of shaping a sustainable world together goes beyond our own doors and efforts, extending into the communities where we live and work,” said Kristen Nelson, plant manager at Novelis Oswego. “Partnering with Rosamond Gifford Zoo is an exciting opportunity for us to highlight the interconnectedness of environmentally focused practices, like using infinitely recyclable aluminum in place of plastic, and preserving our planet for our children, their children and all the species that call Earth home.”
global wellness.
“Here at the zoo, we work tirelessly to ensure the health of the species in our care,” said Executive Director of the Friends of the Zoo Carrie Large. “That also includes the preservation of the planet we all call home. Our partnership with Novelis helps us accomplish our mission, while educating the public about the collective, connected health of all things.”
Novelis is a global leader in sustainable aluminum creation and re-use. Incorporated in 2005, the company is the biggest buyer and recycler of used beverage cans in the world and recycles more than 82 billion of those cans each
As our sustainability in action sponsor, Novelis will help the zoo conceptualize green sustainability initiatives and help educate guests on eco-friendly alternatives and sustainable practices. The partnership will also include a new exhibit regarding plastic waste in oceans in the USS Antiquities Cave.
The company’s eco-education isn’t just for zoo guests; Novelis is bolstering the zoo’s approach to sustainability and has already helped guide the zoo as it transitions away from single-use plastics like bottles in favor of aluminum cans.
The zoo will celebrate this new partnership with Novelis Party for the Planet activities on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, which include earth-friendly events such as a can drive and more.
For more information on the Novelis Party for the Planet, visit rosamondgiffordzoo.org. Follow the zoo’s social media for regular updates.
Tourism Industry Association.
“I look forward to continuing the great work that FLTA has done thus far in promoting and supporting this beautiful area and the partner businesses. I will work hard as a steward for FLTA, directing my full efforts to the growth, promotion, and prosperity of the entire Finger Lakes region,” she said.
The search for a new president &
to do so.
fluence.
Lawton
CEO began in early 2022 in preparation for the planned re tirement at the end of March 2023 of the current FLTA leader, Cindy Kim ble. Kimble served as the president since No vember of 2007 and has become known as a passionate ambassador for the Finger Lakes region and the spark that ignited the quest for the Finger Lakes region to be named a National Heritage Area. She has been asked by the board of directors to continue on the national heritage area committee and is excited
MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, has named Matt Geitner as the new director of government relations. In this role, he will manage the advocacy efforts of MACNY and The Manufacturers Alliance of New York State in both Albany and Washington, manage communications regarding public policy issues, coordinate MACNY’s state and federal political action committees, and keep all MACNY’s 300-plus member companies informed of important issues and legislation. His scope of work will also include a focus on growing the Alliance’s statewide visibility and in-
Geitner is a senior leader with experience in both the public and private sectors conducting government and public affairs initiatives, internal and external communications, and coalition building to achieve policy results. He has extensive experience working with local, state, and federal public officials along with economic, business and community leaders.
For 10 years, Geitner provided government affairs and business development expertise to C&S Companies, a long time MACNY member and national NYS headquartered architectural, engineering, and construction firm. Also, Geitner has 10 years of experience working in health care for companies providing emergency medical services, non-emergency medical transportation management services, and government-sponsored health insurance.
“We are delighted to welcome Matt to the MACNY team. Matt’s expertise in both government relations and public affairs is a brilliant addition to the organization. He will certainly serve as an incredible asset to MACNY’s membership and our sector’s collective voice in Albany and Washington,” said MACNY’s President & CEO Randy Wolken.
The following Century 21 agents in Oswego County have been recognized by Century 21 Real Estate LLC:
• Ed Fayette, sales associate with Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego
• Brooke Wills, sales associate with Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego.
They received the 2022 Century 21 President’s Producer Award. The annual award is bestowed upon those Century 21 System sales affiliates that earn the Century 21 Centurion award and the Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer award in the same calendar year.
The following agents earned the Century 21 2022 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award:
• Victoria Grutzik with Century 21
Leah’s Signature in Fulton
• Jessica Shepard with Century 21
Leah’s Signature in Fulton
• Kim McPherson with Century 21
Galloway Realty in Oswego
• Susan Henry with Century 21
Galloway Realty in Oswego
Sarah Hoefer with Century 21
Galloway Realty in Oswego
• Constance Ryan with C entury 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego
Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego recently received the 2022 Century 21 President’s Award. The annual award is bestowed upon those independent Century 21 offices that earn the Century 21 Centurion award and the Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle award in the same calendar year.
The Century Award is presented to Century 21 offices that achieve or surpass sales production of $2,830,000 or 490 closed transaction sides within a calendar year.
The Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Award is presented to those independent offices that receive satisfaction surveys for at least 80% of their consumers surveyed from Jan. 1 though Dec. 31, with a survey score of 95% or better for two consecutive years.
Century 21 Galloway Realty is owned by broker William Galloway.
Many Americans spend their lives working hard and dreaming of the day they can finally retire.
But planning for retirement requires more than dreaming — it means being strategic and focused on saving money, among other things.
The average age of retirement for Americans is 66, according to a Gallup poll, which is up from age 60 in the 1990s. With Americans living an average of 78.7 years, that’s a good 12 or more years of time to enjoy life after work, at a hopefully slower pace.
Of the 47.8 million Americans ages 65 and older, the average income is only $38,515, according to the U.S. Census, and their average net worth is $170,516. With numbers like that, saving for retirement can be challenging.
Here are other shocking statistics about the state of retirement in the U.S.
According to a Gallup poll study, when 18- to 29-year-olds were interviewed about retirement, they expressed optimism that they’ll be able to retire early, closer to their early 60s. However, once they hit 30, that optimism wanes, perhaps due to the realities of making a living catching up with them.
Average life expectancy is not a
good way to plan for how much money you’ll need in retirement; many Americans live much longer than the average of 78.7 years, going well into their 80s or 90s. According to the Social Security Administration, a healthy 65-year-old woman has a very good chance of living to age 86, and a 65-year-old man has a good chance of reaching age 84. Older adults should save for a retirement that could last 20 years.
Fortunately, Americans seem to be taking the possibility of a longer life to heart. According to a TD Ameritrade study, 81% of Americans are shifting assets in preparation for living longer than their ancestors did by reducing expenses, buying secured life insurance and maximizing their contributions to retirement plans.
• Many
On the opposite side of those who are planning ahead for a longer life, there’s a growing trend of Americans
who are dipping into their retirement funds early. The TD Ameritrade survey showed that 44% of Americans aged 40 to 79 have taken money out of a retirement plan. While 46% of people 40 to 49 have done so, and 53% for people 70 to 79.
Taking money out of a retirement plan early usually comes with financial penalties, so financial experts advise against this.
According to a TransAmerica Center survey, 77% of American workers are saving for retirement through employer-sponsored retirement plans as well as other options. The median age workers begin saving for retirement is 27. However, that leaves 33% of workers without any real retirement savings plan.
Despite 77% of Americans having retirement plans, many people just don’t have enough saved to actually fund their post-retirement life at the same level as their working years. In fact, for Americans between ages 55 and 64, the median retirement savings was just over $107,000, according to a 2017 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO notes that this amount, which may sound significant, would only translate into a $310 monthly payment, and only if it was invested in an inflation-protected annuity.
If you’re counting on Social Security to fund your post-retirement life, be aware that Social Security is only guaranteed to be funded through 2035, according to Business Insider, after which time it may only be three-quarters funded. That means that people already taking money from it may see a drop in payments, and new retirees may have trouble getting any money at all. Part of the reason for this is an increase in older adults. By 2035, the number of Americans 65 and older will increase from about 56 million today to more than 78 million. Thus, more people will be pulling money from the total fund, but fewer people will be paying into it.
While it’s nice to have a plan for
retirement, sometimes life has other plans. The most common reasons for retirement are health and job shifts, according to the TD Ameritrade survey. Fifty percent of people retired before they would have liked for reasons including layoffs, caregiving responsibilities, an unexpected change in their financial situation and health issues.
In order to keep living at or near your lifestyle while working, experts suggest that you need between $500,000 and $1 million saved in order to finance your retirement years. A hefty chunk of change that requires years to save up.
There is a 70% chance that an American age 65 or older will need long-term care at some point, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If that involves an assisted living facility, those costs can be incredibly high, and Medicare will not cover them. The median cost per month for an assisted living facility is $4,051 and it’s more than double that for a nursing home. That doesn’t include other healthcare costs. This is why many older adults opt for long-term care insurance in their 60s.
Story was previously published at gobankingrates.com, a financial-related website. Reprinted with permission.
If you’re a business owner, at some point you may begin thinking about an exit strategy. Sometimes that strategy presents itself in the form of an unplanned, unsolicited buyer. Before you engage any potential acquirers, you might want to explore the benefits of contributing an ownership interest in your business to a donor-advised fund or other type of charitable fund.
If you’ve owned your business for several years — or decades — you could be sitting on substantial unrealized capital gains, thanks to the increasing value of the business over time. A business sale will trigger tax on capital gains, reducing the proceeds you get to keep. No capital gains tax will apply, however, to the sale of any portion of the business owned by your donor-advised fund, plus you will receive a charitable deduction for the gift of ownership.
the option of making a post-sale charitable gift of cash. While this approach doesn’t avoid realizing capital gains, it still provides a charitable deduction that can be effective at reducing your income tax due in the year of the sale.
This past year, five post-sale gifts created funds at the Central New York Community Foundation. These were the result of business sales that occurred in Syracuse where owners or employees received sale proceeds or deferred compensation. In each case, the donor was somewhat familiar with us, but was also connected by a professional adviser who knew how beneficial a charitable contribution would be for their client that year, how flexible a donor-advised fund is for charitable giving, and how we can be a resource to donors who care about Central New York.
chartered financial consultantis
(ChFC), accredited estate planner (AEP) and chartered adviser in philanthropy (CAP). He serves as vice president, development at the CNY Community Foundation. He can be reached at 315-883-5544 or tgriffith@cnycf.org.
Don’t start negotiating for your company’s sale before you’ve talked with your advisers and the fund administrator, such as your local community foundation. Otherwise, you might get caught in the trap of the IRS’s step transaction regulations that affect any presale gift to charity of real estate, closely-held stock, or other alternative asset.
If you sell your business without making a gift of ownership, you still have
If you own a business and want to learn more about making a presale or post-sale gift to a donor-advised fund or other type of fund, reach out to your local community foundation. They can help you and your advisers evaluate your options and ultimately prepare for the transaction. They will also work with your advisers to secure a proper valuation for the charitable deduction when a portion of the business interest is contributed to your donor-advised or other type of fund.
Guest
‘Don’t start negotiating for your company’s sale before you’ve talked with your advisers and the fund administrator, such as your local community foundation
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By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Flowers aren’t the only things to appear in spring and summer. Moving vans are another.
According to Shyft, a Miami-based company that offers moving services, brokerage and consultation services for consumers, 60% of people move between May and August nationwide.
The rate is likely higher in the Northeast because of the weather.
We recently asked local real estate experts for their outlook for the “moving season.”
Here’s what they said:
n “It’s very active, though we have limited inventory. We’re hoping to see more homes coming up for sale. It’s going to be a very active year for us. At present, it is extremely busy. It’s going to be a seller’s market all through this year. We’re hoping that starts to change. We’re a lot lower in inventory than in years past.”
WILLIAM GALLOWAY Owner and broker at Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswegon “Forecasting can be tricky. Based on the market now, it still is a market where demand is outstripping supply. I think that will be the case heading into spring and summer. What makes it tricky is markets don’t move in the same direction forever. We’ve been in this market for a few years now and it doesn’t look like it’s letting up with the greater demand and limited supply.
n “Micron will exacerbate this issue as it will bring many people into the area. People will be forced to look farther out. Pricing and what’s available will have them looking in outlying areas. People will expand their search radius. There’s tremendous value being able to raise a family in this kind of an environment.”
PATRICK HAGGERTYReal estate agent with Century 21 Leah’s Signature in Fulton.
n “I’m guessing, based on the 37 years we’ve been in real estate, that we’ll have a terrific spring market. We always do. I’d like to be optimistic it will happen again.
n “The challenge is we have very, very low inventory. Buyers are there and are qualifying but there’s very little to show them now.
n “I’d like sellers to recognize the market is there. It’s not hot; it’s cooling to lukewarm. Offers are there but we’re not getting the multiple offers we were getting.
n “Our outlook is optimistic but not as high as last year. I think it will be a good market for buyers.”
FAYE BECKWITHReal estate agent and owner My Freedom Real Estate, Hannibal.
n “I think it will be healthy. I could be as busy as I wanted to be right now. I don’t think we’re going to bat an eye this spring and summer. People still need housing and there are plenty of people out there looking.
n “I don’t think they’ll be as willing to overpay to get in a house. They won’t be in a fever to get in. They’ll be more cautious, but I don’t see the prices coming down a whole lot. I think people will be offering a decent price on homes and the prices will stay at the level where they are right now.
n “I’m ready to list three different houses of people ready to sell. That will free up housing for people who want a place. Having the inventory to sell has held us up. People who want to buy a place need to find somewhere to move.”
LINDA J. THOMAS-CASTERn “I do think the market for building lots has improved. All new construction came to a halt. It was difficult to sell land lots. We have a few under contract this year so there seems to be more interest. But a few builders have retired.”
NOELLE SALMONSEN Real estate agent with My Freedom Real Estate, Hannibal.n “Micron is coming to town bringing all these jobs. We’re an enigma and we’re experiencing an even bigger housing shortage. It’s spreading to the outside areas. I think it will have an effect on surrounding counties because people like living rural. They don’t want to live in the city. It will help. It will have an effect on the outlying areas and cause appreciation. It will affect the region. It will be a positive effect on the surrounding areas.
n “I see the rest of the country going back to normal. We’re not going back as quickly. The feds have done a good job at combating a recession. They’re predicting interest rates aren’t going up much. Houses have appreciated by 8% in our part of the country. There’s a lot of equity in homes.
n “Lots of empty-nesters and baby boomers with no kids who are looking to downsize. They have money to do it. I’m very optimistic going forward into spring and summer market. A survey done by Realtors countrywide showed that 20% expected a year over year of buyer increased traffic and 13% expect a year over year increase of seller traffic. That’s up over last year. Fifty-four percent of respondents reported that property sold in less than a month and they’re still selling and receiving multiple offers.
n “Due to the lack of housing inventory, they expect the use of technology to help buyers peruse homes. It’s changed the ways realtors, buyers and sellers do business. It’s morphed. Initially, we had no other option. People bought without ever seeing them. Many homeowners start out seeing things online. It’s changed in that way. Everyone’s working smarter.”
MARK W. RE
Vice president and regional manager CNY/ NNY region of Howard Hanna in Camillus and president of the Central New York Information Services, Inc., CNY’s privately owned multiple listing service.
