OSWEGO COUNTY
BUSINESS April / May 2016
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‘I Am That Lady’ Oswego resident has been featured on Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, Nightline, Dr. Oz, the Today Show and Rachel Ray. Find out why
April / May 2016
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INSIDE: POVERTY IN CNY Plus: Conversation with Jim Walsh about Consensus CNY
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Issue 143
APRIL / MAY 2016
PROFILE ERIC BRESEE With a new job — director of Farnham Family Services — a young family and tons of things to learn about addiction, this 37-year-old Scriba resident follows a tough exercise regimen and does yoga and meditation to stay in mental and physical shape.............12
SPECIAL FEATURES
COVER STORY I Am That Lady: Oswego resident Lauren Greutman reinvents herself and gets wide recognition Page 46
Real Estate • 1st Carriage House Realty: 50 years as an independent and thriving business • Commercial properties: Why selling them is harder • Local real estate: Who sells the most properties? • Route 31 growth spurt • Oswego County’s most expensive home in 2015
Healthcare
• Need a doctor? Head to Price Chopper in Fulton • Dynamic duo: Behind The Gardens by Morningstar • Farnham: Helping those with opiates addiction • Hospitalist program at Oswego Hospital flourishes • Hospital-acquired conditions: Oswego gets high marks 4
How I Got Started Anne Backer, owner of Taste the World in Oswego, shares her experience in starting a business ......................... 10 Where in the World is Sandra Scott? Hong Kong deserves its nicknames, “The Pearl of the Orient,” “City of Lights” ................ 16 Q&A with Jim Walsh Former congressman talks about proposal to merge Syracuse and Onondaga ......................................... 36 Project Phoenix Nonprofit helps battered women interested in entrepreneurship to start a business ..................................................... 38 War On Poverty Glaring statistics paint a bleak portrait of Central New York. See how officials plan to tackle the problem....... 40
SUCCESS STORY ‘Herb’ Philipson’s has come a long way from its first store in Rome in 1951. The business, now run by the second generation of Philipsons, recently opened in Oswego, its ninth location
DEPARTMENTS Newsmakers. .......................................... 18 Where in the World... Guam, a piece of America in the Pacific. 16 Business Updates....................................... 26 Dining Out... Canale’s Restaurant, Oswego.................. 24 Economic Trends Voice your support of nuclear power plants .52 My Turn Are the media really liberal? Or conservative?....... 68 Last Page Legislator Castiglia Jr. wants to dissolve Fulton .... 90 Guest writers: Randy Zeigler on social security; Thomas Griffith on community donation; Elizabeth Bozeman, MD, on urinary incontinence OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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disciplinedcapital.com APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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1000 Isles Clayton Chamber of Commerce ....................... 31 1st Carriage House................ 64 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home................... 33 ALPS Professional Services............ 22 Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell & Wallen.............................. 35 American Medial Professionals (AMP)............. 92 Ameriprise Financial............. 38 Arise...................................... 77 Berkshire Hathaway ............. 38 Blue Moon Grill.................... 26 Brewerton Pharmacy............. 73 Brookfield Renewable Power.................. 11 Burdick Ford......................... 37 Burke’s Home Center............ 23 C & S Companies................. 51 Canale’s Italian Cuisine........ 27 Cancer Services Program...... 73 Captain John’s Restaurant..... 27 Caster Well Drilling.............. 21 Century 21 Galloway Realty................ 5, 23 Century 21 Leah Signature... 64 Chase Enterprises.................. 14 Community Bank.................. 33 Community Foundation of CNY................. 9
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Advertisers Compass Credit Union............ 7 Computer Accounting..... 23, 57 Crouse Hospital....................... 2 Disciplined Management Capital..................................... 5 Dr. Tesoriero Chiropractic..... 77 Dusting Divas........................ 37 Edible Arrangements............. 19 Eis House.............................. 27 Farnham Family Services..... 77 Fastrac................................... 39 Fitzgibbons Insurance........... 11 Foster Funeral Home............. 67 Freedom Real Estate............. 65 Fulton Community Development Agency............ 22 Fulton Savings Bank............... 7 Gannon Pest Control ............ 21 Glider Oil.............................. 39 Hardwood Transformations.................... 23 Haun Welding Supply, Inc.... 22 Hillside Commons................ 65 Holiday Inn Express.............. 91 Interface Solutions ................. 6 Iroquois Auction................... 19 J P Jewelers........................... 31 Johnston Gas......................... 23
Land & Trust Realty............. 19 Lawn King............................ 19 MetLife Ins. Co..................... 15 Mimi’s Drive Inn................... 27 Morningstar Residential Care Center........................... 75 Mr. Sub.................................. 27 Nelson Law Firm.................... 8 North Bay Campground........ 31 Ontario Health & Fitness...... 77 Operation Oswego County...... 2 Oswego Community Development Office................ 6 Oswego County Federal Credit Union....................... 8 Oswego County Hospice....... 77 Oswego County Mutual Insurance.................. 15 Oswego County Opportunities OCO............... 69 Oswego Health ..................... 15 Oswego YMCA..................... 69 Over the Top Roofing............ 20 Par-K Enterprises, Inc............. 7 Parker’s Excavating.............. 23 Parker’s Service Inc. (NAPA)................................. 20 Pathfinder Bank..................... 51
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Peter Realty –Simeon DeWitt.............................. 77 Phoenix Press........................ 57 Priceless Realty..................... 19 Pro-Build............................... 22 Public Health Nursing........... 73 Rainbow Shores Restaurant............................. 27 Realty USA........................... 21 Riccelli Northern................... 67 RiverHouse Restaurant......... 26 Rudy’s................................... 27 Salmon River Realty............. 21 Scriba Electric....................... 21 Servpro of Oswego County... 22 Storage 48............................. 21 Sun Harvest Realty............... 64 SUNY Oswego, Office of Business and Community Development.................... 14 Tailwater Lodge.................... 91 Tavern on the Lock............... 27 The Gardens at Morningstar....................... 75 Uniforms Etc......................... 21 Valley Locksmith.................. 23 Volney Multiplex.................. 20 White’s Lumber & Building Supply................ 23 WRVO................................... 30 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park...................... 31
APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNT Y’S #1
Your
JEEP CONNECTION STANDARD
For answers to all your questions call or email n Tom Greco (315) 592-3158 tgreco@fultonsavings.com or n Patrick Hamer (315) 592-8327 phamer@fultonsavings.com
APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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NELSON LAW FIRM
Attorneys at Law Allison J. Nelson, Esq. Rachael A. Flach, Esq.
NY Certified Woman-owned Business Enterprise
• Real Estate • Wills • Estates • Estate Planning • Municipal Law • Traffic Matters 89 E. First Street, Oswego, NY 13126 Tel: 315-312-0318 • Fax: 315-312-0322 • Web: anelsonlaw.net
COVERING CENTRAL NEW YORK OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto
Associate Editor Lou Sorendo
Columnists
L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli Sandra Scott, Jacob Pucci
Writers & Contributing Writers
Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Matthew Liptak, Aaron Gifford, Suzanne Ellis, Nicole Shue
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Charles Wainwright
Oswego County Business is published by Local News, Inc., which also publishes CNY Summer Guide, Business Guide, CNY Winter Guide, College Life, In Good Health– The Healthcare Newspaper (four editions), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55PLUS, a Magazine for Active Adults (two editions) Published bi-monthly (6 issues a year) at 185 E. Seneca Street PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2016 by Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 244
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
SUNY Professor Co-authors Book on Mass Shootings and the Media
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hrough years of research and consolidating lessons learned from rampages in schools, movie theaters and malls, Jaclyn Schildkraut of SUNY Oswego’s public justice faculty has co-authored a book that probes myths and hysteria provoked by mass shootings. “Mass Shootings: Media, Myths, and Realities,” by Schildkraut and research partner H. Jaymi Elsass of Texas State University, is a newly published entry in Praeger’s Crime, Media and Popular Culture Series. It sets out to put into context the statements often heard and read in the media about the prevalence and frequency of these deadly attacks in the United States. “By writing this book, professors Schildkraut and Elsass have provided a great service to educators, researchers, journalists, other concerned professionals and interested laypersons who are trying to understand mass shootings,” wrote reviewer Ralph W. Larkin of John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. “They provide historical and international contexts to debunk popular notions and have created a clearer picture of the nature and etiology of rampage shootings.” The book evolved from Schildkraut’s doctoral dissertation, “Mass Murder and the Mass Media: An Examination of the Media Discourse on U.S. Rampage Shootings, 2000-2012,” at Texas State. Subsequent peer-reviewed articles and the book — her and Elsass’ firstof-its-kind effort to define, rigorously research and give national and international context to the horrific events that create what they call “media spectacles” — attracted national attention from sources such as the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, The Economist, FactCheck.org and even Popular Science. APRIL / MAY 2016
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How I Got
Started Anne Backer
Anne Backer is the founder and owner of Taste the World in Oswego. The store features unique specialty foods and a full-service coffee bar
Q.: How did you develop the concept of Taste the World and running a specialty food store and coffee shop in Oswego? A.: In June of 2010, Amy Lear, present owner of Man in the Moon Candies in Oswego, and I traveled to the Fancy Food Store in New York City. As we were looking for items pertaining to the candy world, Amy said how Oswego would be an ideal location for a specialty food store. With my background in cooking and catering, the light instantly went on. Q.: What did you do prior to establishing Taste the World? A.: I’ve had a very diverse employment career and have done a lot of things. I used to be a floral designer. I was also involved in the world of finance and banking as a member service representative for a credit union. I also worked for Oswego County Office for the Aging and at the Oswego County 911 Center. That’s actually how I came to work for Amy at Man in the Moon Candies. My husband and I also used to do woodworking, and we ran a business called A&M Woodcraft. We created specialty custom molding for people’s houses. In addition to that, I had my own business called Dream Designs. My daughter Rene was a competitive figure skater, and I got into the business of selling fabrics, designing and sewing costumes, and selling Austrian crystals to embellish the costumes. Q.: How much did it cost to launch the business and how did you raise the capital to do it? A.: I am probably very unique in how I run my business. My total initial investment was somewhere in the vicinity of $50,000. To raise that, I used some inheritance money that my husband received. I did not take out any business loans and instead just used my own personal funds. I was fortunate to find a coffee shop that had lost its lease and closed down. It was selling off equipment relatively inexpensively, so I was able to pick up a lot of items that I needed to start my business at a discount. I did have to purchase a freezer and a brand new coffee roaster. Those were my big-ticket items. I started small with a 4-pound coffee roaster, which has done a lot for me. For me, my second coffee roaster and coffee equipment were my largest expenses. My Diedrich 25-pound coffee roaster was the biggest one-time expense. I joke around and call it “half a car,” because it was about $14,000 back
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then in 2010. If I had taken that money and doubled it, I could have bought myself a brand new vehicle. That was singlehandedly the most expensive item and then behind that, my espresso machine and other coffee-brewing equipment. Q.: What were some of the foremost challenges in launching your business? A.: When I first started out, my vision of the store began as a specialty food store. I envisioned items from around the world, including different spices, seasonings and sauces. My story line was if you eat chicken every day, that’s fine, but you could make your chicken be influenced by the world in different ways by what spices and sauces you use. One of my challenges was to educate our community on these different things and finding the people who take the time to cook and experiment with cooking. Another great challenge for me is the location of my shop in Canal Commons in downtown Oswego. It’s in the interior of an old department store building, so I am not visible from the street. First, I have to find the people who are still cooking at home, find people who are creative, and then have them figure out how to find me and get to my location. That has been a big challenge.
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Q.: With such a tough location, how do you overcome that challenge? A.: I’ve done a lot of advertising and do a lot of social media. I am also very involved in many community events and try to go to anything and everything I can. I also donate my coffee to new businesses opening up at Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cuttings. Because my store started out as a specialty food store, adding coffee and coffee roasting was a secondary thought. I added that because I knew I needed to find an item that people needed frequently. You might buy a bottle of truffle oil and it might last you a year, but you might drink coffee every day. Coffee has become my front-runner and carries my business. People appreciate a fresh-roasted coffee and appreciate quality and they know it. They are not afraid to pay for it, although my coffee is very reasonably priced compared to other specialty coffees.
By Lou Sorendo APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Profile By Lou Sorendo
ERIC BRESEE Workout regimen that includes meditation sessions helps new director at Farnham Family Services stay in shape
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or new Farnham Family Services’ said. Executive Director Eric Bresee, He also credits proper nutrition the answers to many of life’s with enhancing his energy levels. “It complex questions come from within. helps in terms of how I am able to Bresee, 37, formerly director of deal with stress, respond, be in the crisis and development services for moment, be mindful and thoughtful, Oswego County Opportunities, is the and be responsive versus reactive,” he new leader at the nonprofit agency said. that specializes in the prevention and Complementing his emphasis on treatment of substance abuse. workouts is an “amazing, supportive He succeeds Jeanne Unger, who family. recently retired after being director for “That sort of love you get is totalthe past 22 years. Bresee said he ly reinforcing,” he said. hopes to be a good listener He resides in Scriba along and a calm resource in with his wife Amy and 8-yeartimes of crisis, traits that old son Brayden. The family Unger displayed, he also has a golden-doodle said. named “Booey.” “I just see a lot Bresee works out severof opportunities to al times a week depending make a difference, and on his workload. It mostly ultimately that’s what entails weight training with I want to do in my cardio mixed in, and he has career,” he said. two workout partners to When Bresee help motivate him. took the position as He belongs to Planet youth services direcFitness in Oswego. tor at OCO, he was “It helps to have Birth date: Jan. 4, 1979 so overwhelmed with a partner, especially Birthplace: Oswego information that he on those days when “couldn’t remember you say, ‘the heck Current residence: Scriba my middle name half Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and Master of Science with it, I’m hitting the time.” in counseling and psychological services, SUNY Oswego; licensed mental the couch.’ You get Confronting the that call or text saying health counselor; certified community action professional challenge, Bresee ‘let’s go,’” he said. Affiliations: Crown 30+ Skate League, Oswego YMCA volunteer; board started a regular In terms of president, NYS Coalition for Homeless Youth; board treasurer, Integrated meditation, Bresee workout regimen that proved to make all the Community Planning, Oswego; Oswego County Opportunities’ advisory said YouTube is an difference “in terms boards — residential and Crisis & Development Services; Alcoholism and excellent resource of my brain’s ability Substance Abuse Providers of New York State; the Central New York Alcohol for hundreds of free, to handle stress,” he guided meditation and Drug Association; board secretary, Leave a Legacy of Oswego County; routines. said. substance abuse reduction team, Oswego County Community Health and He maintains He has built a Poverty Reduction Task Force that workout regimen playlist and makes on a regular basis, selections dependPersonal: Wife Amy and son Brayden along with meditation Hobbies: Snowmobiling, snowboarding, inline skating, golfing, boating, ing on what he is sessions. “It makes a meditating for, be it riding bicycle huge difference,” he silence, peace, calm or
Lifelines
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stress reduction. “I’m dedicated about leaving the office around 4 or 5 and having family time from 5 to 8,” Bresee said. “My 8-year-old goes to bed at 8 o’clock, and that is usually when I take off and go to the gym for an hour. It helps keep things in balance.” In warmer months, he will awake at 5 a.m., meditate, and then hit the gym from 6 to 7 a.m. “It really becomes important to try to find a way to fit those things in and make them a priority without taking away from family and work,” he said. Bresee is not a vegetarian, but his diet is largely plant-based and features plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and beans. He does partake of delicacies such as chicken wings and steak, but as moderately as possible. His morning routine normally consists of a fruit and vegetable smoothie, and at lunch, he will enjoy a salad. Meanwhile, Farnham’s clinical director, Mary Jo Prioetta, is highly knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition, and has shared many recipes with Bresee to support his efforts at eating clean. “It’s nothing to swing by Paul’s Big M, pick up about $5 worth of fresh vegetables, take them home and whip them up however way Mary Jo suggested I do,” he said.
Zen moments
For Bresee, meditation “quiets the mind,” he said. He said in today’s day and age, people are being constantly bombarded by sensory information and feedback from smart phones, computer screens and regular interaction with others. Only a small percentage of that information is processed, he noted. It’s important to “take time to quiet the mind and to really listen to yourself internally. It helps keep me on course,” Bresee said. Meditation helped him make his career-changing decision to leave his job at OCO — one he held for more than 15 years — and become the leader at Farnham. “I used meditation to really look inside to try to find the answer on what my flight path was,” he said. “When practicing that level of mindfulness, it helps you become APRIL / MAY 2016
“I just see a lot of opportunities to make a difference, and ultimately that’s what I want to do in my career.” Eric Bresee more mindful in crisis or leadership situations” and enhances the ability to listen, said Bresee, noting that five or 10 minutes of meditation today is sufficient. “I know people that will leave their house 15 minute earlier, find a place to park in their car, and take five to 10 minutes of meditation before going to work,” he said.
Handling compassion fatigue
The Hannibal native has been working in the human services field for over 15 years and has seen his share of “compassion fatigue.” “That’s when you have been beaten down by giving and giving to people who are struggling, and then beginning to feel like you are not making a difference,” he said. Bresee has already experienced a staff retreat to acquaint him self with staff this year, while Farnham also features a professional development program. Recently, Farnham sent a couple of its therapists to a mindfulness-based therapy seminar in Syracuse. There, they were able to acquire continuing education units toward their professional credentials, get a day out of the office to rejuvenate, and learn techniques to try to help patients, Bresee noted. Bresee said it is key to keep staff fresh, particularly when therapists carry a caseload of around 35 people and do not realize a high level of success. Patients essentially have getting sober and remaining abstinent as a primary goal, with secondary goals being to find employment or secure relationships. Bresee said the success rate in the substance abuse field is around 40 percent. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“Those are not the kind of numbers that you are trained to enjoy,” said Bresee. “You want A’s and B’s.” However, due to the sheer nature of the disease of addiction, people are not going to recover on their first crack at rehabilitation, he noted. “It’s going to take multiple instances in most cases to attempt to recover and heal,” he said. Bresee said staff has to measure success differently. He said that could be tough, particularly when the clinician is giving everything he or she can to help the patient succeed. However, those needing help continue making poor decisions not aligned with their goals because of the grip of the disease. “That’s tough to see day in and day out,” he noted.
Changing the world
His parents — Larry and Julia Bresee — have been solid supporters of their son’s career. They relocated from Hannibal several years ago and now reside on Cross Lake in Cato. “I have been fortunate to have a ton of mentors who have taken me under their wing along the way,” he said. His first supervisor at OCO, Randy Siver, was instrumental in teaching Bresee about leadership. He is still a great friend today and the godfather to his son. Sarah Irland, the former youth services director at OCO, was also key in teaching Bresee about the importance of listening and leading human services programs. OCO Executive Director Diane Cooper-Currier also provided inspiration to Bresee for her forward-thinking vision, he noted. “That’s the only reason that I have been successful. I have had people taking an interest in me along the way,” he said. His high school guidance counselor — Kate Boyle Colucci — was always getting students involved in community activities, such as mentoring youth at the middle school or visiting the elderly at a senior home. One day Bresee asked her why they were doing these activities. “Because it’s important to give back,” she answered. “I’ll never forget that. That was one of the tipping points in my development,” he said. 13
Publisher’s note By Wagner Dotto
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he best way to reach residents and visitors this season? No doubt, our CNY Summer Guide is the publication to select for advertising. Businesses advertise once and get exposure (and results) all season long. In tough times, advertisers are very careful about how they invest their marketing and promotion dollars — and they should be. We believe the Summer Guide is the best way for them to promote their business this season. Ads are inexpensive and effective. The colorful magazine is widely available free of charge at more than 1,000 high traffic locations all season long. On top of that, the entire publication is available online and viewers can click (and they do) on advertisers’ links. Because it’s free and visually appealing, the guide reaches a substantial number of people who are not usually exposed to local newspapers or TV stations. In that sense the publication adds to the efforts made by county and regional tourism officials
opportunity. It gives them the chance to get their message in front of more than 200,000 readers who are visiting or who live here. These advertisers also get a free presence on the Web since a clickable edition of the guide is available online at cnysummer.com. Businesses should advertise in it. It’s the only such guide in the area. It’s available just before Memorial Day weekend and it’s gradually distributed until after Labor Day. As we say in the promotional material we send to advertisers: You place one ad and it works all season long.
in providing visitors with the best experience they can have while in the area. The Summer Guide, now in its 22nd year, is a great value for readers. It’s free, colorful, and has tons of information that can be used throughout the season. For advertisers, it’s a tremendous
WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
Greater Impact and Success SUNY Oswego helps solve problems. We provide advisement and training for business, workforce development opportunities, and technical assistance and training for nonprofit organizations. We build relationships in Central New York.
