Oswego County Business, #187: August - September 2023

GOING ROUND AND ROUND WITH DOUBLE-O JOE

Supermodified race car driver Joe Gosek still competing after more than four decades

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Chateaugay State Forest Tug Hill Plateau

Salmon River Falls Orwell NY

#1 Online MBA among public institutions in

New York State

SUNY Oswego’s online MBA and online MBA in Health Services Administration offer accessibility and built-in adaptability with customized student support that helps you focus on what you need to succeed.

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Exceptional Value and Impact

Engage with forward-thinking business faculty who help to elevate your knowledge and prepare you for higher pursuits in the business or nonprofit world — all at a fraction of the cost of other MBA programs.

Learn more at oswego.edu/mba or scan the QR Code. Schedule a consult with us to discuss how SUNY Oswego can help customize an MBA experience most suitable to you.

WE CARE LIKE FAMILY

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.

Life in balance.

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

Physical Therapists

Occupational Therapists

Speech Therapists

Social Workers

Recreational Therapists

Dieticians

Nurse Aides

$80K*

- FIRST YEAR AVERAGE EARNINGS

NUCOR AUBURN IS PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS Nucor Auburn has been awarded the HIRE Vets Medallion Award for excellence in recruitment, hiring and retention of America’s military veterans.

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*Based on average earnings of full-time employees over a 3-year period, including bonuses and overtime

By Steven E. Abraham

Wheelock

By Tim Nekritz

By Bruce Frassinelli

Thereisa ference alhomes.

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Havingbeenafamily-ownedandoperatedfuneral �clo�lsbo�.--�vb^op)�^ka�e^sfkd�`lkpq^kqiv improvedandmodernizedourfacilities,wehaveproved togenerationsoffamiliesthatthereisadifferencein funeralhomes.Youarewelcometovisitourfacilitiesat anytimeandaskforinformationonallofourservices.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

SUNSETS

There is a multi-million dollar industry in Oswego County but you won’t see it listed in a chamber of commerce directory.

Its physical plant is the sky, the lake and the winter snow.

And its inventory includes the fish in the county waters, the colors in the sunset and the smiles on the face of visitors.

The mega-business is tourism.

This was the lede of a story we published years ago in a special issue about the tourism industry.

It came to mind the other day when my wife and I were walking around Breitbeck Park in Oswego. It was a perfect early evening. The weather could not be better, warm with a soft breeze — there was a band playing Glenn Miller tunes, families gathering around, kids playing in the playground — all of that with the backdrop of Lake Ontario. It was the type of evening you dream about in January and February.

Of course, I couldn’t resist taking some photos. I’m not a native — I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil — but I tend to agree with Oswegonians: sunsets at Lake Ontario are indeed some of the best.

In a few days, Oswego will get at least 75,000 visitors who come to enjoy Harborfest.

Most of those people, I think, come from Onondaga County — people who like to take the short trip to Oswego once a year. By all means, they should come over and enjoy the festival. But I urge those out of town — we have many readers outside Oswego — to take the time to come over a few other times during the year as well.

The city has changed quite a bit in

the last few years. It has a lot to offer — a vibrant downtown with great restaurants and specialty shops, great sunsets, unique places, museums, coffee shops, pizza parlors, great neighborhoods and much more.

Here’s my suggestion: start your visit with a stroll through the renovated Breitbeck Park — what a fantastic place. You can easily spend several hours there. Then take the boat at H. Lee White Maritime Museum to visit the lighthouse (I did that when the service started a couple of years ago and I plan to go back. It’s such a thrill to visit the lighthouse). Stop at rivers end bookstore, a family-owned establishment now in its second generation, get coffee at Coffee Connection and have lunch at places such as La Parrila or Steamers. In the afternoon, go for an ice cream at Bev’s on the shores of Lake Ontario and a stroll through SUNY Oswego. Finish your visit with a stop at Rooftop Lounge — I think it’s such a fancy yet casual place with great cocktails, delicious food and great views. Or you might want to try a wood-fired pizza at the Riverwalk Pizza, which opened recently.

If you have the time, visit neighborhoods in the Franklin Square and Montcalm Park historic district s to appreciate great architecture. So much to enjoy — you may need to come back the next day as well.

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Wagner Dotto

editor@cnybusinessmag.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com

WRITERS

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Christopher Malone, Stefan Yablonski

Tom & Jerry Caraccioli

Norah Machia

COLUMNISTS

Austin Wheelock

Bruce Frassinelli, Tim Nekritz

Steven E. Abraham

ADVERTISING

Peggy Kain p3ggyk@gmail.com

Jamie Elen jamieelocalnews@gmail.com

SECRETARY Alisson Lockwood 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.

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ON THE JOB

How Has Your Business Changed Since

the Pandemic?

In many ways, the world will never be the same since the COVID-19 outbreak. In the business world, the pandemic’s effects are still felt in many sectors. We recently asked area business leaders, “How has your business changed since the pandemic?” Here’s what they said:

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

“The pandemic put a big emphasis on becoming totally digital on work. Things that were put off on going fully remote for work in the accounting world became a high priority and got done because of necessity. Although at first it was difficult learning new technology, it has actually helped since streamline workflow and communication with

clients since. Doing more accounting work remotely has allowed for less wasted time in schedule and travel. The only drawback is not meeting face to face with clients.”

Brenda Weissenberg Accountant and owner, Affordable Business Solutions, Central Square

“It actually hasn’t changed at all. We maintained the same service and customer interactions all through COVID and since COVID. We didn’t change how we do business.”

Dave Canale Owner, Canale Insurance and Computer Accounting Services, Oswego

“COVID caused a drastic change. Now it’s like trying to build back up because we were closed over two years. I’ve never been open in the summer, only September through the end of April. My grandson, Jeffrey Geracci, is taking the property over and I need to slow down. Jeffrey has been there a couple of years with me. I’ll be there but not in charge.”

Linda Tarbox Owner, 1880 House, Pulaski

“Since the pandemic, not a whole lot has changed for us. We were an essential business with our cloth diaper and laundry service and operated fully during the entire time and kept our employees working providing our weekly laundry service and cloth diaper service

to Rochester and Syracuse areas in addition to our local area. The largest impact as a result of the pandemic has been the cost of doing business requiring me to work many more hours to get the job done in an effort to keep our costs as low as possible. Our online sales have seen a boost too for toys and cloth diapers.”

Lisa Emmons Owner, Mother Earth Baby LLC, Curious Kidz Toys and More, Breezy Kleen Laundry Service, Oswego

“Things did pick up after COVID. Guests seem to be coming back. People are getting out and traveling. And there’s college parents visiting, and the Renaissance Fair and harvest fest. People are looking for places to stay while they go to these things.”

Joy Moody Innkeeper and owner, Merriam Vincent Guest House, Oswego

“The Friends of History at the John Wells Pratt House Museum in Fulton was closed the entire year of 2020. We re-opened in 2021, but still did not go forward with our annual Parade of Trees as many schools lacked the necessary transportation and children were still wearing masks. Other than that, we are back to our normal hours, etc. Other than our maintenance guy who works as needed, I am the only paid employee at the Pratt House. All others are volunteers. We have noticed a decrease in the amount that some of the sponsors

“

It hasn’t been as crazy as it was during COVID with everyone staying home and remodeling. We haven’t seen a big drop-off in sales. Right after COVID, the supply chain was really tough. Now things are starting to level off. We’re really close to being back to normal. Building material pricing has come back to pre-pandemic levels. Since the pandemic, we’ve been looking at our inventory a little bit more closely and get things in three to four weeks sooner than we used to.”

CHARLES HANDLEY, Owner, Burke’s Do It Best Home Center, Oswego

have given and it seems to be harder to get sponsors as well.”

Theresa Jones Museum coordinator, Friends of History in Fulton and J.W. Pratt House Museum, Fulton

“In certain fundamental respects, our business has not changed and in other ways our business is altering significantly. We are accustomed to adapting to the fluctuations in local and regional real estate markets, and we are seeing a return to a more typical seasonality compared to the extreme sustained volumes during the pandemic. Traditionally, businesses in our industry cater to attorneys and lenders, though we are seeing some indirect effects of regulatory enforcement shifting toward emphasizing the consumer — e.g., homebuyers — over the last several years. The pandemic has changed the way people work and live in some very permanent ways, particularly through the decentralization of work, expectations on delivery of goods and services, and a desire to interact through technology. With an increased reliance on technology comes an increased burden to ensure the proper safeguards are in place to protect against fraud and cyber crime, as well as to streamline the use of technology in day-to-day business operations.

“I think one of the critical lessons of the pandemic was an awareness that we have to be more adaptable in our operations and ready to pivot quickly. We will likely not give up our brick-and-mortar operations, but we are learning how to build more flexibility into how and where we work without compromising the quality and personality in service to our customers. Another challenge we face is learning to grow in such a way as to make our operation feel local, but sophisticated enough to compete on a large scale with the increasing complexities that scaling up brings. One advantage we have over competitors is our ability to react quickly to changing demands and shift course easily without a lot of bureaucratic process getting in the way. I think we have led the way in our use of technology but keeping that focus as a true solution provider is getting harder as third-party technology servicers proliferate in the title and settlement space.”

Patrick J. Corbett CEO, Vanguard Research & Title Services, Inc. Syracuse and Oswego

“More people, especially couples, are traveling in small groups. I see this with Alaska cruises, tours, European river cruises and escorted motorcoach tours in Europe. I escorted a group of 16 to Ireland in September and have a group of 24 I’m escorting on a Greek Island Cruise in August. People just want to travel together as friends and family after missing out on being together safely for so long. Now, we’re starting to go beyond ‘revenge’ travel, where people were traveling because they could. We’re going gangbusters, with people checking off things from their travel bucket list.”

Michele McIntyre Owner, Travel Savvy, LLC, Jamesville

“COVID definitely changed the way that we do business. We were fortunate to have telehealth already in place prior to COVID, but we weren’t really utilizing it. Once COVID hit, we turned all of our private practice to telehealth and started doing all of our meetings over Zoom. It was difficult at first but then we realized that we could take it to more locations and expand our reach nationwide. Over the COVID years we grew to 17 dietitians across the country and now have our workplace wellness solution in over 200 companies. COVID was the game-changer and made people think differently about how they receive their healthcare.”

Kelly Springer Registered dietitian and owner, Kelly’s Choice, Skaneateles

“I know that at Curtis Manor, we lost all the wedding bookings for the year while everything was shut down. That was pretty serious. The following year, things were busier. Some people rebooked. Right now, it’s back to normal. The contracting has been busier than normal. Prices of materials skyrocketed. They’ve come down but are still high compared with pre-COVID.”

TONY

PAULDINE, Oswego

contractor, owner

of several businesses, including Curtis Manor

HOW I GOT

STARTED By Stefan Yablonski

TAMMY LYNN WILKINSON

Owner of Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness

Boutique in Oswego started the business after she and her fiancé used a float center. ‘We were simply in awe,” she says, adding that the business is about to announce a major expansion and the introduction of IV infusion

Q: How did you come to be interested in this type of business?

A: Our interest blossomed from a Christmas present. I gifted my fiancé, Terry, a certificate for a couple’s float experience at a local float center in 2017. Twenty minutes into our first float — we were simply in awe!

Q: So, it was a great experience?

A: I had struggled with l upus for years and the relief I experienced from floating was nothing short of a miracle. Post float, I felt less pain, had less inflammation and also noticed a dramatic decrease in stress and anxiety. Terry’s experience was very similar. An athlete since high school and committed fitness aficionado, he noticed immediate relief from chronic back muscle soreness and tightness. He was also astonished at the long-lasting calming effects that the magnesium Epsom salts provided for days after the float.

Q: How large of an investment did you make?

A: Terry and I opened this business together; we are equal partners. We’re not comfortable talking about our investment in specific dollar amounts. We’re happy to reiterate our $2 million investment.

Q: How long have you been in the spa business?

A: Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique opened in 2020. Our team was hired right before the pandemic shut down and we used that time to research licenses and industry trade groups. Terry and I endeavored to travel to other wellness centers around the country for some R&D.

Q: What else did you do?

A: Terry and I also attended our first float conference in 2019 in Denver, Colorado. There, we were able to meet with various industry experts and leaders. Fun fact: We aspire to host the 2024 Float Conference right here in Oswego. In addition, we are members of the Float Research Collective, Float Tank Association and Salt Therapy Association.

Q: Did you need any special training ... special licenses?

A: All of our team members have completed the Float Tank Solutions training course and are certified cryotherapy technicians. We also continue to research and stay current on all industry standards.

Q: Did you have a profession prior to this?

A: A few! (laughs) In my former life, I enjoyed working in the TV and radio industries [sales and marketing coordinator at WXXA-TV 23 and WRGB- TV 6, both in Albany] arts and entertainment industry [director: “Life on Campus” SUNY Oswego – owner, producer, actor of Theatre Du Jour] and dabbled in the fine jewelry industry [lost wax casting artisan at LeRoi Inc. in Oswego]. But this is by far the most fulfilling work I have ever enjoyed!

Q: How hard was it to get started?

A: It was one of the easiest decisions to make, once we experienced the profound benefits of floating for ourselves. There were so many resources to help us become educated. Our float industry is a very kind and generous community of like-minded humans and we were beyond determined to bring floating and more all-natural modalities to the Oswego community.

Q: What services do you offer?

A: Aqua Spa Float Center and Wellness Boutique offers float therapy via our four Deluxe Quest float suites and Revolution Float Orb; three Sunlighten Infrared Saunas, whole-body cryotherapy via Impact CryoSauna; halotherapy (salt therapy) via FX Pro Salt Chamber Halogenerator, massage therapy via our OHCO M8 massage chairs, four oxygen bars, NovoTHOR PBM – Red Light Therapy and an allnatural holistic aesthetics suite offering CryoSkin, localized cryotherapy and microneedling.

Q: Do you plan on doing more improvements etc?

A: Wonderful things are in store as we endeavor to grow the Aqua Spa brand. IV infusion therapy is coming. We now have a medical director. Aqua Spa will launch IV drip therapy this summer. We have recently secured a piece of property to evolve the AQS experience.

Q: Who helped you get going?

A: Terry and I approached everything as equal partners and we curated a dedicated, professional and knowledgeable team to help support our vision. Before our soft open in November 2020, we enlisted the help of our community — offering complimentary services to help streamline our processes. This was sincerely beneficial to both sides.

Q: What is your business philosophy?

A: Every decision is always made with the customer experience in mind. We take a hands-on approach when it comes to training our wellness ambassadors. Everyone is cross-trained in order to be the best possible resource for each and every guest. We’ve created a collaborative team and a learning environment where everyone is encouraged to bring new ideas and innovative solutions to the table. We share ideas, research and solutions daily. This encouraging environment allows each ambassador to continually learn and grow in a health-centric capacity.

Q: What’s the best advice you received?

A: Be authentic in everything you do. Be generous — you will never regret that.

Q: What advice would you give someone looking to start a business?

A: Give your whole self to your passion. Expect to work hard. Bask in your victories. Learn from your mistakes. Be open. Be kind. Listen to your clients. Empower your team. Appreciate the journey. Be a good steward of capital and resources.

Q: Who are your customers?

A: Anyone and everyone can benefit from our healing modalities. All are welcome at the Aqua Spa. It is a sanctuary for all.

Q: What is your favorite service?

A: Hands down — for me — float is king! I personally attribute this magical experience to transforming my own mental, emotional and physical health over these last five years. I always tell customers, I keep waiting for the “magic to fade” — and it just never does. Floating has changed my life. Don’t get me wrong; all of our modalities enhance my life more than I can express, but floating will always have my whole heart!

Q: How has business been this year? Is summer your biggest season?

A: Our community continues to embrace and support us as we navigate this new business model. This year, we have seen our clientele expand. We see new faces every day and our monthly memberships have become a staple for many of our guests. While summer tends to be a slower time for the float industry in general, we are blessed to have a steady stream of loyal patrons who make their wellness a priority. We are excited for a robust fall and winter season as that tends to be our sweet spot.

The 2023 CNY FALL GUIDE is available at hundreds of locations across the region. Or get it free in your mailbox when you subscribe to Oswego County Business Magazine — CNY’s Business Magazine. Only $21.50 a year. Just send a check with your name and address to PO Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126

Or visit:

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By Stefan Yablonski

ALLEN CONNELY

Oswego Industries and Arc of Oswego County board of directors approved a management services agreement appointing Allen Connely as Laurie Davis’ successor, effective March 1.

Connely, who is the president and CEO of Mozaic, (Seneca, Cayuga, Yates, Tompkins County Arc) now provides direct oversight of both agencies as part of a planned leadership succession plan.

Mozaic and its affiliated companies provide critical services for people with disabilities throughout the New York Finger Lakes area.

“We, at Mozaic, are grateful to have the resources to be able to help other organizations with similar missions to ours be successful so that they can continue to provide more of their mission within their communities,” the president and CEO of Mozaic, Oswego Industries and Arc of Oswego said.

He was born in Oklahoma and raised in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Connely did his undergrad work at Graceland University in Iowa. He earned his MBA from Drury University

in Springfield, Missouri, and master’s in international management from Thunderbird, now under Arizona State University, he said.

“Growing up, I wanted to be a professional football player — can’t grow up in Oklahoma without having some desire to play football,” he added.

He has been the CEO for Mozaic for six years.

He is a strong advocate for those he serves — striving to expand “meaningful job opportunities for people with disabilities.”

“We have a textile manufacturing facility and are a DOD contractor. Oswego Industries also does manufacturing for the federal government,” he said. “The previous CEO at OI–Arc of

Oswego and I had been talking about collaborating for more than a year. When she decided to retire it seemed to make sense from the board’s perspective that we make the collaboration more formal, which we did when I became the CEO for OI and Arc of Oswego.”

His responsibilities are typical the responsibilities of any CEO — oversee management of both organizations and focus on growth in mission while being financially sustainable, he explained.

How similar are the two jobs? “Very similar. OI and the Arc of Oswego are smaller companies than Mozaic, but the jobs are very similar,” he said.

Travelin’ man

While employed in the commercial industry for 25 years, Connely had the opportunity to live or work in 26 different countries.

“I worked for the Amway Corporation and was in charge of its detergent division for some time and then moved up to have other responsibilities,” he said. “The jobs I had were on the inter-

New CEO of Oswego Industries and Arc of Oswego County has his hands full advocating for those he serves

Allen Connely also serves as the president and CEO of Mozaic in the Finger Lakes.

national side of the business and at the time we were in more than 20 countries.”

These days, he doesn’t travel quite as much.

“All of my travel these days is within the USA. I travel to Albany and Washington, DC quite a bit due to the board responsibilities I have,” he said.

His favorite location? “Malaysia. I lived there for some time and still love it,” he said.

He describes his managerial style as “situational.”

“Depending on the needs and capabilities of the staff one has requires different management styles,” he explained. “What I tend to gravitate to is asking questions and understanding the reasons why our managers are doing what they are doing. I always like to understand the ‘why.’”

The best part of his job is “100% being around the staff and the individuals we support!” he said.

The higher you go in any organization, the less technical skill you need and the more people skill you need is the best advice he’s ever received.

“As leaders, you get things done through people — and it is important to recognize that,” he said.

In his free time, he enjoys running — “and playing golf…badly!” he laughed.

OSWEGONY.ORG

Downtown Living Entertainment

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.

Meets EXCEPTI Where URBA

Expanding Community

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 Year-Round Destination of Fun!

Wife, Brenda; son, Colby and wife, Stephanie; granddaughter, Quinn; daughter,

OSWEGONY.ORG

Oswego, New York is a waterfront community located on the Southeastern shore of Lake Ontario and along the Oswego River. The city is embarking on a transformation to build upon its strengths to embrace our rich history, natural assets, and promotes the development and restoration of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods surrounding Oswego’s downtown.

DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Christopher Malone

SOMETHING’S A-BREWIN’ IN OSWEGO

Oswego Tea Company has a strong focus on food, not just tea

The Northgate Crossing building on East First Street in Oswego is a difficult one to miss or forget.

Not only does the structure’s name sound like something medieval or something J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis or similar authors could conger up, the red edifice also boasts castle aesthetics. It’s not brooding, but houses an eclectic group of unique local businesses.

The Oswego Tea Company is one of them, joining Misfit Games and Golden Gate Bridal to name a couple.

