Oswego County Business, #195: January 2024 - February 2025

$6.00

December 2024 - January 2025

www.cnybusinessmag.com

CNY’S BUSIN MAGA ESS ZINE

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS Cannabis has become a huge business. With new retail stores in Oswego, Pulaski and Fulton (and more than a dozen in Onondaga County), some estimate that sales in NYS will hit $1 billion in 2025.

Weight Loss Surgery It’s about more than just weight loss.

It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day.

Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way.

Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey.

It’s time — and now easier than ever.

Start today at crouse.org/weightloss or call 315-470-8974.

Medical

Dental

Mental Health Substance Use Disorder School Based Health Centers Say hello to a convenient way to stay healthy in Oswego County. ConnnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services - family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, substance use disorder treatment and social work all under one medical group. Patients within our network can visit any of our seven locations at any time.

ConnextCare also offers medical, dental and mental health services at nine School Based Health Centers in five Oswego County school districts.

WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE PULASKI ACUTE CARE SUITE MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:00AM - 6:00PM ACCEPTING NEW L PATIENTS AT AL D SE BA L SCHOO RS! HEALTH CENTE DE SCAN THE QR CO T EN FOR ENROLLM S! FORM Central Square (315) 675-9200 Fulton (315) 598-4790 Oswego (315) 342-0880 Pulaski (315) 298-6564 Parish (315) 625-4388 Phoenix (315) 695-4700 Mexico (315) 963-4133

WWW.CONNEXTCARE.ORG

CONNEXTCARE

The Upstate Cancer Center has services offered nowhere else in the region. Patients are cared for by a team of experts devoted to their type of cancer. Upstate is among the select programs in the nation to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer multiple times.

In all our locations, we offer the same convenient access to surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and clinical trials.

Our newest location in Verona, NY, is further expanding services this year.

315-464-HOPE (4673) SYRACUSE • ONONDAGA HILL • OSWEGO • VERONA • AUBURN

4

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

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OswegoCoBusiness_SOB Ad_7.08.24_V2.indd 1

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2024 – JANUARY 2025

ISSUE 195

Darrell Pfiffner and his wife Natasha Glynn are the owners of FlynnStoned Cannabis Company in Oswego.

50

CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROWS IN CNY

With new stores in Oswego, Pulaski and Fulton, plus over a dozen retail outlets in Onondaga County, industry about to hit $1 billion in sales in NYS

64

FEATURES

OVERCOMING THE FIRST YEAR

Profile of six businesses that have recently celebrated their one-year mark. They talk about their start-ups, challenges and how they have managed to survive when most fail during the first year

6

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

76

HEALTH & FITNESS

Blossom Yoga and Wellness now features seven certified instructors | Top 10 tips to live a long, healthy life | What providers are doing to increase access to healthcare | Medical spas: What does it take to succeed?

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

GET THE

UPSTATE ADVANTAGE FOR HEART SERVICES

Upstate’s revitalized and growing heart services provide benefits to you.

From six cardiology outpatient sites to the arrival of our new heart surgeons, and more doctors and advanced providers for procedures such as caths and TAVRs, we are here to work with you. Learn more about what The Upstate Advantage can do for you.

THE UPSTATE ADVANTAGE UPSTATE.EDU/HEART DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

7

MORE CONTENT Features

16

44 Dollar General

Company opened a Central Square location and is about to open another one in Phoenix

60 Music

Oswego music scene is rich in history with “The Billionaires” and “Frostbit Blue”

70 Weather

Lack of snow impacts snowmobiling economy, resorts, contractors • Kasoag Trailblazers celebrates 50 years of snowmobiling

60

90 New Century

Essay: 25 years into the new century. What has changed

92 Five Habits

Seven people share their five habits for success

98 Success Story

Oswego Minor Hockey Assoc. celebrates 60 years on ice

Departments 10 Publisher’s Note 14 On the Job 16 Dining Out GS Steamers

24 Profile

98

Syed Ahmed Mustafa, chief executive officer at BioSpherix

28 How I Got Started

James Pauldine, owner of JP Jewelers

30 Newsmakers 36 Business Updates 46 Economic Trends

The state of nuclear industry and its role in power generation

By Austin Wheelock

58 Tim’s Notes

Art Scene at CNY Arts Center shines light on creative opportunities

By Tim Nekritz

106 Last Page Q&A

Weatherman Jim Teske: 30 years at NewsChannel 9

8

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

$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.

VISIT NUCOR.COM/CAREERS TO APPLY

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

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Top Employers

Top employers in Cayuga County: • Auburn Community: 1,450 10

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Stefan Yablonski Aaron Gifford, Mary Beth Roach Tom Caraccioli, Jerry Caraccioli Lisa Harris (MD), Jim Miller, Jolene Cleaver COLUMNISTS Austin Wheelock, Tim Nekritz Julie McMahon

2025 2023

Top employers in Jefferson County: • Fort Drum: 20,313 • Samaritan Health: 2,528 • The Arc Jefferson County-St. Lawrence: 1,200 • New York State: 850 • Jefferson County government: 790

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com BUSINESS GUIDE

For figures in Onondaga, Madison and Jefferson counties, we grouped private and public employers together.

Top employers in Onondaga County: • SUNY Upstate Medical University: 11,725 • Syracuse University: 5,999 • St. Joseph’s Hospital: 3,977 • Crouse Health: 3,500 • Roman Catholic Diocese: 3,493

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com

E

Top public employers in Oswego County: • SUNY Oswego: 1,500 • Oswego County government: 1,189 • Oswego School District: 793 • Fulton City schools: 730 • Central Square School district: 704

2025

BUSINESS MAGAZIN

Top private employers in Oswego County: • Constellation: 1,411 employees • Oswego Health: 1,365 • Novelis: 1,204 • Walmart: 880 • Oswego Co. Opportunities: 545

OSWEGO COUNTY

H

ere it is … the 2025 Business Guide. We just finished our 31th edition of the Business Guide, which lists hundreds of the largest employers in Central New York.

Subscribers and other readers are getting a copy of the publication in the mail now. It brings fresh statistics about population, income, pricing of housing and education. It also brings several listings showing the largest employers in four Central New York counties.

We survey all the companies and rely on the information they provide about employment figures. Then we put all the information in a spreadsheet and run the numbers.

Here is a glimpse of our findings — the largest employers based on employment figures:

2025BizGuideCover.in

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• NYS Dept. of Corrections: 1,050 • Cayuga County government: 750 • Auburn Enlarged City School: 600 • Cayuga Onondaga BOCES: 400 A quick look at businesses on top shows that the area is still dominated by two major industries: education and health. The only manufacturer on the lists is Novelis in Scriba.

The good news is, there are tons of manufacturers in the region but most of them have under 500 employees. Some of them include Huhtamaki in Fulton, with 420 employees, Fulton in Pulaski with 300 and Felix Schoeller, also from the Pulaski area, with 190. When we combine all the employmeng numbers from these companies, we realize the impact the manufacturing sector has in the area. It’s huge.

Get your copy of the 2025 Business Guide. Its a fascinaning look at the companies that make Central New York strong.

When you subscribe to this magazine, we will send you a free copy in the mail.

WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

ADVERTISING Peggy Kain | p3ggyk@gmail.com Rob Elia | roblocalnews@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.

Subscription rate is $30 a year; $40 for two years.

Single-copy price is $600. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725. © 2024 Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. No material from this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher.

HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126.

Phone: 315-342-8020 editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com

Celebrating 60 Years in Central New York A proud member of the Central New York community, Novelis is the world’s premier producer of rolled aluminum and the global leader in aluminum recycling, producing more than a billion pounds of high-quality aluminum sheet each year. Novelis Oswego is an important part of a global network of aluminum recycling and rolling facilities, producing aluminum for products like Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks, beverage cans and architecture. We enable our customers to make their ideas real, and we help consumers to enjoy the products they want today while knowing they are contributing to a better world tomorrow.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS Ad NNA MACNY 8.5x11.25 Sep 2020.indd 1

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ADVERTISING INDEX 31 Sheds...................................31 A-Plus Tax Services..................29 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home......................35 ALPS Professional Services......33 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler)....................49 Armstrong Appraisals................35 BarclayDamon...........................29 Best Copy Now..........................33 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law..................13 Brookfield Renewable U.S.........21 Builder’s FirstSource.................31 Burke’s Home Center................31 C & S Companies......................43 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting.....................33, 43 Cayuga Community College......12 Century 21 Galloway Realty...................31 Colonial Financial Group...........68 Compass Credit Union..............57 ConnextCare...............................3

12

Crouse Hospital...........................2 E J USA.....................................56 Elemental Management Group ..................................63 Evergreen Hills Golf Course......20 Excellus - BlueCross BlueShield..........................108 Felix Schoeller North America......................27 Fitzgibbons Agency...................49 Food Bank of CNY.....................39 Foster Funeral Home.................87 Fulton Savings Bank..................85 Fulton Taxi.................................69 Fulton Tool Co...........................69 Gartner Equipment....................41 Greater Oswego Fulton Chamber of Commerce........68 Harborfest..................................21 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY...............49 International Monetary System.................................35 Johnston Gas............................33

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

JTS Remodeling........................33 Lamb’s Handyman Service........31 Laser Transit..............................69 Local 43 (NECA EBEW)............89 Longley Brothers.......................43 LW Emporium Co-Op................22 Menter Ambulance....................87 Mimi’s Drive Inn.........................19 Mirabito Financial Group...........57 Murdoch’s Bicycle & Sports.......22 Novelis.......................................11 Nucor Steel Auburn.....................9 Ontario Orchards.......................20 Operation Oswego County........89 Oswego County Federal Credit Union............55 Oswego County Mutual Insurance..................72 Oswego County Workforce NY Career Center ...............57 Peter Realty ..............................72 Plumley Engineering..................41 RiverHouse Restaurant.............19 Scriba Electric............................33

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Speedway Press........................55 St. Joseph’s Health..................107 Summerhill Brewing...................20 SUNY Oswego............................5 Syracuse Orchestra...................39 TDO...........................................85 The Rooftop Restaurant ...........20 TMS Restoration Psychiatry......13 Torbitt Service Center................34 Trimble Services........................34 United Wire Technology............89 Upstate Cancer Center................4 Upstate Cardiology......................7 Valti Graphics............................69 Vashaw’s Collision.....................35 Ventosa Vineyards....................21 Walker’s Dry Cleaning / Tuxedo Rentals....................34 Whelan & CurryConstruction.....39 White’s Lumber & Building Supply....................33 WRVO.....................................104

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

13

ON THE JOB Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The Outlook for 2025: What’s in Store for Area Businesses?

“As a law firm that began in Central New York in 1855 and has always had a major office here, our dedication to the region is ongoing and deep. In part due to our involvement in the expansion of the White Pine Commerce Park in support of the $100 billion Micron semiconductor chip manufacturing facility — we serve as the lead counsel to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency on the project — we are looking forward to a great year for the region. This positive expectation is for both the business community and the wider community.”

David Burch Partner and Syracuse office managing director, Barclay Damon, LLP, based in Syracuse “Our outlook for 2025 is to explore new partnerships with organizations that specialize in family care and healthy recreation. By supporting these types of businesses, we can help keep families engaged with their community while also encouraging health and wellness.

Tyler Ahart Coordinator at Oswego County Prevention Coalition, Oswego “Stewart’s Shops is wrapping up a strong year and has a positive outlook 14

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

heading into 2025. Our company is expanding heavily into Vermont next year and we will continue to re-invest into our current footprint. Stewart’s has invested approximately $50 million in store remodels and rebuilds annually for the past decade and we expect that trend will continue. Our plans for 2025 also include a replacement of our shop on West Utica Street in Oswego to create more space for food-to-go, beverages and other fresh products to better serve the community.”

Robin Cooper Public relations manager at Stewart’s Shops, Malta “The outlook is hard to know for the tree farm. Groceries are so much more expensive. You hear about 3% as an increase, which isn’t what we see in the store. It’s hard time for families. It seems like there are greater needs so we’re keeping our prices the same as the last couple of years. As for Freedom Real Estate, I hope prices of real estate come down. I don’t want to see any decline in property values for people.

We have always in 40 years had dependable appreciation of value, 5% or something reasonable. Now, in the last couple of years, it was very difficult for buyers and created quite a hardship.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

The prices are really up there. We’re seeing now a slowing seasonally, but the overall outlook is steady, but inventory remains low.”

Faye Beckwith Real estate agent and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate and Beckwith Family Christmas Trees, Hannibal “We are feeling optimistic for 2025.

Our operation has expanded and we’ve taken on more commercial printing this year. We expect this growth to continue next year.”

Sharon Lynett, Publisher of The Palladium-Times, The Valley News, Oswego County News and The Oswego Shopper, Oswego

“We have had a better year in 2024 and what looks to be a more positive year in 2025.

The interest rates seem to be decreasing and the inventory of homes, which is still low, has been steadily increasing. There has been an increase in new commercial businesses looking in our community which would also increase jobs locally.”

WILLIAM GALLOWAY, Broker/owner at Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego

“Our 2025 outlook is focused on expanding access to quality, compassionate doula care for families in our community. We aim to strengthen our team of certified doulas, ensuring they continue to provide personalized support during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. In addition, we plan to grow our educational offerings, including workshops and classes, to empower local parents in the commu-

nity with the knowledge they need for a confident parenting journey. We’re also committed to fostering partnerships with local healthcare providers to create a more seamless, supportive experience for the families we serve.

Ultimately, our goal is to make doula care accessible to more families while maintaining the high standard of care that our clients rely on.”

Christine Herrera Owner of CNY Doula Connection, CNY and surrounding areas “We just recently moved to a new location at 10 Canalview Mall in Fulton.

It is actually our old office from 13 years ago. We are already booking vacation packages for 2026, so 2025’s outlook is a positive one. We are also looking to add a new member to our staff in 2025 to keep up with the booming demand for travel.”

Sandy Shue Manager at Canalview Travel Service, Inc., Fulton “As with anyone in the pet industry, it’s a very good outlook. Pet ownership is booming. It’s not slowing down. I read a book a couple of years ago about how we’ve transitioned from the ‘60s and ‘70s where pets hang out in the yard to pets living with us. Anyone into training, grooming or vet care, those businesses are booming right now. One of the challenges we had during the pandemic is with so many dogs being adopted from shelters and breeders, [pet owners] didn’t seek training for whatever reason and didn’t get their dogs out into the world for proper socialization to be introduced to the world beyond their household. There are other people, dogs, activity, sights and sounds. It’s not necessarily playing with another dog. But seeing another dog and staying focused on their person.

When people went back to work, there was quite a boom in shelters of people relinquishing their pets. Dogs didn’t learn the critical skill of being able to

stay home alone and be comfortable.

If anyone has had a dog with isolation anxiety, they know that’s true. Dogs want to be with us but teaching them they’re safe and ‘I’ll be back’ is a skill a lot of pandemic dogs didn’t learn.”

Andrea Giordano Owner of Dogs Among Us, Oswego “The outlook for the industry is very positive. People are recognizing that they don’t need all this stuff. It could be a shift away from prior generations and ‘Waste not, want not.’ People are appreciating a minimalistic approach to life. I see people needing us more and more as time goes on.”

Liz Bremer Owner of Put it Simply Organizing, LLC, Manlius “We are definitely excited about this coming season. Here are some of the specific projects associated with the 2024-25 season that we are looking forward to unveiling for our guests: A three-year plan to replace all rental equipment valued at $450,000. New pipe and airlines on its Castor trail, an investment of $111,000 to complement the efforts from last year on Hercules and the upgrades to the midway and east mountain pumphouses. Castor Connection has also been widened for safer trail merging. Lift improvements include a cable replacement on chair 4, an investment of $50,000. Visions Quad and chair 1 have received new top bull wheel bearings and chair 2’s electric motor has been rebuilt and serviced.

We’ve also re-graded the top and bottom of chair 3 for easier loading and unloading. New hand scanners for quick and easy lift access, reducing line wait times, valued at $12,500. The new scanners complement a new online purchasing portal, which has enabled Greek Peak to move away from onsite purchasing windows so our guest experience team can maximize their time out helping and directing our snow sports visitors. All

activity purchases are now done online and in advance of arrival so guests can head directly to lift and maximize their time on the slopes.”

Jon Spaulding Director of marketing at Greek Peak in Cortland

“My outlook is positive.

But every spring is positive for me, having been in business for 52 years now. The mere notion that something as large as the first phase of Micron is in the works is a ray of sunshine for the entire region. Going from an Ed/Med client base to a much-expanded influx of new people to the area will keep me from even spelling the word retirement. After we see what kind of winter we endure, get to me in mid-late March for some thoughts on how we can best approach spring given the severity, or not, of winter.”

JIM SOLLECITO, Owner of Sollecito Landscaping Nursery, LLC, Syracuse

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

15

Cajun chicken ($27), is Steamers’ spin on chicken riggies only with more vegetables but a similar heat.

16

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

LEFT: A New England clam chowder and a salad came with the entrees at no additional cost.

RIGHT: The chicken fajitas ($18): Nicely seasoned, not very spicy in terms of heat, but they had a lot of flavor.

DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

GS STEAMERS A place to party on the Oswego River waterfront

By Julie McMahon

G

S Steamers Bar & Grill delivers on a classic bar setting with solid food and an even better view — especially if you catch a nice day on the waterfront of the Oswego River.

Steamers is unassuming. It’s even a bit difficult to find, as it’s tucked inside a hotel (the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront) next to another hotel (the Best Western Plus).

But once inside, the space is vast and extended by a beautiful porch outside that overlooks the river.

The menu is huge. We stopped in on a football Sunday, which meant a special features menu on top of the large daily offerings. The service was fast and the hostess was cheerful and friendly. All the servers made graceful small talk with the customers as they trickled in and made everyone feel at home in the tavern-like setting.

Mariah, our server, was attentive and quick. She used a handheld point of sale, which made ordering and checking out very simple and quick.

Our drinks, a mixed drink and draft beer, came out quickly. We got a Black Beard mojito ($11) which was a good mix of sweet and tart. This was served in a pint glass so a nice portion, making the price worth it. We also ordered a Hayburner IPA ($7) by Big Ditch Brewing Company out of Buffalo. This was one of several IPAs and other beers on draft.

We kicked back and enjoyed in the classic tavern-bar-grill experience, with ‘80s music playing softly in the background. You get the sense this place has been around for a while, for good reason.

We got the side salad and New England clam chowder to start. These

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

17

Steamers is tucked inside the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront on East First st. in Oswego.

came with our entrees at no additional cost. Both were good-sized portions.

The salad vegetables were crisp and fresh, served with Italian dressing. The chowder was savory and had a nice, smoky flavor. The soup had a good texture throughout, a lot of clam and bacon pieces.

We felt we had to order the steamers at a bar called GS Steamers — and we were pleased with the results. The clams ($16) had a good texture, not gritty and delightful when dunked in hot butter.

They gave us well more than a dozen.

While we weren’t blown away with the freshness of the seafood, they were good, solid steamers.

Waiting for our entrees, we had a moment to take in the views. We were lucky enough to be there on an unseasonably warm day, so were seated outside. The restaurant is right along the river, with just a parking lot in between the building and the water. It’s also right across the river from the entrance to the Riverwalk, a great place for a walk if 18

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

the weather cooperates.

Our entrees came piping hot. We had the Cajun chicken ($27), Steamers’ spin on chicken riggies with more vegetables but a similar heat. The dish was comprised of penne pasta with a thick sauce. Tomatoes and spinach added to the texture and flavor.

At first the spice level seemed fairly mild, but we were breathing fire by the end of this dish. The hot peppers served sliced with the pasta were overkill given the heat the dish already had enough heat. Overall, it was a good spice level for someone who seeks the heat.

We also enjoyed the chicken fajitas ($18) for our second entrée. They didn’t come out on a sizzling plate, but the meat and sautéed vegetables came out hot on a cast iron pan. These were nicely seasoned, not very spicy in terms of heat, but they had a lot of flavor.

The hot tortillas mixed with crunchy lettuce and tomatoes, cold shredded cheese and hot chicken and peppers and onions, made for a DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

nice mouthful.

We walked away with full bellies.

With the generous portions of both filling meals, we had two boxes to take home. The bill tallied $100 including the tip, making Steamers an affordable spot we’d recommend.

GS Steamers Bar & Grill 70 E. First St. Oswego, N.Y. 315-342-0000 https://gssteamers.com Monday through Friday: 4 – 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Dining Out Whether you’re looking for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, these eateries are available to conquer your cravings!

OUR READERS ARE HUNGRY

SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

Serving 7 days a Week - Fast Service Fresh Coffee - Plenty of Parking

Mimi’s Drive In

Rt. 481 North, Fulton

593-7400

OPEN Tues-Sat 7-8 Sun & Mon 6-9

Telephone:

(315) 509-4281 Website:

www.riverhouserestaurant.net 4818 Salina St, Pulaski, NY 13142

CALL 315-342-8020

TO ADVERTISE YOUR BEST DISHES

Dinner Service Tuesday - Saturday 4 pm - 9 pm

Business Meetings | Seminars Parties | Receptions Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches, Pastas, Seafood, Beef, Chicken, Pork

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Now booking for 2025 Indoor/outdoor Parties, Weddings + Tournaments

E X P L O R E THE BEST OF UPSTATE NY 20

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Chicken WINGS$0.60 EACH

Call to book your event today! we are located a few short miles from the campus of SUNY Oswego and downtown Oswego.

Winter Hours:

Thurs.-Sunday 10:30 am till close

285 County Route 20, Oswego, NY 13126 DRING NFL & SU GAMES DINE-IN ONLY

(315)-216-4639

We Are One of New York State’s Largest and Most Complete “Farm Markets” OPEN DAILY, 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR

Vegetables - Fruits - Cider From Our Farm & Local Farmers

7735 State Rt. 104 4 miles west of Oswego, NY

“ Visit Our In House Bakery”

www.OntarioOrchards.com | 315-343-6328 DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Thin ice is extremely dangerous.

safewaters.com/public-safety

OSWEGO HARBORFEST JULY 24–27, 2025 As Central New York’s largest music festival; WE HAVE THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS, and SPIRIT you & your customers will enjoy!

Become part of this community event as a: Sponsor Member Business Partner Arts & Crafts Vendor

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

21

LW EMPORIUM CO-OP Gifts, Antiques & Home Decor

E X P L O R E THE BEST OF UPSTATE NY 22

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

The Feathered Nest Gift Shop

WhistleStop Antique Center

10a.m.–5p.m. Tues. thru Sun. • Closed Mon. 6355 Knickerbocker Road • off Rte. 104 in Ontario

315-524-8841 • www.lwemporium.com sales@lwemporium.com

PLENTY OF BIKES, SHOES, SOCKS AND IF YOUR BIKE NEEDS FIXIN’, BRING IT ON IN!

“LOVE YOUR BIKE, LOVE YOUR LIFE!” 117 WEST 1ST ST. OSWEGO NY 13126

315-342-6848 | www.murdockssports.com

NOW AVAILABLE

CONTACT US: 315-342-8020 | editor@cnywinter.com DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

PROFILE By Stefan Yablonski

SYED AHMED MUSTAFA He has spent his entire adult life helping his communities. Now, as head of Parish-based BioSpherix, he looks to help the world

S

yed Ahmed Mustafa has spent a lifetime helping those in his community.

“In April of 2024, a private equity group out of the UK bought BioSpherix,” he said. “I joined them the next day.”