Office of Business and Community Relations 103 Rich Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 oswego.edu/obcr | 315.312.3492 14
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Oswego County Mutual Insurance Company
Shineman Foundation Awards Grant For ARISE and Hospice Efforts
2975 West Main Street Parish, NY 13131
Policyholder Owned Since 1878 Please call for our agent nearest you
1-800-640-9660
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he Richard S. Shineman Foundation has awarded a grant to ARISE in Oswego County to expand efforts with Oswego County Hospice, ensuring that people with terminal illness are able to remain at home. “People with serious illnesses often have decreased mobility,” says Sabine Ingerson, director of ARISE in Oswego. “Without a ramp, people receiving hospice care would be forced to go into a nursing home or other facility. Support from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation is making it possible for us to purchase additional aluminum ramps that we can install quickly when hospice makes a request. We want our neighbors to be able to spend their time at home with family and friends.” “Our foundation is so pleased to continue its support of ARISE, especially with the additional partnership of Oswego County Hospice,” says Karen Goetz, executive director of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. “Provision of these aluminum ramps to people under Hospice care enables them to live out the remainder of their lives with dignity, in their own homes with support of family and friends.” “Through this partnership with ARISE and the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, Oswego County Hospice patients can continue to receive care in their home and enjoy the quality of life they deserve in their final days,” shares Debbie Bishop, executive director of the Friends of Oswego County Hospice. The ARISE Ramp Program in Oswego County receives no government funding. Utilizing volunteers, and with support from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, businesses, civic groups, and individuals, ARISE provides ramps for Oswego County residents who cannot afford them. For more information on how to become involved, contact Jim Karasek, manager of ARISE Independent Living Services in Oswego , 315-422-4088, ext. 206 or jkarasek@ariseinc.org. APRIL / MAY 2016
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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? By Sandra Scott
Hong Kong
The Pearl of the Orient
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ong Kong, a former British colony, has been called “The Pearl of the Orient,” “The City of Lights,” and “Asia’s World City.” All are accurate. Hong Kong is made up of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula,
the New Territories, and more than 200 offshore islands. It is truly an amazing place. The skyline is dominated by towering skyscrapers, which become the backdrop for a free, nightly laser light show called “A Symphony of Lights.” According to Guinness World Records,
this is the world’s largest permanent light and sound show. It is best viewed from the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor. No visa is required to enter Hong Kong but one is necessary to enter mainland China. Getting into the city from the airport and to a hotel is amazingly easy and smooth. Upon exiting baggage claim there is a kiosk where a ticket can be purchased for the MTR (transportation system) ride. The entrance to the MTR is just steps away with no need to exit the airport. Arriving in the city, only steps away from exiting the MTR, there are free buses lined up to transport people to their hotels. Parts of Hong Kong are densely populated but Lantau Island is only a short ride on the MTR or by ferry. Lantau Island has miles of hiking trails, a long sandy beach, interesting sites such as fishing villages, a 100-foot high Buddha, and a cable car ride with views of the mountains, forest and coast; it is also home to Hong Kong’s Disneyland Resort. According to CNN’s 2016 ranking, Hong Kong tied with Zurich, Switzerland, as the world’s second most expen-
Beautiful Hong Kong Park: visitors can join a tai chi exercise group early in the morning at no charge. 16
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sive city. The city is home to more Rolls Royce cars per capita than any other city. The Peninsula Hotel’s fleet alone includes 14 Phantom models. However, it doesn’t have to be that expensive for tourists. It is possible to experience many diverse aspects of the city at little or no cost. The Hong Kong Tourist Boards has plotted out several self-guided walking tours. Many of the museums have no admission charge on Wednesdays. The hop-on, hop-off bus tours always provide a good overview of the city. Early in the morning join a tai chi exercise group found in most parks, including beautiful Hong Kong Park and along the causeway. Then visit one of the many temples. For a unique look into the ancient Chinese culture head to the Petty Person Beating place where for a small sum old ladies will perform a ceremony to eradicate the annoying person from your life. The ceremony ends with beating with a shoe the name of the annoying person whose name is written on a piece of paper thus eliminating the annoyance. Experience a touch of the English times as the Noon Day Gun, a one-gun salute has been fired every day since the mid1860s when it was started by a Royal Naval Officer. Another long-standing English tradition is Afternoon Tea, the most elegant and a bit pricy restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel, which provides tea, pastries and other delicacies accompanied by live music provided by The Lobby Strings. Shopping in Hong Kong covers the whole gamut from looking for bargains at one of the many street markets to overthe-top high-end stores. When buying a hand-tailored suit make sure to have several fittings as purchasers often find the clothing is not cut to fit Western figures. No visit to Hong Kong is complete without a trip to Victoria’s Peak. Many feared the worse when the English handed Hong Kong back to the Chinese in 1997 but the character and heart of Hong Kong remains.
Sandra Scott, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico. APRIL / MAY 2016
Shopping in Hong Kong covers the whole gamut from looking for bargains at one of the many street markets — like Ladies Markets —to over-the-top high-end stores.
View of a vertical city from our Ibis Hotel Room.
Hong Kong’s skyline is dominated by towering skyscrapers, which become the backdrop for a free, nightly laser light show called “A Symphony of Lights.” According to Guinness World Records, this is the world’s largest permanent light and sound show. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESS & BUSINESS PEOPLE
Engineer Promoted at Barton & Loguidice Hannibal resident Jillian M. Blake has been promoted to managing engineer at Barton & Loguidice, an engineering, planning, environmental and landscape architecture firm with offices in Syracuse and other locations. Blake earned her degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She works in the solid waste group, primarily in landfill engineering and design, environmental moniBlake toring and permitting, and construction inspection. Blake is a member of the New York State Association for Solid Waste Management.
Corriders Now First VP/Sales at Pathfinder Calvin L. Corriders has been named first vice president/sales manager at Pathfinder Bank. Corriders responsibilities will be to continue to implement and execute initiatives within the bank’s strategic plan specific to retail and commercial sales, staff management, growth and customer service base. He will continue to manage the commercial and retail lending sales of the bank, while overseeing the development of new relationships, loan approvals, and the training of sales staff. “We are very pleased to recognize Calvin with Corriders this promotion,” said Ronald Tascarella, senior vice president/chief credit officer. “With 18
over 30 years of industry experience and civic involvement, Calvin has positioned himself as a banking and community leader and continues to be a very valuable asset to our organization.” Corriders holds a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Brockport in business administration, with a concentration in marketing management. He resides in Syracuse with his wife, Sandra. As a lifelong resident of Syracuse, Corriders has garnered numerous community, banking and service awards for his volunteer and professional work over the years. Corriders is a former member of the Syracuse City School District Board of Education, having served as president. Corriders currently serves on the CNY Regional Advisory Board of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. He is also a member of the Joint School Construction Board responsible for the administering, renovation and financing of the educational buildings for the Syracuse City School District; a member of 100 Black Men of Syracuse; and a board member of Home Headquarters, Inc., Syracuse Community Health Center, and Upstate Minority Economic Alliance.
Bond Has New Finance Practice Chairman Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC announced Matthew N. Wells, a member in the firm’s Syracuse office, has been named chairman of the firm’s public finance practice. In addition, Wells is chairman of the firm’s securities law practice. Wells is a business law attorney who concentrates his practice in public finance, commercial lending and corporate transactions, including tax-exempt financing Wells of infrastructure OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
projects for municipalities, hospitals, universities, school districts and other 501(c)(3) organizations. He has served as bond counsel to public agencies, municipalities and school districts, as counsel to municipal bond underwriters, borrower's counsel and trustee's counsel for a variety of tax-exempt and taxable bond financings and project financings.
F.O.C.U.S Syracuse Has New Treasurer Dannible & McKee, LLP Senior Audit Manager Sean T. Daughton, a certified public accountant, has been elected treasurer for F.O.C.U.S Greater Syracuse. Daughton has nearly 20 years’ experience providing audit and consulting services to a variety of clients, including automotive dealers, manufacturers and retail corporations. His automotive industry background is extensive as he spent several years as a CFO for a multi-franchise automotive group prior to joining Dannible & McKee in 1999. Daughton provides Dannible & McKee’s automotive clients expert consulting on accounting systems, department profitability and fraud. “Forging Our Community’s United Strength,” F.O.C.U.S Greater Syracuse is a community-wide visioning program created with the goal of making Syracuse a better place to live and work. Started by a group of Leadership Greater Syracuse graduates and interested residents, the Daughton program, loosely modeled after several visioning projects around the country, came out of the desire to determine a course of action and growth for Syracuse. F.O.C.U.S Greater Syracuse is a nonprofit organization.
Beardsley Architects Names New President Joseph Kime has been named president of Beardsley Architects + Engineers, based in Auburn. APRIL / MAY 2016
Kime brings 15 years of experience as a structural engineer and project manager at Beardsley with a strong reputation for client service. Kime succeeds outgoing President, Richard “Gig” Elliott, who will help facilitate the transition and will continue to serve as project principal and an officer of the corporation. Beardsley also elected the following individuals to the board of directors: Mark Rebich, chairman; Barry Halperin, vice chairman; Richard “Gig” Elliott, treasurer; Jared Heinl, secretary; Lawrence Liberatore; Carmen Lapine; and Steven Moolin. Additional management changes include the designation of a new executive team led by Kime. Members include: Barry Halperin, Carmen Lapine, Andrew Ingram, and Thomas Wight. Kime The executive team has already taken action to fulfill the new company mission of bringing people together to create something inspiring. “The restructuring is a direct result of a company-wide goal to foster an environment where employees are empowered to use all resources to better serve clients by always seeking to create something inspiring. I appreciate Gig Elliott and the previous board who went above and beyond to establish a path of succession that was focused on future growth and a renewed vitality. I feel they have provided the next generation with an excellent platform for continued success,” stated Kime.
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Buying Antiques & Estates Call Iroquois Auction
Gerald A. Petro • Auctioneer & Appraiser Don’t miss: Important historic landmark — 3-day estate auction in Cape Vincent July 2016 Cell: 315-561-9777 or 315-591-1784 Office: 315-668-2346 Email: iroquoisauction@gmail.com
Real estate sales & property management Parkview Manor Apartments in the Village of Mexico Creekside Apartments in Sandy Creek
SUNY Oswego Business Professor Earns Fulbright
315-963-3854
3313 Main Street Mexico, NY 13114
SUNY Oswego management and marketing faculty member Barry A. Friedman, an accomplished researcher specializing in business organizational behavior and human resource management, recently earned a Fulbright Specialist grant to teach this summer at a business school in Germany. Friedman will serve for a month with the Hamburg School of Business Administration, teaching a business APRIL / MAY 2016
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Home &Business
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298-4772
ethics and corporate social responsibility seminar, collaborating with counterparts on research projects and sharing effective teaching techniques. He also will solidify a partnership between the SUNY Oswego School of Business and the school in Germany, providing opportunities for graduate students to take part in Friedman the prestigious summer program there. “It’s an honor,” said Friedman, who joined Oswego’s faculty in 2003 following a 25-year career in human resource management at Exxon Mobil and Xerox. “Not that many Fulbrights are awarded. I was very happy and
humbled to represent both Oswego and my country in Germany.” The highly competitive J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program, administered by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its Council for International Exchange of Scholars, provides grants to promote links between U.S. scholars and professionals and their counterparts at host institutions. Fulbright recipients are distinguished scholars and professionals worldwide who are leaders in the educational, economic, social and cultural lives of their countries. Fulbright Specialist grants provide recipients with flexibility to pursue projects that work best with current academic or professional commitments that may prohibit long-term projects. “The Hamburg opportunity helps the School of Business and I achieve
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Port of Oswego Welcomes SUNY Oswego Co-op Workers
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System Inspections Electrical Contracting 20
UNY Oswego cooperative education student employees William Ernest and Allison Taylor (from left) speak with Port of Oswego Executive Director Zelko Kirincich and college President Deborah F. Stanley, a strong supporter of college-community partnerships that spur economic development. Both candidates for graduation in May, Ernest and Taylor work full time in paid co-op positions with the port and SUNY Oswego’s Agricultural Testing and Analysis Laboratory. They grade and test New York state-grown grains — corn, soybeans and wheat — at the port prior to the exchange between farmer and buyer, and do higher-level analysis in the college’s lab. Their mentor, biological sciences faculty member Anthony Contento, said the Port of Oswego also supports seven student internships in the sciences and business. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is spearheading the port’s application to gain U.S. Department of Agriculture designation as a certified grain inspection facility. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Andrea Wisgo, NYS Lic Broker Owner 322 Clark Road Pulaski, NY 13142 Office: (315) 298-7060 • Cell: (315) 591-6920 • Fax: (315) 679-4412 Specializing in Real Estate around the Salmon River NY and Surrounding areas. 21
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important goals to provide international opportunities for students and faculty,” Friedman said. “HSBA offers an MBA and undergraduate degrees — it’s really an excellent school, and they are elated to have a Fulbright scholar.”
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Dannible & McKee, LLP partner Nicholas L. Shires, joins both Hopeprint and Music for the Mission as a member of the board of directors. Shires is a tax partner with more than 10 years of experience providing tax and consulting services to a wide range of clients, including individuals and privately held companies. He joined Dannible & McKee in 2004. He focuses on the retail automotive, construction and professional service industries, and provides strategic tax planning relating to taxation issues influencing these industries. Nicholas specializes in all areas of corporate and individual income tax compliance, including multistate taxation issues. Hopeprint is a non-religious, Shires nonprofit organization based in Syracuse that seeks to empower the people in the community of Syracuse to connect to one another and the world in an effort to bring about hope. Hopeprint seeks to come alongside resettled refugees who have been in the United States for three months until they are contributing members of society.. Founded in 2009, Music for the Mission is a nonprofit organization focused on assisting the homeless and the hungry in Central New York. Music for the Mission believes that music, with its innate ability to energize people, can contribute to the rehabilitation of those who need it most. They believe music’s communal nature, something to be shared by all, especially in a local setting, is a perfect pairing with local nonprofits geared towards serving the thousands of individuals in Central New York who lack sufficient food or adequate shelter in our own zip codes. APRIL / MAY 2016
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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DiningOut
Restaurant
Guide
Utica Green: Canale's version of a Central New York staple.
Canale’s Restaurant Italian food, perhaps more than any other cuisine, tastes best in a cozy setting like Canale’s in Oswego
By Jacob Pucci
C
anale’s is the kind of place you feel like you’ve been to before, even if you haven’t. The food — classic, well-crafted Italian — is reminiscent of Sunday dinner at grandma’s house, if grandma grew up in Morolo, Italy, the source of the Canale family recipes they’ve been serving to diners since 1954. Italian food, perhaps more than any other cuisine, tastes best in a cozy setting. Canale’s is located in a residential part of town, only a few blocks from the high school, in what appears to be a large house painted the same shade as the tomato sauce that coats the homemade gnocchi and fettuccine. We arrived around 7 p.m. Much of the Sunday evening dinner crowd was winding down, aside from a boisterous crowd celebrating a birthday and a few bottles of wine near the bar. The ceilings are low, a reminder that the building was a house built in 1940. Our dinner started with an order of 24
Canale’s Restaurant: The red building on 156 W. Utica St. is a landmark in Oswego. The restaurant has been open in Oswego since 1954. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
bruschetta — available with or without cheese — and an order of Utica greens, the quintessential dish of Italian restaurants across Central New York. The bruschetta is toasted enough to stand up to the juicy, ripe tomatoes on top. Bites of fresh garlic are a welcome addition. The simple topping is not over-seasoned, which allows the tomato flavor to shine through. Every Italian restaurant has its own recipe for Utica greens, but nearly all start with escarole, garlic, hot peppers and either prosciutto or pancetta. Canale’s also adds white beans and mini meatballs to its version. The beans were not mushy and provided the right bit of pop. Likewise, the escarole was cooked perfectly and the stems, while tender, retained their texture. I found myself sopping up the last bits of the buttery, garlicky sauce, punctuated with the bite of grated cheese, with bread. Some restaurants prepare and porAPRIL / MAY 2016
Bruschetta: The toasted bread comes topped with fresh tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. tion the salads well in advance (look for a cold salad plate), but our garden salads had only a bit of chill, evidence that Canale’s claim to hand toss each salad to order has some merit to it. We figured if their Italian house dressing was good enough to sell in supermarkets, it’s good enough for our salads. Tip: Ask for crumbled blue cheese. It’s only an extra $1 and the hefty portion significantly boosted the salad. The Tuscan chicken special blends roasted red peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and chicken in a garlic white wine sauce. The chicken was tender and the bowl overflowed with briny artichoke hearts, a very welcome sight. The wine sauce was rich, but packed enough acidic punch to keep the whole
dish feeling light. On the other end of the spectrum, the veal Sinatra is a stick-to-your ribs dish that serves as a pleasant reminder why Italian food is so comforting. It starts with veal cutlets, onions and prosciutto. Then mushrooms and fresh spinach are added, along with a generous pour of rose sauce. The whole mix is then topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and baked. The veal was tender and what bread I had left over from the Utica greens went toward soaking up as much of the creamy, buttery sauce as I could. Both meals came with a side of pasta. Their homemade tomato sauce comes standard, but for a real treat, go for the “Fixed” sauce. It’s the same sauce, but with butter and lots of grated Romano
Most dinners come with the choice of two sides. Here, rigatoni is tossed with their signature "fixed" sauce, a tomato sauce with lots of butter and Romano cheese. APRIL / MAY 2016
Tuscan chicken breast served with artichoke hearts and other vegetables in a flavorful white wine butter sauce. cheese added. I could only eat half my veal and pasta before I had to take the rest of it home, as it should be at any proper Italian restaurant.
Canale’s Restaurant
Address: 156 W. Utica St., Oswego Phone: 315-343-3540 Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Menu: http://canalesoswego.com/
A rich, saucy dish of veal, prosciutto, spinach and mushrooms fit for Ol' Blue Eyes himself. It’s a pleasant reminder why Italian food is so comforting.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Serving lunch & dinner
Featuring house aged, hand-cut beef, fresh seafood, pasta, signature salads, burgers & sandwiches
598-4770 Canal Landing • Fulton
Banquet Room Unforgettable fine private dining for your special occasion Lower level of Blue Moon Grill
Charlie and Danielle Sexton and their three kids. They recently acquired Edible Arrangements in the Moyers Corners area.
Edible Arrangements Store in Moyers Corners Gets New Owners
E
dible Arrangements located on Oswego Road in Liverpool is now under new ownership. Charlie and Danielle Sexton, who own Edible Arrangements franchises in Rome and New Hartford, recently acquired the Liverpool store. “We are excited to grow our businesses in our community of Central New York,” says Charlie. “We are looking forward to making new friends in Liverpool.”