With apps and websites to help sell a home, do we really need real estate agents?
Or is for sale by owner (FSBO) or purchasing solo just as good? Although the do-it-yourself trend guided by YouTube videos and Pinterest may help a homeowner spruce up the home, selling it is a much more complex matter. Buying has also become more complicated.
“Those websites that you’re seeing, they’re usually inaccurate information,” said William Galloway, owner and broker at Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego. “We provide quality service by taking care of getting the correct information to the clients.”
The real estate agent also takes care
of showings and negotiating between buyer and seller, legal steps and keeping track of the market. All of these tasks are time consuming and can require experience to handle well.
“It’s stressful to do without help,” said Patrick Haggerty, real estate agent with Century 21 Leah’s Signature in Fulton. “There’s tremendous value in having help navigating issues that arise in the middle of a transaction. Having an agent who can think crucially and problem solve helps the transaction go more smoothly.”
But working with a real estate agent is not just about convenience. For a seller, a FSBO deal can leave money on the table.
“A real estate agent helps you in appropriately pricing and marketing the property and driving demand to the property that will result in the highest price and most solid offer,” Haggerty said.
Especially in the current seller’s market, it pays to have a fresh set of eyes look over the property to highlight where buyers will see value to help accurately price the property. Online tools tend to use algorithms that may underprice a property that has seen extensive renovation, for example.
“There are more factors than the algorithms,” Haggerty said. “They can spit out a number that’s too high or too low. A good agent evaluating the property is vital to ending up with the best offer possible.”
The seller’s market may make the process quicker. However, many sellers receive dozens of offers on their home, and some of those buyers may not be as ready to buy as others. Haggerty said that having a real estate agent field the offers reduces the work on the part of the seller and can help evaluate the offers for credibility and price.
A real estate agent can also help buyers. In the current market where the supply is low, “a Realtor can increase your chances of success in putting in an offer on a home where you’re competing against five, 10 or 15 offers,” Haggerty said. “The responsiveness of the agent is very important.”
Mark W. Re, vice president and regional manager CNY/NNY Region of Howard Hanna in Camillus, said that regardless of the home’s price range —whether entry level or high end — most buyers are up against numerous purchase offers, “many of which are cash,” he said.
Re is president of the Central New York Information Services, Inc., CNY’s privately owned multiple listing service.
The competitiveness of the seller’s market has led to the optional escalation clause, which automatically increases a bona fide offer in predetermined increments to a top offer ceiling. He has led trainings in the escalation clause as it is relatively new to real estate.
The escalation clause can help buyers get into the home, but Re says to sellers who pursue FSBO selling without the clause will leave thousands of dollars on the table. “But I guarantee you if you’d listed with a real estate agent, put it on the market on a Monday, let everyone come through with appointments for three to four days and negotiate 35 offers on Friday, you always sell for more than the asking price.”
Re advises both buyers and sellers to use a real estate agent for the professional guidance they offer.
The Greater Syracuse area would need at least 40,000 additional housing units to accommodate the expected population increase that will accompany Micron Technology’s massive semiconductor chip plant in the town of Clay.
For planners, contractors and home builders, this is a monumental challenge.
Site work for the Micron plant at White Pine Commerce Park is slated to break ground this year. The company will employ about 9,000 workers, and the project could create upward of 50,000 jobs to include construction, supply chain and various ancillary
positions.
Presumably, a big chunk of Micron employees who move to the region would seek housing close to work in northern Onondaga or southern Oswego counties. These two places are quite different, with towns like Clay and Cicero boasting some of the highest populations and growth rates of the Syracuse suburbs, while their northern neighbors are still somewhat rural.
David Turner, Oswego County Planning and Community Development director, said a steering committee made up of about two dozen people representing various agencies and departments in Oswego County has
been formed to address the needs that Micron will bring — workforce, childcare, transportation, public health and safety and housing.
While there will be plenty of interest in new subdivisions and custom-built homes, Turner said, affordable housing is crucial.
“It’s not just scientists and engineers that will be moving here,” Turner said. “There will be housing needs for groundskeepers and maintenance workers.”
Some of the Oswego County communities that are closest to the Micron site —Schroeppel, Hastings, West Monroe and Constantia— are sparsely populated and not commercially developed. Turner said it will be up to the residents and leaders of those communities to decide if they want to make a comprehensive plan to encourage and regulate development. Comprehensive plans include zoning regulations for housing, retail, services businesses, manufacturing and agriculture.
“This is a watershed moment for them to take advantage of this growth opportunity and they might also decide that they don’t want any changes,” Turner said. “It’s their decision.”
Infrastructure would include new or expanded roads, water and sewer lines, and high-speed Internet service.
Turner stressed that beyond the southern end of the county, the cities
of Oswego and Fulton, Pulaski as well as other towns, villages and hamlets have great potential to take advantage of the growth.
Oswego County is geographically diverse, and many new residents might prefer to live in the deep woods near the Tug Hill Plateau or may desire lakeview or riverfronts properties outside population centers.
“It’s not unusual for people to commute an hour to work if they really like where they live,” Turner said.
As for existing rental property, Turner said, Oswego County has its work cut out to upgrade that housing stock. Still, nonprofit neighborhood revitalization programs like Fulton Block Builders, Oswego County Land Bank and Oswego Renaissance Association have the potential to improve hundreds of residential properties through their grant programs.
In the town of Clay, the Onondaga County community where Micron will locate, planners are at the ready to work with developers and home builders as soon as the paperwork is turned in at town hall, said Clay Planning Commissioner Mark Territo.
“So far we do not have a firm plan for the new housing based on Micron,” he said in an email.
“We are still waiting for something official to come in from them [Micron] for board approvals,” Territo said. “Once we have a solid idea of the number of employees, building square footage, timeline to full buildout, construction jobs and sequence, spin off businesses — then we can begin to project with more accuracy the expected need.”
“Up to this point, I have had a lot of
speculation from various land owners on potential ideas for development, a lot of which include apartment and townhouse-style apartments. Once we have actual applications for this project, we will be able to make better assessments of what direction the town will want to go with development,” he added.
In Syracuse, the largest municipality in the region, there is a dire need to improve the city’s existing housing stock.
According to Central New York Community Foundation, about 47% of residences in Syracuse were built before 1939. Of the 55,305 households within the city, 24% have at least one major problem, such as plumbing problems. More than 12,500 housing units were vacant as of a 2019 count. And 90% of homes in the city were built before lead paint was banned in 1978. But, as in Oswego County, Syracuse-based neighborhood revitalization programs like Housing Visions and Greater Syracuse Land Bank are working to improve the quality of housing and the vacancy rate. The city also expects to receive state grants in the coming years to bolster those efforts.
As for new housing, a population growth is only part of the equation. The challenge is getting permission, materials, labor and other essential resources, explained Mary Thompson, executive director of Home Builders Association of Central New York, based in Syracuse.
She said proposed state and federal environmental regulations, including “electrification” requirements —meaning no use of gas, oil or propane-powered heating units or appliances, to include gas stoves — will drive up the
cost of construction while driving down demand for new homes.
“Hopefully there can be some back and forth on this legislation,” Thompson said. “The main question we have is, can’t we at least keep natural gas? As it is, with inflation and supply chain issues for getting materials, new home construction around here was already declining.”
Another challenge will be getting subdivisions approved, Thompson said. To accommodate the demand for housing brought on by Micron, new housing tracts will need smaller lot sizes to fit more homes. Many towns and village governments in recent years have opposed that kind of density.
“That’s not going to help us get to the numbers we need,” Thompson said.
In addition, it’s difficult to recruit experienced construction workers these days. According to Thompson, the average age for carpenters right now is 58. Ideally, it takes years for carpenter apprentices to learn the trade thoroughly, so there is concern of mass retirements before younger builders can get up to speed.
Thompson said the potential to improve existing houses and apartment buildings is a bit more encouraging. If the government motivates property owners with grants to make homes more energy efficient as opposed to threatening them with mandates, Central New York could see neighborhood revitalizations and higher occupancy rates on a massive scale.
“Overall, it’s a very challenging time right now for contractors,” Thompson said. “But what’s on the horizon is also very exciting.”
The housing market pertaining to the sale of current homes has cooled off some in the past year but remains stable. According to the New York Association of Realtors, the number of transactions in Onondaga County in January of this year was 223 compared to 294 in January 2022, while the number of available homes for sale was 373 in January of this year compared to 356 that month in 2022. The median sale price comparison between the year-long period increased 6%, from $179,250 to $190,000.
In Oswego County, the number of home sales increased by 20% in January compared to a year ago, from 50 to 60, and the median sale price during that same time span rose 5.9%, from $135,000 to $143,000. The number of homes on the market in January of this year was 151, compared to 141 for the first month of the year in 2022.
Mary Thompson, executive director of Home Builders Association of Central New York. “What’s on the horizon is also very exciting,” she says as she refers to the population growth expected in CNY as a result of the proposed Micron’s project.,You could offer the best products or services, but unless people hear about them, you can’t succeed. Area experts offer their best tips for reaching potential consumers and clients.
• “While we have seen big growth in video over the last couple of years with a continued upward trend, audio is quickly gaining traction in the small business space. Podcast networks, streaming music platforms, there are so many options with audio to reach targeted users, organically and paid.
• “People want to see the brands that are connected to their values. This
means that your content strategy should be reflective of who your small business is. Community involvement, charitable events, expectation of social issues, quality of product or work — a user should be able to look at your platforms and know what your values are.
• “There are so many digital tools and package deals that platforms will push. Understanding where your marketing dollars are going, the why behind it and continuously measuring results is so important to ensure that you are getting the most effective advertising for your budget.
• “We predict Amazon is going
to quickly gain market share for local ad marketing. We’re seeing a future of Amazon next to big players like Google and Meta. Currently, we are seeing opportunities for PPC ad options in beta. The interesting part? Businesses do not even have to sell on Amazon to run ads on the platform. This is something we will be keeping a close eye on.”
Sarah Tackabury , vice president client engagement and partnerships, Digital Hyve, Syracuse• “Reaching consumers through social media content, advertising and video will continue to be extremely important and cost-effective ways to market.
• “Social media video continues to be a very powerful way to deliver a message, and social media advertising
shows our clients a monthly report on how effective their ads are through clicks, engagement, etc. Social media’s ability to be tailored to the audience you want to reach is a virtue. For example, some clients may only require Facebook–Instagram content management and advertising, while others may additionally or exclusively require YouTube and TikTok.
• “Similarly, search advertising through Google–Bing–Yahoo has never been more important. Our clients want to engage customers at the bottom of the marketing funnel when they are ready to buy. Awareness, however, through television and streaming television, is also a critical part of the mix.
• “Financial products and vehicle purchases are cyclical, so the consumer needs to be constantly reminded and aware of where to seek those products and services when they need them.
• “At Chirello Advertising, our clients have had great success using a combination of digital–social–search and TV (both live and streaming) in reaching clients and converting that outreach to sales.”
Steve Chirello, owner Chirello Advertising, Fulton
• “Social commerce — interacting and shopping through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok — continues to be a high-growth area for marketing. McKinsey.com estimates that 5% of total US e-commerce will be generated from social commerce. This has a range of implications for marketing.
• “I encourage entrepreneurs to focus on highly targeted social platforms for their identified customer base and that may mean using micro or nano influencers for locally or regionally targeted sales.
• “It’s interesting to track the resurgence of QR codes and how they are still relevant in marketing. Introduced in 1994, it’s surprising that after over two decades the COVID-19 pandemic caused such a resurgence of use of QR codes with continued growth anticipated. EMarketer estimates that QR code scanning will increase by more than 19% to 99.5 million in 2025 from 83.4 million in 2022.”
Elizabeth R. Wimer, associate teaching professor of entrepreneurship at Syracuse University
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BRUCE FRASSINELLI
is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central NY) from July 2001 to June 2002.
bfrassinelli@ptd.net
Fair and balanced is what Fox News says it once was.
The nonprofit organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting says Fox News is the most biased name in news among major news outlets.
With these two views being at opposite poles, which is right?
Anyone who considers Fox News as “fair and balanced” is living in an alternate universe. Five years ago, Fox changed its slogan to “Standing Up for What’s Right.”
The pretense by network executives that Fox strives for fairness and accuracy has been most recently stripped away by damning internal memos and testimony under oath in a much watched civil court case that is playing out in front of the world.
Dominion, a voting systems company, is suing Fox for $1.6 billion, claiming the network aired false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump and that Dominion was part of the plot that denied him a second four-year term and rigged the election in favor of President Joe Biden. Fox’s well-known hosts, as well as owner Rupert Murdoch, repeatedly criticized Trump in private while going over the top to support him on air and in public.
A text from Tucker Carlson, one of Fox’s top personalities who was a major on-air
Trump supporter, said of the former President:
“I hate him passionately.” Other documents released in February showed that Fox executives doubted that the stolen election claims were accurate, but persisted in broadcasting them.
The disclosures that Dominion has made as part of its discovery process have been absolutely breathtaking. For example, Murdock regretted that the network’s hosts endorsed stolen-election claims when irrefutable proof exists that the 2020 election was one of the most honest and well-run ever.
As a reminder, Biden won the 2020 election with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. Biden received 81.28 million popular votes, the most ever in a presidential election, to Trump’s 74.22 million.
The Dominion discovery documents show how Fox executives and hosts privately scoffed at the notion that the election was stolen even as the network continuously aired false information that the election was rigged as a way to pander to Trump and his base.
The Dominion high stakes lawsuit has serious implications for Fox financially — after all, $1.6 billion is not chump change even to a well-heeled organization like Fox.
Aside from that, however, is the impact on journalism and it raises fundamental ethical questions about the responsibilities a news organization has to its consumers
‘The truth is that lying on a resume happens a lot more than we might have thought. A survey several years ago found that about 80% of Americans have lied on their resumes, but just 21% were fired or disciplined after their falsehoods were discovered.’
not to disseminate and promote misinformation.
Another disclosure had Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2018 trying to stop West Virginia Republicans from nominating Don Blankenship, who had been convicted of violating mine safety standards during a lethal accident in one of his coal mines. They sought Murdoch’s intervention in the effort.
“Both Trump and McConnell are appealing for help to beat unelectable former mine owner who served time,” Murdoch wrote to executives at Fox News. He urged Fox’s top personalities Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham to “dump on him hard” because it “might save the day.” Because of Fox’s 11thhour intervention, Blankenship said he lost the primary.
Fox disputed the information in the Dominion disclosures, saying the company “cherry picked” quotes and was waging a campaign of “distortions and misinformation to smear Fox News in an effort to trample free speech and freedom of the press.”
One of the main issues about Dominion vs. Fox is whether a news organization’s first responsibility is to its consumers or to its business interests and shareholders.
One of my guiding principles in my 63 years in the communication field has been to view newspapers and other public media in the same way as we view public utilities.