To enter the café and bakery, patrons use the main entrance at the front of the building — no, there is no drawbridge.

The interior of the bakery is absolutely beautiful. It makes a heckuva first impression with its brick walls, stained glass windows and aroma.

From high-top tables for two to four people, which are placed near the windows welcoming no shortage of natural lighting, to longer non-window

tables, there are plenty of places to sit.

Looking back at the title and subtitle of this article: Maybe it’s me but when I hear tea company, I envision a plethora of tea — loose leaf to bagged, several varieties and brands, a whole section with jars and large glass containers filled with loose leaf flavors so people can point their fingers at when deciding what to buy and how much.

This is not that kind of tea emporium. Don’t worry, The Oswego Tea Company has a tea menu with pages filled with teas and descriptions.

Although I did not opt for tea the morning of this review, my personal feelings toward tea are actually greater when compared coffee. In my opinion, tea has more health benefits. The caffeine kick feels different and is greater for non-herbal teas.

Teas also boast more flavor. Don’t shake your head. Many flavored coffees out there are artificially flavored, which is why they taste like garbage and come

with a side of headache.

Oswego Tea Company also serves Starbucks Coffee. I went with coffee ($3) here to prove another personal theory, which also relates to flavor. Starbucks’ drip coffee at any location tastes burned. When the brand’s coffee is brewed elsewhere, it tastes normal and good. The café proved me correct.

Moving on to food: The gyro omelet ($10.75), which is complete with seasoned meat, peppers and onions, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce could be my favorite Greek-styled omelets. The seasoning wasn’t overwhelming or salty and the house-made sauce was light and delightful.

It came with crispy home fries and Oswego Tea Company’s Italian bread. The seasoned starches and carbs were enjoyed guilt-free. The bread was light, fluffy and delicious, withstanding the heaviness of the omelet.

The carbs kept coming with the chicken and biscuits ($12.95). Oswego

Tea Company’s homemade biscuits came smothered in the seasoned gravy with tender chicken and vegetables. The menu says the veggies are locally obtained, and I believe it — it’s all in the taste.

The typically heavy breakfast item isn’t overly heavy. The biscuits, going along with the Italian bread, weren’t intimidating. They were hearty but didn’t lack with the airy, lighter homemade aspects.

The trio of specialty pancakes ($5.25/single, $9.25/short stack or two, $12.75/full stack or three) presented a difficult decision. In the end, I opted for the banana nut over the double chocolate or cinnamon swirl.

Start with a couple of large, nutfilled fluffy pancakes. Cue the candied walnuts. Throw on the crème brûlée bananas. The duo of browned pancakes was as filling as tasty. The double trouble flapjacks, being the heaviest items of the meal, achieved the unofficial comfort food award.

And for dessert, the banana, strawberry, and Nutella crepe. ($12.95/full plate, $9.50/half plate). I opted for the half plate, which is one crepe packed with the aforementioned fruit and hazelnut condiment.

The full plate is definitely more cost effective but one crepe is easily shareable between two people. Aside from boasting the sweet ingredients, the crepe had almost savory qualities.

Before tip, the total bill came to exactly $47.

Oswego Tea Company has its offerings down pat and at reasonable prices. It’s a clean and comfortable year-round spot, which is probably extra cozy in the winter. It’s one of those places which will have visitors wondering why they may not go there as often as they should.

Oswego Tea Company

157 E. First St. Oswego, N.Y. 13126

315-343-0439

facebook.com/Oswegoteacompany

instagram.com/Oswegoteacompany

Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Monday: Closed Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Wednesday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

TOP: The gyro omelet, complete with seasoned meat, peppers and onions, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.

MIDDLE: Dessert: banana, strawberry, and Nutella crepe is packed with fruit and hazelnut condiment.

BOTTOM: Pancakes:I opted for the banana nut over the double chocolate or cinnamon swirl.

Burritt Motors, Oswego

Port of Oswego Unloads Large Machinery Parts for Novelis

The Port of Oswego Authority recently received, unloaded and shipped 20 containers of machinery parts to Novelis aluminum manufacturing in Oswego from the freighter MV Aujaq, Amsterdam.

“We’re following our record 2022 shipping year by expanding and increasing the services we offer to local and regional businesses,” said William Scriber, the port’s executive director. “Throughout the shipping season, we continue to take delivery at the port of thousands of aluminum ingots for Novelis production, and this intake of large, heavy machine parts is an example of our flexibility. Another recent example is our offload in 2021 of $12 million in transformers and equipment for Exelon Generation’s Nine Mile Point Unit 2 nuclear power plant, as well as the 300 wind turbine components we handled here in 2022. These types of heavy lift cargo can only be brought in by ship.”

The Port of Oswego is one of the largest aluminum importers and grain exporters on the Great Lakes, and the only commercial port on Lake Ontario. “We are accessible from any international port in the world,” Scriber said. “That’s why we are one of the most productive ports on the Great Lakes, with everything from grain to windmill generator parts, moving through the port on an annual basis and contributing to the local and regional economy. “

“The Port of Oswego continues to be an important economic development driver for the region due to their ability to support so many industries,” said Austin Wheelock, executive director, Operation Oswego County. “Among these are manufacturing, agribusiness, and energy; and with the future development of Micron, they have the capability to assist in receiving large infrastructure components and equipment from around the world.”

The Port of Oswego’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people, Scriber said.

NEWSMAKERS

NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE

BS&K Announces New Chief Marketing Officer

Bond, Schoeneck and King has

named Katherine (Katie) E. Toomey as chief marketing officer of the nearly 300-attorney law firm.

Toomey will lead Bond’s marketing team to position and promote the AmLaw 200 firm across its regional platform. Toomey will work closely with firm management on strategic initiatives to continue Bond’s growth across its 16 offices in five states and 35 practice and industry areas. Toomey will be resident in the firm’s Syracuse office.

“Katie comes to us with a track

record of working with a wide range of businesses and industries throughout the state, and we look forward to her directing the firm’s marketing efforts across all of our offices,” said Kevin M. Bernstein, chairman of the firm’s management committee.

“Katie will work with attorneys in each of our offices to help develop and promote the firm in their regions. With the development surrounding the $100 billion Micron project in Central New York, Katie will help position Bond as a preeminent provider of legal services to the hundreds of entities poised to support the largest economic development in New York State’s history. We are excited to have Katie join our team and lead this effort to maximize Bond’s potential in all of its markets and practices.”

Prior to joining Bond, Toomey was vice president of member engagement with CenterState CEO, providing leadership and strategic guidance to Central New York’s largest business leadership and economic development organiza-

tion. During her tenure at CenterState CEO, Toomey also served as executive director for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, which became a fully integrated affiliate of CenterState CEO in 2017. Toomey received her B.A. from SUNY Plattsburgh and M.S. from Iona University.

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC is a law firm with nearly 300 lawyers serving individuals, companies, nonprofits and public sector entities in a broad range of practice areas. Bond has 16 offices, including 11 in New York State, as well as in Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Kansas. For more information, visit bsk.com.

Kyle Pipes Joins MACNY as Chief Growth Officer

MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, welcomed Kyle Pipes to the team as the chief growth and development officer.

Fulton Savings Bank Donates $5,000 to Fulton ‘Dream Courts’

Fulton Savings Bank recently donated $5,000 to Fulton Community Basketball, Inc. in support of the construction of its “Dream Courts”. The project will build two outdoor basketball courts next to the Fulton War Memorial in support of youth activities for the community. “We are thrilled and grateful for this support from Fulton Savings Bank,” said Sean Broderick, Fulton Dream Courts chairman. “We support youth from a diversity of experiences and backgrounds and work to build an inclusive culture where all participants feel welcomed and valued. “

Groundbreaking for the project is planned for this summer. On hand for the presentation were, from left: Pamela Caraccioli, Fulton Savings Bank president and CEO; Broderick, and Annette Cotton, Fulton Savings Bank vice president human resources-marketing.

Katie Toomey

Pipes comes to MACNY with

experience in helping develop organizational culture. He is especially skilled at assisting organizations through assessment and development of relational habits, leadership, healthy systems and organizational practices.

Prior to building his own coaching and consultancy business, Pipes gained relevant experience developing energy projects with hospitals, universities and major corporations. Having already worked with a portfolio of current MACNY member companies, Pipes is eager to expand his reach and impact.

Pipes’ expertise will continue to round out MACNY’s executive-level leadership offerings, with an emphasis on building and maintaining healthy workplace cultures.

“We are excited to bring Kyle on to the team to expand our workplace development offerings. Kyle brings a unique perspective that will assist our membership in gaining a competitive advantage and operating more effectively,” said MACNY President & CEO Randy Wolken.

Pipes says he is excited to get to work, “Central New York is positioned for a dynamic future. I look forward to working with such a vast network of talented leaders to achieve this together. MACNY is doing inspiring work and I am grateful to be joining the team.”

MACNY Has New Director of Partners For Education & Business

MACNY, The Manufacturers

Association, recently welcomed Taylor Hodge back to the team as director of Partners for Education & Business, Inc. Stepping down from her role as director, Tanya M. Eastman, will re -

Kyle Pipes

Taylor Hodge

main a part of the MACNY team as senior adviser for STEM Workforce Initiatives.

“We are thrilled for Taylor to return. Her expertise and previous experience at MACNY will ensure a smooth and seamless handover for our internal team and external partners,” said MACNY’s President and CEO Randy Wolken. “We are also excited to continue to work with Tanya in this new capacity as we grow our programs from Central New York to across New York state.”

In her role, Hodge will oversee and support the expansion of Partners for Education & Business Inc.’s initiatives, while also contributing to MACNY’s overall workforce development goals.

During her time away from MACNY, Hodge served as the assistant director and Lock 4 program manager for ERIE21 at Le Moyne College. Hodge also has experience as the program manager for adult and continuing education at Cazenovia College, where she spent over six years.

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in inclusive elementary education from Cazenovia College and a Master of Science degree in education from SUNY Potsdam. She serves on the Leadership Council for the Women’s Fund of Central New York and has previously served on the executive board for Cazenovia Children’s House.

Oswego Health Announces Promotions

Oswego Health recently promoted two long-time employees to clinical analyst III managers.

Brooke Windey of Mexico started

at Oswego Health in 2000 as a nurse aide in the medical surgical unit at Oswego Hospital. For the past 23 years she has held various positions as a registered nurse, including clinical trainer for the healthcare system, before understanding her passion was in information services and technology (IS&T) when she was asked to advise on the adoption of a new clinical technology that would assist with patient care.

Brooke Windey

In 2011 Windey transitioned to the IS&T department as an IS&T clinical analyst II. In 2013 she was promoted to clinical analyst III and today she has earned the title of clinical analyst III manager.

Jennifer Bacon of Oswego started

in the healthcare system in 2005 originally in the pharmacy department at Oswego Hospital as a technician.

In 2011 she too was tasked with assisting the IS&T department with a new clinical platform and quickly realized how both careers could overlap. She was then promoted to pharmacy IT technician before transitioning fully to the department in 2013 as an IS&T clinical analyst II, then a clinical analyst III in 2017, before earning her new title as clinical analyst III manager.

“It gives me immense pleasure to announce the promotion of Brooke and Jennifer to managers in our applications department. They have both been an integral part of the IS&T clinical applications team for more than a decade and have been instrumental in building and deploying the applications that we have today. We are all so proud of their accomplishments and are eager to see their continued growth in the organization,” said VP of Information Systems & Chief Information Officer Barry Ryle.

Oswego Faculty Earns Top Award at Conference

Mamta Saxena, an associate pro

fessor of human development at SUNY Oswego, earned the best overall presenter award for her virtual presentation of “Juggling Chaos: Gender Issues in Navigating Demands, Family Routines and Stress During the Pandemic” at the Ninth World Conference on Women’s Studies. The conference took place both in

person and virtually in Thailand on May 11 and 12.

Saxena’s research explored gender differences in regards to economic demands, family routines, coping and stress throughout 2020 and 2021, using a web-based survey of 814 individuals.

“According to social science researchers, COVID-19 and its variants created a global collective crisis that affected everyone regardless of their diverse backgrounds,” Saxena explained. “We do not often experience such unprecedented shifts that impact and question the sustenance of micro to macro systems worldwide. Thus, the pandemic provided a distinct opportunity to get insights into the experiences of family members and traditional structural inequities entrenched in family life.”

The project began as a collaboration between Saxena and two colleagues on the human development faculty, Dorothy Shedlock and Randall Stetson. Saxena collected data with the help of students in her research methods course, which led to a 2020 publication in Frontiers in Communication titled “Gender and disruptions in family routines and stress amid COVID-19,” co-authored by Saxena, Shedlock and another human development colleague, Zachary Gold.

Saxena’s award-winning presentation featured “a comparative analysis of trends and patterns in 2020 and 2021, aiming to determine the most significant predictor of stress,” she said. “The findings suggested that families have not rebounded despite being vaccinated and relaxed restrictions. Disturbingly, individuals continued to report high levels of clinical stress in 2020, which escalated in 2021.”

Professionals Join Beardsley Architects + Engineers

Beardsley Architects + Engineers announced two hirings:

• Hannah Wambach has joined as architectural designer in the firm’s Albany office. Wambach has over seven years of experience working with residential and commercial clients as an architectural designer, project manager and tile and stone fabricator. With a diverse background that bridges the construction industry and architectural design, Wambach’s experience is well-suited to continuing her work on

commercial and residential projects at Beardsley.

• Mathew

Milne has joined the firm as electrical engineer I in the firm’s Auburn’s office. Milne is a 2018 graduate from Clarkson University with five years of experience working with commercial and healthcare clients.

According to the company,

he is a problem solver with experience that ranges from project planning and coordination to systems design and programming. He will be working on projects with civic and federal clients.

Librarian Promoted at Syracuse University

Nicolette A. Dobrowolski was promoted to director of Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) at Syracuse University Libraries effective July 1. Dobrowolski was serving as interim co-director of the center since November of 2021.

“We’re delighted that Nicolette has

decided to assume the role full-time, given her outstanding experience and history with SCRC,” said David Seaman, dean of the libraries, university librarian and interim of the School of Information

Studies. “Nicolette has been an instrumental leader at the libraries. She is well respected by the libraries staff as well as colleagues across campus. She is engaged and committed to continuous development and has numerous accomplishments over the course of her tenure with the libraries.”

Jennifer Bacon

Mamta Saxena

Nicolette Dobrowolski

Mathew Milne

Nicolette Dobrowolski

Vona’s Restaurant

Third Generation Now in Charge

From NYC to Oswego: Murphy Occhino Jr., grandson of restaurant’s founder, in charge of restaurant along with his wife and relatives

By Tom & Jerry Caraccioli

As Oswego welcomed home its fighting men and women from their service during World War II, Tom and Mary Vona also returned to the Port City.

Having met in Detroit during the war when Tom was employed by Ford Motor Company building military hardware for the war effort, he and Mary married in 1941 and ultimately returned to his hometown. Together the newlyweds established what would become a landmark and one of the finest restaurants in Central New York.

Located at West Utica and 10th streets, Tom and Mary Vona set out to build a neighborhood establishment like others prevalent in many small Central New York towns like Oswego during the first part of the 20th century. Their original intent was to create

a neighborhood bar that served food. As interest grew, and Mary's Italian mother's family recipes became more popular, Tom expanded the space from the bar area into the current dining rooms that now exist.

Almost 80 years later, Vona's Restaurant, billed as an "Oswego Tradition — A Nice Place to Visit," still stands and thrives as a premier spot serving authentic Italian cuisine.

After operating the restaurant for nearly 25 years, Tom and Mary relinquished the full-time duties of the operation to their eldest daughter, Josephine (Joey), and youngest son, Tom Vona Jr., along with their spouses Murphy Occhino and Mary Jane Vona.

The second generation owned and operated Vona's for the next five decades. Nearly 50 years later, the torch

is being passed once again to the third generation of the Vona family as the Occhino's oldest son, Murphy Jr., his wife, Debra, and his sister, Lesa Peterson, will now take over management of the restaurant.

Murphy Jr. is a 1982 graduate of Oswego High School. He went on to attend Boston University and the Berklee School of Music before setting out as a professional musician and his current career in movies and television.

Having spent the last 25 years working on New York City film productions, Occhino has worked with some of Hollywood's most well-known directors, producers and actors including Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez, Ray Liotta, Rob Reiner, Baz Luhrmann and many other bold-faced names in the business. In the

Façade of Vona’s Restaurant in Oswego. The family-owned restaurant recently welcomed the third generation of the family, which is now in charge.

last few years, he was a first assistant director on the highly-acclaimed HBO Max original series, “The Gilded Age,” produced by Downton Abbey producer Julian Fellowes.

"I've been very fortunate to have worked with some of the most talented people in both movies and television," Occhino said. "It's been a very rewarding career with many great experiences and stories to tell. The opportunity to return to Oswego and manage the family restaurant that my grandparents began was a chance to get back to my roots and continue our family's legacy."

And that legacy most assuredly will include his grandmother's famous "Vona's Red Sauce."

Now, the recipe for success is in the hands of the next generation of the Vona family. And while they don't plan to make many major changes, Murphy does envision taking Vona's into the future.

"There have been so many notable improvements to the city of Oswego in recent years,” Occhino noted. “The chance for us to grow and contribute to all of its recent success stories will be our main goal. While we will always lean into our nostalgic past, our aim is to give the restaurant a more modern feel.

It's an honor to be able to run an 80-year-old successful restaurant. There are so few of these historic establishments left in the country. When I think

Vona’s Over the Years

of all the celebrations Vona's played a part in over the years — birthdays, graduations, first dates, wedding proposals, retirement parties, and more, it evokes a lot of warm feelings and a strong desire to continue to serve our customers and the community."

Though Tom and Mary are long gone from running the establishment, the family Vona continues to carry on the tradition of serving the finest food in Central New York where Mary's authentic recipes continue to satisfy. It is these dishes that keep people coming back and has made Vona's a culinary landmark for homemade Italian fare in Oswego and beyond.

“As exciting as my previous career has been, I'm looking forward to continuing the legacy my family has created in Oswego," Occhino, the younger, said. "We're proud to carry on the family tradition and uphold what my grandparents always wanted Vona's to be — 'A Nice Place to Visit.'”

Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli have co-authored two books – “Striking Silver: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team” and “BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.” Also, they currently write a monthly column for USA HOCKEY Magazine – “In the Corners.”

Murphy Occhino Jr. is part of the third generation that’s taking over Vona’s Restaurant in Oswego. He previously worked in the movie industry in New York City. He worked with some of Hollywood’s most well-known directors, producers and actors including Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta.

TOP: Vona’s Restaurant owner Tom Vona (circa 1940s).

MIDDLE: Vona’s Restaurant owner Mary Vona in the kitchen making her famous red sauce. BOTTOM: Vona’s Restaurant original bar where you can still get a drink today while you wait for dinner.

Tennis Coach Is Helping Revive Interest in the Game

Geoff Sawyer is growing his tennis coaching business, one student at a time

By Stefan Yablonski

Geoff Sawyer is a tennis coach and the owner of a new business, Tennis Supply Guy, in Fulton.

During the work week, he is a pharmacy technician in Fulton.

He is a one-man business and has grown his business in the last three or four years by working evenings and weekends.

Sawyer filed a DBA after his business started generating revenues. He said he earned about $5,000 two years ago and $25,000 last year. He believes revenues this year may surpass last year’s.

At 35, he’s played tennis for most of his life. He started playing in high school and “realized that I loved it

really quick.”

“I went to college [SUNY Oswego] just to play tennis,” he said. “I graduated with my degree, pretty good scores. I had nine different coaches in my eight semesters. One quit just two weeks in.”

As soon as he finished his four years playing at the college, he coached at the college for another four years.

He stepped down from the coaching position when he began his business.

“I went into business in 2015 right around there. In 2014, I started at the pharmacy; 2015 I started the business. It’s going well for nights and weekends — going really well. It’s expanding nicely.”

The COVID-19 pandemic held a silver lining for him, he said, because the government said, tennis was a safe sport to practice.

“So then, a bunch of people began to research how they could play tennis,” he said. “Most of my business has always been word of mouth. Kids would take lessons and people would ask them, ‘you’re getting a lot better, what are you doing?’ And they’d say, ‘I am taking lessons from this guy named Geoff.’ That is usually how my business spread — word of mouth like that.”