BUSINESS UPDATE
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Edible Arrangements is a nationally known company with more than 1,200 franchises nationwide. They are the creators and leaders in fresh fruit bouquets with an array of irresistible products, including gourmet chocolate-dipped fruit. The business creates fresh fruit arrangements and gourmet chocolate dipped fruit to order, for pick-up or delivery, seven days a week. The Sextons opened their first franchise in Rome in 2008 and their second location in New Hartford in 2012. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Celebrating 200 years of restaurant service on Salina Street in Pulaski, NY Steak, Seafood, Chicken, Veal, Pork and Pasta LUNCH AND DINNER SERVED: Monday - Saturday 11 am to 9 pm BAR SERVICE till 10 weekdays Friday & Saturday till 12 SUNDAY DINING 12:00 to 6:00 pm
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Jennifer Mays launched her company, Oswego Expeditions last year.
people engaged with the outdoors. It’s something that’s available to everyone, and it doesn’t require a gym membership to stay fit and active,” said Mays. Oswego Expeditions’ Fitness Thru Nature program is available to members and non-members. This includes seasonal activities such as trail running, hiking, snowshoeing, outdoor cycling and organized paddling and outdoor swimming. The newest addition to the Oswego Expeditions lineup is the creation of T.E.A.M. High Peaks Expedition (Together Everyone Achieves More). Lead guide Spencer Morrissey and Mays are to tote them around. She is in the pro- developing teams of up to 10, and will cess of seeking funding through the guide them to a minimum of 12 AdironOswego County Community Develop- dack high peak summits in a 12-month ment Office in order to purchase more period. The annual membership is equipment to include several bicycles designed for participants aspiring to achieve a “46er” status. An Adirondack and another bus. Oswego Expeditions has created 46er is an individual who has climbed part-time positions for two historical all 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks. Long-time friend, hiking partner guides, a driver and a Department of Environmental Conservation hiking and now business partner Morrissey has guide, in addition to a full-time position climbed the 46 Adirondack high peaks five times. Mays and Morrissey will work for Mays. Oswego Expeditions provides together as lead guide and sweeper on guided hiking within Oswego County T.E.A.M. High Peaks Expedition. The and the Adirondack Mountains, guided partnership, Mays says, will create a kayaking tours of the Oswego River and safe hiking environment fostering team canal and guided tours of the city of building and camaraderie. Leah Doherty of Oswego heard of Oswego, showcasing its historic sites, Oswego Expeditions through an online buildings, homes and museums. “Oswego Expeditions offers a event. She and her husband Brendan year-round fitness program designed to went on a frozen waterfall tour at Cranempower participants with the skills and berry Lake with Oswego Expeditions confidence to do the same explorations this winter. They loved the experience so much that they’ve joined T.E.A.M. on their own,” said Mays. High Peaks Expedition. Countering poor health habits “Learning how to hike was never Beyond her own personal interest in something I thought I would do, espenature, Mays said outdoor adventure is a cially on our own. We decided that it’s good way to address the health epidemic a great thing for us to do together, and in Oswego County, which shows some offers some bonding time,” said Doherty. grave statistics. According to the county Registration is open to join T.E.A.M. health department, Oswego County High Peaks. The first expedition will Cabral, also known asColden The in June. ranks poorly in health behaviorsDeborah when lead members up Mount compared to other regions in theDeClutter state Coach. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if By Nicole Shue
Joyous Journeys
Woman-owned tourism, recreation business educates through exploration
J
ennifer Mays launched her company, Oswego Expeditions, last year and it’s gaining momentum and popularity. Oswego Expeditions’ offerings promote the county as a tourism destination, and for locals, provide them with the tools and skills to live healthy, active lifestyles. Mays was born in Oswego, but moved throughout the United States quite extensively until permanently resettling in Oswego in 2005. In 2010, she completed the micro-enterprise small business training program, sponsored by several economic development agencies in Oswego and Fulton. Training sessions provide guidance and support to people interested in starting or expanding a small business. Mays was one of the semi-finalists in the 2014 Next Great Idea Oswego County Business Plan competition sponsored by Operation Oswego County. After the NGI contest was over, she felt her business idea was viable and worth pursuing. Since then, she’s invested over $18,000 into Oswego Expeditions, a company that merges health, history and nature. Since 2015, Mays purchased a logoed 20-passenger shuttle, snowshoes, 11 kayaks, paddles, vests and a trailer
BUSINESS UPDATE
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Nestle building in Fulton is in the process of being demolished. Aldi will use a part of the land to build a grocery store.
Grocery Giant Coming to Fulton ALDI looks to be anchor store at former Nestle Co. site in Fulton
T
he city of Fulton will soon be home to an ALDI store, considered one of the fastest-growing retailers in the United States. Aaron Sumida, Tully division vice president for ALDI, said he is hopeful that construction of the Fulton store will begin this spring at Fay and South Fourth streets. “If we stick to this timeline, our plan is to open the store before the end of the year,” he noted. Sumida said ALDI is undergoing a five-year expansion plan. By the end of 2018, there will be nearly 2,000 ALDI stores from coast to coast, he said. ALDI already has nearly 1,500 stores in 32 states, serving 30 million customers every month. “We’re excited to share the ALDI difference with 45 million customers each month by the end of 2018,” he said. The location of the 17,651-squarefoot business at the former Nestle Co. site could be the start of a retail renaissance within the once-abandoned 24-acre complex. As long as plans go smoothly, ALDI should be openings its doors in December, said Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward. ALDI has contracted with the city to locate on the site and will wait until existing buildings are razed before con-
BUSINESS UPDATE
APRIL / MAY 2016
struction begins. “All those buildings have to be torn down, and that’s what we’re working on right now,” Woodward said. The mayor said the site should be construction-ready by June 1. “That’s our targeted goal,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. They are still taking asbestos out of the buildings before taking them down.” Infinity Enterprises has been hired to perform the demolition and cleanup of the main site within the former Nestle property at no charge, only the rights to all salvageable materials found on the site. Woodward said several other retail businesses have expressed interest in locating at the site, but only if ALDI is there.
Location, location, location
Sumida said ALDI examines many factors before choosing a location, such as population density, proximity to competition, cost of the property and traffic patterns. “We want to be conveniently located for our shoppers,” he said. A typical ALDI store is four to five aisles with 10,000 to 11,000 square feet of shopping space. The small-format concept is one of the many things that make ALDI different, Sumida said. “What really makes us stand out is that we consistently deliver premium OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
groceries at everyday low prices. ALDI customers can save up to 50 percent on their grocery bills” based upon a price comparison of comparable products sold at leading national retail grocery stores, he added. “We keep our costs down with a simple, back-to-basics approach to retailing. There are no hidden costs because we don’t have non-essential services like in-store banking, pharmacies and check cashing,” Sumida said. “We use a shopping cart rental system, ask customers to bring reusable grocery bags and shelve our products right in their display boxes, all to save money. And we pass those savings on to our shoppers.” ALDI carries grocery essentials such as fresh meat, bread, dairy, produce and household items, and 90 percent of these products are ALDI exclusive brands. In addition, ALDI carries a variety of organics marked with the United States Department of Agriculture organic label, from fruits and vegetables to many of the foods in its SimplyNature line.
Clean eating
For shoppers who need or want to avoid gluten, ALDI has a full line of gluten-free products, from cake mixes to fresh bakery bread, under its exclusive “liveGfree” brand. In addition, ALDI’S “Never Any!” line of fresh meat does not contain added antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products, according to Sumida. “Thanks to customer feedback, we made a big move to get rid of added MSG [monosodium glutamate], certified synthetic colors and partially hydrogenated oils from ALDI exclusive food brands,” he said. “We stand by the quality of our products,” Sumida said. “At our ALDI test kitchen, we sample and analyze our products so shoppers don’t have to. Trying new things at ALDI is risk-free because of our ‘double guarantee’: If for any reason customers don’t like an ALDI exclusive brand food, we’ll give them their money back and replace the product,” Sumida said. The ALDI leader did not share costs associated with opening a new store for competitive reasons. ALDI purchased part of the former Nestle site for $450,000 from the city of Fulton late last year. Today’s ALDI stores are also built with environmentally friendly materials such as energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.
By Lou Sorendo 29
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary radio. WRVO Public Media is extraordinary radio - and more. Join us at Syracuse Stage for an evening with NPR Morning Edition co-host David Greene Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30. Listen to WRVO Public Media for details on this and other exciting events coming soon Event tickets available at WRVO.org. All proceeds support excellent programming.
David Greene
Every day, hundreds of reporters, producers, technicians, and program hosts collaborate to cover news and provide analysis that tens of thousands of WRVO listeners tap daily to stay in touch with what is happening in our region, New York State, the nation and the world. Whether you listen to WRVO Public Media on radio, WRVO on demand audio or WRVO program streams or perhaps you read our stories online at WRVO.org - you get the very best. Every local and regional news story heard on WRVO costs more than $200 to produce. NPR programs subscribed by WRVO cost more than $400,000 annually. WRVO is non-profit, serving the public interest through generous contributions from listeners like you. WRVO is a critical community collaboration that assures in depth, high quality news and analysis is available to everyone, every day. You can make a difference by becoming a member today. If you use any of these services and already support them with your financial contributions, thank you. If you use our service and have not already done so please support us. You can donate online at WRVO.org or call the station toll-free at 800-341-3690. Thank you. Morning Edition | The Diane Rehm Show | Fresh Air | Q with Shad Kabango | Here & Now All Things Considered | As It Happens | Capitol Pressroom Only a Game | Weekend Edition Saturday/Sunday | Car Talk | Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me Says You! | This American Life with Ira Glass | Reveal | On the Media A Prairie Home Companion | Moth Radio Hour | Selected Shorts Splendid Table | RadioLab | TED Radio Hour | Weekend All Things Considered Take Care | Campbell Conversations | Big Picture Science | HealthLink On Air Tuned to Yesterday | BBC News Day
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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APRIL / MAY 2016
GIVE YOUR “WORD-OF-MOUTH” ADVERTISING A BIG BOOST Advertise in the next issue of Oswego County Business magazine and reach thousands of people who matter, including most professionals and business people Please call 342-8020 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
31
The team at Compass Credit Union in Oswego. The business is celebrating 50 years this year. Membership, total deposits and assets have consistently gone up in the last decade.
Compass Federal Credit Union Celebrates Golden Anniversary
T
his year, Compass Federal Credit Union is celebrating 50 years of business in Oswego. Compass was first established in 1966 as the Oswego Aluminum Employees Credit Union, providing financial services to Alcan employees and their families. In 1967, there were 74 total members, a personal loan limit of $200 and assets for the year-end were $294.50. For the first seven years Joe Manale, a hot mill scheduler, ran the credit union during his lunch hour.
BUSINESS UPDATE
32
Manale had help establishing the business institution from John Ravas and Charlie Carter. The original board of directors consisted of Manale, Carter, Dick Schuler, Bob Bush, Everett Robinson and Jane Waldemar. The board met monthly at each other’s homes; employee business transactions were conducted in Alcan’s lunchroom. In retirement, Manale spent 10 years running the credit union, which in 1974 was renamed Alcan Employees Federal Credit Union. It wasn’t until the credit union reached $1 million that Manale hired his first employee, Denise Wallace, in 1979. For the first 16 years in business, the credit union did everything by hand, including all transactions, interest calculations and financial statements. In 1982 the credit union purchased its first computer and subscribed to a third-party credit union data processor. Three years later, the credit union started offering student loans. Current Manager Thomas O’Toole was hired in 1989. His first hire was now Assistant Manager Denise Grinnell, who’s stayed with the credit union for the last 29 years. She took on the position of branch manager in 1996 when the credit union opened a full-service branch office with an ATM and drive-thru on West First Street in Oswego. In 2001, the credit union purchased an in-house server, to eliminate their third-party processor, and the following years began offering online banking. Three years later, the credit union became a multi-sponsor credit union that allowed them to provide service to about 30 employee groups. The credit union’s original sponsor, Alcan, changed its name to Novelis in 2005. With the loss of the
Compass Credit Union at Glance 2005
2010
2015
Members
3,201
4,691
5,577
Deposits
$14,378,716
$23,220,476
$30,976339
Assets
$17,144,996
$26,961,976
$38,112,170
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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Pictured is Thomas O’Toole with Compass Credit Union member Dennis Schneider. Schneider is a retired Alcan employee, and the eighth member of the credit union. Schneider still banks with Compass, as do his children and grandchildren. company’s identity, the business was rebranded as Compass Credit Union. O’Toole’s wife submitted the name Compass, and his son designed the logo. Compass Federal Credit Union built its office on George Street, and honored their founder with naming the conference room after “Papa” Joe Manale. In 2009, the credit union was granted a community charter to open its branch to the community. In the same year, Oswego Hospital employees voted to merge with Compass Credit Union. In 2010, the credit union was up to 4,691 members, $23,220,476 in deposits and $26,961,976 in assets, compared to five years prior at 3,201 members, $14,378,716 in deposits and $17,144,996 in assets. In the last six years, Compass Credit Union launched an interest-bearing checking account, launched a mobile app that deposits checks remotely, and grew to 5,577 members. As of 2015, the credit unions deposits were $30,976,339, with $38,112,170 in assets. “Every year we set three goals, but our long-term vision is to secure deposits and offer low-cost services to our members,” said O’Toole.
By Nicole Shue APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
33
The Tough Business of Selling Milk
With low demand and high production, dairy farms see prices nosedive
T
he Northeast headquarters for Dairy Farmers of America is located in a modern-looking office building in E. Syracuse. The office employs 348 people spread out through several states: their goal is to market the milk from dairy farmers and mitigate the downturn in prices of the commodity. Brad Keating, the chief operations officer for the Northeast DFA headquarters, said a strong supply of milk with a reduction in demand is the culprit for the low prices of milk. In 2015 New York State DFA milk production grew 2.7 percent over the previous year. Keating believes some growth in demand for manufactured milk products has helped offset the downward trend for Central New York Farmers. “They’re not immune to the pricing stress,” Keating said. “They’re living through the lower milk-price market that is certainly causing stress on all of them. I think they’re doing OK, but I am concerned about the price level that our farmers are going to be facing over the next 12 months.” Dairy farming is big business in
34
Central New York. DFA is a national dairy farm cooperative comprised of seven regions including the Northeast. It had a total sales in 2014 of $18 billion. In January of 2016 alone member-farms produced over 3 million pounds of milk in Onondaga County, 3 million pounds in Oswego County, 26 million pounds in Cayuga County and 31 million pounds in Jefferson County. There are 2,500 DFA member-farms in the Northeast with about 1,300 being in New York state. Most of these farms in the Northeast are smaller operations with 2,100 milking 33 cows or fewer, but a sizable number have more. Thirty-eight farms are milking 2,000 cows or more. “From our standpoint we really have a diversified business model,” DFA’s Director of Communications Jennifer Huson said. “Our dairy farmers are our owners. Our key responsibility is to find a home for their milk.” DFA attacks the challenge of help-
BUSINESS UPDATE
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
ing its farmers from multiple angles. “In the Northeast we would sell to companies like Dean Foods and HB Hood, Guida, Oakhurst and we sell to the manufacturing companies... the Sorrentos, the Krafts, Great Lakes Cheese, Chobani Yogurt,” Keating said. “We sell to all the manufacturers in the Northeast.” DFA also acquires companies where its farmers can market their milk when it makes sense. In November of last year it acquired DairiConcepts, a cheese and dairy ingredient manufacturer based in Springfield, Mo. Dairy Farmers of America also owns 41 manufacturing facilities around the country and is invested in a total of 77. “We’ve been busy the last number of years,” Keating said. “We’ve been building the cooperative and acquisitions. We’ve been acquiring businesses like Class One. We’ve been building companies. We’ve been building new plants that make milk powders for the international marketplace.” Keating said at its heart though, DFA is a grassroots organization with a direct connection to the dairy farmer on the ground. Member farmers pay dues and also give equity to DFA off their milk check up to a certain amount, he said. “We are farmer-run and farmer-controlled,” he said. “We really work hard to get out and connect right with our members on the farm. There’s ways and avenues for them to have a voice.” Along with marketing their milk, DFA tries to mitigate low prices by helping farmers run a more efficient operation. They can buy inputs like some farming equipment at a discounted cost and the cooperative can even offer some hedging on milk prices through one program. Through the hedging or risk-management program the highest highs and lowest lows of milk sales may be taken out over a longer period through an agreement with manufacturers to help the farmer manage his business better. “The certainty has some value to members, but they need to understand their cost of production and they need to really understand their motives,” Keating said. Those are just a few of the ways DFA is working to help its members make a profit during a difficult time. Keating said they are always on the lookout for new practical ways to help APRIL / MAY 2016
26 East Oneida Street Oswego, NY 13126
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www.apfwlaw.com Timothy J. Fennell Joseph E. Wallen Gregory R. Gilbert
John D. Conners Courtney S. Radick Amy Chadwick
Paul L. Pelky of Counsel
Director of Communications Jennifer Huson and Chief Operations Officer Brad Keating and help run the Northeast headquarters of Dairy Farmers of America in East Syracuse. The dairy farmers co-op is working to help local members through a low-price cycle. their members too. To some extent dairy farmers and DFA are at the mercy of the milk market, though. As Huson explained, milk is a commodity. “It’s a supply and demand dynamic,” she said. “That is what’s influencing that pricing structure that’s there.” Keating is bullish on the future of milk even if things look bearish. Being a dairy farmer in Central New York will remain a good way to make a living and a great lifestyle, he thinks. “I am a guy that’s glass half-
full,” he said. “OK, why? Here’s my reasons. You look at a world that is essentially growing in population. You look at a world where Third World economies are coming up into the middle class. You look at a world that’s going to want to buy more dairy proteins. You have people that want to buy your product. You have an international customer and you have a national, domestic customer. It is proven that they will eat and consume more dairy products.”
“We’ve Got You Covered!”
By Matthew Liptak
Local Production of Milk – January 2016 Onondaga County
3 million pounds
Oswego County
3 million pounds
Cayuga County
26 million pounds
Jefferson County
31 million pounds
Production refers to member-farms affiliated with the Northeast headquarters for Dairy Farmers of America. APRIL / MAY 2016
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Don’t Miss the New Issue of 55 PLUS CNY’S MAGAZINE FOR ACTIVE ADULTS cny55.com 35
Q A & with
James T. Walsh
Consensus CNY Former congressman heads discussion about consolidation of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Can this be a model for Oswego County?
J
ames T. Walsh is the co-chairman of Consensus CNY and former representative for the 25th Congressional District of New York. He is spearheading efforts to consolidate local city and county governments, including the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Q.: What is Consensus CNY in a nutshell? A.: Consensus CNY is a citizen-initiated discussion about the future of Onondaga County governance with the idea that we need to modernize and improve our governmental structure. Q.: What’s the time frame for public comment? A.: We initially suggested six weeks. We’ve had a lot of public comment. We’ve met with thousands of people. They want more time so we extended the comment period from six to 12 weeks. That’s up around May 1. We have a website also that people comment on, and of course they comment on newspaper articles which we collect. We anticipate working through their comments and blending them with our recommendations then making a final recommendation in the May-June time frame. If the recommendation is to go forward, then we would ask that the state government provide us enabling legislation to have a referendum on the ballot November of this year.”
integrity? A.: Under what we anticipate and the preliminary recommendation of the governance committee, the city and county form one entity; the towns and villages would have the ability to opt-in based on a popular referendum. Take for exam-
ple the village of Solvay. If it wanted to stay the village of Solvay, it could. If the town of Clay wanted to stay separate, it could. We figure 20 out of the 35 towns, given the property tax cap the state has imposed, are underwater financially within 10 years. There may be some urgency for them to opt-in if indeed we do this.” Q.: What are the advantages of consolidation? A.: The overarching goals are one, to provide a modern, efficient, cost-effective governance with improved services. Number two, to make sure that every individual in the county has a voice in their future governance. The focus there would be on minority voters and making sure that, unlike currently, they have fully elected representation in whatever the metropolitan government looks like. And three, every community that’s done this — Louisville, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Nashville — has had substantial and robust economic growth after they implemented the new government. Onondaga County has the same number or fewer residents in the county now as
Q.: Will individual communities be able to keep their 36
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
we did in 1970. In fact, we have 5,000 less jobs now than we had in 1970. We have had flat economic and population growth, and really feel that there’s a tremendous need to change our trajectory economically. We think this will do it. Q.: Why did those other communities find economic growth after they consolidated? A.: I think for a lot of reasons. Towns and villages and the city and county compete for new business or to expand existing business or to retain existing business. They compete. They cut deals — tax deals, payments-in-lieuof-tax agreements, zoning laws and so forth. Also, there are three to four levels of approval. You’ve got to get village, town, county and state level approvals. This would eliminate a number of those levels of approval. It would simplify things for business leaders in terms of who are they going to talk to about growing their business, or changing their business, or bringing their business in. It also, I think, sends a signal to the world that we’re a little different. We’re progressive. We’re forward-looking. We want to control our own destiny and we’re going to take this measure to modernize how we organize our governance and how we represent ourselves. Q.: Could this be a model for other counties like Oswego or Cayuga? A.: Sure, depending on whether we pull it off and how successful it is. It’s a big “if.” We don’t know if the people will support this or not, but our view is that we have to try something. We really have to change our trajectory because if we don’t we will get smaller and poorer.” Q.: What are the challenges of consolidation and consensus? A.: The political challenges involve people who live in the county saying they don’t want the problems of the city —the poverty, the old infrastructure. The people in the city don’t want to be subsumed into the county because they feel they will lose whatever little political clout that they have — especially minorities. They think that just as they’re starting to gain political clout, it would be diluted in a larger government. Those are the prevailing arguments. Then you get to the town and village level where people say, “Gee, you know I know my mayor. I can call him up and be heard. If it’s a bigger government, who am I going to call?” APRIL / MAY 2016
Q.: Who would they call? A.: If town government stays out of the metropolitan government, they would call the town or the village. If the governance of their community is part of the new legislature, they would call their legislator, or the county executive, or whatever the title is. Q.: What attracted you to be co-chairman of this group? A.: It’s my community. My kids and my grandkids are there. I want them to stay there. I’ve seen way too many young people leave for Washington D.C. or northern Virginia or Atlanta or Boston or New York City and take our best and brightest kids. We’re trying to do something about that. We’ve seen other cities that have done it, that have changed their economic trajectory and their population trajectory. We think we can do it, too. It’s an optimistic view of the world. It takes a little bit of a leap of faith. The downside is that if we don’t do anything, we’re almost certain that we’ll get smaller and we’ll get poorer.” Q.: What do you say to people who say this only treats the symptoms of economic downturn and not the source of the problem, which is the failure to bring in jobs? A.: The source of the problem is New York state and we can’t do a whole lot about that. However, we’re going to make recommendations to the state that it eliminates a lot of the mandates that it is putting on local government. The state is the problem. The state has driven businesses out of the state. We’ve lost Carrier. We’ve lost General Motors. You get the picture. We’ve lost all of these great industries. Why? It’s because we tax them so much and because we regulate them so much in New York. Q.: Do think Onondaga County and Syracuse are going to be looking different governmentally in a few years because of this movement? A.: I hope so. I hope what we do is successful and that it gives people hope that we can affect our outcomes; we can affect our trajectory. We can create opportunity for young people that has not been there for the last 30 years. If we do that, maybe other governments will look at it and say, “Hey, maybe we should be doing that too.”