Yes, it is mandatory that they make a competitive profit to stay in business, but they also have an equal responsibility to serve the public interest. In the case of journalists, they must be fair, accurate and balanced in their news stories, and their editors and the publisher must be vigilant to assure that these objectives are achieved.
When it comes to well-compensated hosts whose job is to give opinions, a news organization must clearly indicate that opinion is not necessarily factual or contextual and that the views of the host are not necessarily those of management.
Let’s be clear: Fox commentators such as Carlson, Hannity and Ingraham are not paid to be fair and balanced. They are expected to have a strong and pointed viewpoint that favors one political side over the other, but they are expected to be accurate. Because of these memos, we now know that this is not the case. We suspected as much, but now we have the evidence.
Given the rare insight into internal
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memos among high-ranking Fox officials and hosts, we get a glimpse into the utter contempt the news organization has had for the truth. In a Nov. 19, 2020, email, 16 days after the presidential election, Murdock described Trump and his legal adviser, Rudy Giuliani, as “both increasingly mad” as they ramped up their accusations that the election was stolen.
Murdoch agreed that Trump was a “sore loser” and questioned the real dangers of what might happen if Trump becomes president again. As of this writing, Trump, who announced in November that he is running again, is considered the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination.
The comments from popular Fox talk-show host Carlson are particularly revealing. Carlson was concerned that if Fox didn’t play its cards properly when it came to dealing with Trump and his base in the election’s aftermath that it “could easily destroy us.”
Trump’s one-time love for all things Fox has waned considerably since last November, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the feeling is mutual
He is not alone in his belief that journalists cannot possibly be objective. They are a product of their background, numerous outside stimuli and many other complex forces and factors. To believe that journalists can somehow scrub themselves clean of this baggage as they write a story is the height of hypocrisy, critics claim.
With Fox in the forefront, many news organizations have emphasized that advocacy journalism – where a journalist takes a point of view when writing even news stories — and on public journalism — where a news organization involves itself in setting the agenda for national or community involvement – has made objectivity a vestige of journalism’s past.
There are, of course, many dissenters – I among them. I prefer to believe that, when writing a news story, objectivity is a goal to be pursued but never achieved. It reminds me of the advice a high school teacher once gave me: “Always shoot for the stars, for even if you don’t reach them, you’re sure to pick up some star dust along the way.” In a similar manner, if we don’t reach our goal of objectivity, we are committed to coming as close as we can while picking up valuable lessons with each try. In an ideal world, journalists would achieve the lofty goals of objectivity, fairness, balance and accuracy on every single try. In the real world, they don’t, but it should make them that much more determined to try harder the next time.
Even if a reporter were to lose his or her objectivity to the passions of an issue, the story must still go through the hands of dispassionate editors and others — we call them the gatekeepers — before it gets into print or on the air, thus ensuring the principles of fairness
At news organizations such as Fox, journalists are exhorted to toe the conservative line and to shoehorn the news into these constrictive compartments to pander to those who champion these ideologies to the exclusion of other
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Public discourse and understanding are ill-served by these extremes of coverage, but these approaches are what are selling to an ever-polarized
Thanks to the Dominion disclosures, we now know that Fox’s leadership believed that protecting its brand as a Trump enabler was more important than being honest with its audience.
No
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that the village of Phoenix will receive $4.5 million, and the villages of Moravia and Hamilton will each receive $2.25 million in funding as the Central New York region winners of the first round of NY Forward.
Building on the momentum of the state’s successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the $100 million NY Forward program adopts the same “plan-then-act” strategy as the DRI to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller and rural communities.
“New York’s downtowns are the heart and soul of our communities and regions, and NY Forward will ensure that Phoenix, Moravia, and Hamilton have the resources they need to thrive and flourish,” Gov. Hochul said. “This funding will revitalize these villages back to what the bustling areas they once were by making communities more walkable, creating new housing opportunities, and attracting businesses.”
Mayor of Phoenix Caleb Sweet said, “The village of Phoenix is ripe with potential and ready to finish its transformation into a vibrant canal community. Thanks to Gov. Hochul and the innovative NY Forward program, we can now make our plans a reality. We look forward to creating a strategic plan that will attract new businesses, expand housing opportunities, increase employment rates and enhance tourism and recreational opportunities in the village.”
Operation Oswego County Executive Director Austin Wheelock said, “The Village of Phoenix developed an excellent proposal by building off their unique waterfront assets and recent successes. They were very deserving of the $4.5 million NY Forward award. With $100 billion in public and private investments over the next 20 years, just a few miles away at the Micron site in Clay, Phoenix is poised for significant commercial and residential growth, and will now have the much-needed financial resources to turn those plans into reality. We are excited to continue working together with the village on the implementation of this important initiative.”
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By Stefan Yablonski
What do you hear when you walk into a barn full of thousands of cows?
Nothing —nothing at all. The scent is rather pleasing as well.
The four-legged denizens of North Ridge Farm are quite content. They chewed their cud and munched on feed, nonplussed by a recent interloper.
Locust Hill Farm was founded on Christmas Day 1975 by Timothy and Renee Alford. They started their Mannsville farm with 39 cows and 165 acres.
Today, Locust Hill Dairy LLC is a family dairy farm with four locations, 5,000 cows, 2,800 heifers and upwards of 5,500 crop acres growing corn silage and hay. It’s one of the largest dairy operations in New York state, generating revenues of about $30 million a year.
The Pulaski–Lacona area location is dubbed North Ridge. From the barns, one can view the cooling tower at Nine Mile Point and some awesome sunsets.
The Alfords converted the business to an LLC to bring in the members of the business’ next generation — their two daughters, Jessica and Amanda and their husbands, Bruce Gibson and Brian Muto, respectively.
In 2015, the Alfords built another dairy with a larger milking parlor. When both facilities are at capacity, they can milk more than 4,000 cows, generating 135 million pounds. of milk annually or about 16 million gallons.
Bruce Gibson is a managing partner of Locust Hill Dairy Farms in Lacona and Ellisburg. He served as my tour guide recently.
“There are six of us on the farm that are partners. We are all active managers on the farm in different areas,” he explained. “When it comes to day-today operation of the farm, between my wife, myself, my brother-in-law and his wife —we do all the heavy lifting day in and day out.”
His mother-in-law and fatherin-law — Renee and Tim Alford, the founders of the business — are in their early 70s, he added.
“They are still active in the farm; I’d say in a strategy role, a consulting role. I think Tim’s in the barn early every morning,” he said.
The Alfords now have time to do all the things they didn’t have time to do when they were younger and growing the business, Bruce added.
“They just got back from a week in Texas. They went to Oregon a couple of weeks ago. They are active in their hobby — quarterhorses; maybe four or five years ago that wasn’t true,” he said. “They aren’t working 80 hours a week like Brian and I. The six of us, I would say are all on equal footing.”
“I didn’t grow up a farm girl. My husband and his family were a farm family,” Renee Alford said. “We never thought we’d go from around 40 to thousands of cows. We didn’t start out
with a plan — but here we are today.”
The business consists of four places actually.
“We have three milking facilities, dairy farms, and one heifer facility. I think we are right around 70 employees. That’s probably one employee to every 70 cows, give or take,” he said.
Bruce Gibson is also the president of the Oswego County Farm Bureau board. He came to the farm in 2015 after a career as a computer network engineer for a large IT company, he said.
The majority of the dairy’s farmland and livestock are in Oswego County.
The dairy is a member of the Cooperative Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) — the largest cooperative in the United States. There are somewhere around 12,000 dairy farmers that are the farmer owners of DFA. In the northeast it used to be called Dairylea, which merged with DFA.
Predominantly, the farm provides products in New York state to Hood, Chobani and Great Lakes Cheese in Adams. About 99% of all their milk goes to Great Lakes Cheese, Gibson said.
They had to dump a lot of milk at the start of the pandemic.
“It was hard — but it was hard for a real short time. It was really hard for a short time and then it was hard for
Locust Hill Dairy LLC represents about $60 million of investment in land, buildings, livestock and equipment. Annual revenues are about $30 million, a figure that fluctuates dependending of the price of milk. Most of business’ revenue is returned to the local business community in the form of payroll for 75 employees, purchased equipment, land leases, purchased feed, supplies, taxes and spare parts of all kinds.
the rest of the year, 2020,” Gibson said.
“What happened in 2020 for us was about a week we had to dump a tractor-trailer load of milk. That’s about 500,000 pounds of milk. In gallons that’s about 56,000 gallons. We dumped for a week,” he continued. “A lot of farms dumped for that first week of the shutdown. A lot of that was trying to figure out across the supply chain what the reality was going to be. The logistics people inside of DFA and the various processors, like Great Lakes, like Hood, like Chobani — they kind of made some guesses about what they needed to do. And, I think they turned out to be some pretty good guesses. As a result of that part of the pandemic we did have to reduce our milk output by about 20%.”
Since then, they are probably not back to where they produce all of the milk that they did pre-COVID-19 — but it’s not all that far off, he said.
A lot of production in Central New York for ingredients for like sour cream and yogurt — and to a certain degree milk and cream — they were geared toward institutional customers: restaurants, schools, universities, hotels and cruise ships. Those were the packaging sizes geared toward those size quantities; and not necessarily toward the consumer. Part of what was challenging in the first weeks of COVID-19 was figuring out that production needed to shift to the consumer from the institution.
ble as it needed to be. But I think that as a result of COVID, those processors are more in tune with things now,” he said. “I think that when a food system is put under that much stress, you’re going to figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are.”
“Day in and day out on the farm, life changed very little for the dairy farmer — or any farmer really. The cows need to eat every day. The cows need to be milked every day. The pandemic really didn’t matter much on the dairy,” he said.
Timothy and Renee Alford’s main hobby is quarterhorses. They participate in RCHA — Reining Cow Horse of America — attending several competitions throughout the season. This has given the couple the opportunity to travel to Arizona, Ohio, Oregon, Texas. Locust Hill Farm also hosts sanctioned US Cutting Horse Association events in the summer.
“It changed the milk production business — it changed dairy farming. COVID changed dairy farming probably forever. It changed how the supply chain works and it changed how processors think about their production systems,” he said.
Those processors worked very quickly to try to make those products that consumers could have delivered or picked up at the grocery store or curb side from the grocery store; as opposed to like 25-pound tubs of sour cream, he said.
“The industry wasn’t quite as nim-
Bruce Gibson and Brian Muto start out every morning at no later than 4:30, typically at the two largest dairies.
“We’re going from then right through 5:30 or 6 most days,” Gibson said. “Brian usually takes off Sundays and I have Saturdays off. One of the two of us is always around.”
“We really don’t quit. We’re at it 365 days a year. No time off for good behavior,” said Renee Alford, laughing..
The task of the morning is about getting set for the day, Gibson added. They do a shift change at 5 o’clock in
the morning. The day crew is probably 50 of the farm’s 70 employees. The other 20 are at night.
Probably the most significant task is getting the feed situation for the cows aligned.
“We make sure those 50 men and women know what they are doing that day. Because all of the cows — at all four facilities — are fed a specific diet depending on their needs; whether they are a dry cow or a milking cow. So we go through that information to make sure that our cows are taken care of,” he explained. “It is all very scientific. We make sure that our feeding software has the right information — up to date for that day’s feeding on all four operations.”
Today is “nutrition Monday.”
They have a nutritionist whose job is to create the diets for all of the animals. They test all of the feed they use — test it for nutritional content.
“And she literally writes a recipe for all of the cows. We have feeding software that that recipe gets entered into. For example, for a milk cow she writes a recipe that has how much hay they get, how much corn silage they get and so on,” he explained. “The other ingredients we put in there are cornmeal and they also get grains. There is typically protein in there and then we also add liquid whey — a nice source of sugar for the cow.”
Their feeding software puts that recipe on a little USB key a thumb drive and it is plugged into a feed chart and it tells the feeder: go to the corn silage and put in X number of pounds of corn silage and then go to the hay and put in exactly this much hay, go to the grain bin and put in X number of pounds of grain and then it tells you’re going to mix this mix for five minutes It tells the feeder to drive to ‘this pen’ and feed out exactly this many pounds to these cows.
“It’s all very, very highly controlled,” he said.
Every cow wears a FitBit on its foot. It IDs the cows for health information, like standing time, lying time and it also tells how many steps they take in a day.
“It builds a profile for that cow. If the cow’s behavior changes outside of the parameter of her normal, then we get notified — ‘this cow was lying down two hours more than she normally does,’ for example. The most common example is ‘this cow is 40% more active in terms of taking steps’ — that tells us she’s probably heat,” Gibson said. “We use that to generate alerts for the herdsmen to take a closer look at certain cows. The other thing, it identifies the cow when giving milk so we know what milking parlor stall she was in, what time the milker went on, what time it came off
One of the things the owners of Locust Hill Dairy want people to understand is that large farms in New York state are family farms.
“There really aren’t very many “corporate” farms in the U.S. and very few, if any, in New York. Our farm is large, but it is owned and operated by our family and our employee family as well. Our employees include a number of brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, and cousins. One of our milk truck drivers has a grand-nephew that works for us,” managing partner Bruce Gibson said.
Another myth is that large farms mistreat their livestock.
“That’s completely false. Our motto is ‘Cows come first.’ Every single thing we do on the dairy is to ensure the cows are content. Unhappy cows do not produce much milk. Happy cows make a lot of milk, he continued. “If you want to get yourself fired from Locust Hill Dairy, mistreat a cow or a fellow employee. The public doesn’t know it, but our farm, and most all dairy farms, voluntarily comply with, and exceed, a set of cow management protocols called F.A.R.M 4.0. FARM stands for Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. Our farms are audited periodically by our cooperative and independent auditors to ensure we meet all health protocol, training and documentation requirements. It’s a substantial amount of work, but it is important. We want consumers to know that we care deeply about our cows. If I am reincarnated as a cow — I want it to be at our farm.”
One of his least favorite myths is that there are antibiotics in milk, Gibson said.
“We test all our milk for antibiotics before it even leaves our farm. It’s tested three or four more times after it arrives at the processing plant,” he explained. “There are no antibiotics in milk.”
and how many pounds of milk she gave in between. It’s all closely monitored on a per cow basis. Thanks to modern technology, the [thousands of] cows are healthier these days than the first 40 that Tim started with years ago.”
The computer program keeps track of every cow and what’s going on with them. It tends to be used more for post mortem — when something goes wrong.
“If something gets messed up somewhere, this alerts us. For instance, something went wrong last night. I had to look at the video to figure out what it was. Someone didn’t unhook a sample. We draw a milk sample — but he didn’t unhook it before we washed the parlor,” Gibson said.
are able to make individual decisions about the health and well being of every one of these cows,” he explained.
The cows all get their hooves trimmed every year. Every cow, times four hooves — times twice a year — “that’s a lot of maintenance,” he said.