Now, the 56-year-old Penfield resident said he is looking forward to helping the world.

“I am a life-long New Yorker, having grown up in Corning and then moving to Penfield in the late 1990s, where my wife and four adult children still reside,” he said. “I was born in Bloomington, Delaware, actually.

“My family was in Corning, New York. My dad was accepting his job at Corning; my mom was with him. They were flying back home and I almost came out on an airplane. I was almost born on a Piedmont aircraft.”

A few days after birth, they were back in Corning. “So I tell people I am a Corning baby. I bleed Corning blue,” he said.

A lifetime of service “I have dedicated 34 years — my entire adult life — I was a volunteer firefighter, became a captain and was in EMS for years. I am very proud of all the things I’ve accomplished,” he said. “Fifty-six babies delivered, well over 150 cardiac arrest saves, started an ambulance service, ran a paramedic service, built a building. I am very, very proud of what I did.

“Now I am enjoying life without it. For 34 years, my phone went off 10

times a day. Now it doesn’t and I get to focus on something that I think is also going to change the world on a much larger scale.”

“I made a big difference to people in my community for a long time. Now I get to, through BioSpherix, make a difference to the world. The products that we sell and support that we give researchers and manufacturers will bring cures to cancer. Will bring cures to Alzheimer’s. Will bring curses to hemophilia. We are changing things on a global scale and that to me is very exciting,” he added.

He became a pilot when he was 16 — “before I could drive.”

“My dad had always enjoyed recreational flying. I used to commute when we lived in Rochester; I’d fly my own plane to Rhode Island every week. We sold the plane when we had our fourth child and we bought boats — so that is how we got the family into boating,” he said. “I’m ready to start flying again.

Maybe this winter I’ll start flying again, we’ll see.”

Mustafa started an ambulance service, the Webster Emergency Medical Service, to work with the northeast. The town chose to not fund that ambulance service.

“It was all closed in April. The building is for sale, the building we just built two years ago after 20 years of fundraising,” he said.

It was a case where bias and prejudice overtook logic, according to Mustafa.

“The former town board and su-

perintendent were all with us. A new supervisor came in and bias and prejudice of race and religion ended things.

“He told my board that they would not negotiate with us until I resigned.

My board was like ‘why would Ahmed resign when he started the ambulance service. He did all the work for it.’ My board said ‘we’re sorry we’re not giving in to that.’ He very openly colluded with a neighboring ambulance service and put us out of business,” Mustafa said.

He grew up in Corning with his parents and his sister.

“Survived the flood of 1972, started my first business in Elmira, New York, when I was 15 with help from my dad.

We opened a One Hour Foto Lab and ran that through high school and college and then a few years after that; 10 years total,” he said.

“It was the first One Hour Foto Lab within 100 miles between Rochester and Syracuse. The mall had brought in another company that was competing and I got out. At the time I was working at an optical fiber business in Corning. I started in 1990 with Corning as an inside salesperson and then shortly thereafter became a sales person for Europe; ran Europe for four or five years.”

He left Corning and started another business, “took a $100,000 investment and turned it into a $20 million company.”

Fun things “I’ve done a bunch of other things,” he said. “I’ve sold medical devices. I’ve

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

25

sold software services for Rosetta Stone and worked in education and bio-tech fields. I’ve done a lot of fun things!

“BioSpherix has a great history. It’s been around for more than two decades.

Randy Yerdon was the local owner and founder. He realized there was a better way to work with live cells.”

BioSpherix, a cutting-edge biotech company, is Parish’s largest employer.

It is working with scientists around the globe to impact medical outcomes forever.

Located at 25 Union St., it creates systems that help researchers and companies working in cell and gene therapy get better results from their cells because they remain in an environment most closely resembling the in vivo systems.

As married as married can be “We just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We met in school; her brother and I were classmates. So I’ve known Karin since she was probably 15 or 16 years old. We were married many, many years later,” he said. “She was my sister’s best friend and my best friend’s little sister. So I always thought of her as a sister. When we finally announced our engagement, it was so funny — everyone was like, ‘what took you so long?’

Everyone else seemed to realize we were a good fit before the two of us did.

“We got engaged in 1996 and married that fall. We were a short engagement and a quick wedding. We were actually married in both our religions.

We were married twice in the state of New York. We have two marriage certificates — Islamic and Catholic. I tell people we are as married as married can be. We had four wedding ceremonies.

We did the Islamic one and then we did the Catholic one and we had one in Pakistan with my grandparents and then we had another one with family and friends locally. So yeah, we are pretty married!”

They have four children that are “all doing very well.”

“Our oldest son is a marine captain.

He is driving a boat on the Erie Canal.

He is doing very well with that. My other son is going to medical school.

He will be a veterinarian, hopefully coming back to Upstate New York,” he said. “My oldest daughter is getting her master’s degree in speech pathology.

I think she will stay in the Rochester area and practice there. My youngest is graduating from Niagara in May. She wants to be a therapist because she had 26

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

friends who experienced challenges during the COVID time — suicides and other things — at that time I was still a practicing paramedic, so I was out in the field every day with COVID and experiencing these challenges. I think my youngest daughter wants to help people who might be struggling with that for a generation.”

Family values “It’s the way I was raised. My parents were both first — generation immigrants, they came from Pakistan in the 1960s. My mom taught English, teaching Americans. We always thought that was funny, a foreigner teaching Americans how to speak their own language. She also taught prisoners in Elmira correctional facility — a maximum prison — teaching people in jail for life for rape and murder and a whole host of other things; teaching them to read and write, because she realized that education is your path to freedom,” he said. “My dad spent his whole life at Corning. Had a master’s in chemical and electrical engineering.

“For me what I learned from my parents and my community of Corning is you give what you get. When the flood came to Corning, I was very young, but I heard people left their homes to get the company up and running and the company took care of the people. I have always had a desire to make sure that I could be a resource for those around me. It’s been very fulfilling.”

Some bad things have happened.

“There are things in my head that I prefer to never think about again — some horrific things,” he said. “But I’ve put 56 babies on the earth and there are more than 150 people walking around today because I was there to make a difference and that feels good. In the end it is very simple. I want to make the world a better place when I leave it.”

Dogs … lifesavers “When we were doing the ambulance service, I could go to sleep at night knowing I made the world a better place and that is what drives me. Saying the word is easy — doing it is what makes the difference,” he said.

He’s had dogs, Labrador retrievers, for many years.

“My dogs saved my life,” he said.

“When you doing EMS, you don’t want to think about some of what you’ve experience. So I’d go for a walk with my dogs and you cry with them down DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

the road and get it out of your system.

“When you are an EMT, you have a bad call and guess what? You go and take the next one. I had one day in Webster I had three suicides there is no one else to take the calls for you, you gotta go. One of the big companies in Rochester was laying off people. In the morning one guy killed himself in the kitchen of the house his wife was selling. In the afternoon a guy hung himself because he had been let go and in the evening a guy that had been let go went to his wife’s family’s house and shot himself in the upstairs bedroom.

That was our day! One day! Had it not been for my dogs, I think I might have had some serious problems. They are part of my coping mechanism.”

It’s not just what you can do today, but also preparing the next generation to be equally successful, if not more, he said.

“It’s about making sure the next generation is trained to contribute to the world.”

Lifelines Name: Syed Ahmed Mustafa Position: CEO, BioSpherix Age: 56 Birth Place: Corning Residence: Penfield Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science – history with certificates in accounting, finance and international business from the University of Rochester, 1990; Master of Business Administration from Simon School of Business, University of Rochester, 1999 Affiliations: Member of Manufacturers Association of NYS (MACNY); CenterState CEO; Alliance for Regenerative Medicine; Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)/BioSpherix affiliation; NSF Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine Personal: Wife Karen; sons Gabriel and Zachariah; daughters Rhana and Sabriya Hobbies: “I’m a licensed private pilot and recently obtained my US Coast Guard master’s license.”

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

27

HOW I GOT STARTED By Stefan Yablonski

I bought it after renting it for several years. He decided to be nice to me and sell it, so I ended up buying it.

Q: Didn’t you have a store before this?

A: I had a store over on the east side for some years. The real story starts in the late 1990s. I went into a jewelry store the next town over and on a whim I found it intriguing, the whole process.

So I decided to go to goldsmithing school. And I actually went to work in that jewelry store for a few years before it closed. That’s how I started.

Q: How many people work here?

A: JP Jewelers employs three people; me, the head jeweler and goldsmith; my wife, Katherine, and Leanne Gillen, the in-house goldsmith and master carver. She does repairs and the custom work. That is rather rare for a shop our size. It’s a small team and a good team effort here.

Q: What’s the difference between you and the big chain stores?

JAMES PAULDINE

He started his jewelry business with one pair of rings — that was all. Now, more than 15 years later, JP Jewelers is a thriving business Q: When did it all start?

A: JP Jewelers was founded in September 2009.

Q: After a bad fire, correct?

A: The fire which took out the building next door happened in 2008.

This building was essentially a burntout shell. I contacted my brother, Tony.

I said, ‘hey buy the building, remodel it and you will have a tenant for life.’ Tony purchased and renovated the storefront at 136 W. Bridge St. Q: Wasn’t this already a jewelry store?

A: My friend Mike, Mike O’Brien, 28

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

was in here before — Wholesale Diamond Exchange. When the fire happened, he decided that it was time to retire. He thought it was his way to step away from the business. He didn’t want to remodel and I had the opportunity to have my family purchase the building and fix it up. So Tony bought the building and did the remodeling — he took care of all that and I was renting it from him.

Q: Are you still renting?

A: I have since bought the building from my brother. I actually own it now.

It is nice knowing it’s a business asset.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

A: Local shops, like us, offer a much higher degree of service and customization, as well as faster repairs when compared to their larger competitors.

We are a hometown jeweler. We pride ourselves on giving the customer the best value possible and remain profitable at the same time. All of those stores are battling a massive overhead and it’s not just the employees — all the mall environments have a huge overhead.

My mortgage on this building is very minimal, almost nothing. So I don’t have to mark up things 400%, 500%, 600% or 700%. That’s how we keep our costs under control.

Q: Do you have to outsource any work?

A: Most jewelers outsource their smithing work. We don’t outsource anything. We do everything in-house.

We do everything — if you came in with a picture or a thought of a piece of jewelry, we can sketch it out and start to finish manufacture that item. We do that every day.

Q: How many customers do you get on an average day?

A: We may see 30 to 40 customers a day [more than 20 came in while I was there]. It was actually kind of slow today. It can get pretty crazy.

Q: What is GIA? A: I am a GIA certified goldsmith — Gemological institute of America.

They are the gold standard; they also do

courses for jewelry repair, stone setting and other jewelry-related courses. I took their course in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Q: What are your best sellers?

A: It is a little bit of everything. I think it’s a pretty nice split between all the different types of jewelry. Gold [chains] not so much with gold prices at historical highs. Those items tend to be much more expensive than people remember from back many years ago.

Q: Why have you been so successful all these years?

A: It starts with having the knowledge, working knowledge of the business, being able to multitask reasonably well. I was better at it a few years ago, but I can still kind of do two or three things at the same time and do them reasonably well.

Q: Do you buy old jewelry from people?

A: We get people coming in every day; people shopping for fine jewelry and asking about what they can do with their old items. People come in and ask what a certain item may be worth. We would value it accordingly and I think people are genuinely surprised at how much their items are worth.

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Q: Do you do any custom work?

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Shock — or maybe relief — when I give them the price for a repair or a custom job. It’s not unusual to hear, ‘I was expecting much more.’ The price of everything has gone up, but we strive to control prices on our end. Whether it is working with companies that offer a better product, better quality, at a lower price or whether we just factor in a smaller mark up than our competition.

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NEWSMAKERS

NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES, BUSINESS PEOPLE, PROFESSIONALS SUNY Oswego’s Mark Mirabito Earns Teaching Award

SUNY Oswego psychology faculty member Mark Mirabito has earned the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.

Mirabito h a s b ro u g h t his knowledge, teaching ability and communiMark Mirabito cation skills to SUNY Oswego since 2001 as an adjunct teacher. The versatile instructor taught in a variety of departments before teaching regularly in the psychology department for the past decade.

“He has mastered the art of making students comfortable and engaged while maintaining the rigor necessary for learning at the college level,” Thomas Darvill, a professor emeritus of psychology wrote in support of Mirabito’s selection. “The students I witnessed during my observation were interested, consistently attentive and quite respectful. Young people will learn best when their instructor expects them to be capable of mastery and shows this in his interactions with them.”

Retired from his time as a teacher, coach and adviser with the Oswego City School District, Mirabito now dedicates much time to a wide range of SUNY Oswego committees and in service to the psychology department, from recruitment events to providing academic advisement.

Many also have heard his voice as a public address announcer for a variety of Laker sporting events since 2008. Beyond that, Mirabito has also served as the Auburn Doubledays baseball club’s announcer, on the board of directors for the United Way of Greater Oswego County and as a volunteer driver for Disabled 30

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

American Veterans organization.

CNY Community Foundation Announces New Hires

The Central New York Community Foundation has recently hired two professionals.

• Deraretu Abubeker will serve as scholarshipsand student success manager. She is passionate about helping the community where she grew up and is eager to continue supporting students through their post-secondary planDeraretu Abubeker ning journeys, according to a company press release.

In her role, Abubeker provides information and support to students, families, community partners and schools while helping to manage our various scholarships. Before joining the Community Foundation, she served as a program manager and tutor counselor, guiding young people through career exploration, college applications and entrepreneurial development.

• Leila Moghadasi will serve as communications associate. She is a recent graduate of Syracuse U n i v e r s i t y, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing, rh e t o r i c a n d composition. In her role, Moghadasi provides Leila Moghadasi communications support to attract and deepen relationships with nonprofit organizations, scholarship seekers and civic leaders. Prior to joining the CommuniDECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

ty Foundation, Moghadasi worked at the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis in Rabat, Morocco. She is deeply committed to using ethical storytelling as a tool to amplify the voices of community members across Central New York.

Pathfinder Has New Chief Information Officer

Pathfinder Bank recently an nounced Joe McManus as the bank’s new chief information officer, following the retirement of Dan Phillips, who spent decades in that position.

Wi t h 1 6 years of service at the bank, McJoe McManus Manus brings a wealth of experience in technology and information systems. Promoted to first vice president, chief technology officer in 2022, McManus has worked closely with Phillips over the past year to ensure a smooth transition of Pathfinder’s IT strategies.

In his new role as senior vice president and CIO, McManus will oversee the eCommerce and IT departments, driving operational excellence, technological innovation and superior customer experiences.

“We are confident that Joe’s expertise and vision will continue the strong legacy that Dan has built,” said Jim Dowd, the bank’s president and chief executive officer. “Joe’s experience and dedication, combined with his comprehensive understanding of our strategic objectives, make him the ideal leader to advance our technological initiatives.”

A resident of Oswego, McManus lives with his wife, Laura, and their son, Joshua. Active in the community, he attends Elim Grace Church and enjoys live events, concerts, and exploring emerging technology trends.

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$11.25 Million Funding for Climate-Controlled Warehouse Will Be Transformative for Port of Oswego

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he Port of Oswego Authority (POA) has received $11.25 million in federal funding from U.S. Senate Ma-

jority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to construct a new, climate-controlled warehouse

(above rendering), to accommodate Upstate New York’s growing semiconductor, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing industries.

It will replace its existing 40,000-sq.ft. timber-framed warehouse with a 28,900-sq.-ft. modern, Net-Zero energy and carbon emissions climate-controlled warehouse. Total cost for the project would be $23,499,092. Rendering is by C&S Companies, Syracuse.

“The warehouse will be transformative for both the port and for Central New York because it will be the only climate-controlled warehouse with access to rail, road, and water. We are extremely grateful to Sen. Schumer for his steadfast, ongoing support of the port and his dedicated personal investment in growing the port and our Central New York economy,” said William Scriber, POA executive director, CEO.

Peter-Clark Achieves Fellowship in the American College of Medical Practice Executives

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onnextCare’s President and CEO Tricia Peter-Clark has become a fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE).

ACMPE is the certification entity of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Fellowship in ACMPE’s industry-leading program demonstrates mastery and expertise in the profession of medical practice management.

To achieve fellowship, Peter-Clark first earned the certified medical practice Executive (CMPE) designation by passing rigorous examinations that assess knowledge of the broad scope of medical practice management, as outlined in the body of knowledge for medical practice management. This includes business operations, financial management, human resources management, information management, organizational governance, transformative healthcare delivery, quality management and risk management.

In addition, Peter-Clark completed a minimum of 50 continuing education credit hours to achieve CMPE status. To earn fellowship, Peter-Clark demonstrated leadership, innovation and professional engagement in the healthcare industry and the advancement of the medical group management profession.

“Becoming a fellow in the ACMPE is no small task. It takes an immense 32

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

amount of time, dedication and handson experience to earn this level of achievement,” said Steven Gaffney, president of the ConnextCare board of directors. “Tricia’s knowledge, education and dedicated determination has led ConnextCare to new heights with greater access to care and expansion of quality healthcare outcomes for our patients. The board of directors are honored and privileged to have Tricia leading ConnextCare.”

Peter Clark was recognized for her achievement at the annual Medical Group Management Association Leaders conference in Denver Colorado Oct. 8.

Today, MGMA membership is comprised of more than 6,600 individuals who have attained CMPE or ACMPE Fellow status or who seek certification.

Prior to joining ConnextCare in 2013, Peter-Clark served as the director of health center operations, under the auspices of Oswego County Opportunities. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health services from D’Youville College in Buffalo and holds an MBA, with a concentration in leadership from St. Joseph ’s College of Maine.

Peter-Clark was hired as chief operating officer at ConnextCare in 2013 and was later promoted to president and chief executive officer in June 2021.

Peter-Clark is also a fellow of the AmerDECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Tricia Peter-Clark is ConnextCare’s president and chief executive officer.

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CEO Bill Carhart Celebrates 20 Years Leading Oswego County Federal Credit Union

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swego County Federal Credit Union (OCFCU) announced that CEO Bill Carhart is celebrating his 20th anniversary leading the organization. Over the past two decades, Carhart has established himself as a visionary leader, driving significant growth and innovation for OCFCU. Carhart graduated in 1990 from SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and human resource management.

Under his leadership, OCFCU Crane, Rigging, Industrial has grown its total assets and Contracting & Hauling Services increased loans and capital. for Central & Western New York In addition, Carhart successfully managed the opening of CONTACT four new branches, expand315-963-2559 ing the credit union’s reach e.white@trimbleservices.com and enhancing its service offerings to members across trimbleservices.com Oswego County.

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CU’s membership has grown by 170%, making it one of the fastest-growing credit unions in the region. It currently has 13,000 members.

His forward-thinking leadership has led to OCFCU consistently being named a “Best Places to Work” company in New York State by the Central New York Business Journal. Carhart has also cultivated a positive and supportive work environment, leading to OCFCU maintaining low employee turnover.

“Bill’s leadership has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Aimee Glerum, OCFCU’s vice president of lending. “We are so fortunate to have him guiding this organization. His vision and dedication have tremendously impacted our credit union and the Oswego community.”

In addition to his success in operations and growth, Carhart has implemented innovative programs to enhance the member experience and support the Oswego County communities. These include the popular summer “Movies in the Park,” the “Gloves with Love” initiative, which provides winter clothing to those in need, and the “CU Cares” program, where each branch selects local organizations to donate funds t o , d i re c t l y supporting their communities.

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SBDC at Onondaga Community College Renamed The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Onondaga Community College has a new name that encompasses the region it covers. As of Dec.1, it will be known as the North Central Small Business Development Center.

The local SBDC’s prior name was Onondaga/Watertown Small Business Development Center.

The North Central Small Business Development Center, hosted by Onondaga Community College in Syracuse and Jefferson Community College in Watertown, serves an eight-county territory in Central New York and the North Country: Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, and Seneca counties.

This Small Business Development Center began serving the region in 1984. It provides no-cost, confidential advisement services to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle, from pre-venture through succession planning.

“The name change to the North Central Small Business Development Center is a more accurate representation of the territory we serve and will more easily identify with the diverse population of people seeking our assistance,” said Robert Griffin, regional director for the North Central Small Business Development Center. “I want to thank OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton and the members of our regional advisory board for their support and guidance through this process.”

The North Central SBDC is one of 19 regional Small Business Development Center offices in New York state. Over its 40-year history, the center has served more than 58,000 individuals, supporting more than 4,400 new businesses and over $700 million in documented small business investment.

Two of its clients received prestigious awards this year. Vetted Tech Inc., was named the “2024 Upstate New York Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year.” Hand In Hand Early Childhood Center, was named the “2024 New York Rural Small Business of the Year.”

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BUSINESS UPDATE Jaden Neal, left, with his father, Jody, and brother Zachary.

Albion Farmers Win $500,000 at Grow-NY Competition In its sixth year, the Grow-NY attracted 312 applicants from 50 countries, including Canada, the UK and Italy, along with 89 entries from New York

By Stefan Yablonski

T

hree startups from New York state won prizes at the 2024 Grow-NY global food, agriculture & technology competition. Udderways of Albion won $500,000.

Twenty startups competed for $3 million in total prize money at the fifth annual Grow-NY Summit, the world’s largest food and agriculture business competition.

After live pitching at the Grow-NY Summit on Nov. 14 and 15, seven winners were chosen by a panel of judges.

36

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

The competition is focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier.

Each winning team had to commit to operating in the region for at least one year, while also providing a modest equity stake to Cornell University, to fund future food and ag entrepreneurship programming. The competition is managed by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Udderways’ invention uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats. With the startup’s patented vortex-style application, farmers can achieve consistent stimulation and effortlessly promote milk letdown.

“We have a farm out in Albion started by my great-grandfather in 1956.

He had about 16 cows — now we milk close to 600,” said Zachary Neal.

They initially were looking for a way to create a new sanitizer for the

Twenty startups competed for $3 million in total prize money at the fifth annual Grow-NY Summit, the world’s largest food and agriculture business competition. parlor, he said.

“My dad was like ‘we should come up with a new applicator tool’ because what we had didn’t work with the existing tools,” he said.

“My brother, who was 13 at the time, took on the challenge of developing it. We had a 3D printer in our garage.

So what we did was print a prototype in the garage and then we’d bring it over the farm. That would allow us to develop very quickly because we mark off what we liked and didn’t like about the product and then go back and make improvements and we’d have a new prototype the next day,” he continued.

“We have been working on it for about nine years now. I’d say we had our first market ready prototype ready in 2023.

But even in this last year it’s changed — it’s gotten a lot better.”

The Neals were the runners-up in the farm bureau ag innovation challenge back in January of 2024.

“Someone came up and said, ‘hey have you guys considered doing anything with Grow-NY?’” he said. “So we applied thinking there was no way we were going to get in, but there is always next year. And we got the notification that we were finalists! That was pretty exciting.”

The number of entries was more than 300.

“I could be wrong, but I think there were applicants from 56 countries,” he added. “They had finalists, one or two from Africa — the team that won [the million dollars] they have a base in New York, but I’m pretty sure they are from Argentina.”

Unibaio of New York City won the $1 million top prize.

It offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesti-

Zach Neal, his father Jody, and his brother Jaden. Their Albion farm, Udderways of Albion, recently won $500,000 in the Grow-NY competition.

cides and fertilizers, enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.

“It was exciting, very exciting,” Zachary said of winning the half million dollars. “We got a lot out of the connections we made through Grow-NY. That network has been fantastic; the contacts have been great.”