Another “cool thing,” he added, was Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped stringing racquets — “and they started referring people to me. I thought that was pretty crazy; you know, that a huge company like them would say, ‘you know who you should go to? This local guy down in Fulton.’ That was a pretty cool moment for me. I was like, ‘Huh, this is starting to be pretty big.’”

“It is already to the point where I could quit [my day job] and eventually live off it. Tightening the belt pretty bad — but you know it’s a thought in the back of my mind,” he said. “Work really hard for four months or so and I could get by with a part-time job for the winter.”

He currently coaches more than 30 people.

“I am working at both YMCAs — Fulton and Oswego — several schools and just this last year I got noticed and recruited by Elevate Fitness out in Liverpool. They hired me after seeing me play,” he said.

He has clients of all ages.

“I have all kinds of students. My youngest client is 3 and my oldest is 71 and 69. Some guys took some lessons from me. They just won a big event, so they are pretty pumped with themselves. They’ve been taking some lessons — trying to get better,” he said.

“The majority is high schoolers, like taking private lessons and I do a lot of clinics and that’s bringing in a lot of the younger community — which is fantastic.”

A lot of the schools around here don’t have any feeder programs for their tennis teams.

There has been zero interest in kids trying out tennis teams because there is no one saying, ‘hey this is a fun sport, you should give it a try,’ according to Sawyer. So he helps get kids interested in the sport.

“Yes, it’s just me. I’m spread pretty thin at times,” he said. “I have a big calendar on my kitchen table. I try to mark down where I’m supposed to be. The head pharmacist is one of my good friends from junior high — he gives me a lot of flak if I mess up my hours there.”

Sawyer has “a very talented 7-yearold right now who is asking me to hit my full serves and stuff against him — he’s not running away and he is not bowing out. He’s actually trying to return them. He’s putting me through the wringer already. He’s definitely got a chance at, you know, getting some college looks his way. He comes to all my kids’ clinics,” he said.

“I mostly just charge per lesson. The majority of my clients like to pick a time and they stick with that time each week,” he continued. “I have some that do bi-weekly if they can.

“I charge $25 for a private lesson and I do $20 per student for semi-private lesson — like if two kids from different families want to have lessons together then I just charge each family $20. All my clinics are $15 for the kids — it can be upwards of 20 kids. That would be a nice big group; fun for games. Average number is eight to 14, that’s usually what I get and I do those for an hour, hour and a half. Kids just come out and we have fun!”

He tries to give them a few pointers; “but mostly we just play a lot of games and get them having fun,” he said.

“Most of the new racquets — they are changing all the time — are graphite. Some were titanium, but they were a little heavy. One company is making racquets out of Kevlar — like the racquets are bullet proof,” he laughed. “They want some material that’s flexible, that will hold up to some damage, but also aren’t as stiff as some of the older racquets. All the steel and titanium racquets, they were like super durable. But they are heavy and increasing ‘tennis elbow.’ It was like hitting out there with a board.”

Steven E. Abraham is a professor in the school of business at SUNY Oswego. He also has practiced labor and employment law in New York City.

Steven E. Abraham

The Impact of Recent Supreme Court Decisions on Businesses and Employment

Supreme Court decisions sometimes impact businesses and their employees.

At the end of June, the Supreme Court issued three decisions, all of which have the potential to impact the way businesses operate. In addition, a decision from January 2023 will impact unionized businesses as well.

Religious accommodations

In an article that appeared in the Oswego County Business Magazine in April 2022, I wrote about businesses’ duty to accommodate employees’ religious observance. Employers’ duty to make religious accommodations was clarified recently by the court in a case known as Groff v. DeJoy.

Gerald Groff, who worked as mail carrier for USPS, requested not work on Sundays as a religious accommodation. The postal service tried to find other carriers to cover Groff’s Sunday shifts, but was unable to do so. As a result, it refused Groff’s request to have Sundays off, stating that his requested accommodation would cause “undue hardship.”

Eventually, the case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Groff.

According to the court, in determining whether an employee’s accommodation requests would cause undue hardship, “courts must ... take into account all relevant factors in the case at hand, including the particular accommodations at issue and their practical impact in light of the nature, size and operating

cost of an employer.”

The court clarified that an employer experiences an “undue hardship” in the context of an employee’s request for religious accommodations only when an employer shows that “a burden is substantial in the overall context of an employer’s business” (emphasis added). Most experts have expressed the opinion that the court’s decision will make it more difficult for employers to avoid accommodating an employee’s request for religious accommodation. Employers should consider all aspects of how different religious accommodations may impact the nature and costs of their particular businesses.

Freedom of speech

In another recent decision, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, the court ruled that the First Amendment prohibits states from forcing business owners to promulgate/publish messages with which the business owners disagree on religious grounds.

303 Creative LLC offered website and graphic design, marketing advice and social media management services. The owner, Lorie Smith, wanted to begin creating wedding websites for customers, but was concerned that the state of Colorado would force her to express views inconsistent with her belief that marriage should be between one man and one woman. At the time, Colorado had a law prohibiting businesses from refusing to deal with to any customer based on sexual orientation (as well as

Guest Collumnist

Three recent decisions have the potential to impact the way businesses operate Supreme Court recent decision on religious accommodations, freedom of speech, affirmative action, unions and strikes, may affect your affect your business

other things).

Accordingly, Smith filed suit to clarify her rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution. Smith sought a ruling from the state court that if she were forced to abide by the Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act, it would violate her First Amendment Right against compelled speech in violation of her sincerely held religious belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.

The question in the case turned on whether Colorado could require the business to express messages with which the owner disagreed on religious grounds. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found that the First Amendment’s free speech clause prohibited Colorado from forcing an individual to speak in ways that align with the state’s own views but contradict the individual’s own conscience about a matter of significance. In coming to this decision, the court explained that the First Amendment’s commitment to the freedom of speech prohibits states from compelling speech, no matter how vital or sensible that speech may be.

Outside of the employment context, a business may be able to defend a refusal to deal with other businesses or customers if dealing with them would interfere with the business owner’s truly held religious belief.

In terms of employment, the decision may reassure employers that no state government may require them to express messages and ideas that do not comport with their own beliefs.

Nevertheless, employers should be cautious when considering the employment implications of this case. Employees are still entitled to numerous workplace protections under many state and federal laws. This decision does not allow a business to avoid those legal protections for employees.

Affirmative Action

In Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, the Supreme Court struck down the affirmative action admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, on the grounds that those policies violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

In November 2014, a lawsuit was filed against Harvard and UNC

arguing that their race-based admissions policies violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that these policies violated the Equal Protection Clause.

According to the court, the affirmative action policies used by Harvard and UNC did not pass the constitutional standard required for race-based decision-making. The court basically took the position that affirmative action policies constitute a form of “reverse discrimination” — by considering the race of applicants for admission, the universities were discriminating based on race.

While these were not employment law cases, the decision has implications related to employment.

Employers should remain careful not to institute racial hiring quotas or take employment action based on a person’s protected class status (e.g., race, sex, religion, etc.). This decision also may encourage race-based litigation, and employers may experience an increase in so-called “reverse” race discrimination claims.

Finally, if a business has any type of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, that business should review its practices

to ensure they are in line with the guidance from the Supreme Court.

Unions and strikes

Earlier this year, in Glacier Northwest v. Teamsters, the United States Supreme Court ruled for the employer in a case with significant implications for the right of businesses to respond to a strike by a union by suing the union in state court for damages. The court held that an employer may sue a union in state court alleging intentional destruction of property.

Glacier Northwest (the business) prepares, mixes and delivers concrete by loading it in trucks for delivery the same day. The Teamsters Union ordered Glacier’s delivery drivers to strike right after concrete had been freshly poured into some trucks. As a result, the business suffered a great deal of damage because its concrete became unusable.

In response to the strike and the damage it suffered, Glacier sued the union in state court, claiming that the union intentionally and maliciously sabotaged, ruined and destroyed the concrete. The trial court dismissed the claims, concluding that they could not be made in state court, since the strike was “arguably protected” under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The court relied on a doctrine known as preemption, which means that the NLRA preempts certain state laws and state court cases if those cases might implicate the NLRA.

The Supreme Court reversed the trial court and held for the employer, however.

The court held that while strikes are normally protected by the NLRA, and while claims for damages resulting from strikes normally may not be brought in state court, there are some situations where unions can be sued in state court for damages resulting from strikes, nonetheless. Essentially, if the union takes “affirmative steps” to endanger the business’s property, the NLRA does not protect the union’s actions and the business may sue the union in state court.

This decision will likely make it easier for employers to pursue damage claims against unions in state court. Conversely, it may make unions more wary of calling strikes that have the potential to damage employer property.

One of the decisions will likely make it easier for employers to pursue damage claims against unions in state court. Conversely, it may make unions more wary of calling strikes that have the potential to damage employer property.

Business Cards: Is This Still a Thing?

Local business people believe paper business cards are still the best way to network, share contact information

Many businesses have touted “going paperless” for decades, typically referring to how they keep records and communicate with vendors and clients.

But despite email, text, QR codes and other electronic means of sharing information, business cards and other paper-based promotions still matter in many business contexts.

“While digital communication has become prevalent, the physical nature of business cards and promotional items still holds significance in building relationships, reinforcing branding and making lasting impressions,” said John M. Henry, owner of Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing & Mailing Inc. and

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The Phoenix Press in Oswego. “They complement digital strategies and offer unique benefits that continue to make them relevant in business settings.”

Henry is also a founding board member of the National Print Owners Association. He views business cards as a means to offer a tangible presence unlike digital communication because a physical object is transferred between two parties, making it easier to network and appear professional and credible. Instead of handing out paper cards, some businesspeople flash a QR card for in-person interactions. The recipient of the information uses a smartphone to scan the QR code and obtain more information such as the website and

contact information. Since this information is now on the recipient’s phone, no physical object like a business card must change hands.

Not every potential customer or contact is tech-savvy, so limiting information to a scanned QR code would skip those. That’s one reason that Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, owner of Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse, still exchanges formal business cards with colleagues and prospects instead of using scannable QR codes for sharing her business information in person.

“I find it suitable for my demographic of women over the age of 55 who might not necessarily know how to use a QR code to find out more about me and

my company,” she said. “I assume the younger generation of entrepreneurs might use QR codes because they are more tech-savvy. If I had clients asking me to utilize QR codes, I would consider it, but I don’t.”

Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser for Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Oswego, also uses paper business cards and not scannable QR codes.

“Paper cards are more likely to be retained over many years versus digital versions,” Zeigler said. “I have not encountered anyone who has stopped using paper business cards. I like digital scanning and data storage methods, but paper cards still also have value in retaining contact info for business relationships.”

The tactile quality of receiving a card also makes the interaction seem more personable than a QR scan, which to some people may feel more like a price check at the grocery store than building a relationship with a business contact.

Using paper for flyers and handbills rather than a posted QR code may result in a more lasting interaction with the information. Although printed materials may contain a QR for making accessing information easier, retaining a hardcopy of the basic information may keep it more front-of-mind than scanned information. Will the person who scanned the QR from a display at the tradeshow think about the company again? Or will he close that tab and forget about it. The presence of a physical brochure, card or handbill may generate additional thought as the person sees the object again.

John M. Henry, owner of Speedway Press. “[Business cards] complement digital strategies and offer unique benefits that continue to make them relevant in business settings.”

‘In 2022 projects assisted by Operation Oswego County and the County of Oswego IDA resulted in the creation or retention of 1,495 jobs with over $447 million in capital investment associated with 38 new, expanded or retained facilities.’

Austin Wheelock

2023 Achievement Awards Presented by OOC

AUSTIN M. WHEELOCK,

Certified economic developer (CEcD), is the executive director of Operation Oswego County, Inc. For more information, call 315-343-1545 or visit www. oswegocounty.org.

Operation Oswego County (OOC) held its 71st annual meeting June 15 at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego.

Economic Trends

Ellen Holst, president of the OOC board of directors, welcomed approximately 135 representatives of businesses, governmenAchiet, education, labor and other ally organizations to the meeting.

Keynote presenter Matthew Serrao, production manager for coating at Felix Schoeller North America, spoke of Felix Schoeller’s current expansion project, as well as its history and how the company has adapted over the past 60 years in Oswego County.

Austin M. Wheelock, executive director of OOC, reported that in 2022, projects assisted by OOC and the County of Oswego IDA (COIDA) resulted in the creation or retention of 1,495 jobs with over $447 million in capital investment associated with 38 new, expanded or retained facilities.

Three business organizations, a successful entrepreneur and a long-standing economic development advocate were also honored for significant contributions to economic development and job creation

in Oswego County.

• The Ally Award for 2023 was presented to SUNY Oswego in recognition and appreciation of the vision, commitment and leadership exhibited by college for the benefit of the student body and the Oswego County community; for overseeing the Workforce Development Board of Oswego County for 27 years; for spearheading the Micron strategy steering committee; for creating new workforce training programs to meet the needs of industry; for collaborating with Operation Oswego County, Inc. and the County of Oswego on marketing and promotion initiatives; and for being a vital and essential partner in economic development and education in Oswego County.

• The Business Excellence Award for 2023 was presented to Felix Schoeller North America in recognition and appreciation for demonstrating outstanding leadership and commitment in operating and expanding the company in Oswego County; for showing resiliency, adaptation and growth in a changing market for specialty paper products; for developing a new line of silicone-coated paper and committing to a major capital investment and job

creation project; and for its 60 years of manufacturing excellence in the town of Richland in Oswego County.

• The 2023 Jobs Award was presented to St. Luke Health Services in recognition and appreciation of the significant contribution and economic impact of the organization on the Oswego County economy by providing diverse health care and lifestyle offerings to its resident community; for being the 10th largest private employer in the county with 250 employees; for providing residential nursing and short-stay rehabilitation care at St. Luke; for offering enriched living at Bishop’s Commons; for providing assisted living at St. Francis Commons; and for its 48-year history of outstanding health care in Oswego County.

• Brenden Backus, Kevin Dates and Stephen Dates received OOC’s 2023 Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award in recognition and appreciation of exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and dedication to opening the first distillery in Oswego County since prohibition; for establishing Lock 1 Distilling Com-

pany, a NYS farm distillery in Phoenix in 2017; for continuously adding new products made with locally sourced ingredients and promoting other local businesses; for receiving 16 awards at several spirits competitions since 2017; and for enhancing the tourism industry in the Village of Phoenix at the gateway to Oswego County.

• Thomas Greco was honored with the 2023 Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit Award in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding record of exhibiting leadership, expertise, support and cooperation in advancing economic and community development efforts that have enhanced the business climate and quality of life in Oswego County and in Central New York; for his dedication and commitment to the financial services industry for over 20 years as a mortgage loan originator; for serving on the Operation Oswego County board of directors since 1986; for having been a small business owner and licensed commercial real estate appraiser; and for serving on numer-

ous boards and organizations that are vital to economic development and the quality of life such as the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the Central New York Mortgage Bankers Association, the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, and the Fulton Kiwanis Club.

The OOC board of directors re-elected board members Shane Broadwell, Broadwell Hospitality; Peter Cullinan, Exelon, retired; William Galloway, Century 21 Galloway Realty; Daniel Murphy, Constellation; Tricia Peter-Clark, ConnextCare; Joseph McConnell, Huhtamaki; Michelle Shatrau, N.E.T. & Die; and, Chena Tucker, Richard S. Shineman Foundation.

The OOC board of directors also elected Diane Benedetto of National Grid for a 2-year term and Brian Heffron of CiTi BOCES for a 1-year term to fill vacancies.

Retiring from the OOC board of directors is Brian Anderson, National Grid, after 11 years of service.

From left: Austin Wheelock, OOC executive director; Victoria Furlong, vice president for administration and finance at SUNY Oswego; and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

From left: Austin Wheelock, OOC executive director; Matthew Serrao, production manager-coating at Felix Schoeller; Debra Kingsley, human resources manager at Felix Schoeller; Jen Weeks, supply chain manager at Felix Schoeller; Tom Yager, production manager-converting at Felix Schoeller; and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

From left: Austin Wheelock, OOC executive director; Thomas Greco, retired mortgage loan originator of Fulton Savings Bank; and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

From left, Austin Wheelock, OOC executive director; Brenden Backus, Kevin Dates and Stephen Dates, co-owners of Lock 1 Distilling Company; and Ellen Holst, OOC board president.

Besides Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego, notable ghost stories can be found throughout the county —the Starr Clark Tin Shop, a stop in Mexico on the Underground Railroad, and Casey’s Cottage at Mexico Point State Park where visitors report ‘hearing faint organ music or cries for help, furniture being moved and candles jumping off shelves.’

Tim Nekritz

nekritz@gmail.com

Scaring Up Business: The Spooky Industry of Local Ghost Stories

TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.

The city and county of Oswego boast rich histories that are also lucrative in one aspect of local lore: ghost stories. And our area hosts attractions, businesses, events, organizations and more that cater to folks interested in raised spirits.

Tim’s Notes

Given the rich history of Oswego County and its connection with historical highlights such as the Seven Years War and War of 1812, as well as serving as the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad, tales of ghosts and spirits have been around for centuries in nearly every corner of the county.

In 2022, the Hometown Ghost Stories YouTube Channel posted a documentary titled “The Many Hauntings of Oswego County,” that encompassed a number of local tales and declared “Oswego, New York, is one of the most haunted cities in the entire state.” Their show focused on such folklore as Fort Ontario, the Seneca Hill ghosts of a mother and daughter reported along county Route 57 and the hauntings on Gray Road south of Oswego.

It’s not surprising that Fort Ontario comes up over and over, said Caroline Lamie, who is the office manager and ghost hunt and tour coordinator at Fort Ontario State Historic Site as well as vice president and senior board member of the Central New York Ghost Hunters organization.

“Fort Ontario has a long history of ghost sightings, during the day as well as at night,” Lamie said. “Soldiers would see several. Music, whistling, humming and singing are heard almost daily. Sometimes you can walk into a building and hear

‘hello’ or ‘hi.’”

Spectral soldiers such as George Fikes and Basil Dunbar are the most famous ones, but ghost sightings span centuries back, including by one soldier who left his post when spooked, and was almost court-martialed until his friends backed him up, Lamie said.

“We have a lady that says her name is Lizzy, she tends to be weeping, and a boy, David, that is very talkative,” Lamie said. “We even have a picture of a young shadowy boy. All different uniforms have been spotted. Even wide brimmed hats.”

Ghost sightings and folklore are part of the draw for some visitors. “I get called down to admissions to talk to people with an interest,” Lamie said. “People assume we are haunted because we are old and our history.”

But notable ghost stories can be found throughout the county. The Haunted History Trail website also notes the Starr Clark Tin Shop, a stop in Mexico on the Underground Railroad where “witnesses have reported shadows, voices and the feeling of being touched,” and Casey’s Cottage at Mexico Point State Park where visitors report “hearing faint organ music or cries for help, furniture being moved, candles jumping off shelves, missing keys found in bizarre places, the sense of being watched and sightings of a young girl standing near a tree under which she was buried.”

Enduring appeal

Ghost investigation has scared up cyclical interest in popular culture, re-

Given the rich history of Oswego County, tales of ghosts and spirits have been around for centuries in nearly every corner of Oswego County

gaining notice through such TV shows as “Ghost Adventures,” now on the Discovery Channel, and “Ghost Hunters” on the Travel Channel. Inspired by these shows, two young YouTubers, Sam Golbach and Colby Brock, have brought their passion for paranormal investigation to a whole new generation through their Sam and Colby channel with more than nine million subscribers.

Nesbitt would enthrall audiences with such popular tales as the ghosts of Seneca Hill, the story of the girl in the glass coffin (later turned into an original play by campus colleague Mark

City of Oswego — one of the most haunted cities in the entire state, according to a documentary titled “The Many Hauntings of Oswego County,” posted in 2022 on the Hometown Ghost Stories YouTube Channel.

The appeal of stories of ghosts and spirits has been alive in the community for quite a while, especially when the late Rosemary Nesbitt — a city historian and SUNY Oswego professor — would hold the annual Tales from the Haunted Harbor in the Oswego’s Maritime District every fall.

Cole), the ill-fated soldier Dunbar and many more. Families would gather on the westside pier near the LT-5 tugboat to hear Nesbitt spin her tales annually until she died in 2009.