By Matthew Liptak OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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SPECIAL REPORT By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Project Phoenix Helps Women Become Entrepreneurs Nonprofit works with battered women to launch their own businesses
D
omestic violence, affecting about one in four American women over the course of her lifetime, inflicts significant harm to women physically, emotionally and financially. Project Phoenix, a Syracuse-based nonprofit program, helps domestic violence survivors interested in entrepreneurship to launch their own businesses. Eileen Collins, a Syracuse resident, had left her physically dangerous relationship in 2003, but the emotional repercussions of domestic violence still
hampered her years later. That's where Project Phoenix made a big difference in her life. In the past, Collins had offered administrative help on weekends and after her full-time job. She wanted to launch Admin-On-Call (www.adminoncallny. com) as a full-time business but lacked business acumen to do so. Collins also struggled to believe in herself. She grew up in a violent home and despite her desire to not emulate her originating family, subsequently
married a man who abused her. "In actuality, I was still a victim," Collins said. "Project Phoenix helped me to realize that, understand it, deal with it and move on with my life in a different direction. It was so freeing." Project Phoenix helps women write a business plan, fine tune their product or service, develop a marketing strategy and obtain the resources they need to launch. By applying her executive assistant skills, Collins aids small businesses and entrepreneurs on an as-needed basis. She hopes to expand into an agency that offers consulting of all types of services on-call, such as legal and accounting. WISE Women's Business Center, South Side Innovation Center and Vera House partner together to run Project Phoenix. Roseanne Olszewski, a former Vera House employee, is the project coordinator. The three organizations had applied for a grant from Verizon Wireless with Syracuse University as the grant administrator. They were awarded the grant at the end of 2011.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Participants must be female survivors of domestic violence interested in entrepreneurship. They receive a minimum of 24 hours of training in areas such as marketing, sales and credit repair. One-on-one training with business experts provides the women with excellent mentoring opportunities, along with networking events and scholarships to women's conferences. "Participants meet other women like them and start to get to know people and create a community," Olszewski said. Olszewski works as a consultant for Project Phoenix and regularly meets with participants to guide them along their journey of entrepreneurship. "She has a passion for it," said Randi Bregman, executive director of Vera House, Inc. as she refers to Olszewski. "She brings the women together to help them network and get to know each other. We help them create their own support system." She added that many of the women have been denied choices in their lives for so long that making their own business become a reality is very empowering, as well as helping them become financially stable on their own. Of the 13 women who have completed the program, 87 percent have
successfully launched a business. Ten currently participate. Many survivors of domestic violence face child care issues, since they're now single moms. Working multiple part-time jobs to stay afloat makes parenting even more difficult. While launching a business initially isn't easy, the flexibility it affords them makes life easier. But it's the boost to their confidence that makes Project Phoenix so important. Olivia McCheyne of Syracuse joined Project Phoenix to get help to launch her own nonprofit — Fall Forward (www. fallforward.org) — which aims to former inmates re-entering society. She said that although Onondaga County offers numerous resources for former inmates, many New York counties do not. By gathering resource contact information in one place and providing steps for successfully integrating into life outside prison, the site will give a roadmap to those who have lived in prison so they can better themselves and avoid recidivism. "This is a problem seldom addressed," said McCheyne, referring to lack of opportunities to people who leave the prison system. McCheyne successfully completed a bachelor's degree and is
now working toward her master's after serving a sentence. McCheyne's suffering domestic violence and experience in prison had left her feeling as if her life had no purpose. She said that finding faith in Jesus Christ changed her outlook completely. Though Fall Forward is faith-based, people of any or no faith are welcome to use it. With the help of a few volunteers and current inmates, McCheyne hopes to launch the site this year. "I needed to know that I could do it," McCheyne said. "I'm one of many people who's been a victim of domestic violence. I don't feel like a victim anymore, but a victor." She hopes to expand the site nationwide and eventually open a community center to help people re-enter society and, if they desire, become entrepreneurs. As for Project Phoenix, Olszewski hopes to attract more funding to continue to expand the project. "We are looking for established business owners, especially female business owners, who would like to help us out with financial incentives as a way of their giving back," Olszewski said.
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39
Economic Development SPECIAL REPORT By Aaron Gifford
War on Poverty
Glaring statistics paint a bleak portrait of Central New York. See how officials plan to tackle the problem 40
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Not since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” 52 years ago has the scale of mass poverty demanded such major initiatives from lawmakers. But this time, in the wake of glaring statistics that paint a bleak portrait of Central New York, leaders and policymakers at the local level have decided that tacking the growing problem of hunger, unemployment, substandard housing and general lack of opportunities for economic advancement here, will require a major offensive. This is the tale of two cities and two counties and their own wars on poverty. Oswego County Business magazine analyzed statistics and reports on poverty trends in Oswego and Onondaga counties as well as the city of Syracuse, the region’s hub. Policy makers and poverty agencies from these communities elaborated on the downward spiral that has affected their populations and they outlined their plans of attack.
P
Case No. 1 Syracuse and Onondaga County
roblems began decades ago with the mass exodus of city residents to the suburbs. The steady loss of manufacturing jobs followed as companies relocated overseas or to other states with cheaper taxes and utility rates. This was all before the Great Recession and the closing of two of the largest employers in the entire region — New Process Gear and Carrier Corp.’s East Syracuse manufacturing operation. Much smaller businesses came and went, and service industry jobs that replaced the factory work did not come close to funding the same standard of living that so many Central New Yorkers had grown accustomed to. Struggling neighborhoods and families were further marginalized. For Syracuse, the tipping point came last year when updated Census figures indicated that the Salt City led the largest cities in the nation with the highest poverty rates in African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods. APRIL / MAY 2016
From 2000 to 2015, the number of neighborhoods where 40 percent or more residents live in poverty more than tripled, from nine neighborhoods to 30 neighborhoods. About 65 percent of the city’s African-American population and 62 percent of its Hispanic population live in those neighborhoods. “Those who live here know that it’s been this way for the past 30, 40 years,” said Helen Hudson, a former New Venture Gear employee, a Syracuse Common Councilor, and co-chairwoman of the new Greater Syracuse HOPE anti-poverty task force. “But it’s been spotlighted a lot more in the past year. That can be a good thing. There’s so much attention on the problem that you can’t ignore it anymore.” The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 Community Values Survey ranks Syracuse as the 23rd poorest city out of the 575 cities surveyed in the United States. Syracuse’s poverty rate was 33.2 percent, or about 48,000 people. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
The tipping point in Syracuse came last year when updated Census figures indicated that the Salt City led the largest cities in the nation with the highest poverty rates in African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods. 41
Of the 48,000 Syracuse residents in poverty, 44 percent did not have high school diplomas and about 30 percent were unemployed.
42
Poverty is defined as the situation where a person, family or community lacks financial resources and essentials to enjoy a minimum standard of living and well-being that’s considered acceptable in society. The 2014 national poverty threshold was $11,670 for one person trying to support themselves, $15,730 for two people sharing a residence, and $23,850 for a family of four. A New York State Community Action Association study that outlined statistics by counties and some cities showed that Onondaga County led Central New York in the overall number of persons at or below the poverty level, with 68,554 people (15.2 percent of the population), making it the 10th poorest county in the state. Oswego County, which is smaller and more rural than Onondaga County, had a poor population of 21,565, or 18.5 percent of its population, ranking 20th in the state by the overall number but 8 percent by percentage. Cayuga County was ranked 37th in the county, with 9,360 persons in poverty, or 12.4 percent of its population. And Madison County, ranked 45th, recorded a poor population of 7,531, or 11.2 percent of its population. The Community Action study also indicated that racial minorities accounted for about 75 percent of Syracuse’s poor population. Of the 48,000 Syracuse residents in poverty, 44 percent did not have high school diplomas and about 30 percent were unemployed. Syracuse has about 145,000 residents. For all of Onondaga County, population 467,846, racial minorities made up almost 90 percent of the impoverished population. The unemployment rate for those in poverty hovered around 28 percent in 2014, and 31.5 percent of residents at or below the poverty level did not have a high school diploma. Of those in school, 52 percent qualified for free and reduced lunches. The Greater Syracuse HOPE (Healing, Opportunity, Prosperity and Empowerment) was formed earlier this year. Hudson, the co-chairwoman, said the first step in tackling the problem is “getting the community to take ownership.” With 15 different agencies involved in the community engagement process, from local lawmakers, to educators, to nonprofit agencies, to volunteer groups, the public will have an excellent opportunity to do just that. Hudson said early on in the process the word poor should be replaced with “underserved” to eliminate the stigma and negative labels for the people who need the most help. Hudson added that the group wants to eliminate costly and unnecessary redundancies in county social services operations. She is also interested in legislation that can extend benefits to laid-off workers for longer periods of time. HOPE members will also go to Albany to lobby against unfunded mandates that take away resources that could be used to better held the underserved. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“We have some very good people,” she said, “so I’m very optimistic we can bring change.” Paul Driscoll, the commissioner of Syracuse’s department of neighborhood and business development, said that, the most interesting statistic is the fact that Onondaga County’s overall population has remained the same for about 40 years. The suburbs have grown significantly while the city has continued to lose population. Thousands of those who remained in Syracuse live in substandard housing and don’t have access to transportation that could get them to the jobs outside of the city. “It’s a misnomer that most manufacturing jobs have disappeared,” he said. “They exist, but they’re in the suburbs, and our transportation issues are horrible.” The existing public bus routes don’t go deep enough in the suburbs to bring city residents to potential industrial employers. There are also ample nursing/nurses aide and truck driver positions based in the towns and villages north of Syracuse. But even if there were routes to bring city residents there, coordinating times with child care pickups would also be difficult, if not impossible. Driscoll maintains that the city needs to find a way to focus on ways to bring its residents to where the jobs are. Transportation is not the only obstacle. Existing policies could be amended to help those in need, Driscoll explained. The water shut-off policy in its current state, for example, unfairly punishes tenants, but not the absentee landlords, when water bills are unpaid. Federal housing grant money has been in short supply, so city officials have been forced to find creative programs to improve Syracuse’s housing stock for low-income families. Under one of those programs, the “Land Bank,” tax-delinquent parcels that would otherwise sit idle can be brokered to responsible developers while the city maintains a lien on the property until the promised improvements are completed. Since 2012, 900 parcels and 600 structures have been placed in the land bank. Many of these properties contained substandard rental properties, and subsequently the city found itself on the hook to relocate low-income tenants. “It’s a huge social change in this community,” Driscoll said. “We can make life more livable for those in poverty.”
APRIL / MAY 2016
Case No. 2 Oswego County and the City of Oswego
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he story of Oswego County’s downward spiral is somewhat similar to that of its much larger neighbor to the south: Large factories closed, most notably Miller and Nestle, leaving scores of residents to either compete for much lower paying jobs or depend on social services. But there is also a rural component to this county’s poverty story. Many families have been poor for generations as the need for agricultural labor decreased or family farms closed or were sold. Oswego County is especially unique in that out of the top five poorest counties in Upstate New York, it is the only one that’s not located in an isolated corner of the state far from a major population center, unlike St. Lawrence or Tioga counties. Patrick Waite, deputy director of services for Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. and a local resident for 38 years, acknowledged that Oswego County has been one of the poorest counties in the state for decades. But he cautioned that its declining population is also a factor, and those figures sometimes overshadow the considerable number of residents who are making it out of poverty in Oswego County and then leaving the area. “The basic problem is you have to have a job to make a living, and with the lost industry we’ve been slow to replace the workforce,” he said. Oswego County lawmakers hired consultants to analyze the local poverty situation. The problem, based on the findings released in November, was probably much worse than they had imagined. A county poverty reduction task force made up of more than 250 people was created to bring change. According to CZB’s report for Oswego County, “An Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Action Plan,” poverty has also caused problems with childhood obesity, child abuse and neglect, and harmful health behaviors. It also said the percentage of county residents who receive food stamps increased from 10 percent in 2009 to 21 percent last year. Overall, the number of public assistance cases in the county, which can include services and benefits besides food stamps, more than doubled between 2001 and 2014 — from 752 to 1,722, according to the New York State Department of Health and Human Services. Moreover, the planned closing of Entergy’s APRIL / MAY 2016
Number of Persons Below Poverty Level County
Number of People
Percentage of Population
Onondaga
68,554
15.2
Oswego
21,565
18.5
Cayuga
9,360
12.4
Madison
7,531
11.2
* The 2014 national poverty threshold was $11,670 for one person trying to support them-selves, $15,730 for two people sharing a residence, and $23,850 for a family of four.
Source: New York State Community Action Association James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant will eliminate 600 jobs and deal a $70 million blow to the local economy. With far less disposable income in the area, the trickledown effect will result in the demand for retail space to decrease by at least 80,000 square feet, the report said. CZB reported that in addition to creating more jobs, county leaders must also address growing local problems like substance abuse, homelessness, lack of care for mentally disabled residents, and the lack of training for skilled trades. “Not only must the county act now,” the report says, “but success will very likely hinge on a departure from how the county has done business for years.” The consultants recommend the school district establish a “15-year view of student progress” and continue monitoring children from pre-kindergarten past high school graduation. This would provide an inside look at generational poverty. CZB stated that Oswego County has settled into a “new normal” of higher unemployment rates, higher poverty rates, and a growing reliance on public services. Census figures show that the county lost 2,000 jobs between 2003 and 2013 and during that 10-year period the average income for a full-time employee only increased by less than $700, from $37,214 to $37,755. The number of Medicaid recipients going through detoxification or receiving methadone treatments has skyrocketed during this millennium, from under 60 in 2003 to 150 last year. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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CZB states in a report that Oswego County has settled into a “new normal” of higher unemployment rates, higher poverty rates, and a growing reliance on public services.
And between 2009 and 2013, reported heroin addiction increased eight times over, from 12 cases to 95 cases, compared to the statewide increase for the same time period of only 14 percent. One out of every four Oswego County resident under the age of 18 lives below the poverty level, the report said, and the academic performance for many of those children is especially troubling. Countywide, only 3 percent of economically disadvantaged middle school students tested proficient in reading or math, and nearly half tested below the most basic levels in both subjects, the report said. According to the Community Action study, poverty disproportionately affects racial minorities in Oswego County, with Caucasians making up only 18.1 percent of those at or below the poverty line. Fifty-two percent of public school students across the county received free or reduced lunches, and 24.7 percent of those living in poverty are unemployed. For the city of Oswego, the Community Action study determined that Caucasians made up about 28 percent of the population in poverty, while 34.7 percent of impoverished residents did not have a high school diploma and 29.1 percent of them were unemployed. The city of Fulton was not included in the report. The increasingly hungry population is another challenge, explained Helen Hoefer, who oversees the Catholic Charities food pantry in Fulton. That pantry provided food to 836 people for a total of 7,524 meals in the month of January alone. Those figures do not factor in services provided by other independent pantries in towns and villages across the county. The most troubling part for Hoefer is seeing people in the food line who used to be donors. “The people who were in middle class jobs, middle class upbringings; those are the hardest
ones because they don’t know the system. They don’t know where to get benefits, and it’s hard for them to deal with the stigma,” Hoefer said. “I shudder to think what will happen when Entergy shuts down. There will be a huge, horrible, trickle down.” Patrick Waite, the Oswego County Opportunities deputy director of services, said one of the main goals of the poverty task force is to improve public education and vocational training to break the cycle of poverty. That can be done if schools collaborate with various agencies and volunteers. It’s a big task that will require persistence, and all of those involved need to measure success one person at a time. “That’s how we do it here and why I’ve stayed it [career],” Waite says. “Seeing someone get into an apartment they can afford, or seeing someone learn how to read and then come back years later as a literacy volunteer — those little successes at the individual level — that’s what makes it worth it.” The Oswego County Community Health and Poverty Reduction Task Force was formed recently with the goal of greatly reducing poverty by the year 2030. It includes a variety of teams covering economic development, youth and schools, workforce development, public and private service collaboration, community development policy, grant writing/fundraising, housing, and substance use disorders and recovery. The teams meet regularly and report their progress to a steering committee. The task force has dozens of volunteers already and remains open to anyone who wants to get involved. It is also accepting donations. “This is a ground-up approach — defining needs, establishing partnerships and calculating costs — which should allow us to work in many areas at the same time without asking any single entity for a huge amount of money,” Roy
One out of every four Oswego County residents under the age of 18 lives below the poverty level, and the academic performance for many of those children is especially troubling, according to a recent report.
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Reehil, taskforce chairman and an Oswego County legislator, says on the task force’s website, OC2030.org. “It should also free us to work quickly and outside of government when this is advantageous.” Using that approach, the task force has already made a difference in the community: A county parenting program that ran out of funding remains intact, thanks to a partnership between the Oswego Masonic Lodge (funding) and the Oswego YMCA (staffing and use of facility). Under this program, participating parents can learn how to handle their child’s aggressive behavior, and the Y also provides child care for the attendees while the classes take place. During an interview following the task force’s March 4 meeting, Reehil said additional collaborations are being established weekly. Many school districts, for example, have their own poverty work groups in which members have also been called to serve on the task force, and an existing nonprofit entity, Oswego County Coalition to End Homelessness, is now working in concert with the task force’s housing team. On the policy issue front, the task force is identifying ways to help employed but low-income residents, or the working poor. “A lot of people don’t want to work more hours because they lose [social service] benefits,” Reehil said. “We need to find a way to bridge the gap to help them become self-sufficient.” On the workforce development front, there is talk of creating certificate programs in areas like production line robotics or forklift driving to help Novelis and other local manufacturers fill vacancies. And on the housing front, task force members discussed the possibilities of building upscale housing developments for high-income professionals who work in Oswego County but don’t live there. The high property values would help the tax base, and more people with disposable income would contribute to the local economy. Like Onondaga County, Oswego County also has a land bank of abandoned or tax-delinquent properties. “Everything is connected,” Reehil said. “If you want people to come here or stay here, you need good jobs, good housing and great schools.” Kevin Gardner, chairman of the Oswego County Legislature, applauded the task force for getting to work so quickly and repairing fractures that had divided municipalities, schools and community agencies. “We’re making sure that everyone is talking to each other,” Gardner said. “When we talked about doing something about [poverty] before, it wasn’t raised to the right level. Now, everyone is at the same table. That’s huge for us.” APRIL / MAY 2016
Just Published
Detailed information on hundreds of local companies in Oswego County, Northern and Central New York Get the 100-plus page annual guide free when you subscribe to Oswego County Business magazine. To subscribe, go to OswegoCountyBusiness.com and click the subscription button Or buy a single copy at river’s end bookstore in downtown Oswego. Single copies: $20 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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COVER By Suzanne M. Ellis
‘I Am That Lady’
Oswego resident Lauren Greutman reinvents herself and gets wide recognition
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ou might not recognize her name, the face might not seem familiar, but chances are, "I Am That Lady" will ring a bell. "That Lady" is Lauren Greutman of Oswego, a 2003 SUNY Oswego grad whose money-saving classes, blogs, books, webinars and social media presence have skyrocketed her from obscurity into the national spotlight. Greutman, 35, has shared her keen financial advice for everyday living on “Fox & Friends,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” “Dr. Oz,” the “Today show” and “Rachael Ray.” Her household tips on saving time and money have been featured in a variety of print publications, including Consumer Reports, Forbes magazine, Money magazine, Family Circle and Redbook. Online, Greutman's expertise has been shared at Yahoo.com, MSN Money, Huffington Post, Oprah.com and BusinessInsider.com. On radio, Clark Howard, a nationally syndicated host, also has featured her work. Across social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and others, she averages more than 250,000 followers.