Milestones “At the moment our plan is to create at least four direct jobs. The award will be paid out in milestones,” he explained.

“The first one has to do with job creation and then eventually it will move into manufacturing. We haven’t established those quite yet. We’re going to have a meeting in a couple weeks with a Grow-NY team to solidify what those milestones are.”

They have a few things in the works right now.

“I can’t comment on what; they aren’t patented yet,” he said. “But we will continue working on new innovations.”

In its sixth year, the Grow-NY competition attracted 312 applicants from 50 countries, including Canada, the UK and Italy, along with 89 entries from New York — with 44% of applicants featuring a female founder and 60%

representing a culturally diverse group.

The winners will now focus on executing their plans in New York state, fostering job growth and leveraging the regional connections made during the competition.

All winners are required to work toward making a positive economic impact in the Grow-NY region, which consists of 22 counties home to vibrant farmlands, a hardworking population, abundant freshwater and several rising cities, including Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Geneva and Binghamton.

Central New York Regional Economic Development Council co-chair Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, congratulated all of the winners and everyone who was a part of round six of the Grow-NY competition.

“New York state continues to experience unprecedented growth in the agriculture and food industries.

The Grow-NY competition represents yet another exciting investment in our community that will further bolster regional job growth and further support our agricultural base throughout Central New York ensuring the region continues to rise,” he added.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

37

BUSINESS UPDATE

Upstate Printing, Inc. co-owners Debi Rotondo, left, and Kim Vinciguerra.

U

Upstate Printing Certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise

pstate Printing, Inc. is officially a New York state certified WBE — Women’s Business Enterprise.

“It was quite a lengthy application.

They look into it extensively to make sure you are indeed a women-owned business; because a lot of people try to get that status but they have men working their business or whatever,” explained co-owner Kim Vinciguerra.

Vinciguerra and Debi Rotondo are the co-owners of Upstate Printing on Syracuse’s West Onondaga Street.

They started the process to become certified as women-owned business in 2015.

“It took a while and then it goes into a two-month review before we get an answer,” Vinciguerra said. “We just recently, at the end of October, got the word that we are a New York state certified WBE.” Vinciguerra said the printing company can now get contracts through the city and state. “A lot of companies are looking to use minority businesses — Black, Hispanic, women,” she added.

38

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“For some contracts you must use up to 30% of minority businesses. It’s really geared a lot toward construction, but manufacturing and printing as well.

It could get you some grant money.”

“It is myself and Debi; we are the owners 50-50. My son is actually our succession plan. He is our production manager and our business office manager. He has been working here probably since he was 8 years old,” she said. “We have a couple more employees — we have 14 full-time and a part-time girl and then we have some other part-time people we call on when we have extra work.”

Vinciguerra is president and CEO; Rotondo the CFO. Upstate Printing produces a wide variety of material.

“We do much more than just printing. We do booklets, we do brochures, T-shirts and pocket folders. We now do large format posters and banners, promotional items, catalogs — pretty much anything, anything that can be put on paper, we pretty much can do,” DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Vinciguerra said.

It also offers mailing services and marketing support.

The company was started in 1996 by Paul Vinciguerra, Kim’s husband, along with long-time friend and business partner, Jack Rotondo, Debi’s husband.

They were located in East Syracuse on Corporate Circle, before moving to the Franklin Square area near downtown Syracuse.

In 2014, when Upstate Printing took on some employees and customers from the now-defunct Scotsman Press, the company needed to expand. In 2015, Paul Vinciguerra purchased the former Lettergraphics site on West Onondaga Street.

Paul Vinciguerra died unexpectedly later in 2015. His share of the business transferred to Kim. Jack Rotondo gave Debi his shares.

They opened the new building in 2016.

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

39

BUSINESS UPDATE Tonia Reed is the owner of In Vogue Salon & Spa.

New Day Spa Opens in Oswego

I

Elysian Spa is opening next door to In Vogue Salon & Spa

n February 1999, Tonia Reed opened her very first salon — a very modest two-station salon. She worked with other stylists who rented a booth from her.

In August of 2004 she opened In Vogue Salon & Spa at 62 W. Bridge St. She started with five stylist stations plus one manicure and one pedicure chair, a facial room and one massage room.

Little by little, the salon expanded.

40

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Now, she isn’t exactly ‘expanding’ — she purchased the building next door.

The site of the former Mother Earth Baby is being reborn as Elysian Spa, 70 W. Bridge St. “That building is going to be our day spa area,” she said. “We will be having all our day spa treatments there.”

The hair salon will remain open next door.

The new targeted open date is mid-January.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

“Our slogan is ‘where beauty meets bliss.’ In Vogue Salon, beauty, and Elysian Spa, bliss. Two places come together as one,” she explained.

The facility will offer massage, body treatments, pedicures, skin care, red light therapy, Vichy shower massage treatments — a massage by shower heads.

“The Vichy showers actually give you a massage and help to rinse off your products from body treatments,” she explained.

“We will have six treatment rooms and a relaxation room and pedicure area,” she said.

In the spring a build-out addition will include a couples’ suite with hydrotub, she added.

Amenities will include a eucalyptus steam room, which will hold about four or five people, Himalayan salt sauna, which accommodates a three-person sauna. The whole back wall is going to be all salt. It helps with your respiratory system; it’s good for your breathing, she said. Also there will be a relaxation room, ladies’ and men’s room with showers and lockers with complimentary toiletries, lockers, plush bathrobes and slippers for each guest.

Complimentary coffees and tea and fresh fruit-infused water, fruits and nuts and more.

If clients are looking for an escape to relax and unwind, the second floor is a two-bedroom apartment that is available to rent on Airbnb for a weekend getaway for couples, girls’ night, bride-to-be. Packages are available.

“Our couples’ treatment room will be perfect for a peaceful getaway or a romantic retreat for two,” she added.

They will offer a discount to any guest who stays in the Airbnb and day passes to come and enjoy In Vogue’s amenities.

Guests will enter from the front doors and be greeted with a large waterfall on the wall.

The reception area is on the left. The original French doors have been refurnished and will be put back in place.

“We’re going to need, probably anywhere from five to eight or nine employees,” she said. “This will be the day spa. The spa services are all coming over to this building.”

There will be room for about four cars parking at the new site. More spaces are available on the east side of In Vogue.

By Stefan Yablonski

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41

BUSINESS UPDATE

LEFT: The Baldwinsville branch of Fulton Savings Bank recently completed its changeover to universal banking model.

RIGHT: Tina Stephens, left, and Carol Tolone. “We took all of our tellers and we’ve elevated them to our customer service people,” said Stephens, vice president of branch administration.

Fulton Savings Bank Adopts Universal Banking Model

A

Baldwinsville branch is the first within the bank to introduce ‘universal banking’ system

t the Baldwinsville branch of the Fulton Savings Bank, gone are the windows where the tellers worked and the cubicles for the customer service representatives — as well as those titles.

Instead, these employees are now called universal bankers and they can assist customers at one of the five new desks on a variety of transactions, from simply cashing a check to more complex fiduciary services, according to Tina Stephens, vice president of branch administration.

The universal banker model has been growing in popularity in the 42

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

banking industry for the past several years, especially as this industry has experienced significant changes in how people do their banking. With more customers using online options, the banks are evolving.

Stephens explained that now there is one set of employees who can help anybody rather than having to determine which staffer could help them best.

“We wanted to make that customer service experience a little more streamlined for those that aren’t used to coming into banks as often as they used to,” she said.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

The customers are better served, she added, since they now have more employees with the expertise to handle a wide range of functions.

For those who might just want to cash a check or make a quick deposit or withdrawal, there is still the drivethrough option and some of the banks will have an express station.

She explained another benefit to the customers. They have known customers who have gone to a bank with a specific need and there might only be one staff member who could handle that particular matter. If that individual

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26 26

wasn’t available, the customer would have to come back another time. With the universal banker model, there are more people trained on all facets, so there will someone at the bank to service that customer.

When Fulton Savings Bank’s transition to the universal banker model in its six branches is completed in 2026, it will join a growing number of banks utilizing this business model.

Staff members undergo extensive cross-training to take on these new responsibilities. The training has taken about 12-18 months, Stephens said.

Because there have been a number of long-term employees were who tellers and perhaps not familiar with some of the more involved transactions done by customer service representatives, a training manager was designated to facilitate the transition.

Those who were tellers and are becoming universal bankers are not only seeing a change in their job responsibilities, but in their salaries, as well.

“We took all of our tellers and we’ve elevated them to our customer service people, which allowed us to be more competitive in the market for pay scales,” Stephens explained.

The change at the Baldwinsville branch began this past spring and they have spent the following months fine-tuning the operation.

Stephens said that the main branch in Fulton is due to transition to the universal banker model by early 2025; followed by Constantia in the spring-summer of 2025; Phoenix in the fall to winter of 2025-26; finishing up with Central Square and Brewerton.

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43

SPECIAL REPORT

Customer purchases items at a Dollar General. The company has 18,000 stores, including 13 in Oswego County

Dollar General Marches On: 13 Locations in Oswego County

The company recently opened a Central Square location and is working to open another one in Phoenix. They operate 18,000 stores nationwide

By Stefan Yablonski

D

ollar General has become the go-to retailer in many rural communities. The company now has 18,000 stores, including 13 in Oswego County with the recent grand opening of a new store in Central Square — with one more planned for 2025.

Dollar General caters to rural shoppers who don’t have easy access to a store.

“They have targeted underserved areas, mostly rural areas,” said Liz Schmitt, a professor of economics at SUNY Oswego and currently the chairperson of the Oswego Faculty Assembly.

“One popped up in Minetto. It’s good for people; they don’t have to drive into Oswego or Fulton for certain things.”

The stores fill a void in rural retail desserts, Schmitt said, adding there are also urban retail deserts; places where 44

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

a grocery store has moved out of some areas, for example. These stores fill the void.

Zoning can some times be an issue.

“Some places may not want a big box store and the traffic it’s going to bring,” she said. “But a Dollar General isn’t going to have that kind of traffic, which can make it attractive.”

The new store, at 794 US Route 11 in Central Square, held its grand opening event on Nov. 2. It will create new jobs in the Central Square community — approximately six to 10 people, depending on the individual needs of the store, according to a company spokesperson.

“At Dollar General, we believe the addition of our new Central Square store provides positive economic growth for the community through the creation of new jobs and career growth opportunities; increased accessibility to DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

affordable products; the generation of tax revenue and access to Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants,” Matthew Simonsen, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development, said in an email. “As part of our mission of ‘serving others,’ we look forward to being a strong business partner and good neighbor, as well as welcoming customers to our new store.”

First Store in Constantia Dollar General opened its first location in Oswego County 2003 in Constantia. Its growth has been measured to the market as demanded by customers.

It now operates a baker’s dozen stores across the county in Sandy Creek, Pulaski, Parish, Constantia, Mexico, Palermo, New Haven, Fulton, Minetto, Hannibal, Altmar, the town of Oswego

spring 2025. But understand that construction progress may alter this date.”

Can a company sustain such continued growth?

“This is a problem,” Schmitt said.

“Retailers typically strive for growth.

There’s got to be a breaking point.

We’ll find out when some start closing.

If they over-grow they’ll have to scale back and we have seen that with drug stores. We’ve seen a lot of big box stores driven out by consolidation.”

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Awards Over $4 Million in Grants

Model of Dollar General store in Central Square and Phoenix.

and now Central Square.

“We view ourselves as America’s neighborhood general store, filling accessibility and affordability gaps by offering quality products at everyday low prices in a conveniently located, easy to shop environment,” said Emma Hall, Dollar General’s public relations coordinator. “With our 85-year history grounded in the small town of Scottsville, Kentucky, Dollar General understands the unique needs of customers in rural areas, often in communities that other retailers either cannot or have chosen not to serve. In fact, approximately 80% of our 20,000-plus stores serve communities with a population of 20,000 or less.”

“Dollar General strives to be a good neighbor and is committed to the communities it calls home — evidenced by unwavering support of literacy and education initiatives through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,” Hall said.

The addition of the Central Square store opens the opportunity for schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of the store to apply for Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants, she said.

Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $254 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 21.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or

continued education.

These stores can’t compete with a Walmart or an online giant like Amazon, according to Schmitt, the SUNY Oswego professor.

“These stores are tiny compared to the Amazon or Walmart super center.

So where do they find their niche? They locate in under-served areas,” she said.

“They have a lower income clientele — these people are also usually left out of e-commerce, credit cards, Venmo.

“These people don’t stock up.

People go to Costco to buy enormous amounts of toilet paper. When others ran out, Dollar General still had it because the shoppers they attract don’t have a place to store a large amount or have the money to buy bulk amounts.

You go to a Dollar General, you’ll get the brand of cereal that’s there; they can’t compete with say the variety at a Walmart where you expect to see just about every type of cereal that’s ever made.”

New store in Phoenix on the horizon “Dollar General is always looking for opportunities to add new locations and extend our mission of serving others,” Hall said. “In fact, the company is currently under construction on a new DG market location in Oswego County located on Volney Street in Phoenix. At this time, a store opening is slated for

As of August, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded more than $4 million to support over 730 schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations in the communities that Dollar General calls home, according to Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

“We understand investing in youth literacy means investing in the future of students and our collective communities,” Torr said.

“Through these grants, we hope to enhance the programs’ efforts to foster students’ critical thinking skills, creativity and confidence so they can unlock their potential and achieve their dreams.”

Expecting to positively impact more than 380,000 students across the continental United States, recipients plan to use the funds to purchase books, technology, equipment or materials to help extend a brighter future for K-12 students.

The newest round of grants complement the foundation’s more than $10.6 million grant announcement in May to support adult, family and summer literacy programs — which reflected a milestone of serving more than 20 million individuals since its inception.

The foundation also hosted its fifth annual Yellow Glasses Project through Sept. 8. Customers purchased yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each and all proceeds benefit the foundation.

For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www. dgliteracy.com.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

45

Austin Wheelock ooc@oswegocounty.org

The State of Nuclear Industry and its Role in Power Generation

‘With diverse power generation sources, Oswego County is an energy powerhouse, with more than 5,500 MW of generation capacity, with approximately half of that coming from nuclear.’

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.

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n late October, Operation Oswego County attended Constellation Energy’s annual State of the Plant at the Nine Mile Point clean energy campus in the town of Scriba.

Constellation holds this event annually to inform elected officials and community leaders about the current and future initiatives taking place at Nine Mile Point I, II and FitzPatrick nuclear stations.

This year, potentially more than ever, it was important to hear the information and be a part of the conversation.

Who is Constellation Energy?

Constellation Energy is America’s leader in clean energy development, creating more than 10% of all carbon-free energy across the U.S. — nearly as much as the next two competitors combined.

To understand the scale of its clean power generation capacity, it is enough to power the equivalent of 15 million homes.

A large part of that clean generation comes from nuclear energy which emits no greenhouse gases, making it a clean power source. Although the greatest share of its generated power comes from nuclear, Constellation also manages and operates hydro, solar and wind assets as part of its diverse clean energy holdings. Constellation’s nuclear fleet produces more than 19,000 megawatts of clean electricity at 23 nuclear plants across the U.S., with four of the plants being in Upstate New York.

Nuclear energy’s impact on local economy Constellation employs more than 1,400 employees in Oswego County, making it the county’s largest private employer. Additionally, every two years on average the nuclear plants need refueling and maintenance, which supports hundreds of additional jobs in the local trades and specialty contractors.

Oswego County taxing authorities

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

receive more than $44 million a year from Constellation Energy in payment in lieu of tax payments that support local school districts as well as the local and county government. Constellation Energy is also known as a strong contributor to local philanthropic efforts on both the corporate and employee level, giving to dozens of local charities.

The Constellation nuclear fleet is a significant economic driver for New York state due to the thousands of megawatts of power provided to the electric grid, which captures the attention of new and expanding businesses. Businesses rely on steady, around-the-clock uninterrupted power to properly operate in which nuclear energy provides. The $100 billion Micron investment in Onondaga County is the most noteworthy of those, choosing Central New York over other competing locations across the county, due in large part to the access to abundant reliable power. With diverse power generation sources, Oswego County is an energy powerhouse, with more than 5,500 mw of generation capacity, with approximately half of that coming from nuclear.

Economic Trends

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

NYS policy for nuclear and future growth potential Less than 10 years ago, there were plans to close the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear plant when its then owner, Entergy, announced its closure due to economic reasons. About 600 local high-paying jobs would be lost. At the time natural gas prices were at historic lows, which made it difficult for other power generation sources to compete long-term in the market. New York state, along with a coalition of nuclear and clean energy advocates, helped to bring about the New York’s Zero Emissions Credit program.

This program quantified the economic benefit of nuclear on the economy and environment, making it economically viable to continue to operate the nuclear

Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station and its two nuclear reactors located in the town of Scriba. The 900-acre site is also occupied by the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant.

plants in Upstate New York.

Since that time, the state has become a leader in the transition to a clean energy economy, making aggressive goals to fully transition the state’s energy grid to 100% carbon-free energy by 2040. New York made this law in 2019 through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. To complete that, New York would need to retain all existing clean energy assets and add somewhere between 20 and 40 gigawatts of additional clean energy to the state’s electrical grid, which is the power generation equivalent of 15 to 30 Nine Mile Point II reactors.

There’ve been various advocacy groups making the case to transition all new energy generation to renewable sources such as solar and wind.

However, this proposal may not be feasible due to various considerations, including limitations in available space in proximity to existing power infrastructure. For example, to generate the same amount of solar energy as the four Upstate New York nuclear plants that currently generate 3,325 MW of stable and reliable energy, you would need more than 120,000 acres of installed solar panels plus battery storage. This is due to the intermittence of solar and wind that only produce power approximately 25% of the time compared to nuclear that operates at 92% of the

time. The inconsistent sunlight and wind levels experienced throughout the year directly influence the energy output generated by solar panels and wind turbines, respectively. It doesn’t line up when power demand is at its highest. Instead, it is key to have a diverse portfolio of clean energy sources of baseload power nuclear and hydro combined with intermittent power from solar and wind to ensure affordability, reliability and availability.

Looking forward to the future of nuclear in New York, several very exciting things could lead to new nuclear asset growth around the state, which Oswego County is uniquely equipped to support. In the fall of 2024, New York state and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) hosted an energy summit in Syracuse, where a significant amount of time was spent discussing the role that new nuclear generation could play in providing new generation capacity to New York. From that event, NYSERDA has now put out a request for information for companies capable and interested in developing and deploying advanced nuclear technologies in New York state.

What does this all mean?

for the future of nuclear energy in New York and the future of the nuclear plants in Oswego County? While the primary focus is on maintaining the current nuclear fleet, New York has the opportunity to once again take the lead in finding a balance between achieving carbon reduction targets and fostering economic development through the exploration of innovative nuclear technologies. As Nine Mile Point 1 and Ginna approach the expiration of their operating licenses in 2029, Constellation intends to seek license renewals to prolong the lifespan of the plants for an additional 20 years.

Positioned with the essential infrastructure, skilled workforce and existing nuclear licenses, Oswego County is in a unique position to embrace the emergence of new nuclear technology and power generation.

For these things to happen it’s critically important that the existing plants be kept financially viable for the long-term. We should also collectively advocate to our elected leaders that we support nuclear for all of the reasons mentioned including the local and regional economic impacts, the low environmental impact and to support the clean energy goals for New York now and into the future.

What implications does this have DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Shineman Awards $585,000 to Support Area Nonprofits

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Some of the recipients include MOST, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, ConnextCare

he Richard S. Shineman Foundation has awarded grants totaling $585,000 to nonprofit organizations in Oswego County during its fall 2024 grant round.

These grants will support initiatives in health and human services, education, food insecurity, and youth development, furthering the foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life for residents in the region.

The largest award, $300,000, was granted to the Oswego Health Foundation to expand the Oswego Hospital emergency room. The project includes dedicated rooms for pediatric psychiatric care, addressing the unique needs of some of the community’s most vulnerable individuals.

Other significant grants include: ● Human Concerns Food Pantry: Awarded $100,000 for its expansion project and $3,500 to fund Thanksgiving meals for families in need. ● ConnextCare: Received $73,000 to establish a school-based health center in the Oswego City School District, providing essential medical services to students. ● Friends of Recovery Oswego County: Awarded $14,000 to enhance its Recovery Community Organization (RCO), connecting individuals to long-term recovery support.

● David’s Refuge: Granted $18,000 to fund overnight respite stays for 69 families, offering caregivers a chance to rest and recharge. ● SUNY Oswego Research Foundation: Received $10,000 to create an ADA-accessible trail at Rice Creek Field Station, expanding access to recreation and educational programs.

The foundation also supported projects promoting environmental stewardship and education: ● Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust: Received $25,000 to advance environmental conservation education for families. ● Museum of Science and Technology (MOST): Awarded $25,000 for its upcoming “GROW” exhibit, focusing on agricultural science and food systems.

Education and youth initiatives were also key priorities: ● CiTi BOCES: Granted $5,000 to develop an engineering design lab aligned with New York State Science Learning Standards. ● Weston T. Hyde Educational Foundation: Received $3,500 to provide nutritious snacks and drinks to over 1,200 students in CiTi BOCES programs.

Several smaller grants focused on community enrichment:

● Paige’s Butterfly Run: Awarded $3,500 to assist families of children with cancer in Oswego County. ● Fulton Community Basketball: Granted $2,000 to fund inclusive recreational activities for youth. ● Oswego County EMO UAS Division: Received $2,500 for public education materials about drone and robotics programs.

In addition to these awards, the Shineman Foundation has announced the opening of a new round of Community Impact and Community Enrichment Grants. These grants provide funding for projects that align with the Foundation’s mission of strengthening the community and improving the quality of life for Oswego County residents.

The Community Impact Grant program offers between $2,500 and $10,000 for initiatives addressing critical needs, such as health, early childhood development, and the arts. The Community Enrichment Grant provides up to $2,500 to support local events, programs, and activities that enhance cultural experiences and foster a sense of belonging.

Applications are due by Dec. 12, with access codes required by Dec. 10.

Grant recipients will be announced

by Jan. 20. For more information, visit www.shinemanfoundation.org.

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49

COVER

CANNABIS INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN CNY With stores in Oswego, Pulaski, Fulton and Central Square and more than 12 locations in Onondaga County, the cannabis business is booming in NYS. Total sales since marijuana was legalized are approaching $1 billion

By Aaron Gifford

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

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he New York state cannabis industry is growing like a weed.

With the recent opening of Leafy Wonders adult-use cannabis retail dispensary in Fulton, there are now 245 recreational pot stores across the state — and hundreds more are planned, according to New York’s Office of Cannabis Management.

Besides the store in Fulton, Oswego County features several cannabis stores: FlynnStoned Cannabis Company in Oswego, Salmon River Cannabis Company in Pulaski and Canna Guy in the Central Square area.

OCM announced earlier this fall that total cannabis sales since marijuana was legalized in the state are approaching $700 million. The $1 billion mark could be reached in 2025 if growth in this industry remains on the current trajectory.

“This is an exciting moment for New York’s cannabis industry as we continue to see tremendous growth in both entrepreneurship and innovation,” Tremaine Wright, chairperson of The New York State Cannabis Control Board, said in a news release. “With over 1,000 licenses issued this year alone, we’re creating an environment

that not only encourages business development but also allows for a diverse array of products and services to emerge, reflecting the rich tapestry of our communities.”