SUNY Oswego theater professor Jonel Langenfeld picked up the mantle

of that tradition but realized that there was only one Rosemary Nesbitt and other tales to explore. She transitioned it into a similarly family-friendly event that also incorporated SUNY Oswego students, now known as the Ghost and Storytelling Tour at the Oswego Town Cemetery. This shift came about after connecting with the Oswego Town Historical Association and Town Historian George DeMass. “George asked if I would do a cemetery storytelling of the people buried in that cemetery and also play Dr. Mary Walker,” the former Oswego Town resident who was also the only woman to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, she said.

“I was honored to be asked, but

At Fort Ontario, stories of spirits connected to its rich past are part of the draw for some time. This photo by a visitor features what its taker thinks is a shadowy and unexplainable figure. Courtesy of Caroline Lamie, Fort Ontario.

suggested we do the storytelling with my storytelling class,” Langenfeld said. “Since then the storytelling event has really grown and we are now into our eighth year. The students love researching the local history of Oswego and all the people who once lived here including the indigenous people.”

The work was right up Langenfeld’s alley, as she said spirits have reached out to her to ask her to learn about, and tell, their stories since she was a child. “Others may also identify with this,” Langenfeld said. “My abilities are particularly strong in cemeteries and with those I am close to or have some sort of connection.”

A ghost walk

A new offering in the Port City is Haunted Oswego Tours, 90-minute guided walks of Oswego’s historic westside neighborhoods from Water Street up to the Franklin Park Historic District. They take place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from May through October.

I had the opportunity to take one this spring, and it offered a variety of well-known and lesser-known supernatural stories presented in an entertaining manner. What was additionally fun was that the other people on the tour had their own ghost stories to share with our guide and fellow travelers.

According to the tours’ website, organizers of sibling business Oswego Food Tours would hear a lot of memories and ghost stories about the Port City while doing those tours — leading to this new offering.

Another outlet for tales of local lore, expected to debut early this fall, is the YouTube–social media series titled “Empire Spirits,” which features “a unique cast of local radio personalities, business owners and hosts of multiple internet shows and podcasts,” said one of the hosts and promoters, Sandy Silverstein. “We all also have varying degrees of experience in the paranormal investigation world.”

The show will focus on investigating reportedly haunted bars and restaurants throughout Central New York “to see if they live up to their reputation,” Silverstein said. They plan to have five weekly episodes in season one leading up to Halloween. “One of the really neat things about investigating restaurants is that they have soooo much history. And action. And drama.”

The various personalities of the cast — which includes Bill Vinci, who also

“Fort Ontario has a long history of ghost sightings, during the day as well as at night,” says Caroline Lamie, who is the office manager and ghost hunt and tour coordinator at Fort Ontario State Historic Site as well as vice president of the Central New York Ghost Hunters organization.

hosts and produces “The Empire Plate,” “Empire Unique Eats” and “Chef up and Cook” — are a key part of making it entertaining, Silverstein said.

“We are all very interested and intrigued by the paranormal world and have a unique perspective on ghosts and spirits,” Silverstein noted. “For example, my perspective during an investigation is one of the empath–medium–seasoned investigator, while Bill’s might be trying to face his fears. Viewers can without a doubt expect a combination of mystery, action and fun.”

Pursuing the paranormal

Seeking out the paranormal is also a passionate side quest for some. Central New York Ghost Hunters (CNYGH) is a volunteer organization founded by a police officer who “responded to numerous calls that they couldn’t figure out,” Lamie said. “So in 1997, she and some like-minded friends decided to try and help these families. All of them had a big interest in the science of the paranormal as well as the legends and lore.”

The group eventually became a nonprofit organization and remains active with regular investigations and other activities. At one point, they hosted a series, still viewable on YouTube, titled “CNY Spirits.” They also help or-

ganizations such as Fort Ontario, other historical sites, libraries and museums raise funds through special events.

“We are very active,” Lamie said. “At least two times a month we are out investigating or doing presentations to raise funds. CNYGH Inc. is always finding haunted venues to investigate.”

As summer blends into fall, offerings related to ghost stories grow greater in number. Lantern tours of Fort Ontario in August and September, feature tales “based on the real stories that happened at the Fort,” Lamie said. “Stranger-than-life stories. Hollywoodcan’t-make-this-stuff-up stories!”

In October, Friends of Fort Ontario and CNY Ghost Hunters will host a popular Ghost Tour and Hunt for the public. “We always sell out!” Lamie said.

The Ghost and Storytelling Tour at the Oswego Town Cemetery, featuring Langenfeld and her students, is planned for Saturday, Oct. 28, once again telling tales of noteworthy figures buried in the cemetery as well as Harriett Tubman, Chief Pontiac, Solomon Northup and others who had an impact on Oswego and the wider world.

In whatever form they take, ghost stories have maintained popularity — whether told around a fire millennia ago or today on a YouTube channel —for many reasons.

“People love ghost stories. These stories frighten and intrigue because they are unknown … no one is alive to speak exactly of what death and the afterlife (depending on what you believe) is really like,” Langenfeld said.

“People also love to hear stories about where they live and relate to similar experiences,” she added. “Hearing local ghost stories and history tales allows us to relate to where we live, who we are and our experiences, our commonalities. They can also validate us in so many ways … especially if we recognize something from a story…be that a place, a vision, a feeling. Humans are very interested in what they cannot explain … even in what they may not believe.”

A new offering in the Port City is Haunted Oswego Tours, 90-minute guided walks of Oswego’s historic westside neighborhoods from Water Street up to the Franklin Park Historic District. They take place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from May through October. For more information visit hauntedoswego.com

Drawing from our own lived experiences of being a blind, interracial couple, we believe it shouldn’t be difficult to be Black and it shouldn’t be difficult to be blind. We dream of a future in which everyone has pathways through barriers—no matter their circumstances.

To help forge future pathways, we chose to leave an estate gift to the Central New York Community Foundation, which will create a legacy fund when we pass away. We do the work that we can while we’re here and while we’re gone, the work continues.

Angela Winfield and Lance Lyons

Brian M. Durant

President of Cayuga Community College talks about enrollment, the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute and explains what CCC is doing to prepare workforce for Micron

Brian M. Durant became the ninth president of Cayuga Community College in 2015. He came to Cayuga after spending 4 ½ years as vice president for academic and student affairs at SUNY Adirondack,

Q: How are your enrollment figures — up or down?

A: Our 2022-23 academic year ends in August, but Cayuga has already exceeded our expected enrollment for the year. We anticipate that the final number will be a small percentage decrease of 1%-2% from the 2021-22 academic year.

Q: Are college enrollments down in general?

A: Over the past several years we’ve been successful in estimating our enrollment for the upcoming academic year, which is essential in forming a responsible budget that still allows us to provide high-quality services and instruction for students.

Community colleges primarily serve students from their immediate region, and in general enrollments at community colleges have decreased over the past five to 10 years due largely to the decrease in population across New York. As the population decreases,

there is the same number of public and private institutions competing to serve a smaller number of potential students.

Q: What does CCC do to attract students?

A: Cayuga’s appeal to students is widespread, largely because our approach to education and training is student- and career-focused. We offer affordable pathways that place students in a position to succeed at what they want, whether that’s earning credits and transferring or accessing top-tier skills training to advance their career.

Q: Is it easy for a student to transfer to a four-year college?

A: Agreements with regional four-year institutions support our students who are interested in transferring after earning their associate’s degree. In terms of career training, particularly in manufacturing, we’ve developed strong partnerships with regional industrial leaders to ensure our trainings match the skills they need in an employee. When our students complete these programs, they’ve received the training they need to begin or advance their chosen career. The other things we offer students are excellent support services and talented faculty who are committed to the success of their students. Everyone at Cayuga recognizes that we’re here to support our students and every effort is made to ensure their success.

Q: How are you preparing students for work at Micron?

A: We continue to work with educational and industrial partners on several initiatives, including identifying ways we can support Micron and its presence in the region. This is a long-term project that offers countless benefits to our region. We are pleased to play any role we can in welcoming Micron, supporting our partners and preparing the workforce for this excellent opportunity.

Q: What else does CCC prepare students for?

A: There’s no brief way to explain the careers we prepare students for. But I think the easiest way to put it is we prepare students to follow their chosen professional path. We do this through a variety of methods — diverse academic programs, tailored trainings, great faculty and dedicated support services. Any student who comes to Cayuga can access the courses, services

and trainings they need to take the next steps toward their career or to transfer to a four-year institution where they can earn their next degree. We’re here to support our students’ goals and support them in any way possible as they progress toward their objective.

Q: How successful has your institute of manufacturing program been?

A: The Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI) on the Fulton Campus has been a success in its first year and we expect that will continue in the years ahead. The manufacturing industry in Central New York has continued the growth demonstrated in the past several years and we’ve dedicated ourselves to offering training opportunities that are career-oriented and emphasize the skills students need to succeed today and in the years ahead.

Q: What has made this so successful?

A: To a great extent this first year has been a success because of our partnerships with Novelis, Huhtamaki and countless manufacturing leaders in the region. Whether it was the AMI equipment, curriculum or instruction, they’ve supported us every step of the way. They had the foresight to recognize the value in how the AMI can ensure they have a skilled workforce in the years ahead and stepped forward to support us as we planned and constructed the AMI. We’re incredibly appreciative for their support.

Our local school districts have also partnered with us on several manufacturing-focused nights. The Auburn, Fulton and Hannibal school districts, as well as CiTi BOCES and Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, have all joined us for events where we outline manufacturing careers for students and their families. By partnering with local districts, we can show students how manufacturing has grown over the past years and the excellent career options it provides.

Q: Might the program be expanded?

A: We’re always looking for ways to grow all our programs and the services at our AMI are no different. We’re exploring more short-term training options and we are currently working to bring manufacturing-focused degree options to the AMI as well. With each addition, we expect more students will recognize the potential of a career in manufacturing and more industry leaders in our region will join our efforts in ensuring the workforce is prepared for future career opportunities.

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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.

Politics Tears at Fabric of Relationships

Afriend of mine from Fulton was lamenting the fact that she and her uncle barely talk to each other anymore after several clashes over opposing political views that turned into ugly shouting matches.

My Turn

disagreements with family or friends over political issues have hurt their relationships.

She labels him as an “election denier’’ and “conspiracy theorist,’’ saying that he “totally is all in’’ on the notion that the 2020 Presidential election was “stolen’’ from former President Donald Trump. She also ticked off a number of annoyances with the number of “crazy, off the wall’’ theories he believes in and which she dismisses as “pure insanity.’’

He, on the other hand, accused her of being a socialist, who, along with her “woke’’ friends, is leading our nation down the path of ruin and destruction.

Before the Trump era, she said, they could discuss some of their political differences rationally and calmly, but no more. Aside from politics, she said, “we had a great relationship.’’ Now, however, she said, their political differences have overshadowed their entire relationship to the point where they don’t even want to be in each other’s company.

Isn’t this sad? Have our political differences transcended the importance of family and friendships? Apparently it has in some cases.

The results of a recent Siena College-New York Times poll showed that 19% of registered voters said that recent

I can relate to this first-hand. One of my closest boyhood friends and I reconnected about a decade ago. We would go to lunch periodically, chat by phone frequently and stay in touch almost daily through text and email messages.

Then came the 2016 Presidential election, which was won by Trump. Our conversations began to devolve into shouting matches in public places as he tried to persuade me to accept some clearly false and unverifiable information to “prove’’ that Trump was the greatest thing to come down the pike since sliced bread. When I did not buy into his theses, he became enraged.

After several of these unpleasant encounters, I suggested to him that we eliminate politics from our discussion menu when we get together. He agreed, but our relationship has never been the same. When I texted him in May about having lunch, he said he would check his schedule and get back to me. It’s nearly three months later, and I have not heard or seen a word from him.

The recent poll reports that Democrats and Independents were more likely to indicate deteriorated relationships at 21% and 20%, respectively, compared to 14% of Republicans.

The poll also concluded that political disagreements hurt relationships for women and white registered voters with a college degree more than with other groups.

After all of this is said, though, the poll found that a solid majority across all demographics said their relationships had not been affected.

With the Presidential primaries less than a year away and with the violent political rhetoric ramping up in a divisive climate, battleground candidates regularly paint their opponents as “extremists.’’

Threats against lawmakers and their families and against voting officials have intensified as the election draws closer.

‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a civil conversation with someone who does not share our political beliefs, yet each of us listens attentively and respectfully to the other’s point of view? If we did that, we might learn something.’

One of the most brazen incidents involved the break-in at the California home of former Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul. Paul Pelosi was seriously injured in the attack by the suspect who had written extremist views on social media. In Washington, Capitol Police have been investigating thousands of threats against legislators’ safety and security even as trials continue for defendants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Security has been beefed up at the homes of U.S. Supreme Court justices after their Roe v. Wade decision earlier this year.

The poll also revealed that 48% of the registered voters surveyed indicated that a person’s political views reflect on whether or not he or she is a “good person.’’

Some of my friends said that they dread the coming holiday period because of the possibility that the family atmosphere could be shattered by differing political views at the dinner table. I loved Psychology Today’s recommendation if this happens at your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering: “Request a matriarch or patriarch to enforce a moratorium on politics at family events; the enforcer should immediately shut down raised voices, profanity and personal threats or insults,’’ the magazine

MISS OUT

author recommends.

Many experts who have studied this problem say that cycles of polarized political disagreement occur during times of large wealth disparities between the wealthy elite and working-class employees.

The thing is that political differences are healthy for a thriving republic such as ours, but these differences need to be channeled in a productive as opposed to a destructive way. Different perspectives help us grow and understand the opposition when it is done constructively. When a friendship is built on trust and respect, it should be able to withstand the stresses of political differences. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a civil conversation with someone who does not share our political beliefs, yet each of us listens attentively and respectfully to the other’s point of view? If we did that, we might learn something.

GOING ROUND AND ROUND WITH

DOUBLE-O JOE

Supermodified race car driver Joe Gosek still competing after more than four decades

By Stefan Yablonski

AND

Joe Gosek has been going around in circles pretty much all his adult life. And, he has gotten good at it — very good, in fact.

Joseph Edward Gosek, 67 — Double-O Joe — is a supermodified race car driver. For more than four decades, he and his Double-O race car have been a fixture at the famed Oswego Speedway (aka: The Steel Palace).

He has been victorious in numerous races at the track. He has won the crown jewel race, the International Classic, three times. He is also a multi-time champion on the touring International Supermodified Association.

A huge display in his eastside Oswego workshop is plastered with clippings highlighting his legendary career.

“There’s a lot of history on that board,” he said gesturing at the myriad articles and photos. “There have been

just so many people involved, helping me over the years. Phenomenal times all over the country.”

“It goes back to when I started in 1980 — clippings from all over. I was always, you know, mechanically monkeying with something, bicycles, mini bikes and everything else. It transformed into getting involved with the race cars out here [at Oswego Speedway] in the early ‘70s,” he recalled as he skimmed the tableau.

“In 1974, I hooked up with Steve Gioia Jr. His father had a team back in the ‘60s. I hooked up with him and then helped him from ’74, I believe, through ’80,” he said. “And then Tony Osetek — I grew up on the hill with him with motorcycles — he decided he was going to get a [race] car. He had a local guy driving it. I was helping Steve. Tony was a firefighter with my father in the Oswego Fire Department and he

helped my dad put up a garage. Tony didn’t have a garage to put his car in, his race car. My dad offered to let him put it in ours.”

“I was helping Steve Gioia across the river and then when Tony’s driver left; he asked Steve Gioia if he thought he should give me a chance,” he added. “So that’s where it all started … how many years ago? Oh, my God — that’s 42 years ago, 43 years ago?”

When did he race last?

“Recently? Saturday night [he placed in the top 10 of the 50-lap Novelis Supermodified feature on June 10 and on June 24),” he smiled. “So I’m still going. Back in the day, like in the ‘80s, we would go to different race tracks with our cars — we’d travel. Now I’m doing just Oswego.”

“I won the Triple Crown: Star Speedway Classic (Epping, New Hampshire), Sandusky (Ohio) Hy-Miler

Classic and Oswego Classic. That was, I think, in ’91. Won the three Classics that were out there,” he said.

Changes

“Things have changed. Changed tremendously,” Gosek mused. “The composition of the tires; the technology involved in everything — everything’s evolved. The speeds, the motors, the technology, the cars — everything’s changed. Yeah, it’s a lot different than I remember from when I started, that’s for sure!”

The competition is more spread out because of the technically advanced teams, he said, adding, “It’s not as even of a playing field than it used to be, I think. The rules are quite a bit different these days as well.”

He said they used to build their own stuff.

“Build your car, build your own engine. Now I know guys paying $45,000 or $50,000 for engines. You don’t build your own any more,” Gosek said.

The one he got is one that he had built by an engine builder, he explained.

“But the parts were used. A new set of cylinder heads is probably like $8,000. I bought mine for $4,000. It’s a good set,” he added. “Some guys out in Michigan are paying $45,000 or $50,000 for a complete motor. We probably put ours together for, I don’t know, 15 or 20 grand maybe.”

Volunteers / Sponsors

“Volunteers help out; they don’t buy much, but they help. Danny [Harrington] will buy something from time to time. Just not big ticket items, you know. But like $200 here or there,” Gosek said. “I got Danny and two other guys, one’s retired. They’re all late 60s, early 70s. We don’t pay anybody — I pay their way in, that’s about it.

“I have some great sponsors — that’s how I do it, not out of my pocket. I work at the nuclear plant [Constellation] to support my family, my two girls and my wife. I can’t be putting, you know, $500 a week into my ‘hobby.’ It costs $1,000 a week for tires to race.”

Racing tires are a lot softer than regular tires — “if you ran that out on the street you’d wear the thing out in about a week,” he said.

So, how many tires does a race car driver go through?

“In a season? Say we have 10 races and four tires a race — that’s 40 tires times $250. So that’s about $10,000. Everyone has to run the same tires, same size engine — different configuration but it can only be so many cubic inches,” he said.

Two major sponsors

“Burke’s Do It Best Home Center — they came along just as friends back in the ‘80s — they still sponsor me. They pay for tires every week; not all of them.

“Between Burke’s and Butler Disposal, he’s big; they are my two main sponsors. Vashaw’s Collision, he does paint work for me and sponsors us. Oswego County Monuments a little smaller than Vashaw, but they help out. And Canale Insurance up on Albany [Street], they are all helpful. WestAuto, some friends I have up in New England, they help out.”

But as far as personnel, you couldn’t afford to pay anybody to do it. Some of

Joe Gosek Career Highlights and Records

•In 1991, he won the Triple Crown of Supermodifieds: Sandusky (Ohio) Hy-Miler Classic; Oswego Budweiser; and International Classic and Star (New Hampshire) Classic. He’s one of only four drivers (including Syracuse Hall of Fame member Doug Heveron) to accomplish this feat.

•Raced a supermodified on the one-mile Phoenix International Speedway oval at speeds of more than 150 mph, finishing fifth in the 25-lap Copper World Classic in 1992.

•Two-time winner (1986, 1988) of the New York State Ground Round Supernationals Classic during SuperDIRT Week.

•Three-time winner of supermodified’s most prestigious event — The Oswego Speedway Budweiser International Classic in 1991, 1992 and 2002.

•In 1997, he was named March of Dimes Sports Spectacular New York Athlete of the Year.

•Also in 1997, he raced in the USAC Silver Crown division at Indianapolis Raceway Park, competing against Tony Stewart and future NASCAR Cup contender and 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman.

•In 1999, Gosek drove “The City of Syracuse” entry, owned by Syracuse businessman Ron Mucci in the USAC Silver Crown series at Walt Disney World Raceway in Orlando, Florida.

•Two-time ISMA (winged) supermodified series champion, 1987 and 2000.

•Twenty wins in the ISMA series, placing him fifth in all-time ISMA feature wins.

•Two-time Oswego Speedway track champion — 2002, 2011.

•In 2014, Gosek’s 42nd Oswego Speedway feature win eclipsed Syracuse Hall of Fame member Nolan Swift (41 wins).

•At the end of 2022, Gosek remained at the very top of the list of Oswego Speedway all-time top five finishes with 235 and all-time point standings with 35,368.

•His last Oswego win was in 2019 — at 63 years old.

•Gosek plans to compete weekly in 2023 - his 43rd consecutive year.

Double ‘O’

Race car driver Joe Gosek is also known as Double-O Joe.