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In just a few short years, Greutman and her husband, Mark, rose from a black hole of debt — some $40,000 worth — to president and director of operations at iamthatlady.com/That Lady Media, an Oswego company worth upwards of $1 million. It's a story of excess, irresponsibility and sadness that the Greutmans transformed into a life of humility, frugality and, most of all, happiness. Born Lauren Cobello, Greutman grew up in Saratoga Springs, the daughter of two SUNY Oswego graduates who met while attending college. She played field hockey in high school and was recruited by the Oswego coach. "My parents would bring us up here some summers and show us the campus," Greutman said. "I loved the campus and I really wanted to play field hockey in college so [Oswego] was my first choice of colleges." Greutman graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in public justice. She met her future husband, Mark, between their junior and senior years when he was home on break from SUNY Fredonia. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
"I was involved in Christian outreach at New Covenant Community Church in Oswego and [knew] his brother and sister," said Lauren Greutman, who stayed in Oswego that summer and worked as a bartender at the Press Box on East First Street. "I used to spend time with his family and we met at his house. We were married 13 months later." After graduation, both Greutmans had good jobs. Mark worked as an actuary for a consulting group in Syracuse; Lauren worked in the Oswego County drug court system and later as a drug and alcohol counselor at Harbor Lights Chemical Dependency Service in Mexico. They bought their first home, a little house in Oswego. Lauren got pregnant and the couple began what they supposed would be the beginning of their journey to happily-ever-after. But that didn't happen — not yet, anyway — because in a span of just four years, the Greutmans were so deeply in debt they had to use credit cards to pay for diapers and food. "I had had spending problems before," Lauren Greutman said. "I never budgeted and I never saved any money, APRIL / MAY 2016
Lauren Greutman of Oswego, a published author who is nationally known as the frugal guru, "I Am That Lady," not only shops regularly at Oswego's stores, she has publicity shots taken like this one at the Oswego Price Chopper.
APRIL / MAY 2016
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COVER
This is a recent picture of the Greutman family of Oswego that was taken at Fort Ontario. Lauren Greutman, mother of four and CEO of That Lady Media, is nationally known for her practical suggestions on everyday living. She is with her husband Mark and their kids (from left) Kaylee, Andrew, Hannah and Abigail.
so we made our money and we spent it." She is careful to point out that she was in charge of the finances, that her husband wasn't aware of what was happening behind the scenes with their money. "I quit the counseling job when I got pregnant and went to work for Mary Kay," a national company that sells cosmetics, Greutman said. "Within 11 months, I had the pink Cadillac," the epitome of success for Mary Kay's top independent sales directors. "I drove that [Cadillac] proudly, and of course I acted the part, having my hair done, my nails done, nice makeup, nice clothes, nice shoes. That started a lot of the debt," she said. In 2005, the Greutmans sold their "junky old van" and bought a used Audi for about $16,000. "To us, that was more of a lifestyle decision than a necessity, like 'Just look how good we're doing,' " she said. With that purchase, their descent into the black hole began in earnest. A year or so later, the Greutmans moved to South Carolina where Mark's brothers were living. They purchased a lot on the same street and waited for their $225,000 house to be built. In the 48
meantime, they shopped for furniture and furnishings to fill the 3,200-squarefoot home, often using those irresistible
but dangerous no-interest-for-a-year deals. Three months after they moved in, the housing bubble burst and they
Lauren Greutman works at her home office in Oswego. She also has a YouTube studio in her home for recording webinar classes and other online videos. As a wife and busy mother of four, Greutman and her husband/business partner, Mark, try to keep their work schedule limited to six hours each day so they have as much time as possible to spend together as a family. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
COVER found themselves $15,000 underwater with the mortgage. The Mary Kay team Lauren had led so brilliantly crumbled around her. "Things just kind of fell apart," she said. "It all looked really great, the Audi and the Cadillac in the driveway of a beautiful, huge home, but suddenly I have no income, and pretty soon there isn't even enough money to pay the bills." The Greutmans began arguing, and Lauren knew she had to level with her husband about what was going on with their finances. "Mark would tell you that he knew what was going on, but I handled all the bills and I was too afraid to say anything. I felt like I was drowning. "He blames himself for not saying anything about it; he was in denial for years and never said anything to me, so I just kept on spending. I took advantage of him being so easygoing and laid back," she said. It was 2007 before she finally took a good, hard look at their situation: $40,000 in debt and $1,000 a month short in what they needed just for day-to-day expenses. "One day I spread the statements out all over the bed while Mark was at work, and when he came home I told him we had $40,000 worth of debt," she said. "He told me he forgave me and that we would get through this together." On that day, she said, everything changed. Lauren got a job the next day, waitressing at a Ruth's Chris Steak House and working five or six nights a week.
Oswego's Lauren Greutman, center, nationally known as "I Am That Lady," has made a number of appearances on NBC's "TODAY" show, including this one recently with Kathie Lee, right, and Hoda.
They scrimped, they eventually sold just about everything they owned, they cut coupons till their fingers ached, and they survived for years on a $200-a-month food budget. They successfully argued their hardship case and got out from under their South Carolina home in a short sale. They returned to Oswego and lived for awhile with Mark's parents, then with
Lauren's sister. Eventually, they rented an 800-square-foot apartment for themselves and the two children they now had. There was no cable TV; they had no phones. Thankfully, Mark was rehired by the consulting group he left in 2006 when they moved to South Carolina. Every dime they could spare went to paying off their debts, and by February of 2012, they were finally debt free.
"Fox & Friends" is one of many national programs that has invited Lauren Greutman, left, of Oswego to appear. She is pictured here with Anna Kooiman, a Fox News anchor, talking about ways to get free clothing for the family. APRIL / MAY 2016
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Oswego's Lauren Greutman, nationally known as "I Am That Lady," appears on "Good Morning America" in January. Nine years ago, Lauren and her husband were $40,000 in debt and scared to death. Today they are completely debt-free, and Lauren has become a national voice of sensible frugality with her television appearances, speaking engagements, blogging, webinars and a variety of social media outlets.
Unbeknownst to them, their sacrifice and self-control had laid the groundwork for the creation of iamthatlady.com, That Lady Media and the "I Am That Lady" branding. All the creative, clever money-saving tactics they employed, all the cost cutting, all the downsizing, all the pain they endured, were valuable lessons they would eventually share with others. During the years they were paying off debt, Lauren Greutman did couponing seminars, and they were well attended. One day, she decided to start charging $10 to help cover her costs and perhaps make a small profit. "Thirty people came to the first one, so I made $300 that day," she said. People urged her to start blogging, so she decided to give that a try. "I was in our little apartment washing dishes, thinking about starting a website to maybe make some money, and I thought about how I'm that crazy lady you're behind in the grocery store with all those coupons." And that's how she came up with the domain name, iamthatlady.com, which she purchased 50
in May of 2010. These days, that website sometimes gets 2 million views a month. In January of 2014, Mark Greutman
left his $80,000 a year job and joined his wife in the business. "We were just so sick and tired of living this crazy life that we decided to choose family over that," she said. "We love the freedom and flexibility of owning our own company." Despite the powerhouse company they built, the Greutmans remain in the modest Oswego home they bought in 2010. They remain debt-free, and their household budget hasn't changed much in four years, Lauren Greutman said. After they've paid the company's seven employees, invested money back into the website and taken care of the rest of the bills, most of what's left goes into savings for the education of their four children and the inevitable rainy day. Greutman is rarely paid for her national television appearances, but the website, book sales, speaking engagements, webinars and consulting provide a comfortable six figure income for their family of six. These days, when Lauren and Mark Greutman are off the clock and out of the expansive office and recording studios in their transformed attic, they can be found at home with the children or taking them to ballet, baseball, soccer and their many other school activities. "I feel so blessed with everything I've been given, and I really have a passion for helping others," Lauren Greutman said. "I work really, really hard to make this all work, but every day I get to work with my husband and to love what I do."
When ABC's "Nightline" came to town to tape a segment with Lauren Greutman, center, she and her husband, Mark, right, took the whole crew to the Oswego Sub Shop, including Nightline anchor JuJu Chang. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org
We Need to Voice Our Support of Upstate Nuclear Power Plants
I Gov. Cuomo’s Clean Energy Standard needs to be implemented in a timely manner to ensure Upstate New York nuclear plants are preserved
L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego. 52
n September 2015 Entergy announced its Just as important in Upstate New York is plan to shutdown the James A. FitzPatrick the fact that these plants are one of the region’s Nuclear Power Plant. In early October, a largest economic engines. According to that rally was held in support of keeping FitzPat- same Brattle report, Upstate nuclear plants rick open, gathering hundreds of supporters. provide 25,000 good, full-time jobs, both In mid-October, the County of Oswego IDA direct and indirect. They also contribute over passed a resolution in support of retaining $3 billion to the state’s gross domestic product FitzPatrick. By mid-November, the COIDA (GDP) as well as nearly $150 million in net had established Upstate Energy Jobs, which state tax revenues each year. These tax reveis now a coalition of over 130 elected repre- nues go toward essential goods and services sentatives, business leaders, organized labor, in our communities like schools, fire stations educational institutions, and police departments. economic development Without these plants, New Economic Trends organizations and comYork families would also munity leaders who have pay nearly $15 billion more gathered together to voice support of Gov. for electricity over the next decade, or nearly Cuomo’s Clean Energy Standards (CES). $1.7 billion annually. I am proud to support this coalition in Unfortunately, these plants are at risk of its call for the timely implementation of the premature closure. Entergy has already anCES to ensure that Upstate New York nuclear nounced that the FitzPatrick plant will close plants are preserved, thereby preserving the in January 2017, and others may follow. The overwhelming economic and job benefits that closure of any one of these plants would be a they bring to the region. devastating blow to the Upstate economy, a As background, the CES would mandate region that’s already lagging behind the rest that 50 percent of the electricity consumed of the state. Our hotels, restaurants, schools, in the state come from clean and renewable food markets, banks and families should not sources of energy by 2030, and that there is have to face this stark possibility and state a 40 percent reduction in New York’s carbon policymakers must do everything they can emissions by 2030. to keep these plants open. Gov. Cuomo’s efforts to cut carbon emisThankfully, the CES’s nuclear component sions are commendable and position New would properly value these plants for their York as a clean energy leader in this country. carbon-free generation and keep these plants Recently, Gov. Cuomo joined with the leaders open. Gov. Cuomo himself has acknowledged of 16 other states to launch the bipartisan Gov- that the impact of premature closure of these ernors’ Energy Accord Coalition — an effort plants would significantly hamper New York’s to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy ability to meet its clean energy goals and harm and lower emissions. our communities. In the context of these goals, the imporWe must be vigilant in our fight to preserve tance of Upstate New York’s nuclear energy Upstate New York nuclear plants. plants cannot be overstated. Simply put, New There are several ways that everyone can York will not be able to reach its clean energy get involved, including attending a series of goals without nuclear power — a clean energy hearings in April on the CES that will be held source — to bridge the gap. in the region, as well as voicing your support A recent report from The Brattle Group for New York’s Upstate nuclear energy plants supports this stance. According to the report, to elected officials. Upstate New York nuclear energy plants, The bottom line is that we must ensure which include Ginna, Nine Mile Point and that the CES is implemented as expeditiously FitzPatrick, account for 61 percent of our car- as possible to keep our nuclear energy plants bon-free electricity and avoid almost 16 million running. Our region’s environmental and tons of carbon emissions annually. economic security depends on it. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Nine Mile Point and James A FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba.
How to Support Nuclear Power Plants in Oswego County and Upstate New York • To voice your support for the timely implementation of the Clean Energy Standard, visit upstateenegryjobs.com and fill out the form on the home page. • Join the Upstate Energy Jobs coalition by sending your email, title and business affiliation to upstateenergyjobs@gmail.com. • Join the community on Facebook (facebook.com/UpstateNrgyJobs/) and Twitter (@UpstateNrgyJobs).
Upstate New York nuclear energy plants, which include Nine Mile Point and FitzPatrick, account for 61 percent of NYS carbon-free electricity and avoid almost 16 million tons of carbon emissions annually. Without these plants, New York families would also pay nearly $15 billion more for electricity over the next decade, or nearly $1.7 billion annually.
The Robert Emmett Ginna nuclear power plant in Ontario, Wayne County. APRIL / MAY 2016
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Thomas Griffith tgriffith@cnycf.org
How 5 Percent Can Make a Difference
‘Think about the dramatic positive impact we could see if there was an increase in donations to local charities.’ Learn more at http://5forcny.org.
THOMAS GRIFFITH is director of gift planning at the Central New York Community Foundation. He can be reached at tgriffith@cnycf.org or (315) 422-9538. 54
In the next few years, $22 billion is ex- immensely wealthy. But including a 5 percent pected to transfer from one generation to the gift to the community’s charitable endowment next through probate estates. Over the next is achievable for anyone, allowing you to still 50 years, the expected transfer of wealth for benefit your heirs while leaving a long-lasting Central New York is estimated at $240 billion. impact in the community that helped attribute This is according to a study commissioned by to your success. the Central New York Community Foundation A variety of planned giving options can and conducted by the RUPRI Center for Rural be customized to meet your unique situation: Entrepreneurship. • Charitable Bequests — Name charity to Now, take a moment receive all or a portion of to think about what matyour estate through your ters to you. Perhaps it’s will. In doing so, you may Guest Columnist the schools your children reduce estate taxes while attend or the hospital supporting your commuwhere you receive care. It could be the park nity. You may give a specific dollar amount, where your grandchildren love to play or a property or percentage of your estate. local charity that is a big part of your life. What • Retirement Fund — Taxation on retirecould you do to make sure the things that ment plan assets will decrease the value of the matter to you today have a secure future, long asset for your heirs. By naming a charity as the after you’re gone? How can you help ensure beneficiary of your retirement funds, you can that future generations will benefit from the avoid taxes and preserve your hard-earned resources in our community? assets for the good of your community. We have an opportunity in Central New • Life Insurance — Listing the Community York to turn our hopes for the future into re- Foundation as a beneficiary of your insurance ality. If a portion of these assets — even just proceeds enables you to make a contribution 5 percent — were donated to endowment that may not have been possible otherwise. funds at the Central New York Community • Charitable Trusts — There are several Foundation, more than $55 million in grants types of charitable trusts that create valuable would be available annually to support our options in estate planning by providing flexiregion’s nonprofit organizations. For reference, bility and a life income. the Community Foundation currently deploys • Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) — These more than $9 million per year in grants. That annuities offer simplicity and income. You or means we could distribute six times more sup- someone you designate can receive life income port into the community each year! This kind in exchange for your gift. You will reduce and of boost could provide a permanent source of defer your capital gains tax and may reduce funding for local organizations and causes that probate costs and estate taxes. will greatly improve the lives of our families, • Retained Life Estate — A gift of a remainfriends and future generations. der interest in a personal residence or vacation Take a few minutes to consider the fol- home allows you to continue to use the property lowing questions for yourself, your business without disruption. You also get an immediate clients, your family and your friends: income tax charitable deduction. • Do you feel that keeping a portion of Using these tools allows our community’s our region’s wealth in our local community is collective generosity to build our region’s charimportant? Why? itable endowment. This makes more money • Have you thought about carving out a available to enhance our region. Think about portion of your estate for the community? the dramatic positive impact we could see if • Do you have charities that you support there was an increase in donations to local on an annual basis? Do you want to include charities. It would mean improved health these in your plan? and human services, more initiatives to care • If there was a way to maximize both the for children and teens, new arts and cultural tax and community impact of your giving, endeavors that drive economic development would you be interested in exploring that? and increased attention to our neighborhoods A common myth in the field of charitable and educational attainment — resulting in a giving is that philanthropy is only for the better quality of life for everyone. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
real estate Special Report n 1st Carriage House Realty celebrates independence, 25th anniversary n Selling commercial properties may take longer n Top real estate agents in Oswego County n Route 31 growth spurt
APRIL / MAY 2016
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real estate SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo The 1st Carriage House Realty team in Pulaski consists of broker-owner Birgit Kleinschmidt, center, along with sales agents Bambi Gibides, left, and JoAnne McLaughlin-Allport.
Silver Lining I
1st Carriage House Realty celebrates independence, 25th anniversary
t’s quite evident 1st Carriage House Realty has the needed horsepower to continue the success it has achieved over the past 25 years. Located at 3958 Port St., Pulaski, broker-owner Birgit Kleinschmidt is celebrating 1st Carriage House Realty’s silver anniversary this year along with her award-winning sales agents, Bambi Gibides and JoAnne McLaughlin-Allport. The agency remains one of the few independent real estate agencies in the region and has been able to thrive in a very rural area of Oswego County. “I think it gives us some flexibility that you may not have when working with a franchise,” Kleinschmidt said. Laurie Gibbs founded 1st Carriage House Realty at the same location in 1991. When she retired, Gibbs offered the company to Kleinschmidt, who had been her top agent for years. In 2012, Kleinschmidt bought the agency. According to the 2014 National
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Association of Realtors member profile, 57 percent of all Realtors are affiliated with an independent, non-franchised company. “I love how it sets us apart,” Gibides said. “There are lots of people, families and generations that have come through here. Real estate is usually a person’s largest transaction, and it gives buyers a real good sense of trust and loyalty to know we have been here for so long.” McLaughlin-Allport said many different real estate franchises have come and gone in the Pulaski area, but 1st Carriage House Realty has remained a mainstay on the local business scene. Remaining independent has “been a factor in our success throughout the years. We are trusted and valued by our clients who often send us referrals. That means a lot,” Kleinschmidt said. She noted the agency intends on keeping its independent status. “But again, you never know what the future will hold,” she said. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Despite being located in a largely rural area of Oswego County, the agency managed to accumulate $7.5 million in sales volume in 2015. “An excellent achievement in comparison to some other agencies out there in bigger cities and areas, even in the city of Oswego,” Kleinschmidt said. “We have been very consistent and have always maintained growth,” said Kleinschmidt, noting growth in the real estate sector could be defined as listings, number of buyers or the value of homes an agency is selling. 1st Carriage House Realty has featured sales volume levels at approximately $8 million for several years, Kleinschmidt said. She said the key to longevity at the agency is having a strong connection with the community. “We try to do good, honest business by working hard for our clients, while making the experience of buying or selling a home a gratifying adventure,” APRIL / MAY 2016
she said. “We have an excellent working team — three dedicated agents who work and communicate well with one another,” McLaughlin-Allport said. Kleinschmidt, originally from Germany, has lived in Oswego County with her husband, Joe, for 20 years and together have raised three children. She said the sense of community and allure of country living are driving forces behind her success. Kleinschmidt said she feels passionate about helping people achieve their dream of homeownership, which is evident through her 10th consecutive year of award-winning sales presented by the Oswego County Board of Realtors. In 2014, Kleinschmidt was the recipient of the OCBR Realtor of the Year award.