The minutes from the June 11, 2024, New York Cannabis Control Board meeting show that total retail cannabis sales on the year exceeded $357.3 million, with revenues from the month of May 2024 coming in at $46.2 million.

The highest week of sales recorded so far, also this past May, saw $12.5 million worth of cannabis sold in retail stores across New York.

Second quarter 2024 sales exceeded $160 million, up from $100 million the previous quarter.

State sales and excise tax revenues on the legal marijuana transactions amounted to $23 million for that quarter, $6 million of which went back to communities in Upstate New York.

OCM lists Leafy Wonders in Fulton and Salmon River Cannabis Company in Pulaski as the first retail dispensaries to set up shop in Oswego County. It also tallies 12 in Onondaga County, with licenses for an additional 12 shops there pending.

There are two pending retail licens-

es for additional future shops in Oswego County — one near Central Square and another in Fulton.

There are no dispensaries in Cayuga County yet, though two licenses in the city of Auburn are active and two are pending. In Madison County, there’s an active license in Morrisville, but the shop hasn’t opened yet, the OCM website notes.

There are also two retail dispensaries in Oneida County, not counting Verona Collective, which is owned by the Oneida Indian Nation and is not subject to state regulations or OCM authority.

Verona Collective considered the largest retail pot operation in the region.

New York City, the largest metropolitan area in the nation, expects major growth in cannabis sales, according to its Independent Budget Office. IBO estimates that 24 dispensaries will open annually across the Big Apple, reaching a total of 243 by 2027.

Canndelta, a cannabis business consulting firm, estimates that sales in New York City alone will reach $1 billion within three years if growth there continues at the current rate. Statewide, the firm estimates, New York’s cannabis market has grown by about 1,000%

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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The New York’s Office of Cannabis Management lists Leafy Wonders in Fulton and Salmon River Cannabis Company in Pulaski as the first retail dispensaries to set up shop in Oswego County.

since 2023.

Still, not every city, town and village in the Empire State is interested in jumping on this gravy train. More than 800 municipalities have passed laws prohibiting retail cannabis stores and/or on-site consumption businesses.

Oswego County’s opt-out list includes Mexico, Cleveland, the village of Central Square and the town of Oswego.

Fulton, Hannibal (town and village), Hastings, Minetto, Parish (town and village), Phoenix, Pulaski and the city of Oswego allow retail cannabis dispensaries and consumption sites by virtue of not passing laws banning them, according to the state Office of Cannabis Management.

New York state authorities have also cracked down hard on unlicensed pot shops and illegal sales by street dealers, closing 354 unauthorized dispensaries and seizing more than 27,000 pounds of cannabis products with a street value of nearly $122 million, according to OCM. “We will continue to promote environmental sustainability and remain committed to shutting down illicit operators so that our licensees have a real shot at thriving in a competitive regulated market,” Wright said in a 2024 report on industry regulation and 52

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

taxation. “It’s no secret that we have had our share of growing pains. We acknowledge the opportunities to build upon what we’ve started and look forward to continuous improvement and adaptation to meet the rapidly evolving needs of our cannabis community and industry.”

About half the nation, 24 states, have legalized recreational and medical marijuana and 13 states allow medical use only. Voters in Florida last month narrowly defeated a proposal to legalize recreational use and referendums in other states are expected in the years to come. At the federal level, cannabis remains illegal.

The Rockefeller Institute of Government, in its recent analysis of New York’s cannabis industry, said dispensaries across the Empire State should expect similar growing pains that their counterparts out west experienced when their pot shops opened earlier in the decade.

“One of the initial complexities of rolling out a legal marijuana market is uncertainty related to supply and demand,” the report explained. “In general, states do not have good data about the number of existing marijuana users and their product preferences, nor do they know the number of new customers that may participate in the DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

market now that marijuana is legal. This, in turn, makes it difficult to predict the number of dispensaries and the amount of crops to be grown and harvested that the customer base would support. These calculations are further complicated by the federal prohibition on marijuana, which prevents the importing or exporting of products; legal adult-use marijuana must be grown and sold only within the confines of the state.”

Another area to watch, the Rockefeller Institute reported, is regional dynamics. When Massachusetts became the first state to allow recreational marijuana, pot shops there were frequented by visitors in neighboring New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. But after those states followed suit and legalized cannabis retail dispensaries, some stores in the Bay State closed.

“As cross-state purchases may decline along the coast, New York still shares a long border with a state that has yet to legalize retail sales,” the report said. “Will dispensaries closest to Pennsylvania outperform businesses that serve a more local New York population? And will we see cars with Pennsylvania and Ohio license plates in Fredonia, Jamestown, Elmira and Binghamton dispensary parking lots?”

Darrell Pfiffner and his wife Natasha Glynn are opening the first cannabis store in Oswego, the FlynnStoned Cannabis Company.

FlynnStoned Cannabis Opens in Oswego Business is the first of its type to open in the city. Owners expect over $3 million a year in sales

By Stefan Yablonski

F

lynnStoned Cannabis Company, a store that opened in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square in 2023, is opening a new store in Oswego. It is located on George Street, across the street from the Price Chopper plaza and next door to the Lake Effect Car Wash.

“Me and my wife are both owners of this store,” said Darrell Pfiffner, who co-owns the location with his wife Natasha Glynn.

“He [Mike Flynn] owns the FlynnStoned brand. We own this store individually. We partner with him.”

“It has been quite an expense to get everything going,” he added. “I have several hundred thousand dollars invested in this.”

The city was good to work with, he said.

“We had to go and get a special use permit. They were amicable; they just

wanted to know that we were going to be in compliance, licensed and all that stuff — which we are. So they’re for it,” he said.

The George Street site will be a licensed retail dispensary. According to a story in The (Oswego) Palladium-Times in February, the couple said they expect sales of over $3 million a year.

“We will be selling a variety of cannabis products — flower to edibles, drinks, vapes, concentrates, edibles, drinks, tinctures, topicals and concentrates,” said Pfiffner during an interview at the end of November, before the store’s opening. “We’ll have probably 500 to 600 different products on display from a variety of farms and manufacturers.”

“There is definitely a market for it. The goal is to offer safe, lab-tested cannabis. We’re bringing in tax revenue; but most importantly, we have a safe product. People know what they are getting. They know what they’re getting here that’s the main thing.”

‘Budtenders’ will be available to assist customers. Customers will be ID’d — they need to be at least 21.

“We started construction here back in May or June. We are just about complete. Security will be finished in about a week. We are almost at the point where we are just waiting on the state to give us the OK,” he said. “Once you get everything done — we have our license, but you have to submit to the state and wait for their approval, final approval to open. We’re hoping before Christmas.”

The Oswego store will have a staff of probably 10 to 15 employees, he estimated.

“Me and my wife, we have a real estate business on our own. But as far as this goes; partnering with FlynnStoned, we have been able to learn a lot from them by going to the Syracuse store and learning how their operation is run,” he said. “They are very experienced, very successful. They have a great brand.”

FlynnStoned is expanding all over New York state. There are 17 other stores currently under construction in places like North Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, several in New York City and Binghamton.

“The goal is to have upwards of 30 of these locations by sometime in 2025,” he said.

“We will be open seven days a week, probably be similar to what Syracuse is to start. Ten to 9 and then Saturday 10 to 10 and Sunday 10 to 8.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Interior of Leafy Wonders Cannabis Dispensary in Fulton. It carries a wide variety of products including a whole line of edibles from gummies to chocolate candies.

Fulton Dispensary Doing Great Business, Owner Says

By Stefan Yablonski

L

eafy Wonders Cannabis Dispensary is a locally owned and operated cannabis retailer.

They are committed to providing high-quality cannabis products and promoting responsible use, according to Guy Wilbur Jr., owner.

The store opened at 956 S. First St., Fulton, in early May 2024.

“We had our soft opening on May 15 and the grand opening was May 18,” Wilbur said. “No problem with the city; they just asked that we maintain the property, upkeep of the property.

It’s been going really good. It’s really been good, there have been no issues.”

There was a little hold up with the state in the beginning, but it’s all resolved, he added.

“I started learning about this in 2021. I got licensed in May of last year,” he said.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

They have a wide variety of products including a whole line of edibles from gummies to chocolate candies.

They also have concentrates; there are beverages as well.

“All together, me and my partner [Chad Houghmaster] invested quite a bit. It was around three quarters of a million to get up and running,” he said.

They have had a couple events, such as a car show.

In August, the Oswego County Prevention Coalition partnered with Leafy Wonders Cannabis Dispensary to promote safe cannabis storage by offering free cannabis lock bags to individuals 21 and older. The bags, aimed at keeping cannabis out of the reach of children, are available for pickup at Leafy Wonders.

The coalition is dedicated to fostering a safer community; it provided DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

the lock bags through grant funding from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. This initiative underscores the importance of responsible cannabis storage, ensuring that cannabis products are kept securely away from minors, according to Travis Bulluck, a Community Coalition manager.

“We’re proud to collaborate with the Oswego County Prevention Coalition on this important initiative,” Wilbur said. “We’re committed to the well-being of our community and are excited to support efforts that promote safe cannabis storage.”

Leafywonders bills itself as “Your go-to destination for premium cannabis products and expert guidance in Fulton.”

The Salmon River Cannabis Company located at 3808 Rome Road, Pulaski has been open since Aug. 16.

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Sales Doing Well at Pulaski Cannabis Dispensary The Salmon River Cannabis Company is “the premier cannabis dispensary located in Pulaski on the bank of the Salmon River,” according to its website.

“We have been open since Aug. 16,” said owner Corey Loerzel.

The store offers a wide selection of high-quality cannabis products to meet the needs of customers, he added. “Sales are doing well. As well as expected and maybe even a little more,” he said, adding that he didn’t feel comfortable disclosing any financial information.

Salmon River Cannabis Company carries edibles, gummies, cannabis flower, dabs, cannabis edibles and more.

“The best selling brands we have are Nanticoke, Cannabals and High Peaks. We offer a variety of products from prerolls, whole flower, drinks, vapes, edibles such as chocolate and gummies and concentrates,” he said.

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Central Square dispensary closed by state The Canna Guy is a smoke shop, lounge and dispensary located at 411 US Route 11, Central Square.

The shop was accused of selling illegal cannabis. It was shuttered in June after an inspection found it was selling cannabis products without a license.

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Oswego County Federal Credit Union Recognized as 2024 Outstanding Corporation by AFP-CNY

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Oswego County Federal Credit Union (OCFCU) has been selected as the 2024 Outstanding Corporation by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central NY Chapter (AFP-CNY).

This prestigious award acknowledges OCFCU’s unwavering dedication to community service and philanthropy.

The Outstanding Corporation Award honors organizations that exemplify exceptional commitment through financial support and inspire others to take leadership roles in philanthropy and community engagement. Oswego County Federal Credit Union was nominated and chosen for its outstanding contributions to the community and positively impacting the lives of its members and local residents.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said Bill Carhart, CEO of OCFCU. “It reflects our team’s hard work, commitment, and support from our great community and members. At OCFCU, we strongly believe in giving back and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.”

OCFCU’s philanthropic initiatives include the popular Movies in the Park, a summer series offering free, family-friendly entertainment in local parks; Gloves with Love, which provides warm winter clothing to those in need across Oswego County; and CU Cares, where each branch donates to local organizations, directly supporting the communities they serve.

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•Participation in Youth Work Professional Development Experience •Scholarship & Licensure Contact Jamie Jenks at (315) 591-9077 or jamie.jenks@oswegocounty.com Oswego County Workforce NY Career Center Oswego County Workforce NY Career Center (315) 591-9000

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Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com

Art Scene at CNY Arts Center Shines Light on Creative Opportunities The Art Scene at the CNY Arts Center in Fulton has hosted a variety of events in the past few months.

It points to filling a role that promotes creativity, craftiness and community for folks of all ages.

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

58

The Stage Fright musical production in October provided a spooktacular musical lineup, choreographed numbers and an original ghost story.

A

n original play where, on an alternate timeline, the Apollo 11 astronauts battle aliens and Soviet spies. Art openings. Halloween-related activities including a musical spooktacular, scary tales and comedy, a witches’ tea and a movie marathon. A summer youth arts camp. Popular plays for the whole family.

Crafting and baking classes for kids and teens.

These are only some of the activities that the Art Scene at the CNY Arts Center in Fulton has hosted in the past few months.

It points to filling a role that promotes creativity, craftiness and community for folks of all ages.

Most notable from the outside due its large art deco neon decoration, the building at 121 Cayuga St. is a stone’s throw from the Oswego River, nestling just south of the former bank building that is now the 114 Reserve coffeehouse and just north of the Cayuga Street Steakhouse (formerly the Blue Moon Grill).

Much as the neighborhood around it has changed and evolved, so does this space continue to adapt. On a late October weekend, Bonnie McClellan — the organization’s interim director — worked

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

on a mural high up on the south side of the building that is one of so many tasks of those who drive the nonprofit organization.

McClellan’s artistic skills are in full display in the building’s signature piece: A giant multicolored art deco LED neon light with the word “theater” in it. You definitely know you’ve found this interesting, quirky space when you see this beacon.

The sign’s creation was supported by funding from Fulton’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative as well as American Rescue Plan Act allocations, with logistical help from Universal Metal and Knapp Electric. For the scrappy organization, partnerships and grants make much of its work possible, with Richard S. Shineman Foundation funding supporting its website, https://cnyartscenter.com.

Tim’s Notes

Setting the stage I had the joyous opportunity of performing on the center’s stage and getting to know its facilities better as part of the Stage Fright production in October. My duo, Whiskey Spirits, was part of a bill that also included the eclectic styling of Oswego

band The Dust Creatures and the surf rock of Syracuse-based Underwater Bosses, who performed in deep-sea diving outfits.

My Whiskey Spirits musical partner, Gina Mazzoli, served as the artistic director bringing together the various elements while volunteers filled positions ranging from lighting designer to set construction to dancing ladies. Gina and I devised an original ghost story for her to read as well.

It’s the kind of original and community-oriented production this space and vibe make possible. Perhaps nothing embodies this more than an earlier production of “Space Race,” written by local playwright Nick Gentile (who is also on the center’s board) with musical score by Sarah Galvin.

The musical envisions an alternate timeline where, instead of piloting Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong has lost his courage and instead flies a luxury airliner filled with strange characters, villains and interstellar intrigue — until his one-time flightmates Buzz Aldrin (played as a teen idol) and Michael Collins (played more like Scotty from “Star Trek”) crash into his starship and start Armstrong’s arc back toward a hero.

If that sounds like a strange plot, it doesn’t even do the production justice, but it nonetheless sold out its three-night run (after intended as a one-night-only production). Gentile and Galvin previously collaborated on a similar farce but of alternative local history, “The 1812 Underture” at Fort Ontario.

But such inventive productions in its modest yet comfortable theater are only one chapter of the Art Scene’s story.

Many of its activities provide creative outlets and support for the imagination of area youths. An Express Yourself through the Arts baking class for “teens and tweens” is one example.

In this six-week course running Tuesday evenings through November and December, participants used the center’s commercial kitchen facilities to learn about kitchen safety, cleanliness and how to bake cakes, cookies and other holiday treats.

The icing on the cake is that the Arts Scene strives to keep this and other opportunities affordable and accessible.

Prices range from free to very affordable and family-friendly.

It all adds up to an organization and facility in the heart of Fulton providing a little something for everybody and much like its neon sign, remaining distinctive and different while bringing a little more light to the community.

The neon theater sign welcoming visitors to the Art Scene at CNY Arts Center in Fulton was designed by the organization’s interim executive director, Bonnie McClellan and supported by grants and local businesses.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

59

SPECIAL REPORT

The Billionaires, from left: Richie Melito, guitar; Daryl Hunt, drums; Anna Marie White, vocals and percussion; Tom Ciappa, vocals; Kimo Cortini, keyboards and vocals; and Edgar Pagan, bass and vocals. (Photo Credit: The Billionaires)

Oswego Music Scene Rich in History with “The Billionaires” and “Frostbit Blue”

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

M

usic and memories often clash into what many people refer to as the soundtrack to your life.

You may hear a certain song or group that immediately transports you back to college or high school where you remember the smell, who you were with, what you were doing, the way your feet stuck to the floor at a certain bar, a sense of mellow or the high you had when something great happened.

Despite being famous for its snow, in the late 1960s and ‘70s, Oswego also became renowned as a favorite stop for future hall of fame musicians who would become rock and roll royalty.

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Bold-faced names like The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, The Ramones, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Pure Prairie League, Earth, Wind and Fire, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and others all made their way through the Port City as they climbed the charts to becoming musical icons.

Other not so bold-faced names also made stops in Oswego as students or were locals who stayed in town and honed their musical talents for generations to come.

Many of those same “kids” of the 1970s and ‘80s are still here today, playing, entertaining and providing DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

residents of Oswego, Central New York and beyond with the soundtrack to their lives.

“I saw Pure Prairie League [“Amie”] and the Marshall Tucker Band [“Heard it in a Love Song”], “The Billionaires vocalist and member Tom Ciappa recalled. “I remember Earth, Wind and Fire coming through, [Bruce] Springsteen, Billy Joel.”

During the ‘70s and early-‘80s, a burgeoning local music scene was developing in the city also known for its bars and churches on seemingly every corner of the city’s neighborhoods.

Historic areas of the city became

LEFT: Frostbit Blue has been performing their original music for nearly 40 years.

(Photo Credit: Frostbit Blue/John Bletch) RIGHT: Oswego’s Frostbit Blue (Photo Credit: Frostbit Blue/John Bletch)

home to this nascent music foundry with the advent of the Lowlife Caffe, Old City Hall and The Ferris Wheel on Water Street, the “Forks of the Road” with Broadwells, Bucklands and The Woodshed, as well as the Oswego State campus.

“I was in middle school and received encouragement from an art teacher,” Ciappa recalled. “When I got into high school, my freshman or sophomore year, I remember someone asked me to sing in a band. We started at the junior variety show and then transitioned. I started with Eddie Thomas, Kevin McDevitt, Dan O’Donnell and Bill Crego and were called Spazz. It is one of those names you don’t want to remember but it was named after me.”

After connecting with John Luber, who knew the local music scene, Ciappa and his mates got on board with Luber and changed their name to Road Work and began traveling and playing in area bars.

This prelude leads us to 2024, where the local musicians of yester-year — influenced by their experiences as teenagers during that early period of Oswego’s music history — now serve as long-time, tenured headliners of today’s music scene in Oswego.

The Billionaires are one such group making music almost every weekend in the Port City playing more than 100 gigs as a full band and another 100 as a splintered duo. The group features Anna Marie White, vocals and percussion; Ciappa, vocals; Edgar Pagan, bass and vocals; Daryl Hunt, drums; Kimo Cortini, keyboards and vocals and Ritchie Melito, guitar.

Whether performing on the banks of the Oswego River during the “Rockin’ the River Summer Concert Series,” local church bazaars or weddings and special events, The Billionaires are a cover band who play a wide range of popular songs from the ‘70s through today. Learned through their more than two decades

together, they cover a list of more than 1,000 songs including familiar tunes from favorites like Prince, Journey, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, The Steve Miller Band, Frank Sinatra, Sam Cook, Robert Cray, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and more.

“Weddings are where the money is,” White candidly admitted. “After COVID, we decided to do more private than public gigs. Though, we always try to play the Veteran’s Stage in Oswego. We get a lot of requests for Taylor Swift. We are playing songs that I never thought I would be singing. We’re always rehearsing to perform different stuff. Our audience loves the ‘80s music, which is fun.”

Nearly 40 years after they first met, John Bletch and Nick Gravelding are still making sweet music together as members of the band Frostbit Blue. Described as “too hot to be cold even after four decades,” Frosbit Blue is another local band with deep roots in Oswego

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

61

Frostbit Blue (Photo Credit: Frostbit Blue/John Bletch)

and Central New York.

Bletch, better known around Oswego as “Valch” is on drums, Gravelding and Tommy McCaffrey on guitar, Mike Place on vocals and Benny Fiacco on bass guitar comprise today’s version of the band that has been playing together as a core group since the early 2000s.

But their story really began in 1987.

To hear Bletch, 66, tell the story today of how Frostbit Blue first came to be is like listening to the same enthusiastic, shaggy-haired teenager who pounded his drums in the mid-1970s between playing point guard for Oswego High School’s varsity basketball team and patrolling centerfield for the varsity baseball team.

“I was playing with Johnny Luber in 1987 with the Melons,” Bletch remembered. “He came to practice one day and said there was a college band that wanted to open for us at Nunzi’s.

The day of the gig, I went out to Nunzi’s to set my drums up and there was another guy setting up his guitar. The guy said to me, ‘I appreciate you guys letting us play.’ And he introduced himself as Nick.”

Fast forward several years later af62

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ter Bletch had returned from California where he had been living.

“I came back and played for Jolly Roger, who were playing showcases around town,” Bletch said. “Chris Ellerd called me one night and asked me to play at Old City Hall with some college kids who had recently graduated. I asked him the name of the band and he said, Frostbit Blue. I vaguely remembered that name. Again, I went to set up my gear and there was another guy setting up his gear. I introduced myself and he told me his name was Nick. Then, he said, ‘I think we’ve met before.’ After that, Nick and I have been playing music together for 34 years.”

According to Ciappa and Bletch, the resident locals who grew up in the Port City, the music scene has changed quite a bit.

Bletch, who teaches drums and has a stable of 65 students each week, continues to make his living doing what he’s loved to do since his youth.

“It’s so different now,” Bletch explained. “I started playing in the 1970s.

There was always a lot of music going around. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the music really changed — The Police came out DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

and Duran Duran. Nowadays, it’s nothing like the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.”

White, who makes her living playing music in Oswego and surrounding areas of Central New York, concluded with this thought, “When I first moved to Oswego I was blown away with the amount of talent in this town. Anybody that I ever had visit always said, ‘I can’t get over how much talent there is in this area.’ It’s just unreal. I’m blessed to be in a town that loves music and I get to play here. It’s pretty cool. And I love it.”

Though age maybe catching up to some of these musicians, the fire still burns inside them to play.

“I can play my drums five nights a week,” Bletch energetically said. “I’m still as hungry now, 40 years later, as I was back then.”

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.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

SURVIVING THE FIRST YEAR

By Mary Beth Roach

E

ntrepreneurship is booming, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report issued in February.

This trend includes several new entrepreneurs profiled here who have opened their businesses within the last year in Onondaga and Oswego counties.

They have traveled very different paths to start their respective businesses and while they may have experienced some trepidation doing their journeys, their passion overrode any nervousness.

They share their stories with us — some of the surprises, good and bad — that came up, some of their marketing strategies for their startups; and resources they have found helpful.

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

ART HAUS SYR, SYRACUSE Michael Schwarzer, Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer: People ‘Should Be Surrounded by Art’

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hat began as a move from New York City to Syracuse during COVID-19 turned into a new concept gallery space called Art Haus SYR, that opened in May in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square.

Michael Schwarzer and Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer were living and working in New York, overseeing two galleries, when the pandemic hit and everything came to a standstill. The couple opted out of the crowded city and moved to Syracuse, where Ranieri-Schwarzer is from and where they have family.

Once they settled here, the two began their creative pursuits again and began taking walks through downtown.

“One of the things that we noticed when we walked through the streets of downtown, there was no visible art, and we needed to change that,” Schwarzer said.

Inspired by the Art on the Avenues program in New York City, in which temporary walls of art are displayed in

empty storefronts, the couple worked on bringing that idea to Syracuse. They also did pop-up galleries in spaces throughout the downtown area.