The double “0” kind of rhymes with Joe, he explained. “The first car I drove, my buddy, Tony Osetek, had bought it from a guy in Ohio. That was the number of the car when he bought it. Just a coincidence —when I started driving it for him that’s the number it was and people right off the bat put a moniker of it — ‘Double-O Joe.’ That stuck with me and that’s the number I’ve always had. That’s just from the first car I raced at Oswego.”

His current “00” has been his ride since 2014.

“I think it is the oldest car up there,” he said.

He has had some accidents — “but none that majorly hurt me. We’ve been fortunate; nothing too bad. But, you know, stuff happens out there. Everyone’s in the same area, trying to do the same thing, looking for any opening, any advantage. There’s not a lot of room out there when people are going that fast,” he said.

the teams can, they have the finances that can support that, he explained.

“The racing was slower back then — but it was better. It was better racing as far as I’m concerned,” Gosek said. “It’s just so different now; it’s so sophisticated compared to the way it was.”

The crowds are sparse. It’s not like back in the ‘old days.’

“We used to pack that place — 3,000 - 4,000 people. A lot of younger fans, too,” he said. “Not that many kids [are] involved anymore like us when we were growing up. Kids flocked to that race track; Saturday night was a big event. It’s not like that anymore. It’s sad. I just think there are so many other options for kids these days.”

Young racers

“I’d say most the guys up there [Oswego] probably haven’t raced 15 years and I’ve raced more than 40. They are all around their 30s, but there are some in their 40s and a few younger — like Tyler Thompson. He won a classic.

He’s only in his early 20s.” Gosek said. “It’s getting to be a young man’s game, really. It really is. At this level, we can still be competitive but it’s still really a lot kids, younger drivers.”

“Kids are started at 5 years old 6, 7, 8 years old. They are driving go-carts and you watch them and it’s like ‘holy … they are good.’ I didn’t start race car driving until I was 23! So they are that far ahead. There are a lot of young talented kids out there — they can drive!” he added.

End of an era?

This has been “a hobby” since he started.

“You couldn’t make a living driving one of these. I appreciate all my sponsors. The guys in Indy and NASCAR,

they drive professionally and get paid well. But this is called your Saturday night racing,” he said. “A hobby, it’s expensive. It’s got a lot more expensive. We used to do it for, probably, I don’t know, a quarter of the money — half the money you spend now. You could build all your own stuff back then out of junk yard parts and everything else. Now technology has taken over; it’s evolved into a more sophisticated game and the problem is the prices stymie the everyday guy because they just can’t afford to do it. Back in the day, up here in the ‘60s, the ‘70s there were drivers from all over; there were 50, 60, 70 cars from all over. Now days, you’re lucky if there are 30, you know.

“I’ve actually talked about this being my last year. At what point is enough is enough? I don’t know. I still enjoy it.

But you want to be competitive, too. You gotta be competitive, but if you have to spend $50,000, $60,000 to be competitive that’s when we’re out. We’re not doing that; just going to keep plugging away and getting good finishes. At the end of the year, you never know.”

Gosek said he owns the car. But the engine, “what we did when we bought it, it was $30,000 without an engine — we had five people who were good friends, part of the racing team, that kicked in five grand each.

“So, we’ve got six guys with five grand each. When we’re done with it, I will probably sell it and if I get back half of that — I’ll give them back half of what they put in when they invested. So after 10 years of watching the car, helping the car, being a part of the team, they spent 25 hundred bucks.”

Sponsorship

“I usually raise about $15,000 a year in sponsorship through the people that have been backing me for a long time,” Gosek said. “I am fortunate to have great people behind my effort. I believe it is quite a bit of sponsorship compared to most other teams.”

The sponsors get their names on the car, and usually on fire suit, too. Their names are announced pretty much at the start of each race you compete in, he added.

“We take the car to their place of business for display to customers. Sometimes names are mentioned in the newspapers and other articles that you are in,” he said.

Indy 500 Memories

Supermodified race car driver Joe Gosek said he still recalls his run at Indianapolis 500.

“Of course, qualifying for Indy [1996] was a thrill. We’re fast at Oswego; Indy is fast at a whole different level.”

“I could write a book about what went on,” Gosek said of his Indianapolis 500 experience. “The speed was just incredible. I remember going wide open during the qualifying runs. It’s something I think about every year when Indy’s on.”

He had myriad problems at Indy. During the race, he lost the turbo boost. He was going about 220 and lost 3,000 rpm. The best he could do after that was barely faster than 200 mph, he recalled.

Gosek said he completed 109 laps and wound up with a 22nd place finish in his one and only start in the 500. “That’s not too shabby, right?” he asked rhetorically.

“I’ve been doing this for 40-something years; you can’t always recall all the neat times you’ve had and the people you met. Of course, the first big race that I won would have been the Oswego Classic — that one stands out. The classic is the ultimate win for cars like us. If you won the classic, you won the best race,” he said. “As a driver you adapt to different race tracks, different situations. I ran in Phoenix, Arizona, that’s a one-mile track that’s real fast. I forget how many races I’ve won out of town.”

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT JOE GOSEK

“Joe is the type of person that will do anything for you. He doesn’t know the word ‘no’ and he is willing to help out anyone that asks for it. This applies both for normal everyday stuff and especially at the track or in the race car shop. “He is extremely easy to work around and work for. In the race shop, the crew all works together under Joe’s direction. Joe is a machinist by trade and can make just about anything to fix and maintain the car. I’ve been with Joe since the early ‘90s and have loved every minute of it.

“I could write a book on all the fond memories over the years. ”

“It’s his drive and his passion for racing is definitely, I’d say, is the number one thing that has kept him going and made him so good.

“His desire to win. People who aren’t racers think it is just a guy going around in circles in a car. Really, it’s people who are ultra competitive — that’s what Joe is. Joe is ultra competitive and he has a passion for racing. He’s a winner — it’s just something he has in him.

“On a Saturday, he might have had a tough week in the garage, maybe making repairs on the car — Joe doesn’t like to repair race cars, no one does. But come Saturday, that racer comes out and he’s at the track ready to go — it’s that desire.

“I’ve been with Joe since 1983 (Burke’s as a sponsor). I’m on his crew — the tire guy.

“Besides sponsoring Joe, Burke’s has been the official home center sponsor of Oswego Speedway. My dad started with the speedway and the Carusos back in the ‘60s. ”

DANNY HARRINGTON, executive director of Harborfest and a volunteer with Joe Gosek’s racing crew.

CHUCK HANDLEY, co-owner of Burke’s and race director.

Oswego’s Joe Gosek, a 42-year supermodified racing veteran, was nominated for inclusion in the 2023 Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame by Dough Caruso, a former co-owner of Oswego Speedway; former co-owner of Speedway Press, Inc.

Gosek, a lifelong resident of Oswego, lives with his wife, Vicki, a Delta Airlines flight attendant, and their two daughters, Piper and Remy. He is employed at the Constellation’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear complex in Scriba.

In the nomination, Caruso said

Gosek is “one of the most prolific and talented race car drivers in the history of Oswego Speedway and well beyond.” He has been racing competitively for more than 42 years, starting at age 18 in Motocross.

However, Gosek didn’t make the cut for the hall this year.

“We didn’t make it this year. But we’ll try again next year,” Caruso vowed. “I’m disappointed he didn’t make it — yes, I am. I did a lot of work on this. There was quite a bit involved.”

This isn’t the first time. Caruso ac-

tually nominated him back in 2016. So maybe the third time will be a charm, he added.

Caruso said he had a customer and friend who was on the board of directors for GSSHOF.

“He helped me get four other drivers into the hall of fame. Unfortunately, he has passed away. I have no one now who will carry the ball forward,” he said. “So, yeah, I was disappointed. But I can’t say anything bad because the fact of the matter is everybody that got in is worthy, you know. It’s not like he could replace somebody else — it’s not like that.”

Perhaps the greatest highlight of Gosek’s career was in 1996, when he qualified and raced in The Indianapolis 500, Caruso said.

“His gutsy effort to compete in this event exemplifies Joe’s career-long determination to succeed. Failing to get his original ride up to speed during the month of May at Indy, Joe was hired by another car owner and a last-minute attempt to qualify for the biggest race in the world was played out in front of thousands of viewers on TV as Gosek put his new ride solidly into the field of 33 — with very little practice,” Caruso said.

“Joe Gosek has become a respected competitor as well as a gracious spokesperson and representative of the sport. From the beginning in 1980 when he graduated from crewman to a supermodified driver, Joe has been dedicated to giving his very best effort each time he has wheeled a race car onto a speedway — in Oswego, Indianapolis or anywhere else in the United States and Canada. Most important, he has never lost sight of who he is or where he came from,” Caruso said.

Dan Harrington and Joe Gosek. Harrington is the executive director of Harborfest and a key member of Gosek’s crew.

PUTTING SMILES ON FACES

A fishing trip on Lake Ontario with Capt. Tom Burke and First Mate Andy Bliss brings good, old memories — and 30 pounds of fresh fish

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

Fishing on Lake Ontario with Cold Steel Sportfishing Charter isn’t only about using the correct rods and bait, there is science involved in locating the prized salmon.

Photo by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli.

Tom Burke and Andy Bliss have been fishing Lake Ontario off the shores of Oswego together for nearly a quarter of a century.

Though they have been together as captain and first mate of one of Lake Ontario’s premier charter fishing boats, Cold Steel Sportfishing Charter, their experience as fishermen on the smallest of the Great Lakes became a calling from an early age for both.

Captain Tom Burke, 58, was born in Brooklyn, where his father and uncle owned a marina. He has been fishing for as long as he can remember. He moved upstate to Moravia in the Finger Lakes region on the southern end of Owasco Lake when he was 4. By the time he and his family moved back down to West Central, New Jersey, when he was 14 years old, fishing in the rural streams, reservoirs and ocean became a big part of his life.

When he finally got his driver’s license and was ready to do more fishing on the Jersey Shore, the stripers fishing dried up. So, he looked north to Lake Ontario as salmon and trout fishing was beginning to boom in the Central New York region. When he was 23 he moved to the Oswego-Pulaski area to work the river and lake fishing seasons. A stretch of life between the ages of 26-

32 also saw him get experience in the fishing industry by working summers in the Alaskan salmon fisheries before settling back full-time in the Oswego area in 1989-90. He bought his own lake boat and has been fishing the waters of Lake Ontario ever since.

First Mate Andy Bliss, 43, also a downstater who grew up in Nyack, just north of New York City, caught his first fish — a snapper — in the Hudson River when he was 2. He nurtured his love of fishing in Lake Ontario in 1986 when his grandparents would visit Upstate to camp and fish. They eventually relocated to Sodus Bay several years later. The move gave the young first mate an opportunity to start fishing off the shores of Lake Ontario and Oswego on a regular basis every summer when he would spend time visiting his grandparents.

“In 1994, my freshman year in high school, I was 14 years old and got a job working on a charter boat as a mate,” Bliss explained. “I worked with Dave Hathaway, Double O Charters, and as my high school years went by, I worked summer charters with most of the captains in Sodus Bay.”

Four years later when it came time to choose a college, Bliss thought about Rochester Institute of Technology for

a moment before realizing that the backyard of his future dorm at SUNY Oswego was Lake Ontario. That was all that was needed for him to be persuaded to apply for early acceptance.

During his freshman year at Oswego State, Bliss met the captain of his future charter boat career by way of a weird coincidence. The student had been speaking with a local taxidermist and asked him if he knew anybody that needed help. The taxidermist mentioned Burke.

“I gave Tom a call and the first trip we did was May 23, 1999,” Bliss remembered. “I went out [the night before] to watch “Star Wars Phantom Menace” from 6 p.m. to midnight and then got up early to do a charter. Almost 25 years later we’re still working together. So, I guess I did something right.”

“He was fairly young but had some good experience working on the lake,” Burke remembered of his first mate. “He was smart and had a good memory. Basically, whatever he learned he would remember and kept building on that knowledge. It’s worked out pretty well.”

120-150 Trips on Lake Ontario

For Burke and Bliss a typical char-

Jerry (left) and Tom Caraccioli were guests of Cold Steel Sportfishing Charter and reeled in 11 king salmon, of which four ended up on their dinner table.

ter season consists of making about 120-150 trips on the lake from May to mid-September. They are one of about 30-35 charter boats that launch from the Port of Oswego. And they have chartered people from around the world and more than 40 states including many from the northeast and New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine and Vermont, as well as European guests from Iceland, England, Germany, Poland and even Russia. Many heard about the great fishing in Oswego because they went to school here or worked in the area at some point.

Though many may think the charter fishing industry is all about cash and business, it’s not. Like many things, it’s

about people, interaction and relationship building. The process of finding the right charter and organizing a trip is part feeling, organization, as well as some science. It’s much like when the captain and first mate decide where they’re going to set up the downriggers for the optimum chance of hooking the big fish.

“Once you narrow down a captain that you want to fish with, pick a date that works best for both of you, then the captain will suggest the best time to go,” explained Bliss. “They will be honest and suggest the best time to go when the fish are hitting. After that, find lodging. There are lots of great places to stay in Oswego within walking distance

of the marina and they give discounts to people with charters. Also, make sure you have your fishing license and then show up with a positive attitude. It’s not a ‘price for pound’ proposition. This is about having fun, enjoying the great outdoors and spending time with the people that are important to you.”

Our trip to Lake Ontario

Fast forward to June 21, 2023. The first day of summer means different things to different people. In scientific terms, the summer solstice denotes the day in which the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum and the sun appears at its highest elevation at noon. It is known as the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Burke and Bliss met us early on Wednesday morning just after dawn and before sunrise to take us to a place we hadn’t been in decades — the waters of Lake Ontario to go fishing.

It had been more than 40 years since our Uncle Dick Coyer used to take us out on the lake fishing. Back then, we weren’t big fishermen; hockey and baseball were our games. But we did always enjoy when our uncle would call to invite us to go out on his boat to go fishing for perch or brown trout, and he would say, “Now, you’re on my hockey rink.” He taught us how to bait a hook, take the fish off it when we reeled them in, and clean them when we got home. The charter boat industry was burgeoning, but not like today.

We boarded the Cold Steel from slip 12 at the Port of Oswego Marina. For the captain and first mate who patrol Lake Ontario and the rivers of Oswego County for business and pleasure, the first day of summer also means a transition from fishing for brown trout, steel head and bass to diving deeper into Lake Ontario for coveted king, chinook and coho salmon.

As we made our way out on Lake Ontario with the sun rising in the east, the part of fishing that many people don’t think about or realize was happening. Catching king salmon doesn’t just happen by chance, though plenty of luck is involved. It truly is a science.

And Burke and Bliss have it down as they scanned their radar systems trying to glean information about the currents and water temperatures in order to find the best spots to lower the downriggers.

“A lot of fishing in small lakes or oceans you have structure,” explained Captain Burke. “The fish will orientate

Jerry Caraccioli showing off two king salmon he caught while his brother Tom reels one in during a Lake Ontario charter fishing boat excursion with Cold Steel Sportfishing Charter.

off the structure. Lake Ontario has a few spots with some structure but it’s mainly a wide-open lake. So, we have to narrow it down to get these fish. Due to the points of land that stick out and winds, we do have certain current lines that form. They stay pretty consistent where they are. The current will bring little stuff like plankton that gets caught up in it and gets pulled along. That is what the bait is going to feed on. So, the bait will stay just below the current, just above it or through it once in a while looking to feed. The fish know it and will orientate to the same thing waiting to see the bait come around feeding.”

On this day, we were fishing the edges of one of the current lines about two miles offshore past the breakwall and Oswego’s famous lighthouse at about 60 to 140 feet with six lines set at various depths. We were trolling back and forth through the current trying to find the fish using trolling spoons, attractors, flashers and dodgers that imitate small salmon swimming.

“Sometimes you will find one depth is good and you just stay right in that depth for a while,” Burke explained.

It seemed like we had found the right depth almost immediately at 6080 feet. We started our voyage at 5:30 a.m. and by 5:48 a.m. we had our first hit, and another about a half-hour later.

Captain Burke further explained the science of the depths we were fishing at that point.

“The higher rods seem like they’ve gotten the action. That will happen earlier in the morning as the salmon will tend to stay up a little higher in the low light area and hang in their preferred 52-55 degree temperatures. As the sun gets brighter and there is more light penetration, the salmon will tend to go deeper and colder in order to again get to the lower light area in order to keep the advantage over the bait. Thus, you will start to catch them 10-20 feet deeper. Basically, the predator salmon has better eyesight than the prey bait, so they try to find the right light amount in order to maintain the advantage.”

Though we didn’t get that first hit or the next one into the boat, they were a precursor to plenty of action and good things to come. The captain was spot on with his analysis when, at around 6:45 a.m. and then 20 minutes later, we landed a 9-pound and 12-pound king salmon. Then, within the course of about 100 minutes from 8-9:40 a.m., we landed nine more king salmon. In total we landed 11 ranging in size from 20-31 inches and in weight from 9 to 20 pounds.

At the end of the morning as we docked, keeping four of the bigger fish, we walked over to Tom Wojslaw and had them filleted for us for $4 a fish. We went home with about 30 pounds of fresh, clean, beautiful salmon that we gave to our brother to have smoked and some was cooked that night by our

sister for a delicious dinner.

One of the great things about being out on Lake Ontario on a beautiful day is the fresh air, sunshine and bright colors of the water and sky. Of course, we went to relive the experience of fishing with our uncle when we were kids and to feel the anticipation and rush of excitement watching for a pole to release signifying a fish is on. The fact that we were lucky enough to catch some beautiful fish was the bonus.

“We all love fishing and being in the outdoors,” Bliss said. “But making smiles is the best part. People always ask what I do for a living and I tell them, ‘I put smiles on faces.’ I love the camaraderie of fishing. I love the relationships we build and the lifelong friends we make. Every day I have the chance to meet a new set of friends.”

Burke and Bliss are consummate, professional fishermen. Their love of Lake Ontario and their charter fishing profession is overflowing. Even after 25 years it continues to show. And, the smiles on the faces of their new friends — from the memories they helped make — will show for a lifetime.

Tom and Jerry Caraccioli are freelance writers originally from Oswego, who have co-authored two books: “STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team” and “BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.”

Cold Steel Sportfishing Charter First Mate Andy Bliss (left) and Captain Tom Burke.

Bill Niver, 82, Still Has a Lot of Drive

Owner of Fulton Driving Range has been on the job for over 62 years … and he’s still going

By Stefan Yablonski

Bill Niver may be retired, but he’s not one to just putter around. At 82 he still has a lot of drive. He owns the Fulton Driving Range, just south of Battle Island State Park Golf Course on Route 48.

His name is actually Charles. At one point, the family started calling him Bill and it stuck, he said.

Niver has owned his driving range for a while, a long while — more than 62 years to be exact; since 1960. He has remained active to this day.

“I retired, but I’m not one to just sit around and do nothing. I am a retired school teacher, elementary, kindergarten mostly,” he said. “This has always been part-time, obviously. It’s a nice little thing to do — especially in the summer. Mid-April to mid-September is

really the biggie season. We do a pretty good business. It tends to slow down a bit in September.”

The good weather has brought people out.

For every good day, you usually get a bad day —“it all evens out by the end of the year. You shoot for like 140 days. You don’t always get there,” he said. “No matter, it’s all part-time; all for the fun of it and that really explains it, I think.”

Retired ‘not quite’

Niver retired from the North Rose Wolcott School District. His wife, Jean, retired from Hannibal Central School.

“She was an elementary teacher, too. We retired in ’05. But as you can

tell, we don’t quite retire. You just switch gears,” he said.

The couple celebrated its 50th wedding anniversary on June 23.

There are baskets of golf balls on the counter. Large baskets, medium baskets and smaller ones for folks who only want to hit a dozen or so balls.

“There are probably more than 6,000 balls,” he said. “There are several bins of balls in the other room. Never really took the time to count them all. Have added a lot over the years.”

It’s just him that goes out and collects them all, he explained, adding, “Somebody’s got to do it.”

“I get my exercise. Everybody runs off to the gyms and the Ys — which is a good thing to do — I get my exercise right here,” he laughed. “I spend an

Bill Niver at his Fulton Driving Range on Route 48 in Fulton. He has owned and operated the business since 1960.

hour or so walking around getting the balls, getting exercise!”

He uses a shagger, a tube with a bag attached to the top — punches it over a ball and it’s yanked into the bag.

He has nearly two dozen of the things hanging from the ceiling in his store room.