Driving success
Gibides said the agency is proactive when it comes to education by staying informed of existing and upcoming changes in the industry. “We were invited to speak to some of the older students at a local high school and answered questions regarding homeownership achievement. We have also held workshops here at the office to help inform the community about the various aspects of real estate,” Gibides said. Gibides is a Pulaski resident who has a background in both counseling and sales. She said the educational component has contributed to the success of the agency. “We really try to take time to make sure people feel comfortable and provide them with knowledge of available programs,” she said. “This type of outreach has resulted in positive feedback from the community,” Kleinschmidt added. Selling and buying real estate in a rural environment comes with its challenges. “We have an entirely different inventory. If you came to me today and wanted to buy a ranch home, for example, in the Pulaski school district, I could probably show you two or three that would fit your criteria,” Kleinschmidt said. “But in a city environment, I could probably show you three or four homes on the same block.” The team’s market is extensive. While mostly concentrated in Oswego County, it also extends into the Syracuse area as well as Jefferson County. The agency also specializes in waterfront properties. APRIL / MAY 2016
2016 looking strong
McLaughlin-Allport said the first quarter of 2016 was strong. “I think people are starting to feel a little bit more confident in the economy. Things are looking up,” she said. McLaughlin-Allport, originally from the north shore of Oneida Lake, has been a Pulaski resident since 1982. She formerly worked at Pulaski High School and for Oswego County. Kleinschmidt expects interest rates to perhaps nudge upward slightly, but said they will remain “reasonable.” “That’s important for buyers over a 30-year term,” she said. As of March 25, the 30-year fixed rate was 4.125 percent. “People are trying to make sure they don’t miss out on the most amazing interest rates that we’ve seen in decades,” Gibides said. Kleinschmidt said based on activity thus far, her agency can expect a repeat performance of 2015 with an upward trend. “I find it very rewarding, especially when you match first-time homebuyers with a home where they begin their life as a family,” Kleinschmidt said. On the flip side, there are people who need to sell their homes when they are in “dire strait” situations, she said. “It is very rewarding if you can make it happen and lift that burden off their shoulders,” said Kleinschmidt. One of the challenges Kleinschmidt faces is making time for family, particularly during peak season. “It means very long hours and sometimes family life takes a back seat,” Kleinschmidt said. Gibides said she gains gratification by seeing families grow in homes she sold, and also by helping people buy that vacation property after years of saving. “You just get the whole gamut of what’s going on and the life events of other people,” Gibides said. “You meet so many wonderful people and get such a good sense of who we all are.” “Your clients become part of your life for a little while and you tend to develop a relationship with them. You become a part of their life for a little bit, and they become part of yours,” Kleinschmidt said. She said the Oswego County market has been traditionally stable. “We don’t have the peaks and valleys that you might see in other markets,” she said. Between summer and December of last year, Kleinschmidt characterized Oswego County as a buyer’s market. However, trends can change quickly, she noted. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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real estate SPECIAL REPORT By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Commercial Properties Challenge Sellers
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Selling commercial properties may take longer; some have been on the market for more than 10 years
f you want to sell a commercial property in Central New York, it may not be easy. Though some developers have made strides in rehabbing spaces in downtown areas, some buildings aren't as easy to sell — some have been on the market for more than 10 years. John FitzGibbons, principal of FitzGibbons Real Estate & Insurance in Oswego, said that "obsolescence" represents one reason that "For Sale" signs seem to cling to some commercial spaces in Central New York. "Things built 50 years ago are reflective of an occupancy that might not exist anymore," FitzGibbons said. "You see a layout like once were predominantly offices. They no longer lend themselves to offices." Potential buyers faced with challenges such as sufficient wiring for their modern business, high speed Internet access, handicapped accessibility, and current building code standards may keep looking. "In that redeployment, there's capital required to re-craft it," FitzGibbons said. He cited the former Nestle plant as an example. "It requires significant capital improvement to make possible
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a significant return on investment. That's challenging." Many of these projects require numerous other details to align, such as the support of local, municipal government and bank backing. "Certain commercial space takes significantly longer time [to sell] for that reason," FitzGibbons said. The seller's asking price may hinder the property's sale. William Galloway, owner/broker of Galloway Century 21 and past Oswego County Board of Realtor’s president, said that sellers who live elsewhere sometimes base their asking price on their home turf, such as New York City or New Jersey. Since these metropolitan areas have a much higher cost of living, their real estate prices far exceed what Upstate New York buyers can afford. "Until they get a realistic dollar amount, it will just sit there," Galloway said. "You'll see something sit and sit and once they adjust the price, it'll move." He said that generally, the CNY market is active commercially, citing the former Tim Horton's building on the corner of Utica and East First Street in Oswego, which sold within a week. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Comparing how quickly residential real estate sells with commercial real estate is an apples-with-oranges comparison, according to Faye Beckwith, broker and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. "It takes longer to sell a commercial than residential because everyone needs a place to live," she said. "Not everyone needs a commercial property." Financing the purchase of a business is also more difficult because buyers must prove their potential for profitability. Most take about three to five years to turn a profit, depending upon numerous factors inherent to the business' success. Beckwith said that sellers eager to move a property in the market may want to consider having the property re-assessed, which could lower its tax burden and make the property more desirable to potential buyers. A few years ago, Beckwith performed a study in Hannibal town and recorded every property that had sold through real estate agents and compared the assessed value to the sale price. She found that 49 percent of the properties were sold above the tax assessed value and 51 percent were APRIL / MAY 2016
sold below it. "What that said to me is that the assessors aren't wrong 100 percent of the time," Beckwith said. "They go by state formulas to establish the value. But the actual value is established at the point of sale. It's the amount the buyer will pay and the seller will accept." If you think your commercial property is assessed higher than its actual value, your tax assessor may be able to re-assess the property. "We've had our sellers do this numerous times," Beckwith said. In general, "you're going to have to have some patience," Beckwith said. "Unless it's something in very high demand and with excellent visibility, it could take some time."
How to Sell it Faster
Want to make your commercial property sell faster? Try these tips from Faye Beckwith, broker and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. "Make it as attractive as possible is priority number one." Clear out junk inside and out. Remove the previous business' signs. Clean it thoroughly and paint. Spruce up the landscaping. "If it's distressed and you can't bring it back, the price should reflect that. If [the buyer] is purchasing a fixer-upper to flip or invest in, they are going to want a discounted price. Condition is primary." "Be prepared to negotiate and maybe offer some short-term or long-term financing. Commercial loans are a challenge." "If you ever see a property as you drive around where the sign says 'Will Renovate' that means they'll make the space fit to suit the buyer. The buyer may not be in a position to do that. Cash flow is a big deal." Talk with a construction company with which you frequently deal to see if you can negotiate a good price for work.
Top Oswego County Realtors Based on 2015 Transactions PLATINUM Teri Beckwith.................................Century 21 Leah’s Signature Dean Cummins..............................Sun Harvest Realty Ed Fayette.....................................Century 21 Galloway Realty Russell Partrick..............................Land & Trust Constance Ryan............................Century 21 Galloway Realty Jeffery Tonkin................................Century 21 Galloway Realty Andrea Wisgo...............................Salmon River Realty
GOLD
Brendan Benson............................Fitzgibbons Real Estate Marilyn Boyzuick............................Century 21 Galloway Realty Suzanne Brown.............................Tug Hill Real Estate David Duskee................................Century 21 Leah’s Signature Patrick Haggerty............................Century 21 Leah’s Signature Tammy Keding...............................Century 21 Leah’s Signature Kurt Pomerenke.............................Century 21 Galloway Realty
SILVER
Rebecca Carswell.......................... Century 21 Galloway Realty Danielle Donhauser....................... Century 21 Leah’s Signature Theresa Galletta............................ Century 21 Galloway Realty Bambi Gibides............................... 1st Carriage House Realty Karen Hammond........................... Century 21 Leah’s Signautre Birgit Kleinschmidt......................... 1st Carriage House Realty JoAnne McLaughlin-Allport............ 1st Carriage House Realty Cindy Mears.................................. Tug Hill Real Estate Wendy Patrick ............................... Wenwood Realty Janet Rebeor................................. Century 21 Galloway Realty
BRONZE
Cynthia Caruso.............................. Century 21 Galloway Realty Florence Farley ............................. Berkshire Hathaway / CNY Realty Peggy Francher............................. Berkshire Hathaway / CNY Realty Susan Henry ................................. Century 21 Galloway Realty Kim McPherson ............................ Century 21 Galloway Realty Patty Murray.................................. Century 21 Galloway Realty Lori Stitt ........................................ Century 21 Galloway Realty
PLATINUM Achievement Award must have a minimum of 50 closed units. GOLD Achievement Award must have a minimum of 35-49 closed units. or $4 million in sales. SILVER Achievement Award must have a minimum of 20-34 closed units. or $2 million in sales. BRONZE Award must have a minimum of $1 million in closed sales but not enough closed units for the Silver Award.
Source: Oswego County Board of Realtors, Inc. APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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real estate SPECIAL REPORT By Matthew Liptak
Davidson Ford is building an auto dealership, collision center and car wash along the stretch of Route 31 between routes 481 and 57. Other projects are planned for that area.
Route 31 Growth Spurt
Corridor of Commerce: Growth of Clay’s Route 31 corridor bolsters Central New York economy
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usiness and residential properties along state Route 31 between the Great Northern Mall and state Route 57 are showing a growth spurt again to the point there soon may not be lots available. It is a “diamond in the rough” of the Central New York economy, one local official said. “The town of Clay is very rare,” said Robert Bick, the town’s assessor. “I’ve talked to a lot of assessors. I’ve talked to a lot of supervisors when it comes to growth in New York state. It is a pocket of development in one of the state’s bleaker economic black holes — Central New York.” Town supervisor Damian Ulatowski said the stretch of Route 31 in Clay is “practically filled up.” If there is further growth on top of what is happening, it may move east along Route 31 past the mall toward Cicero. Central New York won $500 million
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from the state recently as part of New York’s Upstate Revitalization Plan. Part of the proposed use of those funds is to attract a large agribusiness development to that eastern section along Route 31 called the White Pines Industrial Park. “If that happens and they’re able to bring in the numbers of jobs that they’re talking about, these people are going to want to live somewhere and they’re going to want to shop somewhere,” Ulatowski said. He wants that place to be Clay, which is growing already. Davidson Ford is building a dealership, collision center and car wash along that stretch of the road. The company purchased the Fred Raynor Ford dealership in Fulton in April 2015. It will close the Fulton facility, rename the dealership and move it to Route 31 later this year. The business joins a long list of companies that have decided to locate in the corridor in the last decade. Another company may soon be OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
one of the last businesses to move into that particular stretch of Route 31. The Widewaters Group discussed plans for a lot with the town at a recent zoning meeting. “They’re being closed-lipped as to what it is, but it is some kind of big box [store],” Bick said. In March Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) announced it had filed plans with the town of Clay to build a two-story 40,800-square-foot building on Route 57, half a mile south of Route 31 in the Moyers Corners region. It will have 320 parking spaces and, if the project is approved by the town, it’s expected to start construction this spring and open next spring.
Residential growth as well
Residential development has been growing along the corridor, too. Rivers Pointe Apartments offers 416 high-end units in back of the commercial businessAPRIL / MAY 2016
Hundreds of appartment units have popped up along Route 31. Some of them, like Rivers Pointe Apartments behind Home Depot, cannot be seen from the road. es on Route 31 (where Home Depot is located). The apartments run from $958 to $1,719 for a month’s rent. Amenities include a movie theater, tanning booth, gathering space for resident activities, library with Wi-Fi, a heated pool and 24-hour fitness center. The high-end apartments look to be working well for Robert Morgan, who owns the complex that opened in 2012. Rivers Pointe is full and has a waiting list. Morgan’s company has plans to build more townhomes in the area behind Route 31 in Clay as well, said Rivers Pointe property manager Karen Witter. She knows the reason for the complex’s popularity. “Location, location, location!” she said. “Great schools, restaurants, shopping, universities, hospitals, job opportunities and more.” An attempt at creating a residential neighborhood has also been made behind the business corridor. COR Development owns Harke Farms — an area roughly located behind Fucillo Nissan on Route 31 that can’t be been from the road — and sold a few new houses through Ryan Homes. However, Ryan Homes pulled out of selling more when sales slowed, Bick said. “There’s a few lots left,” he said. “It was supposed to be about 115 to 120 units at one point. The models sold for over $300,000. Ryan Homes is a volume builder. If they can’t do volume, they’re APRIL / MAY 2016
not happy.” COR Development’s Steve Aiello, who owns Harke Farms, did not respond to requests for an interview. Bick said since the development didn’t sell as houses, it looks like it will be developed as apartments instead. At the other end of the corridor, Great Northern Mall has undergone changes of its own. The Macerich Company sold off the struggling property last year. C-III Asset Management is the owner. Clay officials are hopeful but real-
istic about the future of Great Northern Mall. “If you get an owner with some vision, they can do great things for this community,” Bick said. Ulatowski said the mall needed to reinvent itself perhaps as an entertainment or sports center. More shoppers desire getting in and out of individual stores more quickly rather than dealing with crowds. That accounts for the growth of the Route 31 corridor rather than the mall, he said.
Clay Supervisor Damian Ulatowski said the stretch of Route 31 between routes 431 and 81 in Clay is “practically filled up.”
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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real estate SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Favorite Haunt
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Randy Barrington plans to feature Halloween venue at his new home
t’s chillingly real. Randy Barrington is the proud owner of his new home at 83 Gildner Road, Central Square. At $560,000, it was the most expensive real estate transaction in Oswego County in 2015. He bought the home along with 143 acres last September. It is located at the end of a cul-de-sac and features a circular turnaround. “You can hear a pin drop here,” said Barrington in regards to the quiet environment in the town of Hastings. The three-bedroom, 2.5-bath contemporary style home features nearly 3,000 square feet and ample storage space. Among its amenities is an open concept kitchen with quartz counter tops, Wood-Mode cabinets and a vaulted ceiling. However, it is the “back yard” that makes it a veritable resort, particularly for Barrington, whose dream is to create a Halloween-themed venue there. Barrington enjoys the views while four-wheeling through nearly 15 miles of stone trails that run through his property. He also intends on resurrecting a four-acre apple orchard and creating a pumpkin patch. Barrington and his children have
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Home in Central Square sold for $560,000 in 2015. It was the most expensive home sold in Oswego County last year. visited Charles Dudzinski Jr.’s Cicero “Pumkin” Patch, and he wants to replicate that “U-pick” concept at his property in Central Square. “It’s really great for the grandkids,” said Barrington, noting it is a haven for wildlife as well. Barrington, who has three daughters and four grandchildren, recently sold his house in Cherry Heights, Clay. Through the efforts of Kerrie Proud, a sales agent with RealtyUSA, Barrington found his dream home after several searches in the region. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“She was more than accommodating,” said Barrington, noted he had “pretty extensive criteria” in terms of what he was seeking, including at least 150 acres complete with wooded areas and fields. “Most of the big properties have all been taken up by people wanting to create housing developments,” said Barrington, noting that holds true in Oswego and Onondaga counties. After being toured by the previous owner, Barrington viewed the Gildner Road property and house as a “no brainer.” David and Gail Roth built the house in 2000. “I was kind of shocked actually,” said Barrington when he found out it was the most expensive real estate transaction made in the county in 2015. “I thought there would be property way over that.” According to the Oswego County Board of Realtors, the highest-priced property sold in Oswego County in 2014 was $386,000. In 2013, the highest sold price was $440,000. “Actually [the 2015 number] is on the high side,” said Gene Friske, executive officer at OCBR. “It really depends on the property, such as where it is, the type of house and amenities,” Friske said. APRIL / MAY 2016
He noted he does not believe there are properties valued at $1 million or more in Oswego County. Barrington noted that he would have paid the same for a new home in a Clay-based housing development. Proud said the search for a home really focused on the acreage as opposed to the house. “It just happened to be a package,” she said. Barrington’s favorite holiday is Halloween, and he intends on creating an actual Halloween venue on his property complete with hayrides and trails of terror. “I think people in general like to be scared,” he said. “I thought at first when I met him that it was a joke, but it’s not,” Proud said. “I could not say enough about Kerrie,” Barrington said. “She would take calls pretty much anytime. “She went out of her way, and even would put boots on and walk through woods with me.”
Randy Barrington wants to create a Halloween venue on his property complete with hayrides and trails of terror. “I think people in general like to be scared,” he said.
Trick or treat
Among the amenities Barrington’s new home have are an open concept kitchen with quartz counter tops and WoodMode cabinets and a vaulted ceiling.
Most Expensive Homes Sold in Oswego County YEAR
AMOUNT
2013 2014
$440,000 $386,000
2015
$560,000
Source: Oswego County Board of Realtors. APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
When Barrington was a child, his dad took him to places such as Switz’s in North Syracuse, famous for its 14-foot-tall, 1,600-pound mechanical “Oscar” display and highly popular during Halloween season. Other popular Halloween venues included Cackleberry Castle Pumpkin Farm in Camden. “All of that for me was just a big huge influence on how Halloween became my favorite holiday of all time,” he said. Nowadays, many of those same attractions don’t exist, forcing people like Barrington to travel to Ulster Park for Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses — traditionally one of the top-5 Halloween venues in the nation — or The Bates Motel located outside of Philadelphia, Pa. “I would like to bring something like Bates Motel or Headless Horseman to Upstate New York,” Barrington said. Every October, Barrington takes a trip to some of the more popular Halloween venues in the nation. One of the most intriguing is the Pennhurst Haunted Asylum in Spring City, Pa., considered by Barrington as one of the most “God-forsaken” places in the world due to atrocities committed there. “It has a creep factor all in itself,” he said. 63
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Barrington in the kitchen area of his new home in Central Square. His was the most expensive home sold in Oswego County in 2015. Barrington intends on building his venue in phases. “Maybe the first season we will do a walk-through, and the second season add a two-mile hayride,” he said. He needs to seek village of Central Square and town of Hastings approvals before launching his new business. “There could be a lot of business generated for the town for some of the businesses around here,” he said. “Everybody could benefit from it.” “There is not a lot for teens to do nowadays. At least in the months of September and October, we can give them stuff to do,” he added. Barrington has built up a wealth of Halloween-related costumes and related items. These are things he has collected since his days as a youth, as well as props he used for dramatic displays at his former Clay residence. Barrington said he would like to see his plan complete in five years. “I want to change attractions every year so people won’t get bored,” he said. Barrington said the keys to making the plan work is mixing up themes and following technological advances in the haunt industry. Computer-generated imagery is effecting change in the haunt industry as projectors and lasers have made static props obsolete, he noted. The whole experience is enhanced through the use of a live acting troupe, he said. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Recovers from accident
Barrington, who will turn 50 in May, is originally from North Syracuse. He attended Onondaga Community College, Bryant & Stratton College and Syracuse University. Barrington suffered serious injuries in a car accident several years ago. He was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. “My work situation has pretty much been nil since then,” said Barrington, who used to work for Anheuser-Busch. He spent two years in rehab learning how to walk again. The late Richard Zogby, an orthopedic surgeon, performed back surgeries on Barrington. “He was excellent. I obviously still have back problems all the time. It’s something that is not just going to go away. I have good days and bad days,” noted Barrington, who is undergoing both physical and occupational therapy. To make matters worse, he was involved in a motorcycle accident last December and suffered a head injury. Since the age of 18, Barrington played drums for the likes of Wayne Newton and the late Frank Sinatra. His instructors included Herb Flower, former principal percussionist for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Following his car accident, he polished his photography skills and shot images for many of the ‘80s glam metal bands he idolized, such as Ratt, Skid Row, Warrant, Motley Crue and Poison. APRIL / MAY 2016
More Construction Money for SUNY Renovation of Tyler Hall gets additional $18M from state
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esign work on the final phases of Tyler Hall’s rebirth at SUNY Oswego will get underway soon, even as work continues toward a grand reopening this fall for Waterman Theatre, Tyler Art Gallery, a two-story music rehearsal hall, new recording studio and more. A state capital appropriation of $18 million makes completion —inside and out — of the college’s fine arts building possible, according to Mitch Fields, the college’s associate vice president for facilities services. The ongoing construction will include modernized studios, lab theater, classrooms, offices and exterior finishing. Julie Pretzat, dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, said the continued work on Tyler means that many faculty in music and theater, and some in art, will delay moving back into the fine arts building for at least two more years. She credited faculty members for opting to stay in temporary offices and other workspaces in Hewitt, Lanigan and elsewhere on campus. The college has contracted with consultant Architectural Resources of Buffalo for the design phase for the remaining work. Based on nearly two years of construction on Tyler — the $22.2 million first phase of the project — to date, Pretzat said the campus and community are in for a treat. “It’s exciting,” the dean said. “Once people see the new spaces, they’re going to be blown away. It will be a real showplace for the college.” A new box office, lobby, theater and art gallery — all with enhanced accessibility — will welcome the public this fall. A brand-new choral rehearsal room will greet student and faculty vocalists. Instrumentalists and ensembles will move into new rehearsal spaces. An all-new recording studio will open for sound designers and students in audio recording classes. Most of theater’s technical faculty, staff and crews will move in. APRIL / MAY 2016
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Randy L. Zeigler
Deciding When to Claim Social Security ‘Social Security pays benefits no matter how long you live, but personal savings could be strained if you spend decades in retirement.’