Eventually the couple was ready to establish a more permanent space and found a kindred spirit in Jeffrey Appel, who with Spiro Spiliotis, owns the Bentley-Settle Building in Armory Square, a mixed-use edifice with commercial space on the lower levels and apartments on the upper five floors.

Appel, an artist and art collector, was invested in the idea of bringing a commercial gallery to downtown Syracuse. The first-floor corridor is an extension of the gallery, with art pieces, available for sale, lining the walls. The building owners are partners in Art Haus SYR. The 1,500-square-foot Art Haus SYR space sits on the first floor, slightly above street level, with floor-to-ceiling windows that open — perfect for displaying art and capturing attention.

The studio has high ceilings and a lot

BLAKE JEWELERS IN TOWNSHIP 5 IN CAMILLUS Stephanie Pullano: Life Experiences Blend to Create Business

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tephanie Pullano has blended life experiences together to open Blake Jewelers in Township 5 in Camillus in November of 2023.

She noted that with a degree in fine arts, blended with a background in jewelry repair casting and retail management — and a love of jewelry — have all blended together to shape “her entrepreneurial aspirations.”

Returning to her native Rochester from North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic, she became reacquainted with Blake Shelhamer, also from Rochester, who has built the eponymous business in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area.

She said that she and Shelhamer “shared a mutual vision and collaborated” to open the store and as it is located near Costco in Camillus, she is “leveraging high foot traffic and visibility,” she explained.

The store offers customers the ability to create their own engagement and

wedding bands, utilizing a step-by-step process on the in-store computer or online. The online option allows Blake Jewelers to truly expand its customer base, since Pullano can ship anywhere in the U.S. “This interactive experience empowers customers to design pieces that resonate with their personal style and love stories,” according to Pullano. “This approach not only ensures, but also aligns with the contemporary demand for ethical and sustainable options.”

Nearing the one-year anniversary of the store, Pullano said she’s adjusting to what she calls “retail life,” learning the ebb and flow of business and that certain months will be better than others — all while balancing a work schedule that’s certainly not 9-to-5 with raising and home-schooling her 11-year-old daughter.

of natural light, allowing ample room for displays. Schwarzer said they plan on doing new exhibits every six to eight weeks, with many group showings that would feature several artists’ works at one time.

Each piece has a QR code that patrons can scan to learn more about the artist, the details of the work and its price.

Schwarzer refers to the location as a concept space. Realizing they cannot solely rely on artwork sales, he envisions it as a retail space for the artwork; workspace and event space. Art Haus SYR is available for rent for creative events, such as book signings and wine tastings.

Schwarzer admitted there were some who discouraged them from taking on such an endeavor as this, telling them there was no market in this area.

“But we can’t help ourselves. This is what we do,” he said. “Obviously, we have proven them wrong many times already.”

They are hoping to begin an art rent-to-purchase program soon, as well.

“That’s what this is all about,” Schwarzer said. “Wherever somebody lives, works, spends time, they should be surrounded by art.”

She explained her marketing strategies as a “mix,” utilizing traditional advertising, social media platforms, like Facebook and Google, the store’s loyalty program and the time-honored power of word-ofmouth.

“Successful bridal designs and prices are 70% off speak volumes,” she said.

In helping to get her started, Pullano credits resources available through the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College and the Women’s WISE Business Center, which also set her up for a local grant, which she said “facilitated the venture’s inception.”

Moving forward, she is planning on expanding the retail space, offering more inventory, especially, for the holidays and enhancing the do-it-yourself model for customers that would allow them to create more individualized pieces and reinforce what Pullano called “the store’s ethos of personalized service.”

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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GOLDEN HOUR DOG TRAINING, HASTINGS

Emily Moore: Involved with Animal Welfare for About 10 Years

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mily Moore’s love of dogs has led her to create Golden Hour Dog Training, which she launched earlier this summer.

Based in Hastings, Moore offers training sessions for dogs and their owners based on what she called the positive reinforcement method.

Coupled with her training work is an initiative she calls “Paws for Safety,” aimed at teaching children how to act around dogs.

Moore said she has been involved with animal welfare for about 10 years.

When she and her husband were living in San Diego, she began a dog-sitting business and soon went to work at the San Diego Humane Society as a full-time adoption counselor. As such, she advised people on the dogs in the shelter and how to introduce the rescues into their new homes, other animals and kids.

“That was my dream job. Absolutely loved it,” she said.

And when she wasn’t working there, she shadowed a leading San Diego dog trainer, learning even more about the different breeds of dogs and their behaviors.

After three years, the couple moved back to Central New York and has been busy raising their two children.

But her love of dogs never wavered and for the year prior to her business start-up, she was attending the CATCH Canine Trainers Masters Class Program Academy and doing hands-on work with trainers in the area. She graduated with distinction, received her certification in June and started the business on July 1.

Her training, she said, specializes in positive reinforcement, calling it the “least intrusive and minimally aversive method.” She uses treats, praise, play, fun games and patterns.

Currently, she hosts group lessons on her property in Hastings, but she said her primary focus is private lessons in people’s homes.

“That’s where the training is going to be most effective before you take that dog out to the real world,” she said.

The training package includes an assessment during which the owner’s schedule and routines and the dog’s needs are reviewed and a specific plan

WHACKO GRINGO, OSWEGO Daniel McKelvey: ‘Passion Can Overcome Your Fears’

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assion can overcome your fears.

This belief led entrepreneur Daniel McKelvey to overcome a variety of challenges and start two businesses outside of New York state before returning to his roots in Oswego County, purchasing an abandoned piece of property in Oswego and turning it into the Whacko Gringo eatery in Oswego.

“When you’re confident and you’re passionate about something and you really study it, that is the antidote to overcome the fear of stepping up,” he said.

“I’m passionate about coming home and creating something truly unique for the area,” the Hannibal native added.

The name — Whacko Gringo — is 66

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also unique. But as McKelvey said, he thinks it describes him and the restaurant perfectly.

As he explained, he’s a non-Hispanic man that’s crazy about Mexican food. But he didn’t want people to think that the Mexican food he serves is authentic.

The menu doesn’t serve fajitas or enchiladas. But it does boast nachos, tacos, burritos, “mini-dillas,” its signature Birria dishes, which feature birria DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

is developed.

She also offers the Paws For Safety class — ideally for children aged 4 to 9, showing them how to properly communicate with their dogs; how to avoid an altercation with a dog they d o n ’ t k n o w ; how to recognize w h e n a dog wants to be touched; and how to properly ask an owner if their dog can be petted, Moore explained.

She has since learned that some of the kids are teaching their parents the correct ways to approach dogs.

She even includes her own dogs, Bella and Ruby.

As for the name of the business — Moore admits it’s partially a shoutout to her favorite breed — the golden retriever. But moreover, she said, she sees the golden hour as the best hour of the day and spending time with her dogs is one of her favorite times.

beef braised for five hours and mixed with three Mexican chilis, tomatoes, onions and spices and of course, a variety of acai bowls, including The Buccaneer bowl.

I n the winter of 2 0 2 2 , M c K e l v e y bought the site at West Bridge a n d We s t Eighth streets, which had once been the location of a gas station. McKelvey

had been noticing the property for years during his visits back to Oswego — saw its prime location and the potential.

He grew up in Hannibal, working on the family farm. He then did a stint in a restaurant in Fair Haven, before moving on to the Turning Stone Casino. He said that he told himself that at the age of 22, he was going to go to Las Vegas and on his 22nd birthday, he did just that.

The casinos taught him a lot he said, especially about the hospitality business.

“In the casinos, you can’t be shy.

You’re entertaining people while they’re playing,” he said.

He moved back east to Baltimore, where he started a juice bar and acai bowl business called Pure Raw Juice in

2014. He had two locations; sold them in 2017 and moved to Delaware where he started Daily Veg, specializing in vegan food.

But he still missed the Oswego area.

So he moved back in November of 2022.

Over that winter, he purchased the gas station property, but that came with a lot of challenges.

A day before he was to close, he learned he’d need to put in new water and sewer lines. He said he decided to go ahead with the purchase, figuring that if the building had been vacant that long, then the pipes were probably in need of replacement. Further construction on the site turned up a 1,000-gallon oil tank that had been used to heat the former garage and then three 3,000-gallon gas tanks, all of which needed to come up.

While working on the property, he purchased a unique food truck, put it in the parking lot of the site, opened it in March of 2023 and operated out of that for a year. This helped him make money to continue the construction of the restaurant.

He was able to open the storefront in March of 2024 and its patrons are greeted with bright interior colors, oversized fun photos and a lot of natural light.

And of course McKelvey’s specialties — Mexican food and acai bowls.

Always with an eye to the future, McKelvey would like to open another location in three to five years, in the Great Northern Mall development pending the completion of that project.

Check out McKelvey’s story and his menu at whackogringo.com

SULLIVAN’S MMA, BALDWINSVILLE Dylan Sullivan: Childhood Activity Now a Business

W

hat started out as a fun activity when he was 5 years old has become Dylan Sullivan’s lifetime pursuit.

The Liverpool native opened his mixed martial arts dojo — Sullivan’s MMA — in Baldwinsville to the public in early December 2023. It is located in the Noble’s Plaza. Already he’s nearly doubled the size of its footprint. The original space was about 2,000 square feet. It’s now nearly 4,000.

His students, which number just more than 100, range in age from 3 to 70, he said. He offers instruction in traditional martial arts, kickboxing, boxing and self-defense and has group classes and private sessions for those who might want to go at their own pace.

Sullivan was introduced to martial arts by his father. The younger Sullivan started at Team Andrello and by the time he was a teenager, he said he was helping with classes and running groups at the dojo.

“My goal then was to be a martial arts instructor. It wasn’t to own a dojo,” he said. “From there, I started building rapport with students and families. For me, there’s no other thing I’d rather do with the rest of my life.”

His experience is extensive. Posted on his website, Sullivan said he has been teaching mixed martial arts for more than 15 years. He is 5th degree black belt and has competed in more than 20

boxing, kickboxing and muay thai fights.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when the idea of opening his own dojo started to take root. He had been involved in the day-to-day operations at Team Andrello, so he had been able to develop some knowledge of the business end of the dojo. He had mentioned the idea to his girlfriend, who he said is adept at marketing. She continued to encourage him and together they worked on business plans. When they started to look at potential spaces, the owner of the Route 48 property approached him about the space there. Sullivan said that made it feel like it was supposed to be. This past spring, this same owner told Sullivan that the business next store was going to close, if he’d like to take it over and enlarge his studio.

Building a dojo from the ground

up was a bit daunting initially, Sullivan admitted, with getting all the proper equipment purchased and ready and then getting classes scheduled. There were some down times between classes when they first opened, which he said, could be discouraging.

Sullivan has since incorporated some creative marketing strategies to introduce his program. During holiday and school breaks, he is offering “camps” for four hours on weekdays. These programs offer a short martial arts lesson in the beginning, but the rest of the time is filled with games, like dodgeball. It’s a way to introduce families to martial arts and the school. He also uses social media and conducts demonstrations off-site to pique interest.

For more information on Sullivan’s MMA, visit, sullivansmma.com or its Facebook page or Instagram.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

67

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GREEN PRINCESS CLEANING, GREEN PRINCESS PLANT SHOP, OSWEGO Alicia Norfolk: Inspired by Sandra Bullock’s Movie, 28 Days

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long Alicia Norfolk’s journey of recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, she saw a film which would impact her and eventually lead her to two new business ventures.

She had seen the Sandra Bullock movie, 28 Days, in which Bullock’s character is sent to rehab for her addiction to alcohol. A counselor tells Bullock’s character that if she was looking to get into a successful relationship, she should get a plant. If the plant is still alive, then try a pet for a year and if those work out, then a relationship.

Well, Norfolk got a plant. She didn’t get a pet; she got more plants.

“I went to a nursery and I got a plant. Then a couple years later I had an apartment filled with plants,” she joked.

She opened the Green Princess Plant Shop in March and while she operates it out of her apartment, Norfolk realized she needed additional seed money to make the business blossom.

So, she put her janitorial experience to work and started Green Princess Cleaning. She had been working in the janitorial department at Oswego Hospital but decided she needed to make a change. She left that job in July of this year and opened her cleaning business the next day.

Over the summer, she’d been working at both the cleaning business and promoting the plant shop at the Oswego Farmers’ Market, which has introduced her to a variety of contacts for both business entities. She has also taken advantage of social media to get

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

the word out, including posts on Nextdoor and she offers indoor plant care tips on her Facebook Live page, Green Princess Plant Shop.

She’ll even make house calls for sick plants. She explained how she visited one family, saw that their plant had been overwatered, so she took it back to her apartment, started tending to it, sent the family pictures of its progress and returned the healthy plant back in about a month’s time.

She applies three principles that she learned during recovery — patience, love and forgiveness — to her work.

She said she approaches both the plants and people’s homes with those three standards.

“I’ve seen the growth by being patient, loving and forgiving,” she said.

So, she got the plant, then got more plants and got into a good relationship.

It’s her boyfriend, T.J. Calderone, who came up with the name of the business.

As she explained, she had been referring to herself as the plant witch, but Calderone didn’t like the name. She said that one day, as she was working on some plants, he asked her what she was doing. She said that she was propagating a philodendron, telling him that it is nicknamed the green princess.

Calderone decided then and there that that should be her new name. And it has stuck.

For more information on the Green Princess, check out her Facebook page, Green Princess Plant Shop.

Fulton Celebrates Completion of Eastern Shore Insurance Agency DRI Project

T

he city of Fulton hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently to celebrate the completion of new awnings and signage for Eastern Shore Insurance Agency.

This project was a part of several downtown business assistance projects and a vital component of the city’s broader Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), supported by a $10 million investment from New York State. “I want to extend our gratitude to Eastern Shore Insurance Agency for their steadfast presence and dedication to our community. As an established business in downtown Fulton, you have not only served the insurance needs of our residents but also provided stability, opportunity and leadership for our region. This project would not have been possible without the partnership and support of the NYS Department of State (DOS) and Empire State Development (ESD), your investment in this initiative reflects a confidence in the future of Fulton and a recognition of keeping business’ thriving in the heart of our city,” said Fulton Mayor James Rice.

Other projects underway in Fulton include LorBird, a restaurant owned and operated by Laurie and Will O’Brien, located at the former GJP and Dandee’s Donuts location, which began construction in 2023 and is set to open by the end of this year.

Additional DRI projects in progress include the Oswego Health Expansion and Downtown Historic Marker & Signage Program, along with several business sssistance projects.

In total, there were 16 projects awarded — a combination of municipal, nonprofit, and private with grants totaling $9.7 million.

The city was initially awarded the DRI in 2019 for its vision and for project synergy but each project is contracted separately with New York state. The Fulton DRI Strategic Investment Plan can be found here: ny.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/ files/Fulton DRI_Strategic_Investment_Plan2021.pdf

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Snowmobiles at FX Caprara Powersports in Adams Center. Mild weather and lack of snow have hurt the sales of certain equipment like snowmobiles.

Lack of Snow Impacts Snowmobiling Economy

By Stefan Yablonski

S

now — you love it or hate it. Regardless of what your feelings are, in Central New York it is big business.

Problem is, this business hasn’t exactly been booming the past few winters.

Warm and less snowy winter seasons have meant fewer chances for snowmobilers to get out on the trails.

Oswego County is famous for its lake effect snow which makes it a premier destination for snowmobiling in New York state. Many travel from outside of the region — and out of state — to enjoy local trails.

There are more than 230 snowmobile clubs across the state with approximately 69,000 members (14% of which are from out of state).

According to one economic impact study, snowmobiling contributes more than $868 million to the state’s economy as snowmobilers need lodging, fuel and food along the trails.

The expansive Oswego County trail network has 400 miles of official snowmobile trails. They are meticulously maintained by the snowmobile clubs located around the county. Organizers 70

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

work to connect the trails so people can travel from one trail to another.

The New York State Snowmobile Association has an interactive map which shows all of the public trails in the state.

The map of trails can be viewed at: http://jimapco.com/maproom/ snowmobile/nys/ According to the NYSSA, there are 16,442 members of snowmobile clubs in Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties.

All snowmobile trails in the Tug Hill region and throughout Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties are maintained by volunteers.

One area that famously receives a lot of snow is the Tug Hill. The region averages more than 200 inches (16.7 feet; 5.1 meters) per winter, according to Wikipedia. However, not so much recently.

In 2021, a Snowmobile Economic Impact Study was led by Lewis County in partnership with Jefferson County Economic Development, the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, Oneida County Tourism, Oswego County ComDECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

munity Development, Tourism and Planning, Operation Oswego County, the Tug Hill Commission and several area snowmobile clubs.

According to the study, snowmobiling in the Tug Hill region attracts more than 35,254 riders with 52% of snowmobile users from outside the region.

Sales totals of $81,575,341 are attributed to snowmobiling.

“The snowmobile industry has been steadily growing in the Tug Hill region due to the hard work of our local snowmobile clubs, as well as the generosity of landowners who open their land to our expansive trail system,” said Lewis County Economic Development Director Brittany Davis.

Results from the study will allow the region to prioritize strategies to continue to support and expand the industry that continues to contribute so much to the economy, she added.

Fiscal impact The economic activity associated with the region’s snowmobile users generates new property, sales and oc-

cupancy tax revenue for the region’s counties.

Total tax revenue that results from snowmobile activity is estimated to be more than $448,000 in Jefferson County, nearly $445,000 in Lewis County, nearly $776,000 in Oneida County and nearly $576,000 in Oswego County.

Other highlights from the study include: • On average, there are 347,337 days spent in total by non-local users in the Tug Hill region annually • Non-local snowmobile users spend an average of $192 per day • Snowmobiling activity adds 866 jobs and $28.8 million in earnings • Total tax revenue that results from snowmobile activity is estimated to be nearly $445,000 in Lewis County each year

Sales dip “How are sales? How would you think they are?” Rob Hennigan, sales manager at FX Caprara Powersports in Adams Center, asked rhetorically.

Snowfall was even down on the Tug Hill last winter, he added.

“Riders like to go there because they always have a lot of snow. But last season it was down up there. They had a decent February and into March where you could ride, but it was like the only place in the state. It was getting beat up pretty good,” he said. “It was pretty lousy the last couple of winters.”

Sales were through the roof during the pandemic and then they slowed right down “I say sales probably dropped 50% last year. We have ATVs, we have everything here actually — motorcycles, side-by-sides, pontoon boats, water craft. So we have ways to make up some of the slack,” he said.

“It’s kind of normal right now [end of November]. The riding season doesn’t start in our area until the second weekend of December,” Hennigan added. “I think a lot of people are holding off to see what the weather does. There’s been a dusting of snow up on the hill today, so maybe that’s a good sign. Anything we get early helps.

But if you don’t see any snow by the end of December, it’s probably going to be another down year. We’re going to keep our fingers crossed. We use to have warm winters and a snowy one; it goes in cycles, so we’ll see. It’s been a down few years but maybe they’ll flip the switch. You never know.”

Plowers’ headaches The lack of snow is also causing headaches for commercial snowplowers.

“I’d like to say that the lighter winters have been more profitable seeing as most of our customers are on seasonal contracts,” said Jason Premo, president of Randy Cramer Snow & Lawn. “But the fact is our cost of doing business has

gone up quite substantially. Prices for most of the equipment and materials we use have increased at a rate even greater than the high inflation of late.”

Randy Cramer Snow & Lawn, Inc. is a fully insured residential snowplowing operation located in Baldwinsville.

From their new facilities near Moyers Corners, they serve more than 4,500 customers.

“As this has happened in conjunction with the light winters, we didn’t think our customers would take kindly to us raising prices. So we’ve had to stand pat and take the hit,” he added.

“Light winters also means less work, so we’ve had a real struggle hanging onto quality drivers who count on a more predictable income than we can provide.

“In short, I’d rather we had a more traditional Central New York winter than we’ve been experiencing. This way our customers feel like they are getting their money’s worth and our drivers are making enough income to justify continuing in the trade. It’s been tough!”

Mark Egan, owner of Wheel-A-Way Motorsports in Fulton, said: “Like anything else, this is a seasonal activity. If it were skiing, the lack of snow doesn’t necessarily add to the usage of the sport you’re involved in.”

“Yeah we have ATVs, motorcycles, side-by-sides and snow scooters — a stand-up kind of arrangement. It’s like if you bought a sailboat and there’s no wind … you still have a sailboat.”

Redfield Snowmobile Club Membership Sits at Around 800 The Redfield Snowmobile Association is located in Redfield.

The club was formed 48 years ago (Dec. 12, 1976) and still continues to grow with around 800 members.

The town is located to the ‘lee’ of Lake Ontario, giving it more than 250 inches of snow annually.

“We are in what they call a high snowfall area — hasn’t been lately,” said Jerry Murphy, the club’s vice president. “It’s a pretty popular club; we get a lot of snow – just not recently. Lately the snow has been a little sparse. But I understand we might get it this year, I’m not sure.”

Club membership has declined a bit according to Murphy.

“The most membership we’ve had was around 900. Last year, I think, we were down in the 800 range.

I suspect we’ll get those guys back when the weather is more favorable for snowmobiling,” he said, “A lot of people don’t register their machine if they aren’t able to ride. They just hold off and hold off and hold off. We have about 800+ members now.”

When you join a club, you get a discount on your snowmobile registration; makes people want to join the club, he added.

“We are a totally voluntary organization. We have many volunteers to mark and maintain the trails and take care of the equipment,” he added.

“Trails open one week after Northern Zone hunting season closes — snow conditions permitting.”

The club has just two groomers for about 42 miles of trails that connects to trails in Lewis, Oneida, Oswego and Jefferson counties. They normally go

through around 15,000 gallons of fuel a year, Murphy said.

“It all comes out of club dues and what we get from NYSSA — they pay us twice a year,” he added.

The club’s current groomer barn was purchased in March of 2006.

“We currently own a 2008 Tucker groomer and a 2018 Piston Bully groomer,” he said. “In March of 2021, we purchased 14 acres at 696 County Route 47, a half mile from our current building.

“We are going to be starting the building of a new groomer barn soon.

We need more room. We are planning to have many fundraisers with the anticipation of building. We have two fundraisers a year, plus a hot dog roast on the trail and a vintage snowmobile ride, which is a new event this year.”

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Kasoag Trailblazers Celebrates 50 Years of Snowmobiling The Kasoag Trailblazers was incorporated in 1974. It is the oldest club in the county.

“This is our 50th year of service to our snowmobiling community,” said Dan Koelbel, the club’s president.

The club celebrated its anniversary on Oct. 12, 2024.

In 1974 Evelyn and Stewart Pappa founded the club at the Kasoag Lake Tavern, now owned by Jill and Jay Bergin.

Before Stew’s death, the former president, Jeff Hopkinson, made the promise to see that the club not only stayed on track, but prospered.

And it has.

“We currently manage and maintain 50 miles of trails,” Koelbel said.

“Some are on state and county lands along with private land. Our trails link from the southwestern part of the Tug Hill to the top of the hill and on to the Adirondacks.”

The trails are in the towns of Albion, Orwell, Williamstown and Richland.

“We have state-funded corridor trails as well as secondary trails that provide access to the services in town, such as gas, and restaurants,” he added.

In addition to grooming during a snowy season, prep-time is just as important. Maintaining equipment, bush hogging, trimming, chainsaw duty and hauling debris are all important duties for the snowmobiling community.