The cows are just being cows right now, said managing partner Brian Muto as we wandered past dozens that were eating their feed.
here yet?’” Gibson added.
“We keep pushing the feed up so they have a clean plate,” Muto said. “That’s made up of six or seven different ingredients. There’s a lot of straw in this diet (for the dry cows). The pregnant cow that isn’t milking doesn’t need the energy that a milking cow does. You want to fill her up, just get her the nutrients that she needs so she doesn’t get too fat.”
Milk produced by Locust Hill Farm is made into 13.5 million pounds of cheddar. The average American eats 10 lbs of cheddar per year, so milk from the local operation provides one year of cheddar cheese for 1.35 million people.
They now have so much information about each individual cow that they are actually managing these cows and treating these cows as individuals again, he added.
“It’s kind of like back when Tim had 40 cows when he first started. He knew every cow by name and he knew everything about every cow. Even though we have 5,000 cows we know everything about every one of those cows. So we
“That’s the sign of a content group of cows,” he said as the cows barely glanced at us.
“If they’re not content you’d hear them bellow. They are into their routine. This group gets fed every morning 10, 10:30. So if it gets to be 11 o’clock and this feed wasn’t here they’d let you know vocally. ‘Hey, why isn’t my feed
“We feed, between all the milking facilities, somewhere between 180 tons of corn and say somewhere around 75 tons of hay, 35 tons of cornmeal,” he said. “That all gets mixed together. All the groups have three water troughs. Some have more, depending on the number of cows.”
The only thing that interrupts the cows’ solitude is the periodic arrival of the cleaning truck. Muto described it as like a street sweeper or a Zamboni —but instead of cleaning an ice rink, it removes the waste from the barn. The cows don’t pay any attention to the noisy vehicle. They just go about their business.
“The cows are all so well behaved — they go to school,” Renee Alford
quipped.
The barns are reminiscent of an Iroquois longhouse. They are 700 feet long, Renee said.
Each contains upwards of 900 cows; there’s probably 1,000 head in each one, according to Alford.
Huge fans ensure the cattle are warm in the winter and not too warm in the summer. Newborns have their own area with a heated floor and a shelter where they can dry off.
Scores of cows wander down and take their place at the milking stations. Many more follow and patiently wait their turn. When the cows finish milking, the milker automatically kicks off and the cows head back down the barn as the new group takes up position. It’s a well choreographed daily ballet.
The dry cows have a red band affixed to their legs. That way, if one managed to make its way to the milking parlor they’d be spotted and returned to their rightful place.
The milk comes out of the parlor and is piped into the milk house, into a vat and eventually into a tanker. It’s never exposed to air. Computers keep track of how much milk each cow produces. Also, samples are taken during each milking to ensure quality. If any impurities are discovered, that batch is discarded.
All of the milking equipment is
Locust Hill Farm is nearing its 50th anniversary. The business was founded on Christmas Day 1975 by Timothy and Renee Alford, who remain principals in the operation.
Fifty years is young in some respects —some New York state farmers are six or seven generations on their land, according to Bruce Gibson, a managing partner.
However, 50 years is impressive when you consider that Tim and Renee Alford literally built this from nothing, he said.
Tim Alford does descend from a long line of dairy farmers, here and in England. However, when it came time to start the farm, they did it all.
The Alfords saved the money, bought the farm and cows and grew it themselves. The ability to adapt, take risks and change in a rapidly changing industry is what has made the dairy farm successful, according to Gibson.
cleaned after each session.
Towels are washed and dried in large washer and drier every day. “We use the towels to clean the udder before we milk the cows — before the milker goes on,” Alford explained. “It’s a little stimulation there to get them started.”
“It is a nutrient for our crops — it’s probably the most important nutrient that we have. And we actually don’t have enough manure to cover all of our acres,” Gibson said. “We are cropping directly or indirectly (we have a couple of farmers who crop some land for us) about 9,000 acres.
“So 7,000 acres of that is what we are cropping directly. Our crop team is doing the planting and harvesting and manure spreading etc. The other 2,000 we might supply some manure to those acres, but another farmer is custom growing those crops for us.”
It’s a complete cycle; cows produce the waste — it is used as fertilizer to help grow crops and then the cows eat that food, he explained.
What is the most important aspect for a farm this size?
Everything —it’s like a great big wheel — if one spoke breaks, the wheel doesn’t operate correctly, according to Gibson.
Tim and Renee realized in the early 1990s that the industry was consolidating and they felt that growing the business was going to be key.
This spirit of evolution continued when Brian and Amanda (Alford) Muto joined in 1990.
New York state was becoming the yogurt state and cooperatives were looking for milk supply. The four of them (Tim, Renee, Brian and Amanda) planned and executed an expansion that became North Ridge Dairy in Lacona.
The expansion took the farm from about 1,400 cows to 3700 cows.
After Gibson and his wife, Jessica (Alford), joined in 2015, in part to help complete North Ridge, two opportunities were presented to the farmers in the form of Deer Run Dairy and Morning Star Farm.
Having an ownership team with diverse personalities and skills allowed them to grow the business successfully.
Also, attracting and retaining the best team of employees in the dairy industry is essential.
The short answer, Gibson said, is that in modern agriculture you have to have the ability to adapt to adversity, change to meet it and have the stomach for risk. (SY)
Agriculture is a significant part of Oswego County’s economy, according to Joshua Vrooman, agriculture community educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Mexico.
The county’s multi-million dollar agriculture industry creates jobs, tax revenue and investment in the community. It also allows supporting industries like feed, fertilizer, equipment and other input dealerships to thrive.
Oswego County is home to 612 farms, 1,038 producers and 86,167 acres of farmland, Vrooman said.
It boasts abundant opportunities for direct marketing, allowing for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. The value of food sold directly to consumers has increased by almost 78% since 2012.
Cooperative Extension created a brochure: “The Economic Impact of Oswego County Agriculture.” It was updated in January 2022.
According to the brochure: County farms produce a wide
variety of products — including field crops, honey, maple syrup, Christmas trees, vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries.
Dairy farms in Oswego County manage more than 4,000 dairy cows combined. They generate roughly $15.5 million annually from the sale of milk.
Livestock production is another important sector of agriculture in the county. Beef cattle, sheep, sows and feeder pigs, goats, elk, alpacas and poultry are all raised on Oswego County farms — their annual combined sales value is more than $3 million, the brochure added.
The unique soil types and climate allow for a wide variety of agricultural production that impacts the economy. Some of the leading products are onions, apples, sweet corn, dairy, field crops and Christmas trees.
Farms in Oswego County also spend more than $35 million a year on farm production expenses, much of which goes into the local or regional economy.
than
For more information, visit: thatscooperativeextension.org/agriculture
To view the USDA Census of Agriculture data go to: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Full_Report/ Census_by_State/New_York/
It can be reviewed at the state or county level.
George Krul of Stoney Meadow Farm is a second-generation farmer.
Why is it called Stoney Meadow?
“Well, we are in Scriba,” he deadpanned. “It was my dad’s farm. I’m the second generation.”
His father’s name was Stanley.
“If you look up the definition of Stanley in the dictionary, the definition is ‘from the stoney meadow,’” he contin-
ued. “And, ironically, this is Scriba and there is nothing but stones here. That is the two reasons it is stoney meadow.”
The Scriba farm is a popular place for locals to purchase pumpkins and sweet corn.
“The weather has been fairly decent and the crop has been fairly good in recent years. Business — even with the pandemic — business has been good. I don’t do the farmers market. I
do everything direct sales, roadside,” he said. “Started doing this, I think, back in 1993. But it was my dad’s farm before that.”
Before they started growing vegetables in 1980, it was Krul’s Dairy before that, he pointed out.
“They bottled and processed milk. The dairy was right up here on the corner of 104 and City Line Road, across from Burritt’s. They delivered house to house back in the day, all around Oswego. They did that until 1979,” he said.
He’s pretty much a one-man operation. He doesn’t have any employees, “but family does help me out,” he added.
“I can’t get on my ground pretty much before May and my season ends on Halloween. I basically have a sixmonth season,” he said.
According to Krul, the toughest part is dealing with the weather. “You never know what it is going to do,” he said.
From putting the corn seed in the ground to harvest it takes about 70-75 days to harvest sweet corn.
Pumpkins take a little more than 100 days.
“A good year for pumpkins is when I am able to harvest enough pumpkins to sell all the way through Halloween,” he said. “I’ve had some good years as well as some bad ones. Pumpkins are greatly affected by the weather, insects, fungus and wildlife.”
“The best part is when it goes good and my customers —they’re the best part! I have people come looking for me to see when the corn is ready; I have a loyal following. Very good loyal customers, yes,” he added.
He has a day job. He works early mornings, usually getting done by noon.
“I farm in the afternoons and evenings. It can be a challenge to balance the two,” he said. “I only actively farm for six months of the year.”
“I will most likely be the last person to actively farm my family’s land,” he said. “The soil here on my farm is very rocky and heavy. Simply said, it is not good farm land for growing vegetable crops. I continue farming because it’s in my blood — I need to do it. My father would always say ‘you can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.’ I’m not sure what I’ll do when I quit farming. I would like to think I would always be doing it at some level.”
generation farmer: ‘I will most likely be the last person to actively farm my family’
Scott and Heather DelConte wanted to expose their children to farm life.
“We started Black Creek Farms as a small family farm in 2007 when we purchased nearly 100 acres and a homestead in Volney,” she said. “It was previously owned by the Talamo family. Our goal was to run a multi-purpose farm that would offer our children exposure to agriculture and farm life, something Scott and I had always hoped to make a reality.”
They began with a small poultry operation and a few pigs. As their children grew, so did the farm.
“We quickly expanded into beef and sheep, raising high-quality, classic-framed registered Hereford beef
cattle and heritage sheep breeds,” the former president of Oswego City School District’s board of education.
For several years, they participated in a conservation effort breeding CVM/ Romeldales, one of the rarest sheep breeds in the US.
“We enjoy the small frame Hereford cattle because they are efficient grazers, were easy for our children to handle when they were young and attracted buyers from across the Northeast,” she explained. “Our biggest market for our sheep and cattle was selling young, registered breeding stock. In addition to the livestock, however, we also started a roadside stand, selling pumpkins in season and honey.”
Her son, Joe, started an apiary to improve pollination in the family’s pumpkins, she said, adding, “We love having honey as a byproduct of that, in addition to increased pumpkin yields.”
Over the years, they have developed very sustainable practices that have served to improve the natural resources on the farm.
For example, they utilize rotational grazing, silvopasturing and manure management systems to improve the once nutrient-depleted soil on the farm.
They also allowed their children’s interests to open up new agricultural adventures.
“When the girls were interested in fiber crafts, for example, they purchased two alpacas that we enjoyed so much our oldest daughter, Danielle, bought Joe a llama a few years later!” she said. “As the kids have shown interest, we’ve dabbled meaningfully in swine, poultry, dairy, camelids, beef, fiber sheep, meat sheep, milking goats and meat goats — all of these endeavors have supplied our family with unending stories to tell and all have been completely jam-packed with opportunities for our family to learn and grow together.”
The farm has allowed the kids to understand the value of hard work, she added.
“As a family, we share all farm work. The kids, Scott and I start our days before sunrise doing animal chores and, even amidst sports, school and work commitments; understand that our days don’t end until all farm responsibilities have been completed,” she said.
In 2018, when Scott DelConte was elected to the Supreme Court, he had to leave the Black Creek partnership.
“Scott is still very involved with the labor around the farm and the older kids come home some weekends to also help on bigger projects. But he can no longer be involved in the business end of things — he is basically free labor!” she quipped.
“We don’t have any employees. Our farm has been a family affair and as kids have headed to college, so has our workforce. In response, we have systematically downsized the livestock breeding for now, overwintering only a handful of commercial beef cows, but have immediate plans to expand the apiary,” she said. “We are in a holding
pattern for the time being while the kids pursue their advanced educations. But the future of the farm and the direction we take as kids grow up and out will ultimately be a family decision.”
The kids have had the opportunity to participate with Oswego County 4-H and at the Oswego County Fair and “all of us have developed a passion for promoting agriculture in schools and in public settings,” she said.
Several years back, Nicole DelConte, now a junior at Cornell studying agriculture in society, started a beef donation program to provide the local food pantries, and therefore local families, with quality, farm-raised USDA beef —a commodity that is not often donated.
She started by just raising one dairy steer every 18 months for the program. With her brother willing to help, she expanded it to include a brood cow to supply calves. More recently, through a grant she received while at Cornell, she has expanded it further to include several local youth raising calves donated by local dairy farms for the purpose of meat donation.
“We’ve had good years and bad years,” Heather said. “One year, we literally had carp swimming in our pumpkin patch because we had such a rainy early summer! We lost all of our seedlings and had zero pumpkins to sell.”
Over the past 15-plus years, the family has spent the majority of its weekends together fencing, weaning and halter-breaking calves, shearing ewes, building cattle shelters, planting pumpkins and harvesting honey.
“Basically tending to the never-ending to-do list that inevitably exists on every farm, no matter how big or small. Incidentally, our dogs have had to also share the kitchen with orphaned lambs and brooding chicks,” she laughed.
No matter the challenge, the group effort has always made it manageable and “beyond enjoyable.”
“Farming through Oswego winters is especially arduous, as anyone can imagine, but springs come with new lambs and calves, chicks and hope of a productive season. The blessing of the lifestyle far outweighs the challenges. And that is why we do it,” she said.
Heather DelConte started Black Creek Farm with her husband Scott in 2007 so their kids would have exposure to agriculture and farm life. She says the farm has allowed her kids to understand the value of hard work.Joe Yardley operates Yardley Maple on county Route 64 in New Haven, continuing a decades old family tradition.
“The best time for tapping trees, depends on the weather, I guess. We typically tap at the end of January,” Yardley said. “You need the freezing nights and the thawing days. If we get a bunch of those in January and February, we’ll get some sap, if not…”
They can tap early. They use a tubing system; a closed system where a vacuum is always pulling the sap away from the tree, he explained.
“Since it is just me and sometimes my dad helping — it takes a while to tap 4,100 trees. We have to start out
early so we don’t miss out on the good run,” he said.
They tap hard and soft maples, sugar maples and red maples. You can tap any kind of maple, he said. The sugar maples typically have the higher sugar content. Sometimes the soft maples actually give you more sap.
The sap comes out if the tree as a solution — 98% water and 2% sugar. On average it takes around 45 gallons of sap to produce a gallon of syrup.
“That’s what they say; at 2% sugar content it takes about 45, 50 gallons,” Yardley said. “Our trees have a pretty low sugar content, so it usually takes 50 or 60 gallons.”
His dad and grandfather did it on a much smaller scale. “They never used the vacuum or reverse osmosis or any of that,” he said.
A couple of years ago, Yardley bought a monitoring system.