The shaggers are similar to what the ball boys use at tennis events. “You see them run down and shag a ball with one of these … it’s the same thing I do,” he added.

“I’ve got a bunch of them. They tend to wear out — been here more than 60 years — I wear out too, but not as fast,” he quipped. “But still you gotta do what you gotta do.”

He also has an apparatus that he can attach to a golf cart to expedite his ball retrieval jaunts.

“I have an automatic picker, but I’d rather not use it. If you want to get your exercise, why are you going to ride around in a golf cart? I spend about an hour in the morning picking up balls,” he said.

His younger brother (he’s 64) helps out some days from noon to 4 p.m. And he has a girl that comes in on weekends.

Around a dozen Astroturf mats are situated with tees for right- and left-handed golfers. The mats cost $300 apiece, he noted.

Mowing the vast field also takes a good chunk of time, he added.

Some times, early in the season, the ground is soft and a few balls disappear into the ground — some are found later, “When I am mowing.”

“You spend quite a bit of time mowing — that really occupies your time. We’re open eight hours a day; I’m here two to three hours more than that because someone has to pick up the balls and do the darn mowing,” he said. “You can’t mow until all the balls are out of the way. You’ve got to avoid hitting the darn balls [with the mower]. It’s a pain, a small one, still a pain. No matter how good you pick, there’s always eight to 10 golf balls left out there somewhere.

“Doesn’t sound like much — but if you’re mowing, you have to get off and on eight times — it’s a pain. They’ll come out of a mower pretty fast. And not in the best condition, either! I’ve never been hit by one and I don’t want to be.”

Niver also has to wash the balls. If it’s in the spring, the balls get pretty darn dirty, he noted.

He’s “pretty well set for next year.” He’d rather not buy balls every year if he can avoid it … “but you tend to lose a lot during the season. You don’t usually throw out any. But you do if the mower hits one — however, you try not to do that,” he smiled.

Flags of various colors denote the distances on the driving range.

“It’s rare that someone can reach the 250 yards flag. But there are some

‘long-hitters.’ I usually find a few balls, five or six, that I missed picking up and some have been out that far. That’s a pretty potent punch [to reach that flag],” he said.

Most hit between the 100 and the 50 yards flags.

Golfers go to ranges to get in some practice. But it’s mostly people who are just getting going with the game and want to improve. They want to straighten out the ball that goes this way and that way, he added.

How much did it cost to get started all those decades ago?

“I can’t put a number on that. But it was marginal compared to way things are now,” he replied. “It was fairly cheap. I could pay off it in two years.”

Since then he has added a few things, more clubs, the mower, a golf cart — and “a lot more balls.”

“You add a few things over the years as you’re able,” he said. “It’s a part-time thing, but it’s worked out pretty good in the sense that it’s a good idea to keep going,” he said.

“I don’t want to stop [working]. But, if I did, I’d still push myself and keep going — keep doing something — get up in the morning and go do something! This is a good thing to do five or six months out of the year and meet people,” he said.

Bill Niver hitting some balls at his driving range in Fulton. Only a few people can reach the 250 yard flag, he said, most hit between the 100 and the 50 yards flags.

Tug Hill Group Promotes Outdoor Activities

The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is working to expand its community and educational programming in northeastern Oswego County

The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is in the business of getting people outside, and the agency is working to expand its community and educational programming in northeastern Oswego County.

“Getting outside for exercise or just to take in the natural world around us, helps both our physical and mental health,” said Linda Gibbs, community programs director for the nonprofit land trust. “Just sitting outside listening to natural sounds and breathing fresh air can lower our blood pressure and relieve stress.”

By Norah Machia

The Tug Hill region is located between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks, and covers parts of Oswego, Oneida, Jefferson and Lewis counties. The landscape includes a mix of dense forests, valley farmlands, gorges, large flowing rivers and scenic waterfalls, along with diverse wildlife habitat.

The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust offers nature hikes, bird watching and paddling trips throughout the four counties in areas that fall within the Tug Hill region. For more information, check out the website: www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org

Any interested youth groups, community organizations, schools or senior citizen associations may contact the land trust to set up an outdoor event.

“Most of our programs are free due to community support,” said Gibbs. “Our generous donors allow us to provide this free programming.”

The programs offer people an opportunity to “take a break in the outdoors with friends and share the benefits of fresh air, movement and the natural environment,” added Gibbs.

In Oswego County, nature hikes or bird-watching outings may be held at

Located in Orwell on 112 acres of state-owned land, Salmon River Falls has earned the nickname “An Oswego County Hidden Treasure” and is a popular site for hiking and nature photography.

the following locations:

• Chateauguay State Forest: This forest in Orwell covers more than 4,000 acres on the edge of the Tug Hill Plateau and includes eight miles of marked trails within the forest.

The main recreational opportunities are hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. There are a variety of hiking trails, including those with flat terrain, small hills and several with inclines, with some passing through beautiful pines and others running by nearby Orwell Brook.

The trails are not maintained nor groomed for skiing during the winter months, so skiers would be breaking their own trails or using others put down before them.

• Hall Island State Forest: This 2,079-acre forest located along the south shore of the Salmon River Reservoir has approximately 14 miles of trails that crisscross the property from the eastern to the western end of the reservoir.

The diverse forest includes open and wooded wetlands and has both common and rare plant species. It’s also a popular site to view waterfowl, including the great blue heron.

Popular activities include hiking, birdwatching, nature viewing, fishing, camping and snowmobiling in the winter.

• Klondike State Forest: Located in Amboy, the area includes 875 acres of diverse landscape, and offers recreational opportunities for fishing, hiking and nature observation. A multi-purpose trail can be used for hiking or cross-country skiing.

A portion of the property leads

into a naturally occurring bog which provides habitat for many species of rare and common plants and animals, and many waterfowl and insects are often observed in this area.

• Oswego County Nature Park at Camp Zerbe: The park in Williamstown is owned by Oswego County and consists of the former Camp Zerbe facility purchased in 1991 and adjacent county reforestation lands.

The nature park has several wellmarked trails, including one leading to Lake Lorraine, the largest of three “kettlehole” lakes in the park (these rarer lakes were created at the end of the ice age by the last retreating glaciers). An interpretive center offers educational displays about the area’s geology, birds, plants and animals.

• Salmon River Falls Unique Area: Located in Orwell on 112 acres of stateowned land, the area has earned the nickname “An Oswego County Hidden Treasure” and is a popular site for hiking and nature photography.

The highlight of the property is a 110-foot waterfall in a large scenic gorge where the Salmon River flows and several trails offer different views of the falls.

• Winona State Forest: The stateowned forest covers more than 9,000 acres in southern Jefferson and Northern Oswego counties on the western edge of the Tug Hill Plateau. Popular activities include hiking, horseback riding and fishing.

Several events, including a cross-country ski race, are organized by volunteers during the winter months, and volunteers also help maintain the

trails for cross-country skiing.

The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust receives support from the Shineman Foundation for outreach and land protection capacity in northern Oswego and Oneida counties. This support has helped to create more opportunities for youth and families to learn about nature and experience the outdoors, said Gibbs.

Additional support from the Shineman Foundation has enabled the land trust to form partnerships with Tug Hill Outfitters in Williamstown, along with local libraries, youth groups and schools, to increase community outreach, she added.

The land trust also receives support from the Stewart’s Holiday Match Fund to provide backpacks to libraries in Oswego County, including Pulaski and Parish. Plans call for the backpack program to expand into additional libraries in the future. Presentations are offered upon request with the backpack distributions.

Upcoming Events

• The Westdale Paddle is set for 6 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the state DEC boat launch on Cemetery Road off Route 13 east of Williamstown (approximately halfway between Williamstown and Camden).

• The “Biggest White Pine Hunt” is scheduled for 10 a.m., Aug. l2 at Forest Park in Camden.

• The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust also offers a year-round “Tug Hill 10 Challenge” (with a special version during the winter months). Participants are asked to visit 10 locations in any of the four counties in the Tug Hill region which are listed in the official Tug Hill Recreation Guide, and on the land trust’s website.

The sites listed in Oswego County in this article are included in the “Tug Hill 10 Challenge,” and those who complete the challenge will receive a special patch or decal after sending in a list of places they visited (photos and personal stories are also welcome).

To schedule a nature hike or bird-watching trip at any of the Oswego County areas listed in this article, or in nearby areas of Oneida, Jefferson and Lewis counties that fall within the Tug Hill region, contact Gibbs at lgibbs@ tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org or at 315-779-8240.

Travel Industry Booming

Travel agency representatives say volume is more than pre-pandemic levels now

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The past three years have been beyond challenging for travel agencies as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the industry to cease operation.

Once travel opened up again, travel agencies face a public wary of travel and cautious of mingling with others. But things have changed.

“We’re beyond busy and doing very well,” said Lynn Kistner, travel agent with Canalview Travel Service, Inc., Fulton. “We’re more than pre-pandemic levels.”

The uptick is not only because of those travelers who felt the sting of having their wings clipped; it’s also the people realizing that life is short.

“The general consensus is what people got out of COVID-19 is the missed travel,” Kistner said. “They want to travel while they can, especially for

those once-in-a-lifetime trips.”

There’s also the effect of fewer travel agencies still in business. Kistner thinks that has driven more customers to her door, as “a lot consolidated and closed and a lot became outside agents working at home.”

Michele McIntyre, owner of Travel Savvy, LLC in Jamesville, has also observed many travelers booking their “bucket list” trips, shifting from Mexico and the Caribbean to Europe. In fact, “some are doing parts of Europe and plan to go back. They’re spending more time, about 12 days, and not weeklong trips. They want to take multiple trips in a year.”

The pandemic’s sense of vulnerability has also spurred more seeking multi-generational trips. Families want to reconnect and build memories togeth-

er while they can. Kistner has seen more people booking “milestone celebration” trips, such as parents taking a child on a trip after college, high school or even eighth grade graduation.

“They know that our time on this earth is short and they’re valuing experiences over things,” she said. “They lost so much time with their loved ones when they couldn’t be together. Instead of a party, parents are going on a trip.”

To keep up to date with lodging and attractions, travel agents typically take working trips “to scope it out and know where to send people,” Kistner said. “We call them familiarization trips. My colleagues in the industry are doing these a lot more than they used to.”

Part of the reason is that so many previously popular vacation destinations have become overrun with trav-

elers. Travel agents are also trying to keep up with changes that have taken place since the pandemic began.

“We’re getting ready for the continued influx of travelers,” Kistner said. “We fly ourselves to Los Cabos and other places to learn about the destination and tour hotels.”

Kistner also escorts small groups to make travel easier for the less experienced travelers or those who simply want to rely on an expert’s help.

Business is also picking up for Robin Guyle, travel adviser with Anna Day Travel in Oswego, an affiliate of Cruise Brothers in Rhode Island.

“I’m busier than before,” she said.

Beginning in January 2023, “the really intrepid travelers said, ‘I don’t care.’ But now even the older people have decided they’ve waited it out and they’re comfortable getting back out there. They’re traveling internationally.”

This has caused a few complications, such as 10 weeks for expedited passports instead of the previous timespan of four weeks. Travel agents must help travelers understand how different travel is now — and that planning is essential. Traveling spontaneously overseas isn’t doable anymore, although domestic travel is often easier.

“At this point, it’s a problem that things are overbooked,” Guyle said. “Travel companies are overbooking which is causing problems. They’re trying to recoup their losses. Even airlines. If people have taken time off, it’s inconvenient to get bumped.”

Educating travelers has always been part of travel agents’ jobs. With the industry’s recent changes, that role has become more important to ensure their customers’ happiness and safety.

Lynn Kistner, travel agent with Canalview Travel Service, Inc., Fulton.

Airbnb Facing Struggles

Critics say model allows for extra fees not usually charged by B&Bs

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Founded in 2008, Airbnb quickly became a darling among travelers seeking an inexpensive lodging with many of the same amenities of a traditional B&B. The company quickly spread worldwide and established offices in numerous other countries.

Although initially a boon for price-conscious travelers, Airbnb has struggled recently with criticism from those booking.

One sore spot is rising rates and surprise fees. The business model allows the host to set rates, so tacking on extra fees for cleaning — sometimes without guests’ knowledge — has turned off some travelers to Airbnb.

“At a bed-and-breakfast, this is the

price and there are no hidden fees,” said Linda Tarbox, owner of 1880 House in Pulaski.

Thirty-three years in the business, she believes that business is looking up for the B&B business, which she believes is built on relationships. She has seen some visitors come as children and decades later as adults.

“That’s what I love about it,” Tarbox said. “You become friends with so many people. I’ve really enjoyed this business all these years. I know what my customers like. All I can say is we all feel the same way: it’s like family coming back to visit for a few days.”

Joy Moody, innkeeper and owner of Merriam Vincent Guest House in Os-

wego, said her guests prefer staying at a conventional B&B because “they don’t need to clean and the pick-up is done for them. They prefer a B&B because it’s more convenient.”

She distinguishes her lodging by offering all organic foods, cleaning with natural products and using a water filtration system that removes chlorine from the water.

Another complaint about Airbnb is the nuisance factor.

Many people renting out a room or a house to tourists live in neighborhoods not necessarily zoned for this kind of business. Homeowners near the Airbnb may frequently find their street jammed with tourists’ vehicles. Or the visitors may interrupt an otherwise quiet night’s sleep with a party.

Since Airbnb hosts may not be set up with adequate parking or enforce typical B&B policies about noise and the size of groups renting, their neighbors may feel frustrated that the ambiance of their community has shifted.

Unlike B&Bs, some Airbnb hosts do not even live at the property. In fact, the lure of renting the whole property is often an attractive factor for people renting Airbnb properties.

“We have four rooms, so we have only up to eight guests,” Moody said. “We have a nice veranda where they can sit on the porch. It’s a quiet, serene area. The house is on the historic registry.”

Rising reports of crime have also marred Airbnb’s reputation. In August 2021, California teen Elias Elhania was killed while at an Airbnb. CBS News also shared that although against official Airbnb policies, the renter hosted a party with 200 in attendance at the property, mainly minors drinking alcohol.

“I’ve read some horror stories about Airbnbs,” said Patty Bean, travel agent and owner of Bean Cruises and Travel in Rochester. “A woman was murdered at one in Costa Rica. Some have put hidden cameras in them.”

She explained that unlike B&Bs and hotels, “an Airbnb doesn’t have a strict set of standards that a hotel or resort needs to follow.”

Airbnbs also often lack the on-site supervision that conventional lodging usually provides.

Bean prefers lodging that includes housekeeping and, with B&Bs and hotels with restaurants, meals.

“For most people, they do that drudgery every day of their lives,” Bean said. “Why would they want to do that on vacation?”

Patty Bean, travel agent and owner of Bean Cruises and Travel in Rochester, sits with her granddaughter at Disney World in Florida. She says that unlike B&Bs and hotels, “an Airbnb doesn’t have a strict set of standards that a hotel or resort needs to follow.”

‘Bleisure’ Trips Are Back

More business people combining business trips to leisure trips

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Work trips are fun again. Often called “bleisure” trips the portmanteau combines “business” and “leisure” — symbolic of the mixed nature of the getaway.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, owner of Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse, enjoys any chance she has to take a vacation while on a work trip.

“I am always looking for opportunities to combine business and pleasure trips because it makes perfect sense if I am on the road for business, especially in a familiar or unfamiliar city, to stay a day later to enjoy it,” she said. “With the price of travel being high, it makes logical sense to combine the two if possible.”

Before the pandemic, Higginbotham accepted a paid speaking engagement in Lake Placid. The location is close

enough that she extended her trip to a neighboring state to visit her brother.

“I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to travel that close to where he lived and schooled,” she said.

She added that for tax purposes she separates her business and personal receipts to avoid mistakes in claiming personal expenses on her business tax deductions.

Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Oswego, travels fairly regularly for business. When his trip’s purpose is to meet clients, he typically travels solo.

“When I am traveling to attend training conferences once or twice per year, I often bring my wife along with me as our children are all grown and out of the house,” Zeigler said. “We

sometimes extend our time to make a short vacation out of the trip, especially if my wife is interested in the destination location.”

As a self-employed person, he pays the full costs for all of his trips, giving him latitude to decide his own travel plans.

“Like most self-employed people, I do not take enough time off each year and have never had even a two-week vacation in my entire career,” Zeigler said. “I cannot afford that much time away from my office.”

Blending pleasure with business on a trip makes sense, especially for the self-employed and otherwise time crunched. Adding an extra day onto a trip for relaxation is easier than taking off an entire week solely for fun.

Robin Guyle, travel adviser for

Anna Day Travel in Oswego, affiliate of Cruise Brothers in Rhode Island, said that the workcation trend has grown because fewer businesses are meeting via virtual platforms compared with during the pandemic.

“They’re going back to meeting in real life,” Guyle said. “Vegas and Orlando are places people are going again.

“A lot of times the business will pay for the employee and the employee pays for everyone else going with them. Some will extend it for a week.”

Companies want to revive face-toface meetings because of the serendipitous collaboration they foster and the esprit de corps that’s tough to generate through screens. Making a business trip into a bleisure trip makes sense since the host cities that offer meeting space large enough for trade shows and training sessions also boast many other attractions. By offering employees a chance to take a few vacation days before or after a work trip, employers can provide a small perk at no additional cost to the company.

As Higginbotham alluded, workers engaging in bleisure travel should separate their personal expenses from business expenses. For example, adding another day onto the trip would mean meals and extra hotel costs would not be deductible. Costs related to extra people coming along and for any outings and meals not related to work would also not be deductible.

In addition to the bleisure trip, the “workcation” is here to stay. During the pandemic, most office workers went fully remote and many still work remotely. While on a “workcation,” employees don’t take any paid time off but instead work during their ordinary 9 to 5 hours from a different location. Once they clock out, it’s time to enjoy the amenities of their vacation spot since they’re on their own time. The employer typically knows that the employee is away from home. But all the expenses are up to the employee to cover.

Unlike the bleisure trip, the workcation may not be in a hotel with a business center set up to facilitate work. Employees taking a workcation should make sure that their destination offers reliable Wi-Fi and cell service. The location should offer a reasonable place to focus, such as a desk and chair in the room, if that is helpful. Although lounging by the shore or pool while pecking away at a laptop and taking calls may seem relaxing, it’s also distracting.

Tracy Higginbotham: “I am always looking for opportunities to combine business and pleasure trips because it makes perfect sense if I am on the road for business, especially in a familiar or unfamiliar city, to stay a day later to enjoy it,” she says.

Robin Guyle, travel adviser for Anna Day Travel in Oswego, affiliate of Cruise Brothers in Rhode Island.

Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Oswego.

Shipwrecks of

Upstate New

York Exhibit Featured at H. Lee White Maritime Museum

Have you ever wondered what the shipwrecks below Lake Ontario look like? Now you can see them in vivid detail — courtesy of the efforts of local underwater explorers.

The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego is hosting the new exhibit “Shipwrecks of Upstate New York” available for viewing through the 2023 season. Museum is open 1-5 p.m. daily exhibit runs through the summer.

Developed by local divers and shipwreck enthusiasts Tim Caza and Dennis Gerber, the exhibit features 25 3D printed and hand-painted scale models of shipwrecks located beneath the waters of Lake Ontario and Central New York. What you see is an exact representation of their current appearance, just as a diver would see it. Caza, Gerber and fellow divers have spent many years researching, locating and diving the wrecks that had been given up for lost. Through their diligent efforts searching the waters of Upstate New York, these long-lost ships have been rediscovered, untouched by no one else except nature and have been given a new life.

Caza is a licensed USCG captain and an active scuba diver with more than 45 years of experience specializing in wreck diving, search and discovery of lost ships.

Gerber is a retired electronics’ engineer and has 37 years of experience diving in the waters of the greater Central New York region. He designed and built the side scan sonar that has helped find many of the discoveries featured in the exhibit. Gerber also developed the software used to communicate to and display the sonar fish data.

For more information about the work of Caza and Gerber, visit their website: sonarguy.com

“With the pending designation of a new National Marine Sanctuary on Lake Ontario, there couldn’t be a more fitting time to encourage the public to explore the submerged cultural resources of our region,” said Mercedes Niess, executive director of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum and Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary advisory council member.

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•Why So Many Hospitals Have Gone Out of Business

•Training New Nurses.