The Trailblazers is a dedicated group that maintains and promotes outdoor recreational activities in the area. Its focus is on preserving natural resources, building and maintaining trails and fostering a sense of community among outdoor enthusiasts.

“The club’s entirely made up of DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

volunteers that work to maintain the trails, signing, bridge construction, trimming and grooming, as well as all of the administrative work that goes on behind the scenes,” Koelbel said.

There is a cost savings when a snowmobiler joins a club, he added.

“It keeps your money local — your dollars will be spent on grooming your local trails,” he said.

The last couple of years have been tough due to a lack of snow.

“During the 2022/23 season, our trails were only open 29 days,” he said.

“During the 2023/24 season we were only open 14 days. We’re hoping for more snow this season to make up for the last two. Think snow!”

At its October 2024 anniversary meeting, the club elected Dan Koelbel as president; Kelly Miller, secretary; Jim Stevens, vice president; and Adam Hopkinson, treasurer.

Retiring officers president, Jeff Hopkinson; secretary, Pete Hopkinson and vice president, Jack Barker have stepped into the role of board member.

“These guys are a part of the heart and soul of our community and organization,” Miller said. “They’ll continue to groom trails and support the club. All of us work very hard to make Kasoag Trailblazers a success — as well as approximately 25 or so other active members.”

None of this possible without the gracious blessing from landowners, she added.

“Our focus is on growing the club, staying on top of safe trails and teaching the youth to ride with knowledge,” Miller said. “Training and fundraising is on-going.”

By Stefan Yablonski

SKI RESORTS, CONTRACTORS: Mild Winter Hurts Businesses

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

M

ild weather may make living in Central New York easier for residents.

However, for businesses that rely on the white stuff for their livelihood, less snow means less income.

Snowfall has remained at record low levels for the past few years.

According to Extremeweatherwatch.com, Oswego experienced 38.7” of snow in the 2023-24 winter season; 47” in 2022-23; 72.7” in 2021-22; 59.2” in 2020-21 and 52.2” in 2019-20.

Compare those numbers with previous years: 131.9” in 2018-19; 163.1” in 2017-18; and 117.8” in 2016-17. The numbers are trending downward.

Sufficient snow — particularly early snow — can help some businesses even out the rush of customers, such as at a Christmas tree farm. Of course, business naturally slows down the week of Christmas. Most people have their trees, wreaths, centerpieces, décor items and kissing balls by then.

But earlier snow means more people thinking of buying these items in late November and early December

instead of waiting until the second week of December. The latter strategy can mean a crush of customers coming out to a Christmas tree farm all at once.

Either way, the farm makes money.

However, the customer experience can be lessened with a huge crowd pouring onto the farm all at once.

“We opened Nov. 23 for Community Country Christmas,” said Faye Beckwith, owner of Beckwith Family Christmas Trees in Hannibal. “We had people come and cut their tree because Thanksgiving is later this year. People said they wanted to come before the snow falls. Then you have people who think it doesn’t feel like Christmas until the snow falls. Some families wait on getting a tree until later if there’s no snow.”

She added that still other families will simply schedule their tree cutting or pick-up for a specific date and go with that date regardless of the weather because they’re otherwise too busy with Christmas activities and their family’s other obligations. Beckwith estimated that half their customer base is young

families who view tree cutting as a tradition and a photo op which a snowy background would only enhance.

The lack of snowfall can also affect her farm’s trees. Lower snowfall last year meant a lower water table and less moisture for the trees. But rainfall later in the season helped make up for it, as the Beckwiths didn’t have to irrigate the trees over the summer.

A shorter winter season means fewer opportunities for snow-reliant businesses to make money.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, “Across the northeastern U.S., winters are warming faster than any other season.

Over the last century, average winter temperatures have increased by approximately 3°F, spring temperatures by 2°F and summer and fall temperatures by 1.4°F. Warmer temperatures mean lower opportunities for snowfall — and therefore the activities that depend upon snowfall such as snowshoeing.

Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports in Oswego relies on snow to boost its sales of snowshoes. Before current owner

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Fireworks at the Syracuse Winter Fair last year. This is one of the several events taking place during the winter in Central New York.

CNY’s Winter Events Are Big Business

T

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he Annual Great Eastern Whiteout in Fulton, Syracuse Winterfest and Syracuse Winter Fair represent the top winter-oriented festivals in CNY each winter after the holiday season concludes.

Sure, they’re fun. But they also boost revenue for area businesses as the events require outside vendors, equipment and supplies.

Out-of-town attendees will also need places to dine, sleep, fuel up and explore while in the area.

New York State Winter Fair (www. nyswinterfair.com/), which runs Jan. 31-Feb. 2, attracts up to 20,000 people annually to the New York State Fairgrounds (although the event is not affiliated with The Great New York State Fair, which occurs in late summer).

“Anyone doing events like this benefits the Central New York economy,” said Steve Becker, the event organizer. “We bring people from Central New York and outside the area.”

In its 6th year, the event brings in an estimated half a million to $1 million in annual revenue to the area.

The attractions are both inside and outside the Expo Center, including carnival rides and foods, live reindeer (new this year), ice sculptures by international sculptor Stan Kolonko, and a fireworks display.

The Annual Great Eastern Whiteout Antique And Vintage Snowmobile Show And Swap Meet (https://northeastwheelsevents. com/events/25th-annual-great-eastern-whiteout) represents one of the

biggest snowmobile expos in the region with about 300 registered snowmobiles on the premises.

“It brings a lot of people in from all over the Northeast; it does pretty well,” said Jim Latino, promoter of the show. Held on Feb. 1, the event typically draws 2,500 snowmobile enthusiasts who participate in and watch races, buy and sell parts and sleds and commiserate.

Syracuse Winterfest (www.syracusewinterfest.com), which runs Feb. 13-23, draws more than 100,000 people to its dozens of indoor and outdoor events, parties, cook-offs and many other activities. It is billed as the second largest audience in all of Central New York events.

“All the events we put together are directed to bring people into the restaurants,” said Bill Cooper, president of Syracuse Winterfest, Inc. “They experience them firsthand. Ticket prices are $5 for tastings and drinks, except the wing walk. The area businesses enjoy the fruits of the entertainment we produce in the 11-day festival.

“Restaurants donate products and get great exposure because people come in to try things they haven’t eaten there before. They have a lot of return customers who come back. Restaurants try to showcase items other than those they did the year before.”

Visitors come from as far as California, Virginia and Connecticut. Since the event coincides with school break, the timing couldn’t be better.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Greg Mills bought the business, Murdock’s transitioned from cross-country skis as its main winter sales product to snowshoes because the latter is more of a grab-and-go item that people can use anytime rather than cross-country skis that require a groomed trail. But either of those still needs snowfall. But selling fat bikes has helped the store during low-snow seasons.

“A number of bike models can be ridden on dry land or snow making biking a year-round event,” Mills said.

“In addition, people still buy bikes for gifts or to prepare for the spring season.

It gets slower in the winter, but the fat bikes can help draw people in.”

The cycles’ wide tires enable riders to ride in more weather conditions.

Murdock’s product diversity helps accommodate less-than-ideal weather.

For mountain resorts, manmade snow can help draw in skiers and snowboarders. Jon Spaulding, director of marketing at Greek Peak in Cortland, hopes for a good season.

“Even with the record low natural snowfall totals last year, we were able to deliver 111 days on snow for our skiers and boarders last season, which was actually four more days than the year prior,” he said.

The resort has ramped up its snowmaking infrastructure with a $4 million investment to keep the snow falling.

Greek Peak is in year four of a its fiveyear plan to bolster its capacity to make snow when none is available naturally.

Spaulding said that these upgrades should “improve our water and air flow delivery systems on the mountain and improve the overall guest experience through new technology and enabling more time on the snow each season.

Without these investments and improvements, I don’t know where we would have been the past couple seasons given how low natural snowfall totals have been, but it has certainly positioned us well for the coming season and beyond.”

Some of the changes include 12 HKD snow guns added to the snow-tubing area to ensure full-lane coverage top to bottom of the hill and additional hydrants will also be installed across the mountain. These will “enable more snowmaking and terrain coverage, where a Techno Alpine Fan Gun valued at $48,000 was added to the mix this past season,” Spaulding said. “Additionally, new air and water lines have also been installed on Cristy’s Run.”

Off-season at a Christmas Tree Farm Sure, they’re busy November through December. Then what?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

F

aye Beckwith, real estate agent and co-owner of My Freedom Realty in Hannibal and Beckwith Family Christmas Trees in Hannibal, is a busy woman year-round, including at the tree farm which she operates with her husband, Jack. It may seem a seasonal business; however, a Christmas tree farm is plenty of work in each season.

“We’re a relatively small family farm and we work almost 12 months of the year,” Beckwith said.

Just after the busy Christmas season, it’s time to grind the stumps from the harvested trees. If there’s no snow on the ground, that helps. Then she and Jack have to decide what variety and size of saplings they will order to replace those trees and expand the farm.

“You have to order early to get the best selection,” Beckwith said. “We’ve learned the best trees for us are the firs.”

The farm grows balsam fir, Fraser fir, concolor fir, grand fir and Canaan fir.

The fir varieties grow best in the farm’s soil and results in longer lasting needles. They also offer a less pokey tree than blue spruce, for example.

Blue spruce require spraying and the Beckwiths try to minimize any use of sprays. The Beckwiths also grow some white pines for making wreaths and arrangements.

In the spring, the Beckwiths prepare the ground and get the new seedlings set, hoping for rain. Once rain comes, it’s mowing season — aka summer.

The Beckwiths eschew using herbicides among the trees, meaning Jack mows nearly daily to keep their 30 acres of trees free from underbrush and grasses that would compete with the trees for nutrients and diminish the customer experience during Christmastime.

The weather in Central New York pushes the firs to cone early. This means that farmers like the Beckwiths must manually remove about a few hundred cones off each tree each year.

“They disintegrate, typically at harvest time,” Beckwith said. “When they fall off or break off there’s a needle like projection that is like the core. You can’t harvest them to use like pinecones.

They’re soft. Once they start in the spring, you have to take off the cones.

There can be thousands.”

The Beckwiths plant new trees among other, larger trees and not in rows, so it appears like a forest. It makes mowing take longer, but the aesthetic is eye-pleasing.

Summertime is also for shearing the trees.

“The trees don’t grow naturally the shape customers prefer,” Beckwith

said. “We don’t shear heavily. We shear them so ornaments can hang well on the trees.”

Shearing takes place from the time a tree is five years old until its harvest, around age 10.

In fall, the Beckwiths prepare the ground for the following year’s spring planting as well as make bows for the farm’s wreaths, centerpieces and kissing balls.

“Some people say their wreaths stay intact until Easter when they feel they need to take them down,” Beckwith said. “Balsam fir doesn’t hold up as well for longevity, but it’s beautiful and fragrant. We don’t use that until later in the season.”

Warmer weather means wreaths don’t last as long. Beckwith has about a dozen that she won’t sell because she made them too early and they would not stay fresh looking.

It’s tough keeping wildlife off the farm. Beckwith said that deer damage cost the farm 300 trees in the past two years.

“The season is very intense,” she said. “We do some custom orders and supply some wreaths to other Christmas tree farms, too.”

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HEALTH FITNESS

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HEALTH

Judy Osetek is the co-owner of Blossom Yoga and Wellness in Oswego. She stands next to the signage at the door in a yoga pose. “Absolutely no experience is required to start practicing,” she says.

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Mind, Body, Breath and Spirit Connect at Blossom Yoga

From humble beginnings at the Kingsford House location, yoga studio in Oswego now features seven certified instructors and 100 participants

A

s you enter Blossom Yoga in Oswego the message conveyed on the wall can’t help but be seen. That is by design.

“We create a welcoming and inclusive space for our diverse students to discover the gifts of yoga by exploring a variety of classes. Our teachers aim to illuminate the many paths towards individual and collective growth on the yogic journey.”

Blossom Yoga and Wellness combines a philosophical and physical roadmap to the teachings of yoga that empowers and inspires students in their personal growth journey, physical recovery from injury and healing.

With seven certified instructors (Sandy Eby, Judy Osetek, Danielle Florio, Katie Stout, Debbie Drake, Kathy Schrecengost and Kristen Skinner), Blossom Yoga offers foundational classes built on the Bikram Hot Yoga practice

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli of healing. The practice was cultivated and dates back more than 10,000 years from the ancient form of Vedic Yoga and is predicated on bringing balance to the body, mind, heart and spirit.

Offering a variety of classes, Blossom Yoga, located 161 W. First St., makes yoga accessible to all, including gentle yoga, hot yoga (Bikram style) both warm and hot, yoga flow (Vinyasa), and yin yoga that provide opportunities to experience both the yin and yang aspects of yoga.

Today, Bikram hot yoga as we know it helps build strength, tones muscles, sculpts the body and, of course, provides an outpouring of perspiration. Sweating, while may seem unpleasant, is an important element to this particular practice because it allows toxins to easily exit your body.

“I was originally drawn to yoga as a way to stay active after having spent my childhood through college playing

competitive soccer and other sports,” Blossom Yoga co-owner and instructor Judy Osetek said. “Hot yoga was a challenge that I enjoyed, while at the same time reaping the healing benefits of the practice. Over time, my yoga practice has evolved to a much deeper level that focuses as much on the meditative and spiritual qualities as the physical.”

Blossom Yoga’s Bikram series is now officially called the “original 26 + 2,” even though a lot of people still confuse it with “hot yoga.” The original 26 + 2 derives its name from the practice that includes 26 poses and two breathing exercises, most performed twice in the exact same order, for 90-minutes.

Osetek’s mother, Sandy Eby, first started the business out of one room in the old Kingsford House on West Fifth Street in 2006. It didn’t take long before Eby’s classes began to fill and more space was needed. After moving into the “Ball Room” at the Kingsford

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Participants in various yoga classes at Blossom Yoga and Wellness. The studio makes yoga accessible to all, including gentle yoga, hot yoga (Bikram style) both warm and hot, yoga flow (Vinyasa), and yin yoga that provide opportunities to experience both the yin and yang aspects of yoga.

House the popular classes prospered and grew.

“The business was started simply to share the gift of yoga with others,” Osetek explained. “We spent nearly 10 years at the Kingsford House location before my mom sold the house in December 2015.” Following the sale of the Kingsford House, Eby and her now certified yoga instructor daughter, Judy, moved to several locations before settling into their beautiful space on the river.

“We were inspired to change our name to Blossom Yoga and Wellness to reflect the evolution of our yoga journey and the symbolism of a flower’s beautiful transformation and resilience,” Osetek said. “If you have ever taken a Bikram yoga class, you may be familiar with the signature phrase ‘open your chest like a flower petal blooming.’”

As the business continues to grow because of the professional teachers and yogis that bring so much positive energy and joy into the studio, the mission of Blossom Yoga remains steady: “Create a peaceful and supportive space where yogis can feel free, connected and open to new ideas and suggestion, while always having a peaceful and supportive space to practice yoga and just be.”

And while some may confuse yoga with other Eastern religions, yoga is not a religion but a practice within 80

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Hinduism that predates Buddhism by 5,000 years. Yoga, mentioned in ancient, sacred scriptures of the Hindu religion, originated thousands of years ago in what is now India. The practice is designed to promote inclusion no matter what your level of experience.

“Absolutely no experience is required to start practicing,” Osetek exclaimed. “That’s the beauty of it – the only thing needed is an open mind and heart. At our studio, you never have to worry about being self-conscious as we encourage that yoga is not about what the posture looks like, rather it’s how it makes you feel when you do the posture with proper alignment and breath.”

The physical component of yoga — the asanas — is one minor part of the entire whole when it comes to a well-rounded and fulfilling practice.

Yoga enables its practitioners to learn focus and calm, especially in challenging situations. In essence, yoga can serve as a tool to help yogis stay aligned and connected to what they view as the most valuable and desirous aspects of their lives. Ultimately, yoga helps cultivate a life of balance and harmony to the body, mind, heart and spirit.

Blossom Yoga also enjoys partnering and spreading the benefits of yoga practice with Peaceful Remedies, an organization started in honor of Mary Gosek with Pax Unum gentle yoga DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

class. Peaceful Remedies’ mission is to provide holistic healing services to people suffering a life-altering illness. At the Pax Unum class, patients, survivors and caregivers come together to enjoy the benefits of yoga in a supportive and caring environment where friendships blossom. This like-minded community helps expand Blossom’s impact beyond business by offering more wellness opportunities that help improve one’s quality of life.

If taking a class at Blossom Yoga all sounds a little intimidating, it’s not.

“If there is any trepidation to start, then the best thing to do is realize that yoga is for everyone,” Osetek simply explained. “Whether or not you become a lifelong practitioner or every now and then or you simply decide it’s not for you, you will never know until you give it a try.”

And just like many things in life, the only thing you might end up regretting by not attending a class is that you didn’t go and try.

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.”

Mental Health Help for Farmers

How regional organizations are helping one of the most stressed segments of the workforce

C

hange is the only constant in farming: costs, prices, weather, pests, soil and animal health, equipment and infrastructure.

All of these can change in a moment and devastate a farm.

For farm families, it’s more than a business loss if a farm folds. Most consider farming their way of life. The whole family is involved in the effort to an extent. For many, it’s their heritage and home. Losing the farm means a complete lifestyle disruption.

Farming is also inherently dangerous. A single mistake can mean dismemberment, disability or death. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists farming as one of the most dangerous occupations, and those who tend livestock have the third-highest rate of employment related death—that’s 15 times the rate for a typical job. And it’s likely the rate is even higher than reported because farms with fewer than 11 workers and self-employed farmers do not have to complete the Bureau’s annual survey.

In addition to the dangers involved with large animals, farmers often face hazardous conditions while working with large equipment, chemicals, manure storage fumes that can displace oxygen in a confined space, and feed storage facilities that can entrap them, burying them alive.

In the metaphorical sense, farmers may feel “buried” on the farm.

Farmwork can often feel isolating, as can the lifestyle. The rural location can limit access to mental health services as well as stigma about seeking help. A largely masculine workforce on farms means “manning up” to deal with mental health rather than seeking professional help.

“Sadly, farmers have much higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide than workers in other professions, and we know that to sustain a thriving agricultural sector throughout New York State, we must address the growing mental health crisis facing farmers,” said Adam C. Howell, outreach director for NY FarmNet at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Economics & Management.

NY FarmNet provides free, confidential consulting that involves both a farm-agribusiness financial expert and a social worker who specializes in working with farmers, since financial stressors are a leading reason for mental health issues on farms. The organization produces a variety of educational opportunities throughout the state to train rural and agricultural audiences on topics including Talk Saves Lives Suicide Prevention and Awareness or Stress Management.

As another resource, Rural Minds, based in Mayville, launched a free online course “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America,” to give learners practical support strategies and resources to navigate mental health challenges in rural communities.

“Rural Minds is the only national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free information, including the connections webinar series, the “Moving Forward” newsletter, a blog, and several programs in collaboration with partner organizations such as Cornell University, NY FarmNet, the National Grange, and more–along with resources to confront rural mental health challenges

Adam C. Howell is outreach director for NY FarmNet at Cornell University.

and the stigma that surrounds mental illness,” said Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, New York dairy farmer, and resident of Mayville.

“Recognizing that farmers and others in rural communities are self-reliant with a ‘do-it-yourself mindset,’ the Rural Minds website at www.RuralMinds. org provides culturally-relevant information that’s needed to be part of the solution to improving rural mental health.”

Challenges to Rural Mental Healthcare Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, offered a few statistics regarding the challenges to rural mental healthcare, including the difficulty in getting an appointment with limited availability of mental health professionals.

• 20% fewer primary care providers than in cities • A lack of psychiatrists in 65% of rural counties • A lack of psychiatric nurse practitioners in 81% of rural counties • 47% of rural counties lack a psychologist • Unreliable, expensive, or nonexistent internet service for online

video or telehealth appointments, as nearly 30% of rural homes lack of access to broadband internet • Time and transportation required for long-distance travel to meet with a mental health professional • Lack of medical insurance to cover mental healthcare • Self-imposed barrier of asking for help when taught to pursue self-reliance as a virtue • Hesitant to ask for help because of fear of being considered weak/incompetent • Lack of trust to maintain confidentiality in a small, close-knit community

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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DR. HARRIS: TOP 10 TIPS TO LIVE A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE

By Lisa Harris, MD

N

avigating health after 55 is about being informed, staying proactive, and working closely with your healthcare provider.

As senior vice president and chief medical officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, and a former practicing physician, I’ve seen first hand how crucial it is for individuals to be proactive about their health and healthcare.

Navigating this stage of life comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities, and being informed can make all the difference.

I’d like to share with you the top 10 things people over the age of 55 should be aware of when it comes to their health.

1. Don’t overlook the power of preventive care. Wellness visits and regular health screenings are not just a precaution, they are a necessity. Wellness checks provide an opportunity to identify and address health issues, stay on top of preventive care and review and adjust your health plan to ensure you stay healthy and active year-round.

Screenings for conditions like cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis can lead to early detection and better outcomes.

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2. Get vaccinated. Staying up to date with vaccinations, like flu, pneumonia and shingles shots can prevent severe illnesses.

3. Your mental health matters.

Do you or a loved one have behavioral health concerns? Mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental health concerns may often present as or worsen chronic physical health complaints.

Depression, anxiety and cognitive decline can occur later in life, and early intervention can make a significant impact if dealing with these and many other health issues.

4. A healthy diet and weight management. Eating right becomes even more important as we age. A balanced diet helps manage weight, supports immune function, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in people over 55, but it’s largely preventable. Staying DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

active, eating a heart-healthy diet and regular check-ups are critical.

5. Stay active and move daily.

Movement is medicine. Regular physical activity can help maintain mobility, flexibility and balance, reducing the risk of falls; a concern for those over 55.

6. Get plenty of sleep and rest.

Quality sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for good health. Addressing sleep disorders and establishing a healthy sleep routine can significantly impact overall health and increase your physical and mental capacity.

7. Are you ready for retirement?

Annual financial check-ins are vital to ensure you are on track for a secure retirement and prepared for unexpected expenses. These checkins provide an opportunity to adjust financial strategies, optimize savings and make informed decision that can

help maintain financial stability and peace of mind throughout retirement.

8. Estate and end-of-life planning. It’s never too early to start thinking about your future when it comes to your end-of-life wishes.

This can be difficult to talk about but can also provide peace of mind for your family and loved ones.

Here are a few things to consider: • Do you understand your options from advanced directive to long-term care planning?

• Do you have a will?

• Do you have designated beneficiaries?

• Do you have a durable power of attorney (POA) that allows you to designate someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so?

• Do you have medical orders for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST)?

9. Maintain social connections.

It’s important to stay in contact with people to reduce feelings of isolation and to support emotional well-being.

Regular social interactions can boost cognitive function, lower the risk of depression and contribute to overall longevity and a higher quality of life.

10. Get the perks.

Don’t miss all the great benefits and discounts that come with AARP membership. From travel deals to leisure activities, these benefits help create a balanced lifestyle that combines relaxation, adventure, and financial savings, all of which contribute to overall happiness and well-being.

As you navigate life after 55, remember that staying proactive about your health is one of the most important things you can do. Understanding your healthcare needs, from regular screenings to managing your physical and mental well-being, empowers you to make informed choices and live well.

Take charge of your health now and set the stage for a vibrant, healthy future.

Your health is your greatest asset, take care of it with the attention it deserves.