“We have an antenna at the sugar house and we have a bunch of transmitters throughout the woods at each of our main lines they all talk to each other,” he explained. “Each transmitter bounces a signal to the next one and the next one and so on down to the sugar house. I can check the vacuum on every part of the main line on a computer in the sugar house and also on my phone. If there’s a leak somewhere, I’ll know it immediately and roughly where it is. I know at least what main line has the leak on it.”
The vacuum helps you get a lot more sap. For each inch of vacuum that you create, you get between 5% and 7% more yield. Every time the vacuum drops there is a little bit of a leak somewhere that we want to find as quick as we can. It affects the whole system if there is a squirrel chew or if a branch falls, he explained.
Typically, at the beginning of the season is when you make your highest
quality syrup — the lighter syrup.
As the season goes on the days get warmer, the bacterium goes in; bacteria are part of what makes darker syrup. Also, how long it sits on the pan, the heat of the pan is what causes it to caramelize – start changing the color.
“We should be making 1,500 gallons a year. We added some more taps last year, about 500 more. We have been averaging 1,200 to 1,300 a year. But we should be making 1,500 now,” he said.
On March 7, they surpassed their total from last year of 1,133 gallons.
Yardley makes syrup, maple cotton candy, maple cream, maple sugar and maple candy.
“We do special events and make maple-covered almonds, peanuts and popcorn as well. We’ll have those for the Maple Weekend event (the last two weekends in March),” he said.
They have air injectors in the evaporators — tubes across the bottom of the pan that inject air into the evaporator while it is boiling and that helps to make lighter syrup. It just kind of lowers the temperature a little and helps make lighter syrup, Yardley explained.
“We concentrate it higher with the reverse osmosis machines. We run it through the R O machine and bring it up to somewhere around 22% sugar. So now it only takes us about four gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup,” he said. “We remove a tremendous amount of water from it before it goes to the evaporator and hit the pans. Less time on the heat, less time to caramelize, means we can make lighter syrup.”
Their biggest customer is a maple candy maker in New Hampshire, who needs white syrup.
“So we try to make syrup as light as possible. The more we make, the more he buys,” Yardley said. “You can make light syrup darker, but you can never make dark syrup lighter.”
Taste varies
Maple syrup is maple syrup — sort of. The sap comes from the soil and it freezes at night and pushes moisture up into the tree. It thaws during the day and falls back down.
“So the syrup flavor will actually change from farm to farm. You can go down the road and taste syrup that might have a little bit different flavor than mine, depending on the soil type, what’s in the soil,” Yardley explained. “Syrup can taste quite different depending on where you go. Even my syrup will change from year to year and even day to day. Like I said as the season goes on
you typically make darker and darker syrup —a more robust maple flavor the darker it gets.”
“I’ve been plucking away at it for years; 2012 was when we started putting the tubing out and we’ve added a little bit more every year since. The first year we set up tubing for around 1,200 trees. Now we are at more than 4,100. We just keep slowly adding over the years. We keep it up all year round; replace it as it needs it, as it wears out.
The squirrels, the porcupines, the deer, coyotes — they all gnaw on it every once in a while. But they usually get around it pretty good. You go out there and startle a deer, you can see them jumping over it and ducking under it. They run through it pretty quick.”
Joe Yardley with his kids at Yardley Maple in New Haven. The farm is on target to produce 1,500 galons of maple this year.more information, call 315-343-1545 or visit www. oswegocounty.org.
Agribusiness has been a critical industry sector in Oswego County throughout its history.
through COIDA that could assist eligible expansion and relocation projects in being more competitive.
As the county’s economy has evolved over time, many of the historic food processing agribusinesses that made Oswego County home — like Nestle Chocolate, Miller Brewing and Birds Eye — have moved on. But many of the agricultural assets that attract this industry remain, creating opportunities for new and existing businesses to hatch and grow.
These businesses include new craft breweries, wineries, organic farms developing their own product lines and food processing using local ingredients. Operation Oswego County, Inc. recognizes the importance of a strong agribusiness cluster and has developed several programs and initiatives to assist projects both financially and by promoting and marketing our unique agricultural assets.
Through OOC and the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (COIDA), there are several gap financing programs including the Manufacturing & Agribusiness Revolving Loan Fund, the Micro-Enterprise Loan Fund and the USDA Intermediary Relending Program, which could help agribusinesses acquire real estate, purchase machinery and equipment or finance working capital needs. There are also tax incentive programs in the form of a payment in lieu of tax (PILOT) available
Additionally, the staff at OOC can assist agribusinesses in identifying and applying for federal, state and local grant opportunities.
Here are some examples of agribusiness projects we have recently assisted and recognized.
• Maple Hollow Farm, in the town of Hannibal, constructed and equipped a milk plant to produce value-added dairy products. The “micro dairy” is up and running and they have received their NY Ag & Markets dairy license. They are currently featuring a selection of flavors of fresh cheese curd made with milk from their own Brown Swiss cows. Cheese curds, certified grown in NY maple syrup and certified grown in NY eggs are available for sale at the farm. The cheese curd can also be found at select local retailers. A NY state grown and certified grant of $50,000 was secured with the assistance of CNY Enterprise Development Corporation. Financial assistance also was provided through a National Grid grant and a COIDA micro-enterprise loan. The project created two jobs.
• Bella Fattoria, also in the town of Hannibal, expanded its agribusiness with a new 5,500 square foot winery and cidery operation. The facility includes a
‘Operation Oswego County, Inc. recognizes the importance of a strong agribusiness cluster and has developed several programs and initiatives to assist projects both financially and by promoting and marketing our unique agricultural assets.’AUSTIN M. WHEELOCK, Certified economic developer (CEcD), is the executive director of Operation Oswego County, Inc. For
production area, a tasting room, a small kitchen, cold storage and equipment storage. They have been producing hard cider since 2014. It can be found at local retailers, bars and restaurants under the Country Pickins brand. Bella Fattoria expects to launch a selection of wines as well as open their facility to the public this year. They will offer tastings of their products, as well as food from the onsite restaurant. Bella Fattoria uses local apples and grapes for the production of their ciders and wines. The project created six jobs. Financial assistance was provided by the COIDA, USDA and Pathfinder Bank.
• 6 Acres Farm Brewery was established in 2019, named after the six acres of land that the Behling Orchards farm originated on, in the town of Mexico. 6 Acres Farm Brewery was the first-place winner of the Next Great Idea 2021 business plan competition hosted by OOC. The brewing company, which produces fruit infused beer with locally grown fruit as well as New York state sourced ingredients, was begun as a home brewing passion by Jenna Behling and Denyel Busch. The $50,000 NGI prize was used toward scaling up the brewing capacity and development of the 5,000 square foot tasting room. The tasting room will be completed in 2023 and at full production the business will create 25 jobs.
• In 2012 Elizabeth and Richard Hamilton fulfilled their dream of opening a winery when they purchased 15 acres of land in Constantia, establishing
the Grace Tyler Estate Winery. In 2017, they were able to produce their first commercial batch of wine with their own harvested grapes and quickly sold out. Since then they have expanded their vineyards and production capacity to include several other vintages and have received over 25 awards in more than a dozen competitions. In 2022, Operation Oswego County awarded the Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award to Elizabeth and Richard Hamilton for enhancing the growing agribusiness and tourism industry on the north shore of Oneida Lake in Oswego County.
The agribusiness cluster is also supported by public sector investments in transportation and physical infrastructure. The Port of Oswego is an important strategic agribusiness asset, particularly for grain farmers and exporters. Less than a year ago, the port opened a state-of-the-art USDA-qualified grain testing lab as part of its Grain Export Center. The lab, which tests each load of grain delivered to the port, is operated in collaboration with SUNY Oswego, which staffs the lab with student interns learning alongside certified staff.
Farmers in and around Oswego County now have the ability to deliver their grain locally for testing and transportation, rather than trucking it to Ohio or Baltimore, saving them significant time and money. The port also has the ability to assist value added producers with their new foreign trade zone designation allowing companies to utilize the port to save on tariffs for raw materials
and finished products. The increased capacity for grain storage, testing and multimodal transportation by ship, rail or truck has turned the Port of Oswego into a hub for grain exports all over the world. The Grain Export Center was funded by a $15 million grant through the New York State Department of Transportation and a $250,000 grant from NYS Department of Agriculture for the lab equipment.
OOC and COIDA are also investing in strategic sites around Oswego County for industrial use including agribusiness. Land acquisitions and public infrastructure investments at the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park in the town of Schroeppel and the Airport Industrial Park in the town of Volney will support the attraction and expansion of multiple companies. The renovation of 800,000 square foot of privately owned space at the Riverview Business Park in the town of Volney with financial assistance from COIDA will be a regional asset for new business growth and it is well suited for manufacturing and agribusiness.
As you can see, support of the agribusiness sector is a clear priority of the county’s economic development strategy.
For more information on how OOC and COIDA can assist your agribusiness company, please contact Austin Wheelock at 315-343-1545 or by email at ooc@oswegocounty.org. You can also find more information at www. oswegocounty.org
There are always a lot of challenges for farmers — and you’ll probably get a different answer from every farmer you talk to, according to Audrey Donahoe, board president of American Dairy Association North East.
The mother of six is a fifth-generation dairy farmer in the Oneida County village of Clayville. She is the first female elected to serve as board president of American Dairy Association North East (ADANE).
Some of the common challenges facing farmers, she said, are:
• Weather: “We have a limited window to get out in the fields to plant
crops to feed our cows.”
• Increased costs: “It’s important to remember that first, almost all dairy farms are family-owned and operated — about 94% nationally — and care about providing the best products possible to families everywhere.”
The average U.S. dairy has around 300 cows.
Like other business owners, dairy farmers continually modernize and improve their facilities and methods to protect the environment.
“The look of the farm may have changed, but farmers’ values of providing high-quality care to their animals
and the land have not,” she added.
The introduction of products such as almond milk may actually be a boon for dairy farmers, she said.
“Honestly, I don’t see it as a bad, bad thing. It’s going to help the consumer better understand what the nutritional differences are between the milk and the alternate beverage,” she said. “We have such a well established nutrient package in cow’s milk and maybe it will actual be good for consumers to actually see that when they are reading the label versus what is on the label of these alternative beverages. I think at the end of the day, depending on the wording and how it turns out, it might be a good thing for dairy farmers.”
ADANE represents around 9,000 dairy farmers in a six-state region.
“All of us run our farms a little differently. Bottom line, dairy farmers like me are committed to our cows, our employees and our communities,” she said. “Every glass of milk contributes jobs, income and vitality to the community.”
Dairies support the economic well-being of rural America, she
explained, adding that every dollar spent locally by a dairy farmer creates a multiplier effect of more than 2.5 times the original dollar spent. Dairy farmers and dairy companies are local small business owners, parents, school supporters and active members of community organizations.
She wants to make consumers, who are typically far removed from agriculture and dairy farming, “aware of the amazing things we do on the farm to recycle, reuse and reduce our carbon footprint,” she said.
“My husband and I have a dairy farm. That’s our primary business. We sell milk; we do have some beef animals as well,” she said. “You have to diversify these days.”
The name of her farm, Atrass Farm, was created by using the first initial of her six children’s names. They are: Arnold, Thomas, Rich, Allison, Sam and Seth. That’s the first letter of each of her kids’ names in order of age, she explained.
The primary focus of ADANE is “what’s best for the farmers. Our key focus is what is going to sell more milk and what is going to move more of our product,” she said.
“We do a lot in schools, working with the kids — educating them on the health benefits of dairy and dairy products, the importance of having them in their diets and introducing them to all the delicious dairy products we have besides milk — like cheese and yogurt,” she said.
They also do a lot of work within retail grocery stores to help promote dairy products.
“We do a lot of other events like Fuel Up [with chocolate milk] after a workout and school programs with children; we promote healthy eating and exercising,” she said. “We want to promote the whole package for these children. It is important for them to eat right and it’s important to exercise.”
Currently, they are focusing on Gen-Z.
“How do we connect with them? They are our future consumers,” she said. “We have been using social media to connect with that generation.”
It’s a campaign she can relate to, as her two youngest are Gen-Z, she said with a laugh.
What’s her favorite way to enjoy milk?
“I love my milk — a thick, frosty chocolate milkshake. I’m just a diehard fan of chocolate milkshakes. Every day I could have one!” she said.
Providing Our Community with Wholesome Food, An Artistic Outlet, and Farm-To-Table Events on Forty Acres of Rustic Charm.
CSA Boxes Available For Families. Go to https://fortyrootsfarm.com/ for Details.
Assisting growers with marketing, identifying new business opportunities, and attracting new agriculture businesses
Providing nutrition education to county residents from preschool through their senior years
Cornell Cooperative Extension Oswego County www.thatscooperativeextension.org 315.963.7286 | oswego@cornell.edu
Organically grown produce and handmade
More farms are now offering experiences to consumers — visiting a farm for “u-pick” produce, farm tours, farm weddings and public events and concerts and direct sales to consumer
By Deborah Jeanne SergeantAlthough only 2% of the population farms — compared with 72% in 1820 — New York remains a state with a vibrant agricultural industry, ranking as a top producer of numerous farm commodities.
It is little surprise that consumer interest in farm goods has continued to grow, partly spurred by the disruption in the food supply chain during the pandemic.
“By and large the biggest trend I’m seeing is a desire for rich experiences,” said Maureen Ballatori, founder and
CEO of 29 Design Studio Branding and Marketing in Geneva and Rochester. “Those experiences could range from a tasting dinner at a restaurant to a special event at a winery, or a new beer release party. Consumers want more unique ways to interact with their local foods and beverages.”
29 Design Studio represents numerous clients in the farming and food and beverage industries.
These farm experiences also include visiting a farm for “u-pick” produce, farm tours, farm weddings
and public events on farms such as the concerts hosted by Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in Lafayette.
Ballatori also sees rising interest in certified organic and sustainable farming practices.
“From certified regenerative organic to certified upcycled, as farmers adopt these certifications, we’ll see more products on grocery store shelves carrying these symbols,” she said. “Retailers in Central New York and beyond have already started seeking out brands that pursue sustainability efforts like these.”
Another consumer preference is value-added products from farms. Consumers tend to view these items such as jam from a berry farm or pickles from a produce farm as both higher quality and a better deal. Value-added products also help farmers remain sustainable.
“We’re seeing more farms that have a bunch of produce leftover and they’re looking for something to do with it,” said Amanda J. Taranto, director of retail operations and marketing at Nelson Farms in Cazenovia. Not actually a farm in the conventional sense, Nelson Farms operates a store of local goods and an FDA-inspected kitchen facility is available for use through a shared use agreement. Nelson Farms also provides classes in food preservation.
“We’re seeing rising food costs in
grocery stores and people are turning to more cost-effective options,” Taranto said.
Farmers produce value-added products to avoid wasting surplus perishable produce and also to generate an additional revenue stream.