RANDY L. ZEIGLER, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® is a financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Oswego. Zeigler offers fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 29 years. You may reach him at 315-3421227 or at his office at 97 West Utica St., Oswego. For more information, visit www.ameripriseadvisors. com/randy.l.zeigler. 66
Important changes were implemented in 2015 that affect some strategies people have used in the past
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any Americans anticipate Social Se- want to begin collecting Social Security. Gencurity will help fund their retirement erally speaking, the higher income earner will lifestyle. However, choosing when likely receive a higher Social Security benefit, to claim may have implications on how much and should delay claiming benefits as long as your monthly benefit possible. This is because if will be. This is particthat person passes away, ularly true for married Guest Columnist the surviving spouse couples. Having a claimcan claim the deceased ing strategy can assure spouse’s higher benefit in you claim the benefit that’s best for you. place of his or her own. A person reaching full retirement age can Earlier may not be better choose to “file and suspend,” a way of informIndividuals can begin claiming Social ing Social Security that you are able to claim Security benefits as early as age 62 or as late benefits, but choose not to until a later date. as 70. To qualify for what is considered the For a time, the law allowed one spouse “full” benefit amount, baby boomers need to file and suspend benefits while a second to be at least 66 (even older for those born in spouse could begin collecting a spousal bene1955 or later). However, you earn a higher fit. The second spouse could also implement a monthly benefit the longer you delay. strategy known as a “restricted application,” To determine when to start benefits delaying his or her own benefits until later in consider: life, but in the meantime collecting the spousal • Longer life expectancies. Social Security benefit. Later, the second spouse could choose pays benefits no matter how long you live, to collect a higher, personal benefit in place of but personal savings could be strained if you the spousal benefit. spend decades in retirement. Important changes were implemented in • Earnings limits that apply if you con- 2015 that affect these strategies. When a person tinue to work. If you receive Social Security born after April 30, 1950 chooses to file and prior to age 66 while working, earnings from suspend (delaying their own benefits), the wages might reduce the benefits you can keep spouse will be restricted from collecting spouat that time. sal benefits until the primary earner begins to • Other assets you have available to fill collect as well. The new law will also do away any income gaps before you begin collecting with the ability of the second spouse to file a Social Security. This includes savings and “restricted application” if they were born after wages earned from work. If you are lacking Jan.1 , 1954, so this person must choose either other funding sources, you may need to be- a benefit based on his or her own earnings or a gin collecting Social Security earlier to meet spousal benefit, but not a combination of both. lifestyle expenses. It is also critical to determine how Social Security benefits fit into your overall retirement income strategy. Be sure to integrate your Spouses should plan together For married couples, each spouse who timing decisions with other aspects of your is eligible for benefits can choose when they retirement plan. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net
Are the Media Really Liberal? Or Conservative? ‘Around the turn of the 20th century, it was common for newspapers to be aligned with one political party or the other. In Oswego, for example, there was The Oswego Palladium, which promoted Democratic Party doctrine, and The Oswego Times, which toed the Republican Party line.’ BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times and an adjunct online instructor at SUNY Oswego. 68
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terms, in what was ostensibly a news story. uch of the mistrust of the news A police item in an 1884 edition of the Osmedia today centers around their wego Palladium ended this way: “…A police political tone or, more accurately, officer escorted the filthy Gypsy vagrant to their perceived tone. The building crescenthe city line and warned him never to return do will culminate this year, as it does every to the community, or he would be dealt with four years, during the presidential camaccordingly.” paign. Today, journalists are admonished to Are the media liberal or conservative? keep themselves and their The flashpoint of this views out of news stories. raging debate genMy Turn Until recently, political erally centers on Fox partisanship had come to News, which, despite be regarded as an unethical journalistic pracbeing angrily targeted by liberals for what tice. News columns were expected to be “fair,” they believe is a conservative skew in “balanced,” “accurate” and ideologically reporting national and international news, neutral. Editorial pages in many instances are has gained legions of viewers. now driven by politically independent inquiry An example of the “other side,” yet not rather than partisan loyalties. There are some nearly as successful, is MSNBC, which has major newspapers that have foregone edibeen branded a mouthpiece for the liberal torializing on critical local issues, preferring Democratic point of view. instead to be a clearinghouse for comments Around the turn of the 20th century, it from readers on these issues. They have also was common for newspapers to be aligned stopped endorsing political candidates, a step with one political party or the other. In Osmostly applauded by readers and critics. wego, for example, there was The Oswego Several factors have brought this about. Palladium, which promoted Democratic The movement for efficient and nonpartiParty doctrine, and The Oswego Times, san government bureaucracies was led by which toed the Republican Party line. newspapers early in the 20th century. What The two newspapers savaged each othseemed good for government — professionals er in print nearly every day, accusing each replacing political hacks — came to be seen other of blatant party bias and unfairness. as a positive step in reducing corruption and After the papers merged in 1925, their malfeasance in office. owners pledged to follow neither politiA second factor was the rise of local cal line and vowed to be nonpartisan. To newspaper monopolies that served readers this day, the management of The Pallaof all parties and factions. When newspapers dium-Times proudly touts as “proof” of merged, as was the case in Oswego and a doing its job well when Republicans accuse number of other cities, or when one bought the paper of being Democratic, and the out the other, the survivor found it both Democrats charge it with being a “Republi“socially responsible” and good business to be can rag.” neutral. Today, most news organizations, Finally, editors no longer own newsincluding Fox News and MSNBC, view papers. They are in most cases, the hired themselves as nonpartisan, even if the pubhands of distant managers and anonymous lic does not. stockholders. Angry consumers are bad for Our predecessors rarely made the business, so the far-away bosses don’t want to distinction between news and editorial rock the boat and lose subscribers and advercomment. A writer thought nothing of tisers by an overly aggressive news product. expressing his opinion, sometimes in the The question rages today in journalism: most outlandish graphic, racist or ethnic of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Should the press be an active participant in the news or a conduit through which information passes? Some news organizations play an active role in helping to set the community’s agenda, then vigorously campaign to implement change. Purists rail at this notion, insisting that these news organizations are crossing the line and becoming part of the news. It’s like this analogy: the difference between being an observer or a participant in a game. How can journalists cover the game in a neutral, unbiased way if the organization is part of the team? It’s a great question that has put Fox and MSNBC executives on the defensive. Fox and MSNBC insist that the rap against the networks is “hogwash.” For example, Bill Sammons, vice president of news at Fox, sent a memo to staffers, which said in part: “…as journalists, we must always be careful to cover the story without becoming part of the story. At news events, we’re supposed to function as dispassionate observers, not active participants. We are there to chronicle the news, not create it. We do not cheerlead for one cause or another.” William Randolph Hearst, the press baron with whom we associate the phrase “yellow journalism,” and on whose life the motion picture classic “Citizen Kane” is loosely based, bought the New York Journal and adopted as his motto: “While others talk, the Journal acts.” In an editorial, he explained: “Action — that is the distinguishing mark of the new journalism. The new journalism prints the news, but it does more. It does not wait for things to turn up. It turns them up.” Hearst also thought nothing of creating the news. He hired investigators to expose scandal and corruption. He sent a rescue team to snatch a political martyr from a Spanish prison in Havana, Cuba. He offered $50,000 for information on the culprit who sank the battleship Maine. He demanded a war against Spain (and got it in 1898). Although his personal political ambitions (the presidency among them) were never realized, the empire he created and the “new journalism” he unfurled survive in modified form until this very day. APRIL / MAY 2016
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healthcare Special Report
n Need a Doc? Go to Price Chopper in Fulton n Dynamic Duo: Behind the Gardens at Morningstar n When Urgency Means Seeing a Doctor n Farnham: Opiates Reign Supreme n Is There a Hospitalist in the House? n Young Entrepreneur Sets Sights on Hearing Loss n Hospital-Acquired Conditions Oswego Gets High Marks
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Nicole Shue
Need a Doctor? Head to Price Chopper in Fulton Store testing telemedicine program
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rice Chopper in Fulton was selected as one of four locations across New York state to pilot Doctor on Demand, a new video telemedicine program that will allow customers to remotely meet with a board-certified physician right in the store. The traffic and the engaging pharmacy team were attributed to the choosing of the Fulton site. The partnership between Computerized Screening Inc., a provider of in-store health stations, and Doctor on Demand is giving customers access to live, private, one-on-one video consultations that can help diagnosis and treat minor illnesses. The health station at the Fulton Price Chopper, located next to the pharmacy, is open for use 24/7. The all-day hours offer convenience, and can benefit customers who become unwell over the weekend, saving them a potentially costly trip to urgent care. Price Chopper publicizes the Doctor on Demand service through its store with handouts and signage. During the stores pharmacy hours, a Price Chopper pharmacist can refer a customer to the Doctors on Demand service. Customers often approach the pharmacy counter to ask the team for advice, and this service allows an alternative to a traditional doctors visit. Pharmacists are available for assistance, but do not engage in the Doctors on Demand session. A customer wishing to use the service enters the in-store health station, answers a series of questions about their medical history and any medications their currently on and APRIL / MAY 2016
Customers at Fulton Price Chopper can have a medical teleconference visit with a doctor, get a diagnosis and receive a prescription right on the spot. picks up the phone in the kiosk to begin the call with a doctor. The cost to use the Doctor on Demand service is $40, or less with qualifying insurance. The Fulton Price Chopper offers a coupon that waives the cost of your first visit. Customers must enter a debit or credit card number for the visit, even if the balance is zero. The $40 visit includes a 15-minute consultation with a physician who is able to diagnose, advise, treat symptoms and prescribe medications for a range of non-emergency medical issues like the common cold, flu, respiratory symptoms, sinus infections, skin and rash issues and pink-eye. Tony Yan is an emergency medicine physician with 17 years of experience in the ER who has worked OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
for Doctors on Demand since 2013. During a recent teleconference call at the Fulton store, he spoke of how Doctors on Demand serves as a good bridge for the gap in medicine. “The service we provide is the way of the future for patients with less serious complaints,” said Yan. According to a study by HIS, Inc., the American Medical Association, and the Wellness Council of America, nearly 75 percent of all doctor, urgent care and emergency room visits are either unnecessary or could be handled safely and effectively over the phone or video. Yan works in California, and is able to assess patients who visit the Fulton store through video conferencing. Through these visual exams and information gathered on screen from the patient prior to the call, Yan and other Doctor on Demand physicians are able to get a good sense of a patient’s problem. Yan starts each consultation by asking a patient what symptoms they are experiencing, and for how long these symptoms have persisted. Once a diagnosis is made, the doctor can send a script to a pharmacy of the patients choosing, including the Fulton Price Chopper. Customers can shop in-store while they wait for their prescription to be filled. Also, following the consultation, the patient is provided with a written summary of their visit. This documentation can be sent to a patient’s primary physician, although, a patient of Doctor on Demand does not need a PCP to use the service. Kathy Bryant, vice president of Pharmacy for The Golub Corporation, the Schenectady-based parent company of Price Chopper, said that the goal of the recent partnership is to provide health and wellness for its customers. “We believe that our customers are ready to test out this new technology, which improves the efficiency and availability of health care. As a retailer committed to helping people feed and care for themselves and their families, we’re please to be able to make it available in our stores,” said Bryant. 71
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Dynamic Duo Business partners, armed with complementary skills, launch The Gardens by Morningstar “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” — Calvin Coolidge
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his is one of Joseph Murabito’s favorite quotes from the nation’s 30th president, one that can be applied to many situations. Murabito has teamed with fellow entrepreneur Atom Avery to create The Gardens by Morningstar, a 106-bed assisted living facility. Located at 132 Ellen St., Oswego, at the former Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center, it features 77 Medicaid assisted-living program beds and 29 private-pay adult beds. Avery, owner of the Beacon Hotel, All Seasons Inn and Avery Rental Properties, has joined forces with Murabito, owner of Morningstar Residential Care Center in Oswego and Waterville Residential Care Center, to make the project a reality. For The Gardens by Morningstar to be launched, it required much persistence and determination on the part of both business partners. Avery, who will turn 37 in May, entered the real estate industry early,
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buying his first home when he was 19. He would get into both residential and commercial real estate and, along with his wife Falecia, established the Beacon Hotel in 2011 in the Franklin Square Historic District in Oswego. Murabito, 43, is originally from Oswego and resides in Baldwinsville. The business partners connected in 2012. “I applied for assisted living beds issued by the Department of Health and was granted these beds,” Murabito said. “Discussions about the model started then.” The partners explored several sites and then were presented with the 132 Ellen St. option. “We purchased the property and began the long process of financing and designing the physical model that would
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
support operations with reimbursement being 75 percent Medicaid and 25 percent private pay. The target demographic was low-to-moderate income people,” Murabito said.
Perfect business match
Avery brings much to the table in that he has significant residential and commercial property development experience along with a solid local network. Along with strong local contacts, Avery deals with managing many tenants, sales, and maintaining physical property. He also specializes in selling and marketing his businesses. “I have larger-scale healthcare operations experience,” Murabito said. “The two skills sets have worked well together in making a very strong partnership.” Both Murabito and Avery character-
APRIL / MAY 2016
ize themselves as “roll up your sleeves” sort of businessmen — practical with a firm understanding of value. “We both work with our families which adds the right personal feel to our work,” Murabito said. Murabito described himself as a “structure and function person” when it comes to clinical and fiscal operations. “I enjoy group dynamics, team building as well as building and managing the mechanics of a complicated operations structure,” he said. “Both these skill sets fit well together in this environment.” The partners agree that the concept they have formed — affordable residential housing integrated with a sub-acute care continuum — is a good direction to take. “Between Morningstar and The Gardens — including home care service opportunities and outpatient therapy services — we have broadened our footprint and have become a significant community resource,” Avery said. Both owners said that healthcare is a people business. “We need to build a strong and nimble team that can deliver good care and service in a challenging economic environment,” Murabito said. He said the healthcare market, economic and demographic trends, and the political landscape are in a dynamic state of flux. “There is surging change all around us. Despite all of the uncertainty, there is one sure thing to be successful. What matters most are the people you work with every day,” Murabito said. The partners note The Gardens by Morningstar has competitive advantages over other similar facilities. “There really is no place like The Gardens anywhere that I’ve seen in New York at least,” Murabito said. “We have been able to construct a physical environment that is second to none and yet make it work with a low- to moderate-income target market, which is where the need is in the region. “The business model coupled with our physical environment, friendly neighborhood location and private family business ownership mentality make us No. 1 hands down.” New features at the former Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center include a gym, hair salon and lounge area complete with a bar. Employment is expected to reach 55 when all beds are full at the repurposed facility. In mid-March, about 20 percent of the facility was occupied. APRIL / MAY 2016
Attention Parents!!!
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Call the Oswego County Health Department for more information. 315-349-3547
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Cancer prevention keeps your staff healthy and makes business sense Cancer is the second leading cause of death in New York State and cancer prevention screenings help detect cancer early, when treatments can be most successful! Screenings for breast, cervical and colon cancers can prevent cancer from ever developing. Research has shown that offering designated time off for cancer screenings increases employee screening rates. A business can realize a return on investment for this policy. A cancer diagnosis is estimated to cost a business more than $1,600 annually per employee in lost productivity. Cancer is the second leading cause of long-term disability. Additional costs can be avoided from higher health care costs, short-term disablitity and life insurance premium. The sooner policies are implemented, the sooner businesses will realize the savings and a healthier workforce
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Did you know it’s OCO? Celebrating 50 yrs. of service!
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Elizabeth Wagner Bozeman, MD Board Certified Urologist
M ‘Urinary incontinence is not a condition you must simply ‘put up with.’ In fact, it is advisable to consult with a urologist because UI can be symptomatic of another underlying concern.’
ELIZABETH WAGNER BOZEMAN, M.D., is based at the Fulton office of Associated Medical Professionals (A.M.P.), located at 806 W Broadway. To reach her, call 315-297-4700. 74
When Urgency Means Seeing a Doctor
ore than 40 million Americans suffer to help you with your incontinence conservafrom urinary incontinence (UI). De- tively with medications, pelvic floor exercises, spite the alarming statistics, many and perhaps even dietary changes. We also have the ability to do pelvic floor patients feel uncomfortable talking about it, even with their physician. For those who suf- therapy with biofeedback to teach patients fer from UI it can be embarrassing and often how to improve pelvic floor strength. This is debilitating. It is not a condition, however, a frontline treatment for patients, including you must simply “put up with.” In fact, it is men. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles advisable to consult with a urologist because is like strengthening your core muscles. In biofeedback, we use UI can be symptomatic an electrical sensor to of another underlying provide a visualization concern. Urology health Guest Columnist of how one controls has come a long way in certain muscles. This the last decade, and in many cases, UI can be managed in a non-inva- feedback is an effective way to gain better sive way. These treatment options can relieve control over the muscles involved in urination. Our ultimate goal is to get patients to be able the physical and emotional stress of UI. Almost half of all women will experience to perform urinary muscle control exercises some urinary incontinence in their lifetimes. on their own. We also commonly use medications to Childbirth and menopause can be contributing factors. Men are also subject to incontinence, help manage incontinence. It is generally urge especially those who have prostate issues incontinence that best responds to medication. or have had prostatic cancer surgery. Other We use drugs called anticholinergics and a culprits include neurologic diseases such as newer class of beta-3 agonists, which both work multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, to block urinary nerve receptors and allow the bladder to store more urine, helping control stroke, and obstetric problems. As we age, muscle loss and weakness urgency and urge incontinence. If medications are unsuccessful, there are occur throughout the body, and the urinary tract is no different. Many medications can some minimally invasive procedures that can be associated with incontinence, including help. For urge incontinence, we know stimudiuretics, benzodiazepines, tranquilizers, lating the sacral nerve can help patients regain antidepressants, hypnotics and laxatives. It control. We can do this with office treatments may also result from different health condi- called Urgent PC. For a more permanent tions, such as diabetes, stroke, hypertension, solution, we implant an electrode to stimulate back problems, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, the nerve to the bladder — a treatment called Interstim. The newest therapy for urge incontipulmonary disorders, and smoking. There are two major categories of urinary nence is Botox injection, which is used to relax incontinence. Stress incontinence results from the bladder muscle. Depending on a patient’s a weak urinary sphincter or bladder neck, need—when appropriately prescribed—all of and is described as leakage when there is an these therapies work extremely well. Minimally invasive procedures for stress increase in abdominal pressure such as with cough, sneeze or exercise. Urge incontinence incontinence are expanding as well. Many usually happens at unexpected times and patients can see an improvement with an sometimes results in incomplete emptying office procedure called bulking. Your uroloof the bladder. Some people suffer from both gist can inject an agent such as Contigen or urge and stress incontinence, which is referred Macroplastique in the area of the bladder neck that can control your incontinence for years. to as mixed incontinence. During an exam, your urologist will ask And there are multiple sling procedures that about your symptoms, patterns of urination, can be performed as an outpatient can correct and your medical history. He or she will check any stress incontinence. The first step in getting control of your your urine and make sure you empty your bladder to rule out other urologic issues, such leakage is making an appointment to discuss as urinary tract infection (UTI) and kidney your symptoms. We at A.M.P. look forward stones. Urologists at A.M.P. will initially try to helping you regain control of your bladder. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
Become a Morningstar! Become a Morningstar!
Morningstar Care Center is always looking for the best and most qualified individuals to join our team. WhetherCare youCenter are an RN, Morningstar Care Center is Morningstar LPN looking or Certified Nurse is always for the always forNurses, theCertified bestHome Health best and most Licensed Practical Aide, PT, qualified PTA, OT, COTA –looking individuals to join our Aides and Personal Care Aides or if you are not a clinician andteam. would like to most The qualified individuWhether youwork areand anin houseGardens Assisted Living Community is keeping, laundry, activities or dietary. Please give Nurse us a call. We open! We are seeking applications from Licensed RN, LPN or Certified Aide, PT, PTA, OT, COTA als– to Practical joinNurses,our team. would love to meet you! qualified home health aides and
Come grow with us
or if you are not a clinician and would like to work Morningstar is a family ownedinand housekeeping, laundry, operated skilled nursing andactivities or dietary. Please give us a call. We would rehabilitation center that provides love to meet you!
aides for all three shifts, all days Whether personal youcareare an RN, including weekends. contact Kim Chetney at (315)402-0191, LPN or Please Certified Nurse (315)343-0880 or email resume to kchetney24@Gardens-alf.com Aide, PT, PTA, OT, COTA – competitive and comprehensive wage Unique and Exciting Professional Opportunity Morningstar and benefit package, comfortable andis a family owned and opCompetitive salary benefits package. or supportive if you are not a clinician would like to work in and houseerated skilled nursingand and rehabilitation team atmospherecenter andthat high provides a competitive and SHIFT DIFFERENTIALS PROVIDED. comprehensive wage benefit package, Please give us a EOE. quality care and service. keeping, laundry, activities oranddietary. call. We comfortable and supportive atmosphere Life in Balance and high quality care and service. would love to meet you! Morningstar Residential Care Center. . . . a better team, aisbetter professional Morningstar a family ownedexperience. and
17 Sunrise Drive - Oswego, NY 13126 315.342.4790 operated skilled nursing and The Gardens is a 106 bed assisted living community being developed in www.morningstarcares.com Oswego NY. We are accepting applications for Licensed Practical Nurses, rehabilitation that provides a better team, a center better professional experieince. qualified home health aides and personal care aides. Morningstar Care Center is competitive and comprehensive always wage looking for the best and most qualified and benefit package, comfortable and individuals to join our team. supportive team atmosphere and high Whether you are an RN, LPN or Certified Nurse quality care and service.
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Aide, PT, PTA, OT, COTA – or if you are not a clinician and would like to work in housekeeping, laundry, activities or dietary. Please give us a call. We would love to meet you!
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visitors, local a better team, a better residents professional experience. Morningstar is a family owned and operated skilled nursing and rehabilitation center that provides competitive andDrive comprehensive wage 17 Sunrise - Oswego, and benefit package, comfortable and supportive team atmosphere and high quality care and service.