Lisa Harris, MD, is senior vice president and chief medical officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

83

Health Insurance Options for Early Retirees If you run out of alternatives,a temporary solution to get insurance could be healthcare sharing ministries

By Jim Miller

T

here are several places early retirees can find health insurance coverage before Medicare kicks in, but the best option for you will depend on your income level, your health care needs and how long you’ll need coverage for.

Here’s where to look.

• Affordable Care Act: For most early retirees who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplace, also known as Obamacare, is the best option for getting comprehensive health 84

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coverage. And you won’t be denied coverage or charged extra for preexisting health conditions.

And, if your income falls below the 400 percent poverty level after you retire — anything below $60,240 for a single or $81,760 for a couple in 2024 — you’ll also be eligible for a subsidy that will reduce your monthly premiums. The ACA also ensures that at least through 2025, households with incomes above that 400 percent poverty level will not have to pay more than 8.5 percent of

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

their income for a benchmark policy.

To see how much subsidy you may be eligible for, use Kaiser Family Foundation subsidy calculator at KFF.org/ interactive/subsidy-calculator.

To shop for ACA plans in your state, visit HealthCare.gov or call 800-3182596. Or, if you want some extra help, contact a certified agent or broker at HealthCare.gov/find-assistance.

• COBRA: Another temporary health insurance option you may be eligible for is the Consolidated Omnibus

Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Under this federal law, if you work for a company that has 20 or more employees, you can remain on your employer’s group health plan for at least 18 months – but could last up to 36 months. But be aware that COBRA isn’t cheap. You’ll pay the full monthly premium yourself, plus a 2 percent administrative fee.

To learn more, talk to your employer benefits administrator or contact the Employee Benefits Security Administration (Askebsa.dol.gov; 866-444-3272).

If, however, the company you work for has fewer than 20 employees, you may still be able to get continued coverage through your company if your state has “mini-COBRA.” Contact your state insurance department to see if this is available where you live.

• Short-Term Health Insurance: If you can’t find an affordable ACA plan and COBRA is too expensive, another possible option is short-term health insurance. These plans, which are not available in every state, are cheaper, bare-bones health plans that provide coverage for up to 3 months with a onemonth extension available. But be aware that short-term plans don’t comply with the ACA so they can deny sick people coverage, they don’t cover preexisting conditions and they can exclude coverage essentials like prescription drugs.

To find and compare short-term health plans, try sites like eHealthInsurance.com or PivotHealth.com.

• Healthcare sharing ministries: If the previously listed options don’t work for you, another temporary solution could be healthcare sharing ministries (HCSM). These are cost-sharing health plans in which members – who typically share a religious belief – make monthly payments to cover expenses of other members, including themselves.

HCSM’s are cheaper than paying full out-of-pocket costs for traditional health insurance but be aware that HCSM’s are not health insurance. They don’t have to comply with the consumer protections of the ACA, and they can also reject or limit coverage for having pre-existing health issues and limit how much you’ll be reimbursed for your medical costs. Preventive care typically isn’t covered either.

To look for these plans, comparison shop at the three largest providers – Samaritan Ministries (SamaritanMinistries.org), Medi-Share (MyChristianCare.org), and Christian Healthcare Ministries (Chministries.org).

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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ConnextCare Connects Patients to Providers Transportation is often the missing piece

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

K

arli Byrd, corporate relations manager at ConnextCare in Pulaski, shared how the countywide organization helps patients who need assistance get into their primary care offices.

Q: What does your organization offer?

A: At ConnextCare, we complete the required documentation for transportation and help assist our patients with scheduling their rides.

Q: How does it differ from public transportation?

A: Our company does not have its own transportation system. We work with Medicaid transport, OCO Call a bus, Rides to Recovery and Catholic Charities Mental Health transportation.

A majority of our patients that require transportation have severe medical, behavioral health, cognitive or substance use diagnoses which makes it difficult or even unsafe for them to utilize public transportation. The local programs offer the option of using a taxi or private volunteer vehicle, which makes transportation much easier for our patients and avoids any stigmatization associated with public bus transport.

Q: Why is medical transportation necessary?

A: The poverty level, educational limitations and substance use in our county create additional barriers to accessing healthcare, that can be overcome with coordinated medical transportation. Providing transportation is crucial to helping to provide proper continuity of care, keeping chronic health conditions from increasing in severity and allows patients to be active participants in their own care.

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Q: Overall, how does providing medical transportation affect access to healthcare in Oswego County?

A: You don’t realize how much transportation affects healthcare until you look at the no-show rate in provider offices, where many missed appointments can be attributed to transportation issues. Patients are being denied healthcare treatment because their transportation provider never picked them up, which is causing new worsening conditions. Many of our requests for out-of-county transports are denied

by Medicaid as they feel there are closer, local options for patients to choose. In many cases, providers are referring out of county because the patient has a past history with that particular specialist or they can get them in sooner for a critical appointment. Denying these types of requests significantly affects access to healthcare.

The need for transportation services in this county is even bigger than what is currently offered. It was heartbreaking to receive the notification that the Rides to Recovery program is slated to close in December. This program covers an entire demographic that currently does not have access to or qualify for other transportation options. This is going to greatly impact the lives of those patients who currently rely on this service DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

for not only medical needs, but for their social needs, grocery needs and access to the other necessities a lot of take for granted. Medicaid transportation, when the patient is able to get a provider to accept complete the pickup, is a good resource for getting them to and from their medical appointments.

The challenge with Medicaid transportation is that it does not cover pharmacy trips, groceries, laundromats, etcetera. This causes barriers for these individuals. We really need programs that can fulfill all of the transportation needs and that everyone can qualify for.

Transportation these days is really a struggle, even to get out-of-county forms approved for services patients cannot get locally. I have so many denied out-of-county forms because Medicare appeals system does not feel it is fit for them to travel further to get the care they need, and instead dictate who and where they can go. Patients who have been seen by these specialists for years are being denied transportation to continue their care because Medicare appeals system does not see why they cannot be seen locally. The bottom line is if a patient needs transportation to a medical facility, regardless of if it is for an acute issue or a chronic issue there should be no question as to why they are going there versus somewhere Medicare appeals system is suggesting.

Prior to completing these forms, we look and take into consideration where the patient lives, who they need to see, why they are going there and what the medical reason is for. It is Medicaid transportation for a reason, no one should be denied where they want to go for their medical care.

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Med Spa Success

What’s the key to thriving in this competitive field?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

M

edical spas typically offer moderately invasive cosmetic procedures like Botox injection along with skin and sometimes hair services, such as facials and electrolysis. Flourishing in the med spa sector relies on a few essential factors.

“The key to success of a med spa is the success of the patient and treating the patient from the inside out,” said physician Norma Cooney at ONE Vida in Syracuse. “We make our patients healthy on the cellular level and everything on the surface from facials to Botox to fillers knocks it out of the park.”

Treating patients “from the inside out” may include lifestyle habits, such as staying adequately hydrated. It can also involve optimizing hormone levels and managing stress. Without taking care of these foundational areas, “we won’t make the most impactful difference,” Cooney said. “I have to take care of the individual on those holistic levels. Then it all comes together and we have success.”

Although standard marketing is important to Cooney, she relies more upon word-of-mouth advertising. True brand disciples sharing their positive results with friends and family helps more than anything else.

“Being true to your mission, true to your patients and providing exceptional results is what really carries the word,” Cooney said. “We’ve had incredible 88

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success because of the differences we’ve made in patients’ lives.”

ONE Vida serves numerous male clients, which isn’t the case for some medical spas.

Specializing in only women’s services limits the potential market for a medical spa. For men, Cooney said that looking healthier and more energetic is important.

Since making lifestyle changes challenges many people, it’s essential that clients feel engaged and ready to live differently. Forcing change upon a client “won’t be as successful,” Cooney explained. “They have to be engaged and they are when they come to us.

Everyone is trying to live their best life.

They’re trying but are still tired and rundown and have low libido. They wonder what they’re doing wrong. But they’re not doing having everything offered to them at a typical primary care provider visit.”

Sometimes, the service a client seeks can provide a steppingstone to medical care, such as a client seeking a facial shares she works the night shift, feels exhausted and cannot lose weight.

“They’ve been struggling for quite some time so we make a referral for a medical exam,” Cooney said.

That may help identify steps to take that can aid with weight loss and improve overall quality of life.

“We have one life,” Cooney said.

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

“That’s what our name means: ONE Vida. We are not your typical med spa.

We truly go above and beyond and incorporate the medical aspect. We look at what can make you healthier.

It’s a complete, holistic approach to the complaint. That is what makes us impactful.”

Building a reputation over many years has proven the right formula for CNY Healing Arts in Syracuse. Founded and led by physician Rob Kiltz, CNY Healing Arts employs massage therapists, acupuncturists, estheticians and wellness specialists, many of whom have undertaken extensive training in their modalities.

“Most have been part of our wellness team for over 10 years,” said Chelsie Bates, manager at CNY Healing Arts. “To successfully succeed in business operating a wellness center takes many years. I would have to say the key component would be our team members.”

Many people seeking services and care at a medical spa do so because they want a whole-person, client-centered approach rather than a clinical approach. To that end, Bates said that clients like the “family atmosphere and familiar faces when they arrive for their treatments. The warm and inviting atmosphere is very important as well.”

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Essay: 25 Years Into the New Century

In the first quarter of the century technology was everywhere; it’s advancing more dramatically in the second quarter

By Stefan Yablonski

N

ew Year’s Eve, 1999. I’m not celebrating.

I’m working for an online newspaper, surveying the global news to ascertain whether the Y2K will destroy civilization as we know it.

As I hear cheers from the other room from people watching the ball drop, I glance at my wrist watch. It’s midnight, a new year, a new millennium. Outside of a glitch at a Turkish oil refinery, everything is the same.

I make a note to watch the ball drop the following day — good thing I remembered to program the VCR. My electric typewriter sits beside 90

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

my huge computer monitor. My manual typewriter languishes on the floor; I brought it out just in case the power went out. I shut down the dial up connection on the computer so I can use the phone to call in my story. The phone cord isn’t long enough and I have to put the receiver down to go across the room to see if anything came across the fax machine. One fax — Blockbuster sent a note reminding me I haven’t returned a couple VHS tapes.

I checked my equipment for the next day — camera, extra rolls of film, triple A rechargeable batteries, tape recorder and tape. Laid them out next DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

to my car keys, one for the engine and one for the trunk … almost forgot my pens and reporter’s notebook!

Grabbed a handful of quarters. We could stay in contact with people wherever we went; there were pay phones on just about every corner.

Top employers Looking back, Niagara Mohawk with 1,330 employees was the top employer in Oswego County as 2000 dawned.

It was followed by Alcan (750), Oswego Health (700), Sealright (650)

and Nestle (600).

Now, on the threshold of 2025, only Oswego Health remains. The others have been “replaced” by National Grid, Novelis, Huhtamaki and Aldi’s.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

OCO (459), Metal Transportation Systems (427), Oswego Industries (406), Felix Schoeller Technical Paper (392) and A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital (383) rounded out the top 10 employers in Oswego County.

Some other top employers in 2000: Ames (#35 – 115), International Paper (#38 – 91), K-Mart (#45 – 85), Pulaski Health Center (#50 – 80 – the business would become Northern Oswego County Health Services Inc. and then ConnextCare), JC Penney (#58 – 63), Eckerd (#60 – 61), Oswego County Savings Bank (#65 – 57), Oswego County Weeklies (#69 – 45 the Backus family), Fulton Newspapers (#84 – 37), Wiltsie Construction (#98 – 28), Oswego Cranberry (#99 – 27), ALPS Professional Services/Carpet & upholstery (#100 – 27), LeRoi (#105 – 25) and Grandma Brown Beans (#111 – 21).

By 2015, Oswego Health claimed the top spot with 1,177. Exelon Generation was next with 1,025 followed

by Novelis – 928, Walmart – 925 and Entergy Nuclear – 620.

Northern Oswego County Health Services (#14 – 206) in 2015. National Grid (Oswego County) (#31 – 110), Rite Aid replaced Eckerd (#34 – 101).

Some business people have stuck around for the first quarter of the new century. Among them are Terry Leroy (LeRoi), George Joyce (Laser Transit), Dennis Ouellette (Ontario Orchards) and Dan Dorsey (Eagle Beverage).

Not to mention Wagner Dotto and Stefan Yablonski at Oswego County Business Magazine.

There have been several new businesses opening up. Splash Indoor Water Park and Resort in 2024, Irby in 2023, Riverwalk in 2021 and Aqua Spa in 2020. Many have called Oswego County home for 100 years or more — The Palladium-Times (1845), Oswego YMCA (1855), Pathfinder Bank (1859), Davis Standard (1867) and Huhtamaki (1883).

Second quarter of century As we embark on the next quarter century, technology is exploding all over.

“The biggest thing has been the advancement of computer technology,” according to Rich Bush, chairman of the

department of technology at SUNY Oswego. “Machining things, how we make stuff — the amazing transformation of I can think about it, I can draw it within moments and I can 3D print it and I can have the object in my hand within a few hours in solid form. That has really been a transformation. Now you don’t actually put your hands on these parts until it is done — all the work is done by machines. The advancements through computer technology are amazing.”

We’re all being affected by advancement in technology in different ways, he said.

“The communications class was learning about AI Photoshop, a photo editing software. You can now ask Photoshop what’s wrong with the photo and then it will give you suggestions on how to fix it. Then when you select how you want it fixed — it fixes it!” he added.

“You’re not pulling down any menus, you’re just responding to prompts. It is absolutely crazy.”

Another example with AI is asking it for design ideas.

“You can make kind of a cryptic sketch, you actually draw into the A I program, then it gives you ideas back of a finished product,” he said. “You can then change the color of surfaces … ‘I like it but it’s too small, make it bigger’ It’s bouncing ahead at unbelievable speeds.

“When you say AI, the first thing a lot of academics think about is cheating; like people having papers written for them. But there is so much beyond that and also so many ways to benefit humanity. Trying to learn about what options are available so it can be proper use — it’s like chasing a Super Ball that’s bouncing around a room.”

National Grid is now using “smart meters.”

“You have a computer hanging on your house,” he said. “You can see how much power are you using, when are you using it. You can get so much more information.

“I don’t want to use the word scary — but the change is so continuous that sometimes people are just ‘I was happy with how it was.’ LED lights are saving energy now. Twenty-five years ago you’d be scared to have a lot of lights on — the electric meter would be spinning! Now it doesn’t spin anymore and secondly you’re using less energy even though you have more lights on.

Major savings all over the place from street lights to other usages.”

The city of Oswego, for example, is embracing LED streetlights.

MACNY Announces Transformational Leadership Award Recipient MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, announced Gaganjot Gill, director of quality at Baxter International Inc., as the 2024 Transformational Leadership Award recipient.

This prestigious honor recognizes leaders who have had a significant impact on the lives of others and exemplifies John Maxwell’s belief that “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Exceptional leadership is the catalyst that transforms organizations from good to great, and transformational leaders are those who live to lead.

Gagan, as his colleagues know him, joined Baxter’s Skaneateles Falls site in March 2023, and from day one, his transformational leadership began to take root. One of his nominators, Shawnee Robert, quality systems manager, shared the profound impact Gagan has had on the organization: “Gagan has a passion for people and a talent for empowering his team to succeed. He has not only increased visibility for the team within the company and local community but has also led efforts to grow the organization through strategic recruitment. His courage to speak up and encourage others to do the same has transformed the quality team’s culture in just 1.5 years. Under Gagan’s leadership, I have been inspired to help others grow alongside me.”

“Gagan’s leadership is defined by his dedication, perseverance, and constant pursuit of learning. He has worked tirelessly to set his team up for success, always leading with integrity and ensuring the best outcomes for the company,” said Melody Kabat, quality specialist and member of Gagan’s team.

Gagan’s journey with Baxter began in 2014 as a microbiologist in its Canadian facilities, where he moved into supervisory roles as he continued his professional growth.

Prior to his role in Skaneateles, Gagan was the quality director at Baxter’s Medina, New York facility and Acton, Massachusetts, facility. Gagan holds a Master of Science in molecular retrovirology and several other licenses and certifications.

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7 People Share Their 5 Habits for Success Tim McKernan, facility manager, EJ Co, Inc. 1. “Never give up — I have learned that difficult times make you into the person you are. Running from problems never solves anything. The same problems will be wherever you go. Success comes to those who stick with it.

2. “Empower and support your team — “We are only as good as the people on our team. Hire good people and then give them the support they need to be successful. We all rise and fall together.

3. “Listen to your customer — “If we listen to our customer and design

solution they value, this will bring good success. Too often a company turns a deaf ear to what their customers are saying and don’t respond accordingly.

4. “Adapt and embrace change — “We live in a world that is changing at a rapid rate. To be successful you must embrace change and look for opportunities that emerge during those times.

The quicker we adapt the better.

5. “Passion for what you do — “People are drawn to those who have a passion for what they do; a belief that you are making a difference.”

Robert A. Corradino, Oswego Mayor 1. “Always be a good listener. You learn more by talking less and listening more.

for the next day. Long-term planning for future and quantifiable goals. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

2. “Being organized is critical to being efficient and successful in your job and life.

4. “Self-motivation is important to keep going regardless of circumstances or issues.

5. “There is no ‘I’ in team. Teamwork is an important component to success for any organization or individual.”

3. “Short-term planning. Every day before I go to bed, I write down a plan 92

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A positive upbeat attitude will drive your team to continue sharpening whatever saw they are grinding on at present.

This is essential to leadership in my view as productivity leads to tangible results. Being upbeat and positive also will help a leader manage speed bumps and uncertainty when it undoubtedly presents itself.

3. “Limit distractions by valuing time, a finite resource. Time is fleeting and if you want to be successful you had better understand that from the outset. It waits for no one; it doesn’t slow down and it will outlast you.

By controlling distractions a leader can guarantee success by taking firm control of their calendar. Often leaders take on outside responsibilities such as board seats or volunteer opportunities that are meaningful, but distractions from their core mission. I am guilty of this. It’s wonderful to be thought of as someone who an organization wants on their letterhead — just be sure missions and expectations of time are aligned.

4. “Believe in yourself; find opportunities to demonstrate belief in others. A leader who doesn’t believe in themselves can never be successful.

People are smart and they see through fake, inauthentic approaches to leadership. Confidence goes along with belief.

I’ve always been a confident person and one who approaches belief with a modicum of skepticism. One of my favorite phrases is, “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Sometimes I am and as a leader, I want my team to know they are more than able to question my thought process and their questioning often leads to strengthening the instincts or process I used to get where I am. Demonstrating that belief in others, either through work processes or tasking someone with a duty that normally you might take on yourself, allows for growth. The ability to transcend from a singular leader to a “leader of leaders” is my definition of high performance.

Mike Backus, president and CEO of Oswego Health 1. “The late great basketball coach, Jim Valvano famously said, ‘have your emotions brought to tears…if you laugh, you think and you cry every day…that’s a full day, that’s a heck of a day.’ I think having emotions and being accepting

of them is an important trait of a successful leader.

It shows passion and drive, commonality and connection — all traits that a leader should aspire to have.

2. “Positivity leads to productivity.

5. “To whom much is given, much is required. This is a fundamental axiom that summarizes my entire approach to leadership. I have been blessed to have had numerous opportunities presented to me professionally based on my education, background, experience and leadership ability. I believe that phrase statement — to whom much is given, much is required — is the responsibility for the opportunities.

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President Peter O. Nwosu, SUNY Oswego 1. “Lead with your values: Be humble. We’ve all come to our roles in our own pair of shoes. Remember your leadership journey and use that story to inspire your team and motivate others.

2. “Lead with collaboration: Always engage others. Remember the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

3. “Reframe problems to be solved as opportunities to improve: Do your

homework. Gather all the data and anecdotal evidence you need before making big decisions.

4. “Be seen: Make the time and show up at events as best as possible.

Drop in on meetings and gatherings, get lunch in the cafeteria. Make unexpected visits to your facilities and workplaces and meet people.

5. “Take care of your physical and mental health: exercise, stay hydrated, get enough rest.”

Joseph Murabito, president and managing member Elemental Management Group 1. “Consistency of routine and lifestyle…keep it real and grounded.

2. “Physical exercise routinely… strenuous stuff.

3. “Family life and participation…

staying present.

4. “Continual self-reflection to allow for objectivity and the ability to pivot 5. “Diversified interests and pursuits in life….you don’t live to work.”

Tricia Peter-Clark, president and CEO, ConnextCare “I have way more than five. So I will consolidate the list!

1. “Prioritize your health and well-being. I start each day at 5:15 a.m. with either a run on my treadmill or bike ride on my Peloton. It clears my head and gives me energy to power through the day!

2. “Be decisive.

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3. “Give recognition and praise to those who demonstrate hard work or go above and beyond within their roles.

4. “Always have a plan. But remain nimble in your ability to adapt to changes.

5. “Build a positive and encouraging work environment that you are proud to be a part of.

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Honey Prices Have Been Rising

That doesn’t prevent 91-year-old Oswego beekeeper Jim Howard from working with bees. “It’s a business. But it’s a fun business,” he says

By Jolene Cleaver

W

hat is the local cost of keeping food naturally sweetened with honey in a global food market?

Longtime Central New York apiaries, who say the pursuit of beekeeping is so much more than a hobby, have their finger on the comb when it comes to making hives profitable — which can be a challenge amid rising costs.

Looking broadly, the average price of honey in 2023 was about $2.52 per pound in the United States, according to reports published by statista.com, a market research tool.

Following a trend line analysis of price per pound, data shows a steady increase, in line with rising prices of all other consumer goods, from $1.60 per pound in 2010.

While that price hike trickles to the store shelf, apiaries continue to share messages of importance and education surrounding hive health and pollination best practices.

“We feel we are doing something 96

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for humanity,” 91-year-old Oswego beekeeper Jim Howard said. “Everybody needs to taste honey. Without bees there can be food shortages.”

Underscoring Howard’s remarks, the United States Department of Agriculture has long noted honeybees and other native pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food that we eat. It’s estimated pollination helps increase the United State’s crop value by $15 billion each year.

Further, New York’s Cornell Cooperative Extension notes that nearly 75% of all crops around the world are at least partially dependent on pollinators.

For local beekeepers like Howard, who has maintained hives for more than 50 years, his “Hives of Howard” enterprise produces healthy, raw honey products that supports the mission of maintaining local pollination practices that in turn support food growth systems.

Howard currently has four apiaries located west of the Oswego River.

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Honey produced in his hives is a blend of floral, orchard and farmland sources.

Decades ago he was introduced to the art by a family member who was then living in California.

After seeing the process of bees working as a team to create the natural sweetener, he was hooked, he said. “I became an instant honey-taker, not just a beekeeper.”

He started out with one hive. His hobby grew into a small business over the years. With the mission of community education, Howard provides mentorship to students at SUNY Oswego.

Every fall, associate professor Karen Sime counts on Howard and his hives as an enrichment experience for students taking her entomology class.

Over the decades, Howard has sold his glass-jarred honey gathered from all wooden hive boxes (“I tend to not grab onto anything that isn’t natural.”) at farmers’ markets. This year, Howard said he’s slowing down just a bit and is selling his honey to dedicated customers

LEFT: Bill Kaufman holds up a board with a honeycomb hanging off the bottom. “This was in the bedroom of a home where they watched a swarm of bees move in.

I didn’t get there for about four days after they moved in. ... This was early spring this year and they have produced some of the honey that I have bottled already this year,” Kaufman explained. (Photo courtesy Bill Kaufman) MIDDLE: Jim Howard (in yellow shirt) speaks to a SUNY Oswego student about hive management and the social structure of honeybees. (Photo courtesy Karen Sime) RIGHT: Jim Howard (Seen in white shirt) speaks to a SUNY Oswego student about how hives are structured.