Josh Roman agriculture community educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension Oswego County in Mexico, has also “definitely seen an increase in direct farm to consumer sales. Between 2012 and 2017, we saw an increase of 120% in the value of farm products sold directly to customers in New York.”
Tapping into specialty products and farming practices — such as kosher or organic — has primarily been a trend among small farms. For example, a large apple orchard that trucks fruit nationwide could likely never grow pawpaws on a large enough scale to be profitable because the fragile fruit does not ship well. But a small farm selling pawpaws through a farmers’ market, farm stand or community supported agriculture program could likely do well.
These methods of acquiring food continue to grow as more people are interested in food resilience.
“During the pandemic, we were seeing the food system disrupted,” Roman said. “It was minimal in some cases, but there were more people who wanted to buy directly from farmers. Building food resilience is something the state is moving towards.”
Wars, weather, plant diseases and pests can also disrupt the food chain and that’s why Roman is seeing greater realization among consumers that they need to source locally, whether from their own gardens or from local farmstands.
Extension has seen an uptick in interest in its Master Gardener Programming in which consumers can learn more about how to be successful growers.
Another trend is more government investment in locally sourced food. New York recently announced investing $700,000 to improve farmers’ markets statewide and bolstering its Farm to Institution program to tap into the $419
million K-12 schools and $150 million public universities in the state spend on food. Schools and other institutions buying food who spend at least 30% of their food budget on goods from New York farms receive incentives from the state as to the amount of food dollars they receive.
In addition to selling directly to consumers and to institutions, farmers are also selling more to restaurants and through their own restaurants, breweries and wineries.
Lindsay Raychel, media and content strategist for Visit Syracuse, noted examples such as Eden Restaurant in Syracuse, which “is purely focused on local food, brewers and distillers,” she said. “We’re home to 20-plus breweries that use their own or locally grown hops. Last Shot Distillery has almost everything from grains to bottles to casks that’s all local.”
Patrons are looking for an entire experience and these establishments strive to provide it. Raychel mentioned The Whiskey Coop, slated to open in May, which will serve local maple and local grassfed beef.
“It’s whiskey–fried chicken spot,” Raychel said. “That’s something new and different.”
Last Shot Distillery also locally sources ingredients. Farm breweries like Buried Acorn FLX at Stone Bend Farm in Newfield has a 4,200 square-foot greenhouse, in addition to farm brews and locally sourced food.
Raychel added that ONCO Fermentations’ Heiberg Maple Amber Ale is made with maple syrup from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
“They also partner with Old Fly Farm in Fabius every year on a Beer plus CSA,” she added. “Old Fly will be growing their lettuce, basil, tomatoes and other vegetables for their in-house kitchen run by ONCO owners Brian and Erin Bullard. Their L.A.B. Blend Two Wild Ale won gold in a New York state competition last year. It’s made with local blueberries and cherries. Finally, ONCO made a pilsner called ‘Not Complicated’ and it was brewed with grain from Springer Hill Farms in Lafayette.”
In addition to giving consumers the satisfaction of supporting local farms, businesses buying local can use the freshest ingredients and possibly enjoy a savings over goods shipped from great distances.
By Stefan Yablonski
As the young country of America began to move west, Cooperative Extension was born to help facilitate that growth.
Professors from Cornell University would take trains to the new frontier and help settlers solve problems.
“Eventually, the cost of the program became problematic. The Land Grant University System was put into place. Every state in America has a universi-
ty or college that functions as a Land Grant site,” said Paul A. Forestiere II, executive director of Oswego County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension. “Here in New York it’s Cornell; in New Jersey it’s Rutgers —University of Michigan, University of Florida — all of those universities have a responsibility to provide information to the people of their state so that their questions can be answered. Abraham Lincoln is the
father of the Land Grant University system. He signed the law that changed America.”
The Land Grant system is an educational partnership between county, state and federal governments.
Each county’s Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer, governed by an elected board of directors and is responsive to county government with general oversight from Cornell University. All associations work to meet local needs as well as state and national goals.
Professors stayed at the university, did the research and passed their findings along to a group of people who went out and taught others. That group was Cooperative Extension.
There is a Cooperative Extension in every county. The organization has also expanded into some other countries.
In 1912, a state statute established associations as subordinate government agencies, and further legislation the next year provided funding to support the system of county extension associations.
A state law brought extension into being in 1912 — the federal law was the following year in 1913.
In 1913, Cooperative Extension started in Oswego County.
The very first county to get Cooperative Extension was Broome County.
“They were all alone — it was Broome and Broome back in 1912. They had the very first extension agent in the state of New York,” Forestiere said.
The last county to go was around 1960-something.
“There were a couple holdouts for quite a while,” he said. “There were some counties, I guess, that just didn’t see the value in it.”
“It’s our job to take information — information that we know is tried and true — and share it,” he said.
There are more farms in Oswego County than people realize. There are 612.
If you look at the census for New York, farms are declining (Ag census is every five years, most recent being 2017).
New York is declining; it’s not just Oswego County, he pointed out.
The number of consolidation is part of the reason for the overall decline.
There are still a lot of farms all over Oswego County. Beef and dairy, orchards and muck farms. If you look
at the county, maple, beef, Christmas trees, fruits and vegetable are expanding —dairy is not.
“We don’t do anything for anybody. We’ll teach you how to do it — but we don’t do it for you. Cooperative Extension’s mission is to educate the masses; education that takes place outside of the classroom. That’s what we do; we educate, real world, real time,” Forestiere said. “This is what it’s all about.”
Cooperative Extension enables people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work. Extension staff and trained volunteers deliver education programs, conduct applied research and encourage community collaborations.
Educators connect people with the information they need on topics such as commercial and consumer agriculture; nutrition and health; youth and families; finances; energy efficiency; economic and community development; and sustainable natural resources. Their ability to match university resources with community needs helps CCE play a vital role in the lives of individuals, families, businesses and communities throughout Oswego County.
“We run the agriculture program, we run the 4–H program and we run a human ecology program — which is a fancy way of saying nutrition, heath and safety education,” he explained. “We partnered with the county health department to do what’s called the healthy families New York program.”
Oswego County 4-H celebrated its centennial year from October 2021 to October 2022.
It provides youth with fun handson educational experiences that will help them develop life skills such as confidence, leadership, cooperation and responsibility. It also provides adults the opportunity to grow through working with youth.
The Oswego County 4-H owns and operates the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center near Williamstown.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County also offers a number of educational programs on health and nutrition for every age group. Programs are available in group, or in some instances, one-on-one settings
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County’s mission is to interpret, disseminate and deliver research-based information and knowledge on issues relevant to Oswego County youth, individuals, families, farms, small business, and communities and further, to contribute to improving the quality of life through education and empowering volunteers and staff to lead, guide and teach. Program areas of particular importance to Oswego County include agriculture, youth development, human ecology and natural resource management.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County is located at 3288 Main St. Mexico, New York. It’s open from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more information on any program, call 315-963-7286 or visit oswego@cornell.edu
For any arts organization to survive nearly a half-century, at least two threads are important: a focus on community and a willingness to evolve.
badour Peter Mulvey to Grammy-nominated bluesman Guy Davis and many flavors in between.
These are both true of the Oswego Music Hall, which continues providing entertainment, opportunities and a sense of belonging in the Roy C. McCrobie Building in Oswego on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario.
Mark Wahl has seen and, often in succeeding decades, led the changes since the organization’s informal origin in the 1970s.
The official story dates its beginnings to Richard Reinert opening a coffeehouse venue known as the Lowlife Cafe in 1976 in the building most known today for housing Old City Hall.
Performing in what became known as the Market House Music Hall, the movement coalesced into its official organization, the Oswego Music Hall, in 1979.
“In its days before its incorporation, I was in that community of people that performed back then and hung out,” Wahl recalled. “It was a casual type thing where people stood up and did a piece.”
Those roots — the casual nature, the sense of invitation and inclusion — continue as part of the organization’s DNA even as it has grown and diversified its offerings.
The Oswego Music Hall is perhaps best known for its National Stage, which brings a variety of performers who have developed a buzz in musical circles — which this year ranged from Sawyer Fredericks (winner of the eighth season of NBC’s “The Voice”) to the bluegrass and Celtic fusion of The McKrells to folk trou-
That lineup of national headliners every other Saturday night during fall, winter and spring dates back more than 40 years. “I was fortunate to be involved with some of the icons of the early music scene,” Wahl notes, recalling such influential luminaries as Dave Bromberg, Greg Brown, Tom Rush, Dave von Ronk, Utah Phillips and many more bringing their talents to Oswego.
The layout offers a homey, coffeehouse vibe. Walk into the McCrobie Building’s ballroom, and you’ll find a layout dominated by round tables with small candles on them. Refreshments, especially before COVID-19, offered baked goods and other items at prices that are reasonable.
If necessary, organizers can move in more chairs and fewer tables if a show is expected to draw larger numbers. Wahl said the ballroom could hold up to 200 if needed, but however large the crowd attending, the ambience remains an intimate one enjoyed by performers and audience members alike.
An estimated 19,000 volunteer hours make it happen, working on everything from professional-level technology and logistics to setting up and taking down the venue.
“We’ve got some wonderful volunteers that put in a lot of work for a good cause,” Wahl said. “That kind of thing is one of the true secrets to feeling good about your life, where you take your time and devote it to something good. When you can find something that is meaningful to devote to that helps others, you feel like your valuable time is well spent.”
TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.
‘The Oswego Music Hall is perhaps best known for its National Stage, which brings a variety of performers who have developed a buzz in musical circles.’
A decade ago, the organization went back to its roots by adding Friday open mics the evenings before the national shows. A Central New York performer serves as host, helping to bring in their own fans, complementing a loyal core of local singer–songwriters and other performers.
“It adds interest to the game and we have a community that really likes to perform there,” Wahl said. “They get professional sound, they get a stage with great lighting and it’s a great listening room. It’s economical and smart.”
A recent Friday featured a range of talent — those who have been performing for decades, newer and emerging singer–songwriters and even 14-year-old blues–rock phenom Mira Grimm who would introduce current originals as well as ones she wrote “back in middle school about middle school drama.” That evening’s host, local favorite Marc Warner, let everybody play three songs and then offered everybody
an opportunity to play a couple more if they wanted.
The Music Hall also offered an additional spotlight for singer–songwriters by launching The Hook series in 2015.
“I wanted to do this new program, with songwriters going round robin,” Wahl said. “After a year as a pilot, it was pretty well adopted. It’s very well accepted by performers. Every performer would bring an entourage and their fans.”
The vitality of the regional scene has been the main planning impediment to it, in terms of scheduling.
“To get three people on a stage on a given date and do it multiple times throughout a season is a challenge,” Wahl said, crediting “some really great directors over the years.” Oswego-based performers John McConnell and Cam Caruso currently coordinate the series.
As a grassroots cultural organization, the Music Hall often relies on
funding from partners like the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). In addition to financial support, NYSCA tries to ensure organizations are reaching broader audiences and aiming for inclusion.
“One thing desired not only by us but by granting agencies like NYSCA is diversity,” Wahl said. “We should be learning about the bigger picture and introducing ourselves to really cool stuff we don’t know much about.”
A NYSCA suggestion led to what Wahl and others find an exciting development, the Guest Curator Series that launched in 2022. The first year of the program saw two successful installments in the FIRE (Females Inspire Rock Inspire) Festival, coordinated by CNY performer Jess Novak, and the Jazz by the Lake Series, curated by David Kasper.
The FIRE Festival featured not only a stellar daylong lineup of female singers but vendors showcasing women-owned businesses.
“All of a sudden we’ve become more aware of some great women artists
in the area, mixed it in with other art,” Wahl said. “And for the jazz series, Dave [Kasper] knows all about jazz all over New York state, and many of the great jazz players in our proximity.”
It provides a win-win in terms of fresh ideas, funding worthy efforts and providing fresh options for audiences.
“You find the curator, let them spin a great idea, figure out how you’re going to help them do it,” Wahl said. “Through this program, we’re seeing ideas that generate from outside our own board. It can bring new and younger audiences. It’s healthy for us, it expands our community. It brings to our stage a program that someone else directs and all we do is coach them.”
While Wahl has rotated off the board, and remains involved as a volunteer, he’s excited about the people still on it, including the new board president, his wife Ellen. “She’s a far better administrator than I am,” he said.
He’d love to see the organization strengthened by providing salaries or stipends to some key positions to complement the strong core of volunteers.
The technical aspects of the venue
continue to get better. “Through money from Shineman Foundation and other places, we’ve graduated to a larger and more professional sound, better lighting, and we’ve gone digital for sound and lighting,” Mark Wahl said.
“The better our tech is, the better the performance, the better the audience can hear it, the better the reaction, which improves the performance even more,” Wahl said. “It’s a circle. When it all works right, they all deserve the standing ovation, as does the tech crew.”
He also noted the Music Hall has developed a great relationship with SUNY Oswego for interns who learn how these events run while also bringing their technical skills to the table.
Wahl also credited Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow and his administration for being great partners in the city-owned building, which includes making some additional space available.
“The city has been really supportive through Mayor Barlow and that administration,” Wahl said. “They have been fabulous. We’re working with them for a room for upstairs events in the McCrobie Building. A place we can have jams, artist receptions and events when we don’t have the main space. We can have lessons, we can have meetings.”
In addition to upcoming shows from country/folk/rocker Jonathan Byrd (April 15) and family folk act The Burns Sisters (April 29), one thing that organizers and fans alike look forward to is the seasonal grand finale in May, which this year features dynamic folk duo Annie Sumi and Travis Knapp on May 13.
The finale is more than a concert; it’s another opportunity to bring together the sense of community that this (or any) conversation with Wahl will come back to regularly. It includes a buffet dinner and time for volunteers and fans to have one more big gathering before the busy summertime event schedule draws them in various directions.
Whatever evolutions come as the organization approaches 50 years of music, Wahl knows that the sense of community and the vibrant volunteer force will keep things going.
“We have a community of people who like to be part of it, who like to make it happen,” Wahl said. “Along the way, they realize: ‘This is ours. We’re making this happen, and I’m important in the process.’”
For more information, visit oswegomusichall.org.
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Providence Services offers 17 shuttles to work during the week and six on weekends. Most are filled to capacity
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
It’s a frustrating catch-22: you need a job to afford a car and you need a car to get a job.
That’s where Syracuse-based Providence Services of Syracuse Inc. steps in, providing low-cost door-to-door transportation for workers.
“The problem isn’t getting a job, it’s getting there,” said Deborah Hundley, Providence Services president. “Most people trying to get jobs that pretty much anyone can do can’t get there on time or even get there. They have no way to get home.”
Many people just starting out—or starting over—work jobs that have erratic schedules, which makes taking public transportation difficult sometimes. Many of these positions sporad-
ically require staying late or working double shifts. This effect is especially complicated for those who must pick up their children from a sitter or daycare and deliver them to a relative or school and then dash back to work.