•The Doctor Will See You at Your Home — for a Price

•Drug Shortage Leaves Pharmacists Scrambling

Why So Many Hospitals Have Gone Out of Business

76 hospitals have completely shut down since 2011, including 20 in 2020

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

It seems nonsensical that hospitals should close. After all, there’s no shortage of people sick or injured.

But the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research reports that since 2011, 76 hospitals have completely shut down, including 20 in 2020, the highest number ever.

Most of these facilities are in rural areas, which may sound like few people need them. However, 60 million people — almost 20% of the American population — rely on these providers for care.

George W. Chapman, owner of GW Chapman Consulting in Syracuse and columnist for In Good Health, provides medical practice consulting services to medical groups. He cited multiple reasons for the uptick in hospital closures, but the pandemic ramped up the rate.

“I think the first hit hospitals took was staffing,” Chapman said. “I think it resulted in a quarter of a million nurses

who quit or retired.”

Many people assumed hospitals made money from the number of sick people during the pandemic. However, Chapman said that because hospitals’ reimbursement did not meet their expenses, the pandemic hurt hospitals financially.

The broken supply chain, along with increased need for personal protective equipment (PPE), caused expenses to skyrocket. Plus, as staff quit, hospitals had to bring in costly temporary traveling nurses and raise wages. Some travelers made as much as 50% more than local staffers.

Although travel nursing is not as popular as during and directly after the pandemic, the effect still sapped hospital budgets.

Low reimbursement from insurance companies and Medicare has also made it tough for hospitals. Chapman

said that their payrates for physician services have remained relatively flat for 20 years.

“It’s tough to increase income without increasing volume,” he said.

Ethically, physicians can’t make unnecessary referrals to others in the hospital system. Chapman said that primary care providers make referrals for some issues because they’re swamped. Medicare auditors would catch frivolous referrals anyway.

Chapman views Medicare for all as the solution for hospitals receiving sufficient reimbursement.

“This is ridiculous with all the different insurances,” he said. “It’s tough to determine what benefits are and most consumers don’t understand what their benefits are. People with insurance still have high deductibles and copays. Medical debt is still the number one cause of bankruptcy.”

Eliminating insurance companies’ participation would also eliminate competition.

“You could have a Mexican standoff between providers and the government,” Chapman said, “or a strike. On the other hand, the government won’t let the hospitals all go bankrupt.”

He added that government-sourced financial help would make it easier for rural hospitals to remain open.

Signs that a hospital is probably struggling to stay open include reducing or eliminating its least profitable services, like obstetrics, which Chapman said typically only breaks even.

“Hospitals don’t make money on a normal, vaginal delivery,” he said. “OB–GYNs are the first to go.”

Another sign is that a hospital can’t recruit providers, which is especially true at rural hospitals. Many of these fill openings with rotating doctors.

They may also use more nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

“Unlike most industries, hospitals cannot raise their prices,” Chapman said. “Medicare and Medicaid set the rates and commercial insurance negotiates the rates. While hospitals are

struggling with Medicaid and Medicare, that’s the most profitable line for commercial plans. Heavier use could be it. But insurance companies make boatloads of money off Medicaid and

Medicare because they get paid by the government for each member. They take that money and then restrict what they’ll pay out. I don’t think they affect utilization of volume, but they can impact what they pay.”

He doesn’t think any area hospitals are thriving fiscally but just surviving. He added that when harder times come, the smaller, rural hospitals will be among the first to fold.

George Chapman: “Unlike most industries, hospitals cannot raise their prices.”

"Supporting communities throughout

Most of these facilities are in rural areas, which may sound like few people need them. However, 60 million people — almost 20% of the American population — rely on these providers for care.

OVER 70 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ONE NETWORK!

SAY HELLO TO HEALTHY!

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.

Training New Nurses

Health systems like Oswego Health offer a variety of incentives to recruit and retain nurses

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Retention is only a part of the strategy for addressing the nursing shortage; training and hiring are also essential.

“Hospitals are scrambling to get people to enroll in nursing school,” said George Chapman, owner of GW Chapman Consulting in Syracuse who provides medical practice consulting services to medical groups. “Pay for nurses is good, but it’s a tough gig.”

Chapman thinks that improving the work-life balance may be a way to entice more people to consider entering training to become a nurse. However, nurses who work in hospitals will likely always need to work some weekend and night shifts.

Oswego Health recently hired nine new graduate registered nurses. Oswego Health recruited the nurses from local schools, Cayuga Community College, SUNY Brockport, Pomeroy College of Nursing and Excelsior University.

Part of Oswego’s draw to new nursing graduates is the health system’s tuition reimbursement program, which provides each participant with up to $10,000 per year toward degrees in nursing. Graduate nurses can also advance their careers through the emergency department residency program, obtaining paid on the job training.

“At Oswego Health, our employees are our greatest assets and that’s why we care about reinvesting in them,” said

Marq Brown, vice president of human resources and chief people officer. “If they’re looking to advance their training, we’ll help guide them and pay for it. If they need a more flexible schedule to maintain a work-life balance, we’ll accommodate. If they want to go back to school entirely to pursue a healthcare degree in nursing, medical imaging or laboratory science, we offer tuition assistance programs, customized to help them achieve their dreams.”

Oswego Health employs more than 1,300 people among 17 locations in the system. Keeping staffed has been a challenge, as it has been across most of the healthcare sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the nation’s

Nine new nurses join Oswego Health: From left, Shaquana Jones, Jaime Thompson, Kristopher Ferrara, Lindsey Hodge, Sarah Fitzgibbons, Emma Teeter, and in front Julia Kingsley.

longstanding nursing shortage with older nurses retiring before they anticipated and burned-out nurses of every age quitting for other types of work.

The Department of Labor states that the average turnover rate nationwide is 17.1% for registered nurses. Since half the RN workforce is at least 50 years old, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, more than a million nurses will reach standard retirement age within the next 15 years.

Unfortunately, cash-strapped hospitals spend between $37,700 and $58,400 per nurse for turnover, which includes the cost of recruiting, hiring and training. That makes hiring more nurses challenging. Many hospitals with razor-thin margins found that the pandemic made their budgets even tighter.

One of the reasons that employers like Oswego Health must work so hard to find graduate nurses is the pool is so small. It’s not that too few people want to work as nurses, but too few people are accepted into nursing programs. The National League of Nursing states that the bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) pro-

grams accept only one-third of qualified applicants. These are applicants with aptitude and a high GPA.

Of course, high standards should be part of the decision-making process. However, the capacity of schools also curtails acceptance rates. The size of the school’s faculty presents a major bottleneck factor. Nurses make more money practicing than teaching. The equipment and facilities for training nurses are very costly. That is why many BSN courses are at “teaching hospitals” like Upstate Medical University.

At Cayuga Community College, students can train in the associate degree program and begin working or transfer to another school to finish a BSN.

“Cayuga has one of the best associate’s degree programs in New York, with graduates regularly accepting healthcare positions in the region shortly after graduation,” said Andrew Poole, director of Public Relations and Institutional Communications. “More than 97% of our graduates since 2018 have passed the NCLEX on their first try, including 100% of our graduates in 2021 and 2022. This is well ahead of

state and national averages.”

Nursing Schools Almanac and RegisteredNursing.org has recognized CCC as offering one of the top nursing programs, which includes classroom and clinical settings and nursing labs at both the Auburn and Fulton campuses.

“Among the diverse skills emphasized in Cayuga’s program, students practice professional standards of registered nursing, patient-centered care, patient and family advocacy, implementing safe clinical judgments through evidence-based practice, and developing communication skills to best work with their patients and their patients’ families,” Poole said.

To complete their education, undergraduate nurses also need places to perform their clinical rotations as required by the State Boards of Nursing. This became so challenging during the pandemic that many schools could provide to students use only simulation rather than caring for actual patients under supervision. But even under normal circumstances, it can be tough to find sufficient spots.

Marq Brown, vice president of human resources and chief people officer. “At Oswego Health, our employees are our greatest assets and that’s why we care about reinvesting in them.”

The Doctor Will See You at Your Home — for a Price House calls: in-home health booming

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

During the pandemic, more people oriented their daily lives around home: home grocery delivery, virtual work, Zoom parties and remote school.

Some of these remain even after the quarantine was lifted.

The time period highlighted the need for more services at home for certain demographics, including people who struggle to leave home because of mobility and transportation issues.

J. Christopher Stringer, internal medicine physician in practice in Man-

lius, provides office visits and also sees patients in their homes once a week — on Thursdays — or as required.

“There are people who need it,” he said. “It’s not particularly available. Medicine is increasingly challenging for physicians and increasingly impersonal and institutional. There’s less time for patients with the doctor. From our point of view, we do it differently. Most doctors do volume; we don’t do volume. I did volume a long time and finally said ‘Uncle.’”

From 1980 through 2013, Stringer treated about 2,000 to 3,000 total patients seen in only 15-minute time periods at a time. He felt completely burned out and ready to quit medicine because he felt he was not providing the level of care that he wanted.

Now he sees only 300 patients, but “I can spend time with them,” he said. Visits may be as long as patients need, which helps the complicated cases often found among patients with limited mobility.

“It’s the way medicine should be, but it isn’t anymore,” Stringer said. Patients pay a monthly membership for this personalized healthcare, ranging from $1,650 to $4,100, depending upon age. Services can include blood draws, EKGs, ultrasounds and even minor surgery at home for things like skin problems and treating ulcers. Stringer also bills insurance, but “if it weren’t for the membership fee, we couldn’t open our doors.”

He also cares for patients in the hospital, not relying on a hospitalist to provide their care during their stay. Stringer likes offering this level of continuity of care.

Alexander Talev, doctor of physical therapy, operates Home Stretch Physical Therapy in Syracuse in a similar fashion—treating patients at home.

Since mobility is an issue for most people undergoing physical therapy, he finds it an ideal way to treat patients. He can see them in their own environment and problem-solve with them about with any obstacles they encounter where they spend most of their time each day.

“We see people for various conditions after surgery, after an illness, after falls,” Talev said. “We can see them as an alternative to going out to a clinic. We can work with people in their homes, go to all of the senior living communities, including senior apartments and can go to people’s places of employment. We can also work with people in preventing falls and injuries.

“We see people post-surgical, after hospitalization, after stroke, neurological rehab, Parkinson’s multiple sclerosis, and various conditions like that. Or for general deconditioning after a weakness or people who have found they have more trouble walking and are more unsteady. We can help them regain strength and balance and be more active in the community.”

He also provides home safety assessments and maintenance for people who have become deconditioned because of an illness, surgery or injury.

Talev accepts insurance, Medicare and most Medicare Advantage plans, as well as self-pay options.

Although it can be hard for a physical therapist to do all the exercises needed in-home, Talev views this as an advantage.

“We can show them they don’t need any equipment to improve strength, balance and mobility,” he said.

He believes that healthcare in the home will only continue to grow as more people indicate they want more personalized service.

Growth

According to Market.us, the size of the home-based healthcare services segment is anticipated to grow by 8.2% between 2023 and 2032.

The Bureau of Labor statistics anticipates that the growth rate of jobs for workers performing this labor will increase by 34%, “much faster than the average of all occupations” between 2019 and 2029.

Some of this stems from the aging population, which comprises 80% of the consumers of home-based healthcare.

The COVID quarantine also played a role. During the pandemic, more people oriented their daily lives around home: home grocery delivery, virtual work, Zoom parties and remote school.

Advanced Dental Arts Adds 3D Digital Imaging X-Ray

Dentist Benjamin Fruce of Advanced Dental Arts announced that the practice recently added a state-of-theart, 3D digital imaging X-ray that will assist them in a variety of treatments and procedures.

“It’s called the Planmeca Promax 3D, and it is extremely accurate in pinpointing the safest and most precise location for a dental implant,” Fruce said. “It’s painless and non-invasive and an added benefit is that it also helps provide the most comfortable and natural fit possible when reconstructing a patient’s teeth. In addition, the scanner

helps diagnose cracks in teeth, as well as tumors and infections of the jaw.”

Fruce also emphasized that the equipment uses ultra-low dose exposure, which is the safest technology available today.

“Advanced Dental Arts is a stateof-the-art general and cosmetic dental office dedicated to providing our patients with personalized, gentle care,” dentist Frank Fruce said. “We provide comprehensive treatment planning and use restorative and cosmetic dentistry to help our patients’ achieve optimal dental health. We are committed to continual education and training to give our patients the best possible outcome and results, and we use the most advanced technology to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience.”

Alexander Talev

Drug Shortage Leaves Pharmacists Scrambling

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Depending upon the drug, many people who take medication must wait three or four days to fill their prescriptions at their local pharmacy. Those who rely on mail order pharmacies may receive their medication mere days before they’re out of drugs instead of weeks in advance.

The American Society for Health-System Pharmacists recently stated that there are more than 300 medications experiencing a shortage, representing the highest level since 2014.

“It affects every day of our lives,” said pharmacist Sarah Driscoll, pharmacy operations supervisor at Oswego Health. “A lot are chemotherapy drugs, which we don’t use a lot at our hospital, but there are several of those that are difficult to acquire.”

She also noted that Adderall, often used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, is hard to obtain. Although Oswego does not typically need Adderall for inpatients, it does need it and other scarce medications for outpatients using Oswego’s retail pharmacy.

Another example is Stadol, used for labor and delivery patients. If there aren’t alternatives for prescriptions that patients want, that becomes a difficult issue. Many want to stay on the medication they’re using, but if it’s not available, they may have to accept side effects they don’t want.

Another strategy is talking with different suppliers to find medication. However, prices vary among suppliers. This has caused increased spending for the hospital and pharmacy. Patients with insurance should still see the same copays.

Eventually, this strategy can lead to higher premiums as insurance companies recoup their costs.

The ASHP states on its website (www.ashp.org) that reasons for the shortage include product quality, deviations from good manufacturing processes and supply chain problems. Lack of raw materials and workforce issues may be only part of the reason that drugmakers aren’t supplying enough.

Pharmacist Craig Rowland at Pine Hill Hometown Pharmacy, Inc. in Cato, said the issue really ramped up in the

past six to eight months.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase of both over-the-counter and pharmaceutical shortages,” Rowland said. “Some are very critical medications with no other alternatives. We can’t even get a supply of normal saline for irrigation solution, which is an absolutely critical item, especially in a hospital setting.”

The severity and recent uptick of the shortages leads him to believe that offshore drug production is a major reason for the problem.

“There was a time not too long ago that 80% to 90% of our goods were supplied domestically,” Rowland said. “Quite the opposite holds true now: 80% to 90% of our goods are outsourced to other countries, primarily China and India. Things were good a few years ago when most of these products were manufactured and distributed right here in the US. We had very few issues related to any kind of shortage of anything. Since we’ve begun to rely on other countries to supply us, there’s a critical shortage. We have to bring back the production of these medications, especially the more critical prescriptions, back into the US.”

Until then, it can help if patients let their pharmacy know when they’re running low instead of expecting prescriptions to be filled the same day.

Rich Pinckney, pharmacist at Rx City Pharmacy in Auburn, said the pandemic has made it challenging for manufacturers to obtain raw ingredients.

“The other side is the FDA has shut manufacturing plants down because of procedures,” he said. “Thousands of units were recalled and are unavailable. They try to establish what they’ll need worldwide for the next five years. Then they shut down and transfer to making another pill. The other side is when you have a particular use of medication where you start to use it for a different purpose and something is discovered due to a side effect like weight loss for a diabetic medication, doctors start to use it for weight loss.

“What we guessed five years ago is no longer right because the medication is being used for another purpose.”

For example, if a medication becomes approved for an alternative use, the manufacturer may not have made a large enough supply during the five years in which they were making it. As a result, Pinckney’s staff receives about 30 to 40 phone calls daily requesting if different medications are stocked.

List of Drugs Affected

American Society for Health-System Pharmacists states on its website that the drug classes in short supply include “local anesthetics and basic hospital drugs albuterol solution, common oral and ophthalmic products, and ADHD treatments are affecting large numbers of organizations and patients.

Chemotherapy drugs, often without alternatives, are increasingly in short supply and have returned to the list of top-five drug classes affected by shortage.”

The ASHP lists on its website (www.ashp.org) the medications in short supply:

Pharmacist Craig Rowland at Pine Hill Hometown Pharmacy, Inc. in Cato. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase of both over-the-counter and pharmaceutical shortages,” Rowland said. “Some are very critical medications with no other alternatives.”

Helping Minority-Owned Businesses

CNY

By Stefan Yablonski

Minority businesses in CNY have a strong advocate in Me’Shae Rolling.

In September 2020, she became executive director of Upstate Minority Economic Alliance (UMEA) in Syracuse.

Founded in 2015, UMEA remains the only minority chamber of commerce in the 16-county Upstate New York region.

Its board of directors is comprised of some of the region’s most prominent members and organizations and is “exploring means and initiatives to combat an economy plagued by economic disparity,” Rolling said.

The nonprofit’s mission is “to harness the economic power of the mi-

nority community for the benefit of the Upstate and Central New York region, with a vision to create greater regional prosperity through enhanced minority economic opportunity,” she explained.

UMEA’s vision: “We strive to create a greater regional prosperity through enhanced minority economic opportunity,” according to its website.

UMEA and CenterState CEO partnered to create the region’s first minority chamber of commerce, which works on behalf of minority business owners and as an agency for economic development focused on professionals of color.

Through its alliance, UMEA and CenterState CEO offers members of each organization greater opportunity

to connect, network and collaborate, while advancing shared goals to create a more inclusive economy.

Rolling planned to grow the group. It already had about 150 members by December 2020. It has 170 members nowadays, she said, primarily African American and Latino.

UMEA ‘exploded’

“I’m running UMEA solo. I am in the process of hiring not one but two people to help me expand capacity. UMEA has exploded! Our membership has exploded,” she said, emphasizing the word.

“The chamber, the grants every-

UMEA has seen a greater influx of new members. Nonprofit, known as Minority Chamber of Commerce, helps minority businesses grow in

Micron executives meet with officials from Upstate Minority Economic Alliance. The executives are, from left, Bo Machayo, Fran Dillard, Heather Baldwin and Robert Simmons.

thing has exploded, she added. “The bad news is I am still one person. That’s why it’s so hard for people to even get a simple appointment with me. I am constantly going —grant deadlines, all kinds of deadlines. I choose not to work on at 3 in the morning.”

The positions she will be hiring are: one will be a membership services specialist and an administration assistant — “so I can get out from underneath all of the paperwork.”

Even though they have 170 members UMEA’s reach is far beyond 170, she added.

“Businesses often have more than one employee that they want to receive the chamber information,” she said. “We call it reach or catch points.”

The groups that are represented in UMEA are construction services professionals (in construction and non-construction trades), catering and food services, and commodities … they sell goods.

“As with any chamber, we are composed of startups as well as mature business enterprises,” she said. “And those who are still working traditional day jobs to pay the bills and want to transfer into full-time entrepreneurship.”

They represent emerging, growing and mature businesses; some are homebased, some mom-and-pop and some brick and mortar.

Seeing an increase

“I would say it is the construction and professional services where we’re seeing the largest increase currently,” Rolling said.

It’s not entirely due to Micron investing billions in CNY.

“The businesses obviously existed before Micron’s announcement. I do think Micron’s presence has accentuated the presences of the professional service providers,” she said.

Back in February, UMEA hosted a reception for top Micron executives and the purpose of that reception was to expose the executives to the diverse purveyors in this region, she said.

”And conversely to introduce them to Micron,” she added.

UMEA provides technical assistance to members.

“We work well in the playground with other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said. “We do strategic networking, facilitated introduction and connection to resources — human, social and financial access to capital.”

“There is no ‘normal’ day; no day looks the same. On any given day, I am attending stakeholder meetings on behalf of the chamber. Additionally, I am engaged in public relations in terms of membership recruitment and then processing those membership invoices — converting prospects into, you know, members and then of course servicing the members — making sure they have chamber services to help them grow and sustain and be profitable enterprises,” she said.

“The data, when it comes to minority business, is either inaccurate or anemic at best or absent. It’s one of those three,” according to Rolling.

Based on the data UMEA has been gathering, “We know that women and minority enterprises are more likely to turn around and hire other minorities

‘Quite powerful, but also quite understated’

Me’Shae Rolling is the executive director of Upstate Minority Economic Alliance (UMEA) in Syracuse. “We work well in the playground with other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said. “We do strategic networking, facilitated introduction and connection to resources — human, social and financial access to capital.”