(Photo courtesy Karen Sime)

right from his back door.

But, Howard and other beekeepers point out the work of keeping hives isn’t always warm and sweet.

In late fall and winter, farmers’ markets are sometimes tricky to get to for beekeepers who are busy getting their hives ready to last through the winter, Howard explained. The cold winter winds of Lake Ontario cause many beekeepers to find ways to make their boxes cozy and warm enough for the winter, he added.

But, fall and spring are busy times for hive maintenance, he said.

While hives are getting winterized in the late fall, March is a time when they start opening back up, he said.

That work doesn’t get done without proper gear. Equipment costs have gone up in recent years, he added.

Then, there is the mental work that needs to be done. The romanticism of bees comes with a bit of self-reflection, Howard said.

In order to get into beekeeping, “you have to understand how bees operate. You also have to understand yourself. What frightens you? How your body movements impact the space around you. Bees are very intuitive and can pick up on emotion,” he explained.

Some area beekeepers speculate that on average, 80% of beekeepers will quit after two years.

Once you understand how bees operate, you can watch them and find ways to minimize losses to the hive every year, Howard said, pointing out the amount of work that goes into keeping bees.

Equipment costs and shortages Elsewhere around the region, turning the conversation to hive upkeep, beekeepers like Bill Kaufman in Bridgeport report costs and equipment of keeping bees has been on the rise recently, which is driving up the cost of local honey at markets.

According to the Bee Informed Partnership Inc., a nation-wide organization that surveys beekeepers, there is nearly a 40% winter loss rate for bee colonies in New York state. Honeybee populations have largely been maintained because beekeepers have remained vigilant in replacing their dead colonies every year.

However, these replacement percentages are not sustainable. They point to a much larger problem. Not only are we seeing losses in honeybees, but there is also good evidence to suggest we’re witnessing population declines in both wild bees and other native pollinators as well, according to information from Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Talking about the struggles of local

apiaries, Kaufman, who both keeps bees and rescues and relocates honey bee swarms, said large scale agriculture engages in practices like monocropping that are leading to bees not frequenting areas that would be beneficial.

Monocropping is the practice of planting thousands of acres of a single crop that may not be pollinator-friendly.

This leads to honeybees abandoning an area in search of plots where they can forage due to lack of biodiversity.

“That’s why there’s a shortage of honey bees,” Kaufman said, adding that commercial pesticides being used are a death sentence.

If pesticides are applied near hives at certain times of the year when honeybees are most active, “It definitely poisons the bee colony. It sets them back several days,” he said. “Typically pesticides aren’t sprayed if there is a blooming cycle. But not everyone adheres to only spraying during certain times of the growing season.”

“It’s a business. But it’s a fun business,” Howard said. “But the cost of beekeeping now has made it a little out of reach for some.”

At the end of the day, Kaufman and Howard agree for those interested, there are community resources and collective knowledge to learn from.

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Erik Cole, 2006 Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes.

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SUCCESS STORY

OSWEGO MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION Group celebrates 60 years on ice. No signs the organization and its members are slowing down

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

O

n Oct. 25, 1964, an or“Originally, it was ganization that would just two groups. One ultimately help define was what they called winters in Oswego for genPee Wees (8-12 years erations of boys and girls to old) and Bantams (13-16 come was born at the home years old),” Dan Dixon, of Oswego State Univer71, remembered as one sity’s first hockey coach, of the first players in the George Crowe.

OMHA. “It didn’t resemOswego businessmen, ble anything like what teachers, laborers and civic USA Hockey, AHAUS leaders including Minnow back then, had as rules but Dixon, Jim McGrath, Dick that was the start.”

Benjamin, Bob Edwards Two years later in and Jim Howard sat around 1966-67 as the game Crowe’s kitchen table and gained popularity with gave birth to the Oswego the city’s kids, the proMinor Hockey Associgram’s participation more ation. than doubled as 230 boys Dixon would become signed up to play ranging president; Benjamin, vice in age from 5 years old to president; and Edwards, 18. Teams were formed secretary. for house league play, Several weeks later as well as selected outHarry Nash was added as side competition against treasurer and Pete Davis, teams from Syracuse, Crowe, Howard, McGrath Auburn, Rome and and Charlie Usherwood Ithaca with Oswego joined the four officers as the showing promise by first board of directors. winning 50% of its the ng two of o That group also would games. m a re e n on (r) w ociatio s ix s D A n y a come to be recognized as the Local businesse k D c or Ho is (l) and swego Min esy: Dan Dixon).

Mike Dav O Oswego Minor Hockey Associman Mike Cullinan, e th f o court bers first mem n in 1964. (Photo ation’s Founding Fathers. funeral director of a eg The first season in 1964-65 when it b E l k s Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home and one saw approximately 100 boys Club, Lions Club, of the first local skaters to eventually sign up to learn how to skate Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club, as well play for the Oswego State Lakers team, and play hockey. as businessmen and other individuals was 7 years old when he started playing Through the generosity of Oswego contributed the necessary funds. The in OMHA’s second year of existence.

State, spearheaded by Crowe and athlet- new organization held fundraisers “My earliest memory is that I ic director Tony Wells, they offered use of while parents, friends and volunteers didn’t play the first year,” Cullinan, its new ice rink in Romney Field House. offered their services as coaches, refer- 67, reminisced. “The night before the The city’s service clubs including the ees, timekeepers and chauffeurs. second season started, my uncle Joe DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Scanlon, who was a charter member, called and talked to my father. He was beating the bushes trying to get people to play and my father said, ‘Mike will play.’ That started us scurrying around.

I had to find a pair of skates. At the time, the only ones we had were my older sister Patty’s white figure skates.

So, that’s what I ended up putting on, going out and learning how to skate.

Lots of times, our parents didn’t know the difference between figure skates and hockey skates. The next week my father went out and got some black dye and we dyed those skates black. I was put in the Tigers Group, kids that couldn’t skate, and Norm Pease taught me how to skate.”

The following year was highlighted by the opening of the city’s first rink, the James P. Cullinan Jr. Ice Rink at Kingsford Park. Mike’s father, Jim Cullinan, who served the city in Mayor Shapiro’s administration as the clerk and purchasing agent, traveled back and forth to Albany extensively in order to help secure a grant to build the first rink that continues to bear his name. That year also saw the first year of hockey at Oswego High School with Jim McAllister becoming the team’s 100

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pioneering coach.

As the association continued to grow in the mid-to-late 1960s, so did the volunteers who also helped build it and serve on the board of directors including: Fred Dixon, Joe Scanlon, Norrie Jones, Jerry LaFond, Jim Cullinan, Ken Sicke, Jerry Brown, John Dufore, John Rice, Bob Crego, Oswego State’s second hockey coach Herb Hammond, Mike McCrobie, Dee Heckethorn, Dan Howard and McAllister.

An annual end of the season tournament, “Hockey Jamboree,” also was established where outside competition from Auburn, Utica, Rome, Cazenovia, Alexandria Bay and other towns would play within the three divisions of Pony, Pee Wee and Bantam.

Though early teams would take their lumps especially against the teams from Syracuse, Ithaca and Rome, the program was steadily growing. In 196970, registration fees were established at $2 per boy (a family maximum of $4 for more than one player) and insurance charges were $1, $2 or $3 depending upon the boys’ ages. The OMHA also sponsored its first very successful State Bantam Tournament on March 13-15, 1970, at Romney Field House in which DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

Amherst won the title beating Troy.

The 1970s ushered in an era of growth in participation and winning as the next wave of Oswego’s youngsters learned to play and new members of the board of directors including White Warner, Neil Lloyd, Dan Mulcahey, Clark Morrison, Paul and Pat Furman, John McPherson, Floyd Kunzwiler, George Greene, Dick Pratt, Jack Fitzgibbons, Bill Greene and others continued to help build the program.

In 1972-73, the OMHA saw a record number of more than 350 boys register to play. But the organization also suffered a tragic loss with the sudden death of Scanlon on Sept. 10, 1972, of a heart attack. He had helped grow OMHA from its beginnings serving as treasurer and coach for seven of the eight years of its existence.

OMHA’s growth that year also was spurred on by Oswego State coach Hammond and Oswego High School coach McAllister starting a hockey school (“The Clinic”) for the entire membership of the OMHA on the first day of skating at Romney Field House.

Hammond, McAllister, along with the players from Oswego State including then Lakers and Oswego natives Mike

LEFT: OMHA reintroduced a girls hockey program in 2011 following the Oswego High School girls team’s first and only – to date – high school hockey state championship in 2010. (Photo courtesy: Dan Bartlett).

MIDDLE: - T.T. Cianfarano was a standout girls player that led OHS to the New York State title and later played Division I hockey at Quinnipiac College. (Photo courtesy: Dan Bartlett).

RIGHT: Local attorney Kevin Caraccioli is seen with Pete Sears following the annual Elks Club/Oswego Minor Hockey Association Banquet. Sears was the keynote speaker after returning from the 1972 Olympic Winter Games in Sapparo, Japan, with a silver medal. (Photo courtesy: Kevin Caraccioli).

Cullinan, Jim Howard Jr. and Chip Wallace, taught hockey fundamentals in three weekly two-hour sessions for three weeks for $15.

At the end of the year banquet sponsored by the Elks Club, two awards were given in memory of two of OMHA’s pioneers. The first was the Joseph J. Scanlon Memorial Award for exceptionally outstanding service to the OMHA awarded to the members of the Scanlon family. The other was the William Lupien III Memorial Award in memory of William Lupien who lost his life in a bicycle accident in the summer of 1972. With Heckethorn serving as the catalyst, the success of the ’72-‘73 season also persuaded the city of Oswego to build its second city rink on the east side at Fort Ontario.

The mid-1970s became a milestone era for greater success on the ice for OMHA teams. In March 1975, the Oswego Squirts Road Team became the first team in the Oswego Minor Hockey Association to earn a berth in the New York State Tournament.

The Squirts’ qualification proved to other communities in Central New York that Oswego hockey was no longer a burgeoning program but one that

would see their teams win sectional championships and qualify for state tournaments regularly from the mid1970s throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Despite near misses of state championships from those earlier teams in the 1970s, the OMHA’s first state championship was won in 1982-83 when the Oswego Squirt Tier II team, coached by current Oswego State Lakers head coach Ed Gosek, defeated Albany. That win became the first of several others state titles to follow in the 1980s including the Pee Wee and Bantam teams both winning in the 1988-89 season over Nassau County teams. Oswego’s U16 boys’ team won OMHA’s latest state title in the 2023-24 season.

Along with the success of teams in the Oswego Minor Hockey Association through the years, OMHA was the beginning for players like Mike Johnson, Lou Usherwood, Jason Mantaro, Alex Kurilovitch, Erik Cole and T.T. Cianfarano who all went on to play hockey in college for Division I programs at Cornell, West Point, Air Force, St. Lawrence, Clarkson and Quinnipiac, respectively, while many others played for Division III programs with great success.

Cole became an All-American at

Clarkson University and was drafted 71st overall in the 1998 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes where he won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings, as well as Team USA in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. During his career he was considered a prototype power forward; big, great skater with a scoring touch, who wasn’t afraid to mix it up in front of the net or in the corners. He finished his 13-year NHL career playing 892 games, scoring 265 goals and 267 assists for 532 points. He is the first and only player, thus far, from the Oswego Minor Hockey Association to make it to the NHL. That is not to say there haven’t been others connected to the OMHA who found success in the NHL. Hammond became a successful scout for the New York Rangers organization and would later have his name etched on the Stanley Cup when they won it in 1994.

And the grandson of one of OMHA’s “Founding Fathers” and son of a dad who played in the beginning years of the OMHA, Jimmy Howard III, was the 64th overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He played goal for 14

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The Oswego Minor Hockey Association’s 16U team is pictured after winning the 2024 New York State Amateur Hockey Association’s Tier III championship in Buffalo. (Photo courtesy: Oswego County News).

seasons for the Wings and was a member of the organization when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007-08. Howard played 543 games registering 246 wins. He became only the third goalie in Detroit history (along with Terry Sawchuk and Chris Osgood), 71st in history and just the eighth United States-born goalie, to reach the milestone of 500-or-more NHL games played.

In the late 1970s, the OMHA started a girls’ hockey program that lasted several years before falling off.

A successful girls OMHA program was relaunched in 2011 and came on the heels of Oswego High School’s only state championship for hockey when the girls won it all in 2010. The girls’ team was led by standout T.T. Cianfarano, who would later participate in the U.S. U18 National Team before playing Division I college hockey at Quinnipiac College. During her career at Quinnipiac, she was selected to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team, named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team, named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Month in January and named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week five times in her first season. She followed in her sophomore season with ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, ECAC Hockey Forward of the Year, All-ECAC Hockey First Team and New England Division I All Star recognition in 2015-16.

“The growth of the Oswego Minor Hockey Association for boys and girls through 60 years is an outstanding ac102

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complishment for our community and is a great legacy for those who were there at the beginning and continue to be here today,” current OMHA President Tom Roman said.

And despite reaching middle age, there are no signs the Oswego Minor Hockey Association and its members are slowing down.

“Hockey is a big part of the community and it certainly got a big shot in the arm when Erik Cole did what he did,” Mike Cullinan added. “It probably won’t go away anytime soon.”

When pressed to put into words what hockey means to the city of Oswego, its youth, current and founding members, as well as players of the Oswego Minor Hockey Association, Dan Dixon spoke of its legacy to all who have been a part of it.

“That’s really hard to put into words. It’s a lifetime gift that my dad, Charlie Usherwood, Joe Scanlon and the rest gave us,” he said. “They probably didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s what it was.”

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.” They also started playing hockey in the OMHA in 1971-72.

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Early Contributors, Supporters Throughout the 60 years of the Oswego Minor Hockey Association thousands of local residents have contributed to its growth and success. It is impossible to include every name. The following is a list of names of some of the earliest contributors and supports of the organization.

Will Allen, Brad Ames, Dick Auyer, Mark Becker, Fred Byrne, Rick Cabello, Dave Campbell, Bob Clark, Norm Clark, Dominic Clavelli, Tom Cole, Jim Collins, Mayor John Conway, Paul Chwalek, Chuck Fierro, John Fisher, Joe Gosek, Dennis Gould, Jim Gray, Mel Hanson, Ted Hinckley, Bob Hogan, Dan Howard, Dick Johnson, George Johnson, Bob Knock, Fred Le Pine, Leo Maniccia, John McCullough, Garth McGill, Ernie Mears, Bob Murchie, Lorraine Nash, Lou O’Donnell, Marty O’Toole, Warren Patterson, Ed Pechoda, John Raby, Gordon Reeves, John Rice, John Rogers, Leo Rogers, Steve Rose, Ed Schrader, Earl Sharkey, Charles Shoemaker, Ron Sova, Frank Strang, Ed Wallace, Joe Walker, Rich Zollitsch.

Source: Oswego Minor Hockey Association Bob Crego 1973, revised

by David Kahn 2013.

Real Estate: Inventory Still Low

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

he lack of affordable housing is a trend that continues in Central New York.

Faye Beckwith, co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal, said that with rental rates running high, people want to buy. However, residential real estate is scarce as the inventory is still low and building projects take time to launch and complete.

“I handled a small subdivision in our community, and it took a few years,” Beckwith said. “Every lot has been sold.

The second to the last lot to be built on it sold for over $400,000. That’s a lot.”

She’s seeing new construction pick up in areas such as Baldwinsville and Liverpool. Some developers in those areas have started construction on larger-scale projects.

“We’re seeing building and home improvement projects going on,” Beckwith added. “New construction, I think, will pick up in 2025. There are signs as there are more projects going on.”

As to whether the “Micron effect” will mean more new homes in the area, she feels unsure.

The residential real estate market has been turbulent enough in recent years that projections can be challenging

to make with any degree of accuracy.

“It’s very, very hard to know,” Beckwith said. “There’s a lot of talk that Micron is going to boost the residential market with construction of many new homes, but I have my doubts. I heard about a developer who’s buying one acre of land for $1 million, which is absurd. It’s all over the board. It’s not like it used to be, such as with a three-bedroom, two-bath home you’d know how long it would take to build and what it would sell for. Now, no one can tell anymore. But we can give advice to clients and give them information.”

The high cost of housing may be why so few homes are on the market as those who own them feel loathe to sell because they’ll have to buy another home to live in. Sometimes, homes stay on the market longer than they should because of sellers’ hopes of a big sale.

“We may get a multiple offer situation, but some places are on the market a little longer,” Beckwith said. “Also, we’re seeing through the multiple listings price adjustments where sellers are overly optimistic and have to make a price change to get the reaction they want from the buying public.”

A low inventory market is where

new housing can help loosen up the market.

“There is such a lack of inventory in today’s market that new housing available would be very positive for the demand for housing and assist in stabilizing housing values,” said William Galloway, broker and owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego.

Newcomers to the area could find affordable homes and those who want to downsize or move for other reasons could feel freer to do so.

Although it seems a no-brainer to develop residential areas in CNY, builders face some daunting obstacles to new construction.

“There are a few projects in the works for new housing,” Galloway said.

“The focus is on the city of Oswego or some state funding to help assist new developments with infrastructure so new housing developments can form. There is a large demand for new construction, but we are lacking the building lots at present time.

“The Old City Hall project will be opening up some new housing as well as a few other projects that are in early planning stages.”

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Hosted by David Brancaccio, “Marketplace Morning Report” keeps you informed with the latest news on the markets, money, jobs and innovation.

Marketplace programs raise the economic intelligence of the country through unorthodox stories, casual conversations and unexpected angles on the news.

Hear updates during “Morning Edition” each weekday at 6:51 and 8:51 a.m. Listen with the WRVO app, available for iPhone and Android devices.

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NPR NEWS FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK WRVO 89.9 Oswego/Syracuse | WRVD 90.3 Syracuse | WRVN 91.9 Utica WRVJ 91.7 Watertown | WRVH 89.3 Clayton | WMVQ 90.5 Fenner WSUC 90.5 Cortland | WRCU 90.1 Hamilton 88.9 in Ithaca | 92.3 in Rome | 90.7 in Geneva | 89.9 in Norwich

wrvo.org 104

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY ACCOUNTING/TAX SERVICES

GLASS REPAIR

POOL COVER REPAIR

A-Plus Tax Services. Offering 3 options: drop-off, pick-up & delivery (within 25 miles radius) or by appointment. 315-754-8491 or email us at sem81965@gmail. com. 6419 Coolican Road, Red Creek, NY 13142. Visitus online: a-plustaxservices.com.

Fulton Glass. Storefronts and Glass repair. Over 50 years serving Oswego County. FultonGlass.net 315593-7913.

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. 215 Cayuga St., Fulton, NY 315-5938914.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS

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.

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.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE

LEGAL SERVICES

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. 20 Ohio St., Oswego.

Reed Law PLLC — 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 Ave., Oswego. 315-274-2040

AUTO SALES & SERVICE

CANNABIS OPPORTUNITY Best Copy Now Agency. NY CannaBiz — $30K/ month boost! Ready to add $30K/month boost to your NY CannaBiz Dispensary? Discover how — in less time that it took to open your doors! 10-minute chat at bestcopynow.com for our proven SEO strategy.

CUSTOM METAL FABRICATORS Frigo Design — Specializing in custom parts, stainless steel countertops, showers, shower bases, backsplashes, shelving, powder coating & more. Residential & commercial. Highly skilled. 5860 McKinley Rd., Brewerton. 315-698-7650 or info@frigodesign.com.

DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial and residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 50 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315652-3773 or visit www.johnfisherconstruction.com.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services.

3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681.

EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & topsoil.

Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.

LUMBER Whites Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski :3707 State Route 13 (315-298-6575); Watertown: 231 N. Rutland St. (315-788-6200); Clayon: 945 James St. (315-686-1892); Gouverneur: 71 Depot St.., (315-287-1892).

MENTAL HEALTH Fulton Family Psychiatry. Offering 100% Online Psychiatric Private Practice. We see both children & adults.

We use medications in addition to vitamins & supplements for the treatment of mental illnesses in a holistic approach. Call (315)-887-1059 or visit us at FultonFamilyPsychiatry.org.

SAUSAGES Garafolo’s Importing — ‘Famous for Our Sausages’ — Catering, custom cuts meats, cold beverages, fresh Italian bread. Come and check out our specialties. 155 E. Bridge St. Oswego. 315-343-0580 – http://www.garafolos.com.

SCRAP Flood Drive Properties. WANTED: All Household Appliances. Washers, Dryers, Stoves, Cars and Trucks.

Top dollar paid. 315-592-4251 180 Flood Drive Fulton NY 13069.

TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

TRAILER SALES & SERVICE Brooks Trailers, Trailers, Parts & Service. Lawn care equipment, parts & service. UTVs & much more. Two locations: 7911 Rt 104, Oswego, and 240 Rt 104, Ontario. Financing available. Call 315-207-2047 for Oswego store & 585-265-1366 for Ontario store. www. brooksfactorydirecttrailers.com.

OUTDOOR RECREATION Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports. New Bikes, TREK, FUJI, SALSA, SURLY & KINK. We repair all brands of Bikes. Keen Footwear and Darn tough socks available.

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.

HEADING: LISTING:

$169

for 1 year!

Want to be listed in our Best Business Directory? Fill out this form and send it, with payment, to: Oswego County Business Magazine, P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

105

Q&A

By Stefan Yablonski

Jim Teske: Forecasting the Weather in CNY for 30 Years Chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 9 to celebrate milestone in January Q: You’ve been doing this at NewsChannel 9 for a long time.

A: It’ll be 30 years in January. I don’t know if I’m getting a gold watch or anything like that. Yeah it’s kind of a milestone coming up. Before that I was in Portland, Maine and Burlington.

Q: You’re a native of Syracuse, correct?

A: Born and raised in Syracuse. I grew up probably about 10 minutes from the station here. I went to East Syracuse-Minoa Central High School.

Q: What got you started?

A: We sat at dinner with the news in background. That was our routine every evening. My mom and dad and two brothers; we’d sit and have dinner and in the background we’d have the 106

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

6 o’clock news on. I was always interested in the weather. That was one of the sparks. Another turning point was when I was in sixth grade. I had to do a research project for English class. I could pick anything I wanted. I chose weather. You had to write a paper and had to meet someone within the field that you were studying. I picked Bud Hedinger, a popular weatherman on Channel 3 at the time. I got to watch him do the weather at the TV station on James Street. That got me in the door to see what things were like behind the camera. A few years later, Bud shifted over to Channel 9 when I was in high school. I noticed Channel 9 didn’t have anyone doing the weather on weekends.

I called the station and spoke to Hedinger. I don’t know if he remembered me — it had been three, four, five years.

He asked me how old I was and I told him I was 16. He said I was too young

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

to be on the air. But he offered me an internship. I jumped at it.

Q: Where’d you go to college?

A: I studied at Oswego for a couple of years then transferred to Penn State where I graduated.

Q: How did you wind up back in Syracuse?

A: My contract came up at Portland and at the same time they were looking for a weekend meteorologist here at 9.

So I called and I think I had some people that remembered me that were in my corner — and the rest is history.

Q: Ever consider slowing down and possibly retiring?

A: Not at this point. I’m not quite at that age yet. I’m not thinking that far ahead.

I’ve got a few more years left in me.

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