“Some people on our shuttles are in tears as they had been spending twothirds of what they’re making getting to and from work on Uber,” Hundley said. “They’re not really making anything. We try to put people in a better position so they can feed their family and save some money instead of paying for Uber and then they can get a car. They don’t want to be on the dole, but there’s no way for people to get to and from work.”
Walking or riding a bike may help people who live near enough their
workplace, but weather and safety can make these less-than-ideal choices. Hundley knows a man in Syracuse who would ride his bicycle 10 miles at night to work and back, regardless of weather, because that was his only option.
Sometimes, riding with coworkers may help supply transportation. However, that doesn’t always meet the need as workers must to find someone who lives close enough and who is willing to give them a lift.
“We want everyone to have a job and they want a job, but it’s not put together in a way that the pieces will actually work the puzzle,” Hundley said. “It’s hard for companies, too. We try to help get people to jobs and have companies that pay for the transportation, so they help people going to work. Everyone loves it. The workers know that someone will be at their house and taking them home at this time, even if they’re 20 minutes later working, they know they’ll get home.”
Providence’s drivers operate six vans, each of which can carry six passengers. It offers 17 shuttles during the week and six on weekends. Most are filled to capacity. Typically, she tries to arrange rides so that each van transports workers to the same or close by workplace. After their shift, a van picks them up and delivers them home. It costs $40 each way to transport up to six workers, which is less expensive and for companies than paying for rideshares.
Hundley founded Providence in 2009 as a response to the lack of transportation solutions for immigrants and others just starting out.
“Nobody believed that was the problem,” she said. “I bought the van. I had a driver. And we started picking up people that really needed transportation to be able to have a job.”
Over time, grants helped her purchase more vans to build her small fleet and offer more rides. As a nonprofit, Providence doesn’t have to pay for taxi insurance, but its plan is more costly than standard car insurance.
Initially, Providence tried picking people up from a congregant setting, but the bus stop model was not as effective as going to their homes, since getting to the pick-up point required walking in bad weather and sometimes potentially unsafe conditions. Providence has assisted 750 riders since its inception.
“If we’re not doing this, there’s no hope for people struggling to get to and from work,” Hundley said. “What we do is so important.”
Led by Mary Curcio, the 10 or so volunteers at Victory Transformation in Oswego offer a “hand up, not a handout,” Curcio said.
Since 2010, the faith-based nonprofit has helped people who struggle with critical needs like housing and food. Up to 12 men stay at the organization’s temporary housing for about 35 to 40 days at a time, which provides a safe, comfortable place to stay as they learn life skills they may lack. Volunteers help with paperwork such as HUD applications, nondriver identification and bank deposits.
“Our goal is to get them in housing and job. and help them learn how to manage income and how to keep a job,” Curcio said. “Hopefully they can move
out and stay self-supportive. Some do well; some don’t.”
Her matter-of-fact manner attests to her realization that not every case results in the ideal outcome of living sober and independently. Nonetheless, every success story means one less person living on the street and that makes it all worthwhile.
“The homeless situation is a priority in Oswego County,” Curcio said. “Some of it is due to the opioid crisis. A lot of people are struggling with that. We work closely with the Department of Social Services. The men have to do housing and job logs. They do an individual plan to get them ready to leave the house.”
Victory also helps women who
need shelter in a safe house by assisting them in finding a place as well as guidance in finding employment.
“People need to know they can come here for help,” Curcio said.
Victory offers an opportunity for those lacking housing to shower and wash their laundry, both of which are difficult needs to meet while homeless. Victory also provides food to homeless
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"Supporting communities throughout Oswego County"
people and to those staying in the warming shelter funded by Oswego County. Two monitors oversee the shelter, which operates when the windchill is 32 or lower. As many as a dozen people stay in the shelter on frigid nights.
The organization operates the volunteer-run Roadhouse Café using mostly food donated by churches and individuals as a fundraiser and to provide low-cost meals to the community. Victory also gives away clothing, linens and housewares to people who need help in starting over.
Victory also seeks to meet spiritual needs with prayer in the Healing Room on Tuesdays and Bible studies on Wednesday nights, both open to the community, along with spiritual mentors for participants in their program.
Curcio hopes to open another warming shelter in Pulaski or perhaps Sandy Creek. She also wants to either obtain a headquarters that is ADA compliant or bring the current building up to compliance.
“We don’t have family housing; that’s something we could look at,” she said. “One of our biggest needs is to provide a van. The men may need a prescription filled, go to Social Services.
There are bus passes, but the times might not be the most convenient for getting to work.”
Victory operates with the proceeds from the care, church donations and fundraising events.
“The one thing I’ve seen is people who volunteer here work very, very hard and they’re very dedicated,” Curcio said. “The staff really care; that’s why they’re here.”
The healthcare industry has struggled with a shortage of doctors, a situation worsened by the number of baby boomers retiring and the increasing healthcare needs of that population cohort.
The pandemic only exacerbated the issue with skyrocketing needs and providers quitting because of burnout.
Local hospitals strive to both attract and retain physicians to remain adequately staffed.
At Oswego Health, the in-house recruitment team works with national firms to create a larger pool of applicants.
“In addition, we work hard to ‘sell’ the community as much as the health
system and we are very fortunate to have Billy Barlow on our team, who still is serving as part-time mayor of the city of Oswego,” said Kristen Denick, director of provider relations and recruitment at Oswego Health. “He often meets with our physician candidates and can personally share the renaissance of the area and provide insight on what’s to come.”
Some roles are harder to fill than others.
Denick said that specialties can be tough since most of their training programs are in large cities. This creates a familiarity that providers can be loathe to leave. Physician areas that Oswego Health has consistently found difficult to staff include anesthesia, psychiatry and primary care and family medicine. Denick said that these roles were hard to fill even before the pandemic.
Promoting the positive working environment is one way that Oneida
She is involved with the recruitment
doctor.
hard
The findings of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ 2021 report — “The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2019 to 2034” — projects a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care doctors and up to 77,100 specialists for a total of 125,100. The organization further stated that if every person had ideal access to providers, the number of additional doctors required to care for the population would swell to 184,000 doctors.
Since 1881, Oswego Health has been committed to providing safe, accessible, quality care in the region. Over the past decade, Oswego Health has focused on expansion of services making access to local healthcare a priority and recently was awarded $9.6 million in grant funding to further expand primary care services and improve clinical communication workflow.
As a result of two NY state transformation grants, Oswego Health received $9 million to support primary care expansion and $600,000 to invest in an intelligent ecosystem that will directly connect staff and information needed while delivering patient care.
Health tries to draw doctors.
Kevin Prosser, a media relations professional and part of the recruitment committee at Oneida, said that high patient satisfaction is one metric emphasized to potential candidates, along with quality of life.
“We often leverage that we’re 30 minutes from Syracuse, along with outstanding public and private schools,” Prosser added. “We’re a short drive to New York City, which appeals to many.”
Of course, remuneration and benefits also matter, especially when considering working at a more rural hospital. But Prosser said that benchmarking to remain competitive has helped Oneida.
“Every contract is unique to some degree; but many are the same benefits we offer all employees, including health, life, disability, vision and dental,” he said. “Continuing education credits is another benefit. Lifestyle and life-work balance is something we’re conscious of, especially of on-call positions, like obstetrics.”
Word-of-mouth is a primary means of attracting doctors to Oneida, as well as provider websites and recruiting agencies.
“Broad marketing for providers is not typically a good method related to return on investment unless it’s a provider-based publication,” Prosser said. “There’s a difference between pipeline to fill many positions and filling one
particular position. If it’s one, it’s about trying to identify those individuals who you’d picture coming into that role, it may be a direct mail piece or networking.”
For filling numerous roles of the same type, such as staffing several orthopedic positions in an orthopedic practice, engaging with orthopedic colleges can help Oneida snag several new grads.
Online marketing tools can target the audience Oneida wants to reach. But good, old-fashioned networking can also help tap doctors who are not actively looking for work. One of the effects of burnout and pandemic-related organizational shifts is that previously content providers may be willing to consider working elsewhere with the ideal enticement that suits their needs. Those who are not currently looking for work may be motivated to consider working elsewhere with the right environment and opportunity. And these tend to be candidates that typically would not often change roles.
“You may get them at the right time when they’re willing to change,” Prosser said. “The opportunity to recruit providers is better than ever.”
Upstate Medical University, St. Joseph’s, Crouse and Auburn hospitals did not respond to requests for an interview.
“I am so thankful to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for supporting the transformation of healthcare in New York State,” said Oswego Health President & CEO Michael C. Backus. “This money comes at a great time strategically as Oswego Health looks to expand services to better serve the needs of our community and support our nursing care teams technologically.”
Oswego Health currently has six primary care locations and employs 17 primary care providers throughout Oswego County. Before applying for the grant, Oswego Health analyzed the community’s need for healthcare services by conducting a community needs survey. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents reported that they travel outside the county for healthcare services. The access to health care indicator reports the percentage of adults aged 18 and older self-report that they do not have at least one person who they think of as their doctor or health care provider. This indicator is relevant because access to regular primary care is important to obtaining preventive healthcare and avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.
Utilizing the $600,000 grant, Vocera, the industry leading platform for clinical communication and workflow, will be deployed throughout Oswego Hospital, Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness and Seneca Hill Manor. This clinical communication technology will optimize patient and staff safety and is proven to obtain a more complete picture of a patient’s situation faster.
Kristen Denick, director of provider relations and recruitment at Oswego Health: of “We work to ‘sell’ the community as much as the health system,” she says.Of the many truths underscored by the pandemic, the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce represents a benefit to every company. Many CNY employers are going beyond the typical health, dental and vision benefits to offer their workers more.
NBT Bank, for example, provides an employee assistance program for workers who may need help with finding mental health and wellness resources, vacation planning and other information. Benefits include a
discounted gym membership accepted at more than 10,000 gyms nationwide.
“Our Wellness Counts committee creates several additional opportunities throughout the year to support employees around the four pillars of wellness: financial, emotional, physical and social,” said Karen Bolcavage-Colosi, NBT Bank’s director of total rewards.
These include financial webinars, guided meditation and yoga events. The group also hosts an annual virtual health and wellness week that offers
interactive and informational sessions for employees on a variety of topics such as ergonomics, healthful lifestyle and weight loss, healthcare literacy and grief services.
“We truly mean it when we say our employees are our greatest asset,” Bolcavage-Colosi said. “That is why we strive to expand on the resources provided and continuously cultivate an environment that enables everyone to feel safe to be their authentic self.”
Of course, health benefits are important at Oswego Health and anyone on the health plan has no out-of-pocket costs for imaging, diagnostics, blood work and primary care.
Employees at Oswego Health participating in the wellness initiative can receive up to 35% discount on their premium. The health system also promotes wellness among employees’ families by providing benefits to the dependents in the home, whether the employee is full-time or part-time. These benefits include mental health
support, financial coaching, grief and trauma support, and information on resources for legal issues.
Providing a wide array of benefits helps Oswego Health as a business.
“If we can reduce anxiety in their personal life, it makes them more productive as an employee,” said Marquand “Marq” Brown, vice president of human resources and chief people officer at Oswego Health. “Proactively, if we see an employee is having a tough time, we let them know that these resources are there for them. We’re recognizing that at work.”
Checking in with employees and having directors periodically join a shift alongside employees helps Oswego Health identify and rectify issues. Raising morale with a food truck event, treat trolley or a hot chocolate or coffee bar has also helped.
“We like to do that if an area is very busy and there’s a higher level of stress,” Brown said. “These provide a boost to employees and give leaders a
direct, in-person opportunity to see how employees are doing. If we find things as a leader, we can point employees in the right direction. Or tell them it’s OK to take a break.”
The employee newsletter helps remind employees of important health screenings and share wellness tips.
“You have to look at it holistically: mental health and physical health,” Brown said. “You have to help employees navigate through potentially difficult times personally and professionally.”
Addressing mental and physical health has also been a high priority at Loretto. The organization maintains employee coaches to help workers with finding resources for issues such as transportation, housing, childcare, food insecurity and diapers.
Since many frontline workers have never worked elsewhere, they may also need help in resolving conflict and mitigating stress.
“Through the employee assistance program, they have easy access to wonderful mental health services,” said Michelle Cuttler, who was employed as an employee coach and now also serves as manager of retention at Loretto. “Anytime something is going on, they can reach out to a certified mental health professional.”
She has used the resources on the
employee assistance program website to assist employees with symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety and sometimes that leads to calling a professional for individualized help.
Loretto started a walking club during the pandemic, both as a safe way to connect and to promote mental and physical health. Employees receive a discount on YMCA membership.
The organization also hosts biennial visits from a mammography van from Upstate Medical University.
“Employees don’t take the time off they need to take care of their health,” Cuttler said. “By bringing it here, they don’t have to take time off from work. I did hear from an employee who had been putting it off and they did find something.”
The Loretto social media platforms helps Cuttler pass along encouraging messages as well as health information. She personally checks in with employees as a follow-up when they have been struggling.
“A paycheck is essential, but in talking with employees over the years, it’s not always about the paycheck but how they’re connecting on the job and how life events affect them on the job,” Cuttler said. “If you don’t address those, they won’t have a job. We have to help them navigate those struggles so they can do well on their job.”
Karen Bolcavage-Colosi, NBT Bank’s director of total rewards: “Our Wellness Counts committee creates several additional opportunities throughout the year to support employees around the four pillars of wellness: financial, emotional, physical and social.”Diane Cooper-Currier’s life has been all about helping others.
“As any kid, I had a list of job ideas — a music therapist, lawyer, CSI, probation officer, criminal researcher, statistician, analysist,” she said.
So, why did she finally decide on a career at Oswego County Opportunities?
“Is there any other?” the head of OCO quickly replied. “Initially, I thought I wanted to be in the legal field of some sort — a criminal investigator, lawyer, cop. Through college internships, I found that what I liked was building relationships with people who were struggling and helping them see their value and a different way of responding to their personal challenges.”
Every summer when she was growing up, her family hosted inner city youth.
“Our rural life was a big difference for some. I often found myself being a ‘coach’ — helping them adjust to the difference that maybe acting a particular way in their own home or neighborhood was OK, but that wasn’t how it was in our home and neighborhood,” she continued.
During college, she worked as a construction laborer at Eastman Kodak. It was a summer job. ”I worked with the electricians, millwrights and the masons. I was in the best shape of my life then,” she laughed.
“It was not a common position for a young woman at that time. I learned a lot about how to swing a hammer and hold my own in a male-dominated field!” she added.
After graduating from the University of Maryland, she went to work for a therapeutic wilderness school in Strasburg, Virginia.
“I worked with young women who were placed there as an alternative to juvenile lock-up. We lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains in a self-contained camp, providing experiential based learning by building living structures, planning meals and planning wilderness trips for the participants throughout the East Coast,” she said. “This was my first job in human services and it was a learning experience — I probably learned more about myself and how best to intervene and work with youth who had experienced significant trauma in their life.”