NEW YORK: 20TH BEST STATE FOR MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES

Arecent study shows that despite facing an uphill climb, there are a record 1.2 million minority-owned businesses in America. New York is the No. 20 best state for them to succeed.

However, succeeding as an entrepreneur is tough. Roughly 20% of all entrepreneurs fail within their first year. The ultimate reason — they do not have enough capital. The issue disproportionally impacts minorities.

Minorities have an even steeper hill to climb. Income inequality, limited access to loans and other biases lead to a lack of capital needed to start businesses and survive the early years in the red.

Lendio released a study on the best and worst states for minority entrepreneurs using the most recent data from the Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration.

Lendio offers small business financing and loans online. It doesn’t lend money directly itself; rather, it partners with a network of more than 75 other lenders to help businesses get the funding.

The rankings were determined by analyzing myriad factors in all 50

The 10 best states for minority entrepreneurs are Hawaii, Maryland, Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, Florida, California, Virginia, Texas and Idaho.

The average white household earns $77,999 per year compared to $57,981 for Hispanics and $48,297 for blacks.

Meanwhile, 52% of white applicants get fully approved for business loans, compared to 27% and 28% for Hispanic and black entrepreneurs.

Despite these challenges, many states are strong incubators of minority businesses.

The good news is that the government is taking steps to level the playing field.

The percentage of the SBA’s Community Advantage loans awarded to underserved communities increased from 34% in 2017 to 45% in 2022.

Key Findings

• New York: Minorities own 23.7% of all businesses and 29.6% of startups less than two years old. The number of jobs at these companies grew by 83% from 2019-21. The state distributes fewer business loans to underserved communities ($292 per capita) compared to the national average ($351 per capita) through the Federal Community Reinvestment Act.

The national outlook is mixed: From 2017-20, companies started by minorities increased substantially across the country: Native Americans (64.8%), Pacific Islanders (28.8%), Latinos (16.5%), Blacks (13.6%) and Asians (10.2%). However, while 52% of business loans get fully approved for whites, that drops to 35% for Asians, 28% for Hispanics and 27% for Blacks.

By setting up shop in a favorable location, minority entrepreneurs improve their chances to succeed. Many lower-ranking states are increasing their investments in underserved communities.

or women,” Rolling said. “Whenever UMEA is in the market for goods and services, we turn right back around and hire minorities. The economic impact is tremendous, it is enormous.”

The Black and Latino buying power in the region is more than $170 billion. There are thousands of Black and Latino entrepreneurs offering diverse goods and services.

There are other minority-oriented chambers in the state and around the country, Rolling said, adding “UMEA is the only minority chamber of commerce in the Central and Ipstate region. There is representation in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo.”

She is on the board of directors of the Upstate Black Chamber of Commerce. It is based out of Albany, but it is region-focused. It seeks to connect Black and minority chambers from a regional perspective, she explained.

Rolling said she has been with UMEA since 2019, “a bit before pandemic.”

She describes herself as “a serial entrepreneur.”

“I own two types of businesses. One centers around financial literacy education and the other one is, I’m the operator of an events franchise,” she said. “By training I have been in the events and conference industry for going on three decades — UMEA happened by osmosis.”

Financial literacy offers classes on financial empowerment. She is a franchisee of Event Prep, which provides event planning to clients nationwide.

Time to relax

With all that she has going, how does she find time to relax?

“I appreciate the question. I really do; thank you for asking,” she replied. “When I do get down time, I have to guard it ferociously as you can well imagine. It’s typically low-key. My favorite TV channel is Turner Classic Movies. My husband and I love watching TCM. I enjoy taking walks whether they are in my neighborhood or in one of Syracuse’s beauuutiful parks. We have so many beautiful parks and lakes that are minutes from each other! I like to walk, ride my bike in terms of physical activity or watch TCM and then the only other thing I’d add to that is when I get the opportunity I just lounge on the deck.”

For more information on UMEA, visit www.upstatemea.com.

CNY Latino About to Turn 20

Publisher learned from his mistakes and is celebrating nearly two decades in business, which now includes a montly newspaper, a weekly radio show, consulting and more

By Stefan Yablonski

Mistakes were made. Hugo Acosta almost quit — almost.

Acosta, the owner-publisher of CNY Latino was born in Venezuela and came to America in the early 1980s.

“In 1992, I started a local internet consulting business called H.A. Technical Services, which I sold when I began my publishing venture with CNY Latino,” he said. H. A. stands for

Hugo Acosta. After going through some rough times in his personal life at the beginning of 2003; after carefully reconsidering his current career conditions, and after consulting with some close friends, “I decided to embark myself into a new business venture that would directly link to my native cultural roots,” he explained.

He has a computer science background and had another business that he was running with his ex-wife.

Then “things happened … things happen in life, you know. So I had to let it go,” he said. “Besides losing the business, I kind of lost my culture.”

“Mi vida es como una telenovela [My life is like a soap opera],” he continued in Spanish. “I took what happened

Hugo Acosta, the owner-publisher of CNY Latino — CNY’s only Spanish-language newspaper – is also a host of Radio Show in Spanish..! (Programa de Radio en Español..!).

very personally — it was something that impacted me emotionally.”

He wanted to get back in touch with his cultural roots.

“I realized that there wasn’t any publication for Latinos. I am a very outgoing guy and I said I’m going to try,” he explained. “I hoped I could make it work in two or three years, something like that.”

He made some phone calls, checked some figures on the internet, spoke with local business people, researched other issues, met with some newspaper people for advice and decided to start a Hispanic newspaper for the Central New York area.

Acosta said he started CNY Latino in 2004 as a venture with the intentions of providing “a general interest publication to the Hispanic community in Central New York,” and at the same time, to provide a method for communication to this ethnic group.

He started with a personal invest-

ment as a trial to see how the local readership would respond. At the start, the whole development for the publication was done entirely in his home, Acosta said.

Because of limited financial resources, the paper started to be printed with only 24 to 28 pages — mostly in black and white.

Within three years of starting, it established itself in downtown Syracuse.

With an increased demand for more distribution, wider coverage and more frequency, it has become a highly sought-after reading material to the 84% of the Latino population in Central New York, according to the paper’s website.

“To be honest with you, I never was able to calculate how much I invested for the business back in 2004,” he said. “When I decided to do this, I got an idea of how much will I need to start with the basics — but additional non-calculated or unknown expenses popped up here and there — that in some instances in-

creased the final number and in other instances decreased it.”

Separate to the business, “I refinanced my house and put aside what I thought would be enough to live with my daughters for a couple of years, pay standard expenses and see how this newspaper venture will go for at least one year,” he added.

“Not that I want to reveal these numbers; but, these days, to publish a newspaper similar to mine, it’s between $900 and $1,200 and, no, I never had investors. But I had — and still do have — the best partner to work with, my editor-in-chief and radio podcast producer Marisol Hernandez,” he said.

Life changing meeting

A meeting with the publisher of the Syracuse New Times changed his life.

“I met Art Zimmer and he took me under his wing. He taught me the ins and outs not only of publishing newspaper but also how to treat people, things like that,” Acosta said. “So that helped me a lot.”

“My first and second editions had a lot of mistakes and some people were making fun of me,” he continued. “I went back to Art Zimmer and told him, ‘I appreciate your help — but I don’t think this is going to work.’ I was trying, but making mistakes.

“He took me to a room where he had a whole bunch of awards and prizes for the newspaper. He showed me one of the first editions of the New Times. It had mistakes, too, and that really touched me. That made me go for it and try harder — and that’s what I did!”

“When did I realize that we were successful? I don’t know, maybe after two or three years,” he said. “It’s funny because learning the industry I was also told that if you start making money after four or five years, you’re doing really, really good. I started making money after two years!”

But he admits they have had their share of ups and downs, “just like any other publication in the newspaper industry for the last, you know what, 10 or 15 years.”

They currently have a staff of paid consultants, freelancers, contributors and volunteers “that are all trying very hard to put together the content and production of the paper,” Acosta said. “Just about all the interns I’ve had have been Latino.”

He has a new intern “who is trying to convince me to do what they call a YouTube channel. We are considering

Hugo Acosta is the founder, owner and publisher of CNY Latino, which was published for the first time in 2004.

that. Young kids today, millennials are so into social media and things like that; not me,” he quipped.

One intern, a girl from LeMoyne College, was helping him with the radio and now she is doing really good in Buffalo, he said.

“We had our very first issue on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004. I have also received generous contributions from local organizations and dedicated individuals that are always interested to assist and help in projects related to this ethnic group,” he said.

Acosta also has a Spanish-language radio show.

“It started in 2006, I think, a couple years after the paper. It’s doing good,” he said.

It started with one hour, now it’s two hours every Wednesday from 5 to 7 — it’s also online.

Radio Show in Spanish..! (Programa de Radio en Español..!) is the only Hispanic-oriented commercial radio show in Central New York, according to Acosta. It reaches everyone in the Central New York area with the strong signal of the WVOA Radio networks, using one clear powerful FM station

(87.7) covering a large portion of Central New York.

And, even larger broadcast with the global coverage of the internet, by listening live from the media website at www.WVOARadio.com.

“We tried to partner with a couple of local TV networks to create a TV show,” he said. “Tried — didn’t work out; think it was only two years maybe 18 months.”

Only Latino Paper in CNY

“The newspaper is what started it all,” he explained. “I wanted to create a simple publication that would serve the Latino community of Syracuse.”

He started publication February 2004, after postponing it for three months.

Acosta credits his longevity to careful financial management, making several good business strategies, the growth of his culture in CNY and effective partnerships with clients and vendors, he said.

“And, the fact that we are the only Latino newspaper in Central New York. Our culture still uses newspapers as

part of their informational resources,” he added. “They like to have something tangible to read.”

For the first three months circulation was 2,000 in the Syracuse area only. Then 4,000 for about 14 months, then 5,000 until 2006, he said.

“And then — 8,000 from October through May and 10,000 from June through September,” Acosta said. “Then we reduced this during the pandemic to 6,000 from October through May and 8,000 from June through September.”

The newspaper was created in tabloid format to provide plenty of room for reading material of any type. It presents the articles and ads in both English and Spanish, making this bilingual publication welcoming to both the Spanish and non-Spanish reader — and covering more that just the Latino market, according to Acosta.

He gathered a small team of Hispanic volunteers to develop the content and production of the paper. Most were immigrants with dreams to grow in the American society and to be productive citizens of the United States of America, he added.

“We used to be eight staff until 2020, and then — again, because of the pandemic — just four now — one is pregnant now,” he said, chuckling.

The paper covers all the towns and public locations between Rochester and Albany as well as between Watertown and Binghamton, including the cities of Cortland, Ithaca, Geneva, Canandaigua, Sodus, Fulton, Oswego, Pulaski, Oneida, Rome-Utica, Verona, and (mostly) Syracuse.

Owner

Editor

Cover of the February isse.

Barlow’s Concessions LLC

It’s the busiest time of the year for Billy Barlow Sr. and his wife Lisa as they travel throughout New York state with their concession stand — they have been doing that for several decades now

By Stefan Yablonski

Barlow is a name known in the Oswego area long before Mayor Billy Barlow Jr. burst on the Port City political scene.

His dad, Billy Barlow Sr., and mother, Lisa, along with their trailer have been fixtures at more than four dozen summer events for about four decades.

Barlow’s Concessions has pretty much become synonymous with summertime. Barlow’s Concessions specializes in carnival foods — such as snow cones and fried dough — for festivals and other events. They are at the farmers’ market and Oswego Speedway just about every week.

“I’ve been doing this since 1977. Started right here in Oswego; but we branched out a long time ago,” Billy Sr. said as he slaved away over a vat of boiling oil preparing fried dough for

the hungry crowd at Oswego’s farmers market recently.

He started selling snowcones — “down on the corner down there,” he said pointing down West First to Bridge Street. “My father [Cecile] would pick me up from school, bring me down and sit me on that corner. Sold 25-cent snowcones. My father acquired a snowcone machine in 1977. We went all around town selling snowcones.”

“I used to sell snowcones all day down on the corner,” he continued. “Thursday was my good day. I’d sell some and then I would wheel across the street in front of Tot and Teens and sell snowcones and lemonade all night over there and I’m still doing the farmers’ market to this very day — do the math — that is a lot of years!”

There are no hi-tech snowcones.

“The same snowcone I was selling back then, I am selling today,” he said. “We do fried dough now and fresh squeezed lemonade — started that probably in 1978.”

Billy Sr. was working in the heat of the Oswego farmers’ market … and Billy Jr. wasn’t there.

“He’s gone camping or something. I think I brought him up right so he wouldn’t have to be here in this heat,” the elder Barlow laughed. “This is a little harder work than a lot of people think. I’ve been at this a long time; and am going to keep going, might slow down a little.”

“I don’t think my dad will ever retire fully,” Billy Jr. said in a separate interview. “He may scale back operations and do less events — but will there ever be a day he doesn’t do anything?

Highly unlikely.”

“Whatever you do, don’t go sit in a chair. You have to stay active,” Billy Sr. said.

“We get to meet a lot of nice people — that’s what it’s all about,” the senior Barlow added.

Growing up, the younger Barlow wasn’t active in school sports. He was busy.

He’d work the family business on weekends and at night.

“When we traveled around, the kids could stay right with us when they were younger. All of their friends worked with us throughout the summer. So we got to see a lot of kids grow up and gave them a good summertime job,” Lisa said. “Billy [Jr.] was young when he started helping us — very young. The kids traveled right with us and helped alongside us.”

“Billy started towing his own trailer and doing his own shows two months after he turned 16. He got his [learner’s] permit when he turned 16,” his father said. “Then I made him go and get his driver’s license — the next weekend I had him hooked up to a trailer going

to do a festival.”

“I didn’t even have to go with him. He already knew all that stuff. He was with me all the time, learning. He knows how to do everything. He might know more than me right now actually,” he added. “He managed teams of four or five workers while he was still in high school.”

“Do I personally do events? I only have a couple of my own events left,” Billy Jr. said. “But once I leave [the mayor’s] office, I’ll reassess the amount of events I want to do.”

“He bought a truck with his money. He bought it with his money — money he earned doing this,” his mother said.

“I didn’t give him any money, either,” his father added. “He earned it all by himself. When he wanted gas, I told him to take back the cans for the deposit.”

His daughter, Emily, and Billy Jr. are both good workers, he added.

“We traveled all around the state and our children knew all the small towns, Lisa said.

“We would mention some little town and our kids would know exactly

where it was,” Billy Sr. said.

“… and the history behind it,” Lisa added. “It was just a neat experience working with them.”

“We worked a 180-mile radius out of Oswego. We’d go up to Lake Placid, we’d go to Albany and down as far as Brooklyn doing festivals. All over the place,” Billy Sr. said. “Did the state fair for a while, but quit last year.”

But they’ve never been to Coney Island. “My life’s a carnival; don’t need any more excitement,” he quipped.

They had a fleet of five trailers but are now down to just a couple.

“I used to go west — around Rochester; and then when Billy got out of college using his own trailer, he was doing stuff that way. Billy used to do all my field days each summer. Him and his buddies would do all the field days,” he added. “I’d send Billy with Ontario Amusements and they’d kind of team up — they kept an eye on him, making sure he wasn’t doing anything he wasn’t supposed to be doing.”

“My parents still do probably over 50 events a year throughout New York, Arizona and an event in Las Vegas,” Billy Jr. said.

At most events they use a lot of dough. “I mix it as we go and I’m not sure what the weight is at every place. I’d say around 18 to 20 pounds, somewhere around there,” Billy Sr. said.

And they use about 100 to 120 lemons or more.

He has a lemon squeezer, probably from the 1950s — “but it works better than the newer ones.”

Billy Sr. said he shopped at flea markets and on sites like Ebay.

“I bought several; one for 99 cents and the most expensive one was $27,” he said.

“I’d guess he has 15-20 of the oldfashioned antique lemon squeezers,” Billy Jr. added. “We’ve saved them up because they’re super hard to find, but we stick to them because they’re most effective.”

“I won’t run out in my lifetime. The one for $27 probably isn’t as good as this one,” Billy Sr. said, gesturing to the antique he was using at the farmers’ market.

The elder Barlow said he can remember selling snowcones to children who now have children buying the frosty treat — and “even the kids’ kids — come to get some!” he said.

“I think it’ll continue for some years to come in some way, shape or form. I can see my sister and I carrying it on one way or the other,” Billy Jr. said.

Billy Barlow Sr. and his wife, Lisa, operate Barlow’s Concessions LLC.

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.

BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY

AUTO SALES & SERVICE

Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — Third generation business. Used cars, towing, general auto repair & accessories, truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57 Fulton. Call 315-593-1332.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE

Port City Car Care, 315-207-0500 www.portcitycarcare.com Oil, lube, NYSI, alignments, tires, brakes, electrical, air conditioning, suspension, tune-ups & timing belts, complete car care. We do it all! Over 28 years’ experience, 20 Ohio St., Oswego.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

Scriba Electric. Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services. 3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681.

ELECTRONIC REPAIR

PC Masters Tech Repair is locally owned and operated. Specializing in cell phone, tablet, computer, and game console repairs. Serving Oswego, Watertown, and Syracuse areas. Call 315-326-1980 or visit 42 W. 9th St. Oswego, NY 13126 today!

EXCAVATING

Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & topsoil. Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.

FULTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Fulton Public Library. Borrow books, movies, wifi hotspots and more! All of out services are free just sign up for a library card. For more information see our website at fultonpubliclibrary.org

HEALTH INSURANCE

Senior Solutions ME. Specializing in serving seniors with health insurance in Oswego and Onondaga counties. Reach out to us today for a free quote. Call 315416-9111 or email caustin@drsolutions.biz. Visit our website www.seniorsolutionsme.com.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS

Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar figured woods, and exotics. Also, hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies. 266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Emergent, LLC. Leadership development and executive coaching, 126 N. Salina St., suite 402, Syracuse, NY 13202. 315-635-6300 support@getemergent.comwww.getemergent.com.

LEGAL SERVICES

Reed Law. Dedicated to helping families with their individualized Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Probate and Real Estate. Clear Legal Solutions, Impartial Compassionate Assistance & a strong helping hand when you need it most! 218 Syracuse Avenue, Oswego. 315274-2040. NReed@ReedLawNY.com

PICTURE FRAMING

Picture Connection offers custom matting & framing for photos, posters, prints, oils and more. Shadow boxes, object framing, art print source. 169 W. 1st St., Oswego. 315-343-2908.

POOL COVER REPAIR

Trust the experts! Let us repair your in-ground pool cover. Free estimates. Everybody says “Call this guy”. Cortini Shoe Zipper canvas repair to tarps, boat covers, and awnings. 125 Cayuga Street, Fulton, NY 315-5938914.

TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT

RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

Up and Running: Splash Indoor Water Park Resort Now Open

Offering a year-round oasis of fun and excitement, Splash Indoor Water Park Resort in Oswego opened its doors June 23. The project cost $6.7 million, according to the owners.

Located at 92 E. First St. in the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront, the park boasts an impressive array of attractions, guaranteeing a memorable experience for every visitor. The park will be open for summer hours Monday thru Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The multi-level state-of-the-art facility spans nearly 20,000 square feet and features a variety of thrilling water

slides, splash pad, activity pool, full arcade, Splash Bar & Grill, gift shop and more. It offers day passes, overnight stay and play packages, birthday packages and corporate event packages.

“We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of Splash Indoor Water Park Resort in Oswego,” said Shane Broadwell, owner of Broadwell Hospitality Group, the family-owned, Oswego-based hospitality company that built the park. “We have assembled an amazing team at Splash and meticulously designed the park to provide an awesome water park experience. We

are so appreciative of all our partners, employees and everyone that has made this incredible destination come to life!”

“We welcome families to visit us for the day, or book a stay at our Clarion or Best Western Plus hotels,” he added. “With an incredible range of attractions and amenities, we’re confident that Splash will quickly become a beloved destination for residents and visitors from afar.”

Day admission passes, overnight hotel packages and ticket pricing information are available online at www. splashindoorwaterpark.com.

Everyone deserves to be cared for and to live well. So at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, we’re more focused than ever on making care more accessible in the communities we serve. Through affordable plan options, community investments, partnerships and education, we’re working to address inequities that made care feel out of reach for too many people, for far too long. That way, everybody benefits.