She left Virginia and moved to the Adirondacks and became a youth conservation corps leader for a summer before taking a job with St. Lawrence County as a house parent in a group home for young women placed there through family court.
“It was another intense, learning experience and opportunity to impact the lives of young people,” she said.
“From there, I moved to Oswego County [in 1984] and took my first job with OCO as a house supervisor for a group foster care home for adolescent females. From this initial position with OCO, my job expanded to developing the first runaway and homeless youth program in Oswego County, becoming the director of youth services, to OCO’s training and performance coordinator, deputy executive director, to my current position as executive director,” she said.
How did she attain her current position?
“Through hard work, dedication to serving others, expanding my learning and education; staying abreast of new effective ways of working with others and learning about myself, taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves along the way and being open to change and new opportunities,” she explained.
“Suffice it to say, I have been in the human services field for a long time! I have been executive director [at OCO] since 2008,” she added.
Her duties are many.
“You name it!” she said. “Developing strategy and vision, problem solving, resource development and acquisition to help staff serve our customers.”
She describes her leadership style as “relational.”
“I draw on the strength of relationships to motivate, manage challenges and support change. I love the quote “Decide with the head, deliver with the heart.” I got in to human services to make a difference and I rely on building relationships to do this — whether it is with a young person in crisis, an employee or a community partner,” she explained. “My Achilles heel is when I have to work with someone who doesn’t care about relationship and is all business and proceeds with decisions that do not take into consideration the ‘people part’ of decisions. I’ve immersed myself in opportunities to develop my business acumen — how to think more strategically pertaining
lot of thoughts about
formal date, yet but I am preparing for the eventuality of this,” says executive director
to business development and finances. I like to think that I have effectively blended the focus on people and the bottom line — keeping in mind all the time to decide with my head (facts, figures, outcomes) and delivering difficult messages with heart.”
Outside of work, Cooper-Currier likes to garden, cook, travel, go for walks, dabble in arts and crafts, and play with her two energetic springer spaniels — Tybee and Lucia. She’s more of a dog person, “but I’d really like a cat,” she said.
“Some recent books I read lately are “The Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable Story of Sarah Kidd” and “The Madam’s Business; The Remarkable Life and Tragic Death of Melvina Guimaraes” by Ann Allen — a great local read about an Oswego business woman in the mid-19th century,” she added. “I used to be a pretty decent French horn player and a so-so piano and guitar player. I hope that once I retire I can pick these back up.”
She has done a lot of traveling.
“Yes, to a lot of different places,” she said. “I like experiencing the hidden places when traveling — the local places to eat, the hidden beaches and experiencing the unique aspects of a locale.”
Does she have a favorite meal?
“Better to ask me what isn’t my favorite meal — liver and onions, cow’s tongue and lima beans!” she laughed. “Other than those things, I love it all.”
And, who would she like to have dinner with?
“My mother and father,” she said. “I’d ask them all the questions I never got to before they passed.”
She said her pet peeve is judgmental people — “particularly those who are blind to their personal judgments and biases.”
Any thoughts of slowing down or retiring?
“A lot of thoughts about retiring! No formal date, yet but I am preparing for the eventuality of this,” she said. “I hope to stay engaged in my community in some way —by volunteering becoming involved once again in a service group; take up some creative outlets like art, music, acting and enjoying my time with my husband, family and travel.”
The best part of her job is “Knowing that we have 500 plus employees who are dedicated to our mission, serving others to help them thrive and knowing the positive impact OCO has on the community,” she said.
What’s her least favorite part?
“I’m not sure there is one.”
Name: Diane Cooper-Currier
Position: Executive Director of OCO
Birth Date: Really???
Birth Place: Rochester
Residence: Scriba
Education: BA – University of Maryland, MSW – Syracuse University
Affiliations: Board of Directors: New York State Community Action Association; Inclusive Alliance, LLC; OMNES, LLC; Central New York Care Partners, LLC; Oswego County Work Force Board; Oswego University School of Business Advisory Board
Personal: Married to Dale Currier for 23 years; step-children and two grandchildren and two springer spaniels
Hobbies: Gardening, travel, cooking, spending time with friends and family and mild exercise
ConnextCare in March implemented a new telehealth platform across all of its locations in Oswego County. ConnextCare will now be using Greenway Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to ensure a more efficient telehealth experience for patients.
Moving forward, patients will receive a text message or an email on the day of their scheduled telehealth visit. The text or email will include a link to a video chat that patients will be able to click on and be automatically connected to the telehealth virtual waiting room for admittance to their visit by the ConnextCare team.
Telehealth is a critical resource for patients. It enables a patient to be seen by a provider regardless of their ability to physically come into the office, therefore breaking down a barrier to care.
ConnextCare became aware of the need for telemedicine at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days of the pandemic, the ConnextCare IT team was able to secure the resources and training to be able to offer this service to patients.
“As we begin to transition back to a level of normalcy in healthcare, the benefit of a telehealth connection has proven to be both effective and convenient for our patients,” said Ken Martin, director of information services at ConnextCare. “With now over one quarter of all healthcare visits being of a virtual nature, ConnextCare looked to streamline the process for both our staff and patients by adopting a single platform. The Greenway telehealth package works seamlessly with our EMR, this eliminates the need for a third-party application which increases the time to create and distribute the virtual appointment.”
Since the beginning of 2020, ConnextCare has used telehealth for more than 58,000 appointments and continues to use telehealth for 85% of its scheduled weekly mental health appointments.
As Oswego bookstore approaches 25th anniversary, a new generation takes the reins
By Ken Sturtz
When Bill Reilly and his wife, Mindy Ostrow, opened the River’s End Bookstore on May 18, 1998, it was to almost no fanfare.
“We had no ribbon-cutting or anything because we were very skittish about when the opening would actually be,” Reilly said. “We put a five-year business plan together and little did we know that it would go beyond that.”
Not only did the independent bookstore survive, but it thrived, becoming a fixture in the community from its perch at the corner of West Bridge and West First streets.
On Jan. 1, the store officially changed hands. Reilly’s and Ostrow’s son, Emil Christmann, and his wife, Megan Irland, became the new owners. The store will celebrate its 25th anniversary this spring.
In 1994, Reilly retired from a 25-
year career at Newsweek magazine in New York City. He was visiting Oswego and met Ostrow, his future wife, which helped convince him to relocate to Central New York. But still in his 40s, he was interested in starting a business.
“We were looking around for types of businesses that would help us connect to the community, something that would have a benefit for the community,” Reilly said.
Reilly and Ostrow considered a number of options before settling on a bookstore, partially because it would fill a gap in the area; there was a used bookstore and a party store that sold books, but no true bookstore.
They began researching how to start the business. Reilly took a small business course and went to work part time at Barnes & Noble. He also participated in a program offered through the American Booksellers Association.
“And if you finished the course and you still wanted to do it, you passed,” he said. “You were either crazy enough
or smart enough to venture ahead.”
After about a year and a half they moved forward with a business plan, but the process was delayed another year and a half as they searched for the right location. At the time, the bookstore’s current location was occupied by Gallo’s clothing store, which had another store in Wolcott. Reilly said one of the classes he’d taken on opening a bookstore advised that the right location might be occupied, but not to let that stand in your way.
So, he approached the owner who spoke with the owners of the clothing store business and they worked out an agreement that allowed the bookstore to occupy the space.
When they opened in 1998, the landscape for independent bookstores wasn’t necessarily an easy one. Amazon already existed and was focusing mostly on selling books online and Barnes &
Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks were thriving.
“So, we entered eyes wide open,” Reilly said.
About a decade after opening, E-books became popular, which was unnerving at first, but their attitude eventually changed.
“We took the approach that we had to embrace the technology rather than fighting it because our customers were embracing the technology,” Reilly said.
Whatever format customers want to consume books in, the store can accommodate. He said that includes physical books as well as E-books and audio downloads on their website. But the traditional physical format has remained surprisingly resilient.
Christmann said customers of all ages will say on a nearly daily basis that they still prefer the ability to put their hands on a physical book when they read.
He said customers like knowing they are supporting a small business in the community and have come to appreciate the personalized response they receive from staff with recommendations as well as excellent customer service. He’s had years to hone his relationship with customers.
Christmann was just shy of his 13th birthday when the bookstore opened. He helped during the build-out and opening and working at the store was his second job as a kid — his first was delivering copies of The Palladium-Times around his neighborhood on a skateboard.
He started out breaking down boxes, cleaning and alphabetizing and sorting. He got to know some of the store’s early customers, many of whom became longtime customers. His parents let him pick a section of the store to be responsible for — he chose magazines — and he began taking care of curating inventory, receiving orders and returning unsold merchandise.
“That was kind of a microcosm of how all of this works,” he said. “That was kind of the primer.”
Christmann said his parents didn’t pressure him to join the family business but gave him the option, which he said was a natural fit. While Christmann was used to being well-known in the Oswego community from working at the bookstore, it was a bit of an adjustment for Irland.
“When we started dating it would
TOP: Facade of River’s End Bookstore on the corner of Bridge and West First streets.
be hilarious because every single time I would tell someone I was dating Emil, every single person would be like ‘I know Emil,’” she said.
The couple eventually moved to New Orleans. Irland had recently finished her physician assistant program and was working in an ICU there. Christmann operated a petty cab, worked in construction in the French Quarter and then installed solar panels and LED lighting. A couple years turned into four or five and they began thinking about settling down.
“These two are globetrotters and have been their entire lives and the last thing we thought is they would be returning to Central New York as soon as they did,” Reilly said. “It was always a possibility that it would happen, but those are in parents’ dreams.”
They eventually moved back to the area, got married, bought a house and started a family. They now have two boys: Kieran is 1 and Rowan is 4 ½.
“If I hadn’t been so enthusiastic about it, I don’t know if Emil would have gone into taking over the bookstore
without a partner,” Irland said, noting that she’s an enthusiastic reader. “I was very excited.”
Christmann works full-time at the business. Irland works full-time for Oswego County OB-GYN, but also helps at the bookstore, which has four part-time employees.
While things have returned to normal, for a while the COVID-19 pandemic forced the bookstore —the quintessential brick-and-mortar business — to adapt to stay in business.
“All of a sudden we were faced with that dilemma of having all this stock, still having all these great customers who now were stuck at home, but still wanted to keep up with their reading and wanted the books,” Christmann said.
The store fine-tuned its website to streamline online ordering and shipping.
Irland said the fact that the store already had a website in place made
riding out the pandemic much easier. They hand delivered book orders to customers stuck at home across Oswego County and were able to hold some of their events that normally would have been in-person.
Although Christmann and Irland took ownership of the business in January, they’ve been collaborating all along with Reilly and Ostrow and the changes they’ve made have been small things such as streamlining bill-paying.
“We want to maintain what Billy and Mindy have created,” Christmann said.
Reilly said he and his wife still plan to help out at the bookstore, but are looking forward to doing some traveling and spending more time with their grandchildren.
As Christmann and his wife held their youngest son recently, Christmann said that however difficult it might be to fill Reilly and Ostrow’s shoes, it would be twofold for their kids someday.
“If they ever want to take it over,” he said with a smile.
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Hosted by David Brancaccio, “Marketplace Morning Report” keeps you informed with the latest news on the markets, money, jobs and innovation.
Marketplace programs raise the economic intelligence of the country through unorthodox stories, casual conversations and unexpected angles on the news.
Hear updates during “Morning Edition” each weekday at 6:51 and 8:51 a.m. Listen with the WRVO app, available for iPhone and Android devices.
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Scriba Electric. Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services. 3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681.
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The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in California and Signature Bank in New York City has spurred concern among banking clients who fear for their savings and investments and for the possibility of a recession and continued high inflation. We spoke with Mark Tryniski, CEO of Community Bank based in DeWitt.
Q: Because of the crisis ignited by Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, people are concerned with their money in banks. Is this a legitimate concern?
A: It’s certainly relevant given the events. It’s reasonable to always be concerned about your money. I think it’s not imprudent to be concerned and ask questions of your bank. There have been two or three bank failures to date, Silicon Valley being the first. I’d classify them differently. It’s important to understand there’s a difference between a Wall Street bank, specialty bank and mainstream bank. Silicon Valley and Signature were specialty banks. They’re a very large bank, did business almost solely with venture capital companies, IPOs and start-ups. Virtually all their customers were in that ecosystem of venture capital. Signature in New York, also a specialty bank, was very concentrated in New York City real estate and heavily invested in cryptocurrency.
Q: How do you assess the banking situation in Central New York?
A: If you look at the failed banks, including the most recent, Credit Suisse, a large Swiss international investment bank, it’s very different than what I’d call “main street banks.” It’s highly unlikely any concern will extend to any main street banks. They’re smaller, have business,
personal and municipal and government customers. They don’t have concentration the same way Signature and Credit Suisse do. It’s highly unlikely this will extend to main street banks, which includes all in upstate.
Q: Do you think banks here may have the same fate as Silicon Valley Bank?
A: They’re more local. They’re not concentrated. Let’s say a bank only did business with construction companies. If that industry
has a downturn, it’ll affect the bank. The concentration was the problem. Silicon Valley didn’t have any diversity — had only concentration and the one business they had investments with was having a downturn. It turned into a snowball effect. The other interesting thing is that banks don’t fail that quickly. In 48 hours, almost half of the customers of Silicon Valley tried to withdraw their deposit, which is unheard of. It’s one ecosystem they do business with and they all jumped on Slack and Twitter. It’s a live-by-the sword, die-by-the-sword outcome. Main street banks aren’t concentrated; don’t take the same risks. FDIC insurance is part of it. It covers up to $250,000 per account per bank. If you have more than $250,000, those deposits aren’t insured, but at Silicon Valley, the average deposits are over. Ninety-seven percent of their deposits were uninsured.
In our institution, 25% of deposits are uninsured. Most main street banks are like us. The vast majority are insured.
Q: What’s this crisis mean to inflation?
A: I think that it’s going to definitely dampen economic activity. Everyone’s concerned about liquidity. I think they’ll slow down with lending. The lending activity of banks will start to slow down, which could be potentially a headwind to economic growth.
Q: Can it trigger a recession?
A: I think the economy is too big. Banking is only one factor. It would be a contributing headwind to GDP growth.
Q: What’s your advice to consumers?
A: If you’re a main street bank customer with insured deposit, which is the vast majority of customers, you don’t need to do anything. Your deposits are insured. FDIC was created in 1933 after the Depression. There’s no risk to uninsured deposits in mainstream banks. Since the beginning of this crisis, our deposit balances are up. If you think about what’s going on, it’s been a very different experience. With a lot of other mainstream banks, their deposits are up a little bit. They’re not running out the door since a week and a half ago. There’s nothing for anyone to worry about.
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