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Call 342-8020 or visit cnysummer.com www.morningstarcares.com
APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Farnham: Opiates Reign Supreme Among Addicts Drugs of choice shifting from alcohol and marijuana to opiates as Farnham engages addiction problem
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ew Farnham Family Services’ Executive Director Eric Bresee is stepping into his new role amidst a drug epidemic. Farnham, which is celebrating its 45th year, reports that 2015 was the first year that heroin and opiates overtook alcohol and marijuana as the primary substances served. In fact, 40 percent of patients Farnham served in 2015 had heroin and opiate addiction issues. “This addiction, this disease is like no other in terms of the hold it has on people. It’s intense,” he said. In his first few months on the job, Bresee is focused on the prevention side, allying with the Coalition to Combat Adolescent Substance Abuse. The coalition was formed to address the high level of adolescent substance abuse in Oswego County. One of the measures taken by the coalition is a joint effort with the Oswego Police Department. A drop-box is set up for residents to safely and anonymously drop off unused drug prescriptions. Farnham is supportive of the coalition’s efforts to secure federal funding through the government’s Drug-Free Communities Support Program. “If we are fortunate enough to get that, it would really bring a significant amount of funding to our coalition and fund staff that would work year-round on these issues,” Bresee said. It is the time of adolescence when youth starts to get their cognitive schemas and begins to define what behaviors are acceptable, he noted.
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While the brain is still in development, youth begin to learn that choices and decisions they make concerning substances they are putting in their bodies are going to have long-lasting implications, either for the good or bad, Bresee noted. “It’s important to intervene at that age and try to instill social norms that are going to be supportive of abstinence,” he said. It’s also crucial to teach children how illegal substances impact their brain development and the potential social consequences that follow. Bresee said youngsters should be empowered to make “truly informed decisions” and be given the opportunity to engage in activities that are not associated with illicit drug use. A recent survey conducted by a group of New Visions students revealed some startling numbers. Of the approximate 2,800 students aged 13 to 17 who responded, more than 300 said they had used heroin. “That number is astounding to me, to know that people that age are getting involved with that dangerous of a substance,” he said. “It’s eye-opening.” Farnham staff intends to use the data for educational purposes. Bresee said the typical heroin user fueling the epidemic over the last five years is a middle-aged white male. A common scenario is a construction worker who gets injured and is prescribed opiates to manage pain. “The next thing you know, he is trying to come off opiates but no longer OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
has a prescription. But he is so severely addicted because of the disease that he has to turn to something to avoid the physical pain associated with withdrawal, and that is heroin,” Bresee said. However, to hear that a significant segment of the youth population in Oswego County is experimenting is “startling” to Bresee, who has been on the front lines of the human services field for many years.
Learning process
Bresee didn’t arrive at Farnham as an expert in the addictions field. His background includes leadership, human services and nonprofit management experience. “I’m working on developing an expertise in the addictions field,” he said. “I have a team of experts here that certainly helps keep everything going.” Bresee is getting involved on the policy side, and getting acquainted with aspects such as Medicaid managed care reform and the various initiatives that spin off that. One such measure is the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program. It is centered on Medicaid and how Farnham is going to be working as a Medicaid provider to give service in the future that is going to be outcome based instead of fee for service. “It centers things around effectiveness,” Bresee said. “It looks to bring together multiple disciplines — such as primary care, substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment — together in a seamless way to treat the whole person,” he said. DSRIP´s purpose is to fundamentally restructure the health care delivery system by reinvesting in the Medicaid program, with the primary goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by 25 percent over five years. “Incentivizing the bringing together of those systems is a lot of what DSRIP does as well as empowering the sharing of communication for the betterment of outcomes for folks,” Bresee said. The goal is to see less emergency room visits, less hospital admissions and visits in general, and greater health ratings by the community, he noted. APRIL / MAY 2016
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OswegoCounty Business.com OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Physician Marie Margaret Castillo-Alcasid, left, and her husband Michael Alcasid, also a physician, attend to a patient in Oswego Hospital’s intensive care unit.
Is There a Hospitalist in the House? Hospitalists at Oswego Hospital fill gap between private practices, hospital stays
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ichael Alcasid and his wife Marie Margaret Castillo-Alcasid have a lot in common. They are both from the Philippines and went through quite similar medical training paths to become doctors. In addition, they both practice as hospitalists at Oswego Health. Hospitalists provide medical care
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to hospitalized patients. They also coordinate care with patients’ primary care providers during and after their hospital stay. In addition, they co-manage some patients with a physician specialist if they require medical management during their stay. Michael Alcasid is the Oswego Health hospitalist program director OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
as well as director of its intensive care unit. He is also vice president of Oswego Health’s medical staff and served as chief of medicine from 2008-2015. Michael, 49, and Marie Margaret, who turns 51 in May, both earned their Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of the Philippines in Manila. The city of Oswego residents also completed their internal medicine residencies through the New York University/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center internal medicine program. Marie Margaret completed her critical care fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore in the Bronx. She was chief fellow from 1997-1998. “The strength of our training in internal medicine was in hospital-based medicine,” Marie Margaret said. “We APRIL / MAY 2016
felt that we could help the community more this way.”
Key roles
Michael said the demands of providing primary care have become more challenging. “We recognized like other physicians throughout the country that it was more difficult to provide primary care in an office setting all day and then see our hospitalized patients after hours,” he said. To support those physicians who no longer wished to provide care to their hospitalized patients, hospitals began implementing hospitalist programs, Marie Margaret said. “Hospitalists are physicians who care for hospital inpatients, order necessary tests and procedures, as well as keep the individual’s primary care provider and family informed of their loved ones health status,” she noted. Oswego Hospital first implemented a hospitalist program in 2008. The Alcasids were among the initial providers, along with physician Mohamad Ahmed and nurse practitioner Kristen Miller Tyrrell. Today, the program has grown to include 14 medical professionals that include six physicians who are complemented by nocturnists or physicians who work overnight, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner and others. “Some of our colleagues in the field were very supportive of our move to do full-time inpatient care here in Oswego Hospital and we felt comfortable filling their role in the hospital,” Michael said. “Eventually as they slowly concentrated more on their outpatient practice, they started handing over care of their patients to our service,” he added. Michael said the position of hospitalist evolved in the world of healthcare because of increased demands on physicians to maintain an outpatient practice. “Changes in reimbursements and the need to see more patients per day transformed the dynamics for everybody,” Michael said. “It basically grew out of a need to keep up with the demands imposed upon our healthcare system.” The couple agrees that ideally, a strong background in internal medicine and hospital-based training is needed in order to become a hospitalist. “There are now hospitalist training programs that have evolved as a result of the demand,” Marie Margaret said. The couple has two daughters, Nina and Ana. They both enjoy tennis and traveling. Both physicians are affiliated APRIL / MAY 2016
Oswego Hospital hospitalist program started in 2008. Today, it has grown to include 14 medical professionals that include six physicians who are complemented by nocturnists or physicians who work overnight, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner and others. with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Society of Hospital Medicine.
Trust factor apparent
Michael said one of the more challenging aspects of being a hospitalist is to gain patients’ trust when caring for them. “We take care of patients who are so used to their primary care provider,” he said. However, there are also many sources of job gratification. “Knowing that we have made a difference to a patient’s life makes it gratifying,” Marie Margaret said. “We also appreciate the support of our local primary care providers, who have been willing to entrust their patients’ care to us,” Michael added. The couple agrees that electronic medical records are vital in terms of coordinating efforts with a patient’s primary care doctor. “Electronic medical records make it easier for us to share details of a patient’s care while in the hospital with their primary care providers,” Marie Margaret said. Oswego Hospital is also a part of HealtheConnections, a nonprofit corporation that supports the use of health information exchange. “It provides a way to access and share our records with proper consent from our patients to other hospitals and specialists as deemed necessary by their healthcare needs,” Michael said. The advent of EMR has decreased OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
the potential for medication errors, Marie Margaret said, as well as duplication of tests and lab work, which was very common before the advent of hospitalists. As the hospitalist field grew throughout the country, the development of protocols and guidelines has made hospitalist medicine more efficient and led to decreased cost, Michael noted. The Society of Hospital Medicine was also formed, which has been a source of updates and training resources to improve patient care. The SHM recently announced the introduction of a dedicated billing code for hospitalists by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This decision comes in response to concerted advocacy efforts from SHM for CMS to recognize the specialty. This is considered a significant step for hospital medicine, which continues to be the fastest growing medical specialty in the United States with over 48,000 practitioners identifying as hospitalists, growing from approximately 1,000 in the mid-1990s.
Communication essential
The couple agrees that in order to be an effective hospitalist, strong communication skills are essential. “Keeping the patient and their providers well informed of the plan of care is a big part of a successful relationship,” Marie Margaret said. Another key skill set for a hospitalist is a willingness to adapt and learn new things largely because healthcare is constantly changing. “Enjoying your work also translates to less stressful days and an overall better outlook,” Michael said. A member of the hospitalist team is always in the hospital and able to meet the medical care needs of patients efficiently, according to Oswego Health President and CEO Charles Gijanto. “If a patient requires a specialist or a procedure, the hospitalist is very familiar with the departments of the hospital, so those arrangements can be conveniently made. “Since a hospitalist is always here, they are able to meet with a patient’s loved ones when they are visiting to discuss the plan of care.” According to Today’s Hospitalist, hospitalists in the Northeast earn an average of $239,142, which is an increase of 3.6 percent compared to 2014. On average, they encounter 16 patients per shift, which are on average 11.35 hours in length. 79
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Amy Cavalier Jacob Reisch, a Geneva native and a Cornell University graduate, has developed headphone technology aimed at improving seniors’ ability to hear in public places. He visited more than 150 senior facilities to research and test his headphones.
Young Entrepreneur Sets Sights on Hearing Loss
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A Geneva native develops wireless headphone technology aimed at increasing senior engagement and reducing stigma associated with hearing loss
acob Reisch has been wearing hearing aids and visiting more than 150 senior living communities since graduating from Cornell University earlier this year. “You definitely feel the stigma,” said the 25-year-old Geneva native who has perfect hearing. “I had people talking to me louder. I had friends who commented on it. Also, wanting to listen to music, I couldn’t use earbuds, and over-the-ear headphones are uncomfortable over hearing aids.” 80
The impetus for Reisch’s uncharacteristic interest in older adulthood is his business Eversound, which produces headphone technology aimed at improving seniors’ ability to hear in public places such as churches, senior living communities and education and entertainment venues, and thereby increasing their engagement. "One out of two of us will have hearing loss before we turn 70," said Reisch. "It’s a natural part of the aging process." OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Hearing loss can have a drastic impact on quality of life for seniors, said physician Frederick M. Barken, of Ithaca. “Of all the functional declines and frailties of the ‘golden years,’ hearing loss may be the most isolating,” Barken said. “Elderly sufferers of marked hearing impairment tend to withdraw. Relying on family and caregivers to speak for them, they relinquish control. Isolation and sensory deprivation may lead to depression and irritability, and even may APRIL / MAY 2016
exacerbate an underlying dementia.” With assistance from a team of developers, researchers and investors, Reisch has developed a wireless headphone system specifically tuned to the ergonomic and auditory needs of older adults. Each set of headphones has its own intuitive volume control for those who lack finger dexterity, allowing them to be easily adjusted to their individual taste, he said. “Many times, the headphones will be used for a program, and then a discussion will follow where a microphone is passed around so everyone hears each and every word,” he said. “If users want to hear what's going into the headphones and what is surrounding them, they can wear one ear with the headphone on and the other ear without the headphone.” In order to walk in the shoes of older adults experiencing hearing loss, Reisch and his team have traveled to over 150 senior living communities, including Kendal at Ithaca, a continuing care retirement community in Ithaca. “We were very interested because we recognized that many of our residents, average age of 86, had significant hearing problems even though many Kendal residents have hearing aids and a hearing loop has been installed in the auditorium,” said James Stouffer, a resident of Kendal at Ithaca since 2006 and its audio visual committee chairman. Stouffer said Eversound’s worked well with the existing microphones and speakers, without any distortion, reducing the amount of questions and missed information by audience members. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that people with physical handicaps can gain access to public places. It does them no good, however, if, once inside a theater, concert hall or church, they cannot hear or participate, said Barken. “Amplification by hearing aids, if affordable, may improve the situation in close conversation, but the hearing-impaired elder misses out on so much more,” he added. “Being able to enjoy a concert, theater or church sermon adds meaning to later life and restores a joie de vivre that should not be limited to the young.” One Eversound system comes with 10 headphones, one transmitter, a portable charging case for docking the headphones and the connectors needed to play sound through any device including a television, iPhone, laptop or PA system, among others. The ear pads are easily replaceable and up to APRIL / MAY 2016
Seniors wearing Eversound headphones, developed by Jacob Reisch, a Geneva native. “Some adult care communities use the Eversound system for movies, plugging the transmitter into the television, projector or sound system and then each senior gets their own headphone for high fidelity sound,” says Reisch.
120 headphones can be connected to a single transmitter for larger audiences. The system costs $2,795.00 to purchase or $119 per month for a subscription plan, which includes maintenance and replacement ear pads four times a year. “Some adult care communities use the Eversound system for movies, plugging the transmitter into the television, projector or sound system and then each senior gets their own headphone for high fidelity sound,” said Reisch. “Some communities have a lobby area that's also used for activities, so broadcasting the audio on the headphones prevents disruption to the surrounding environment.” As young as he is, Eversound is not Reisch’s first business. He is also founder and former CEO of Party Headphones, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
an audio technology provider for the special events industry, which serves tens of thousands of customers a year. Party Headphones works with clients such as MTV, Viacom, Red Bull, Pepsi and provides wireless headphone technology for silent disco events. That evolved into Eversound through Reisch’s studies in Cornell University’s eLab Business Accelerator. Eversound’s goal is to reduce the stigma associated with hearing loss. “We want to see hearing loss viewed as the same type of thing as vision loss; it degenerates as you get older,” Reisch said. “It’s a natural part of the aging process." For more information visit www. eversoundhq.com/ 81
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Hospital-Acquired Conditions Oswego Gets High Marks Oswego Health receives impressive scores in area of curtailing hospital-acquired conditions
O
swego Health is receiving rave reviews for its efforts at controlling hospital-acquired conditions. OH is even outperforming its neighbors in Onondaga County — including Upstate University Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, and Crouse Hospital — in the area of HAC (see accompanying graphic). “Oswego Hospital’s HAC score was the best in the region, with the Syracuse hospitals noted as worse, having scores at least double or triple our score,” said Marion Ciciarelli, public relations director for Oswego Health. This is the second year in a row that Oswego Hospital had one of the lowest HAC rates. Hospitals do not receive financial benefits for earning a low ranking, but hospitals whose score is higher than 6.75 are penalized by Medicare and can have their reimbursement rate reduced by 1 percent. Medicare gives each hospital a score from 1-10, with one being the best. Oswego Hospital’s score, for this report that covered 2011-2014, was 3. Penalties were created as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, which encourages hospitals to reduce their HAC rates. These conditions include infections and bedsores that a patient acquires at a hospital and not from their original reason for admission.
Enhances image
This type of ranking certainly benefits Oswego Hospital from a competitive standpoint. “We certainly believe the community should recognize the significance of the Medicare report. Quite simply, 82
Oswego Health’s Kathryn Pagliaroli, left, director of clinical quality and patient safety, and Terri Hammill, director of infection prevention and environmental services, are among those responsible for Oswego Hospital’s low hospital-acquired conditions rate. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
community residents can receive safe, high-quality healthcare services right here, where they live and work,” Ciciarelli said. “The thought that they need to travel to Syracuse for healthcare because the hospitals are more advanced isn’t always true, according to the Medicare report.” In addition, since the larger tertiary hospitals typically treat the sickest patients, there is a greater likelihood of more contagions, Ciciarelli said. “It makes sense that residents utilize their community hospital for many conditions and surgeries because they may be safer,” she said. She added the impressive HAC ranking positively impacts efforts at recruiting prospective healthcare professionals. “Quite naturally, people — regardless of the type of job they hold — want to work for an organization that provides the best services,” Ciciarelli said. The ranking has already made a difference in terms of patients choosing Oswego Hospital as opposed to going elsewhere in the region. “We have had patients tell us that they chose Oswego Hospital for their care after reading about our low rates of hospital-acquired conditions,” Ciciarelli said. “These patients told us they had very positive customer-service experiences that more than exceeded their care expectations.”
Infection fighters
As a part of its recent report, MediAPRIL / MAY 2016
“We certainly believe the community should recognize the significance of the Medicare report. Quite simply, community residents can receive safe, high-quality healthcare services right here, where they live and work. The thought that they need to travel to Syracuse for healthcare because the hospitals are more advanced isn’t always true, according to the Medicare report.” Marion Ciciarelli, public relations director for Oswego Health. care measured a hospital’s rate associated with a central-line bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection and surgical-site infections. More specifically, the HAC scores are based on the frequency of infections caused by tubes that pump fluids or medicine into veins; infections from tubes placed in bladders to remove urine; OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
and the rates of eight types of serious complications, including surgical tears, reopened wounds, collapsed lungs and broken hips. An example of Oswego Hospital’s success is in its intensive care unit, where best practices have resulted in a zero rate for central-line associated bloodstream infections for the past five years, Ciciarelli said. “We focus on proper insertion practices, maintenance bundles and early removal of these lines if they are no longer necessary for the patient’s care,” Ciciarelli said. “Just as important are frequent cleaning of the environment and equipment, as well as sterile techniques for insertion, daily line necessity checks and hand hygiene.” Patients are also part of the infection team and hospital staff helps make them knowledgeable of their role in prevention, she added. The prevention of surgical site infections begins with patient education in pre-admission testing prior to surgery, Ciciarelli said. “Surgical procedures are tracked for 30 days — 90 days for implanted devices — so it is very important our patients have the knowledge and assistance to take care of themselves before, during and after discharge from the hospital,” she said.
Checking C. diff
Oswego Hospital staff members from environmental services, the pharmacy and nursing collaborated on a 83
Doctors, Health Professionals Most physicians in the area, many healthcare professionals and almost all of the healthcare leadership in Oswego County receive and read Oswego County Business magazine. Reaching healthcare professionals. Another good reason to advertise in Oswego County Business (315) 342-8020
program that significantly reduced the hospital’s Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection rate. The three departments have different but important roles in preventing C. diff, which is a spore and not easily killed with regular cleaning products, Ciciarelli said. “The nursing staff is on the front line of infection prevention and as part of their care use proper isolation practices, dedicated patient equipment and hand-washing techniques,” Ciciarelli said. “They routinely receive training that puts the latest practices and procedures to work.” The pharmacy ensures patients are treated with the correct antibiotics and that they are not overused, which can compromise good bacteria in an individual’s body, she added. Meanwhile, Oswego Health’s environmental services staff works and acts as surveillance for appropriate cleaning practices, ensuring they are addressing all the high-touch surface areas effectively. Isolation precautions, cleaning of equipment and hand hygiene audits are also performed. “It takes a team to achieve these very low HAC rates and we do a great job giving the right care, the right time,
every time,” Ciciarelli said. “Patient safety at Oswego Hospital is paramount and our entire staff needs to be commended as this has been very much a team effort,” said Renato Mandanas, chief medical officer at Oswego Health. Mandanas oversees the hospital’s quality of care. “Our senior leadership right to our front-line staff have taken part in educational sessions and are following best practices each and every time they care for a patient,” he noted. Several members of the infection prevention team serve in leadership positions in state and international groups that work to reduce infections, not only at Oswego Hospital, but also throughout the Central New York region. These staff members keep up to date with the latest best practices and implement them at Oswego Hospital, Ciciarelli said. In addition, Oswego Health partners with the New York State Partnership for Patients on initiatives to reduce risk of infections. “Continual education for new staff and competencies to maintain our practices will be a must to continue to keep our patients safe and to drive zero harm to our patients,” Ciciarelli said.
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Success Story Attending to duties at the Oswego ‘Herb’ Philipson’s store are, from left, employees Loren Willmes, Thomas Tobin and Jennifer Kuhl.
‘Herb’ Philipson’s New Retailer in Oswego County Clings to Old-fashioned Values in Modern Way
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t’s called big-time quality with a small-town feel. That has been the approach of “Herb” Philipson’s, a well-known Central New York retailer of outdoor and casual apparel, work wear and footwear, hunting and fishing gear, guns, ammo and sporting goods. The Rome-based chain’s success can now be felt in the city of Oswego, where Philipson’s established its ninth location last year. Philipson’s is located in the Tractor Supply Plaza at 293 state Route 104 East in Oswego in a building that once was occupied by Tops Friendly APRIL / MAY 2016
Market. Gary Philipson is the president of the company. He said the Port City fits perfectly into the business’ method of operation. Philipson describes Oswego as “our kind of town,” noting the business does not locate in big metro areas such as Buffalo or New York City. Central New York locations are in DeWitt, Liverpool and Oswego, while the Mohawk Valley features stores in Rome, Oneida, New Hartford and Herkimer. There are also locations in Watertown and Newark. “We’ve had customers from OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
By Lou Sorendo
‘Herb’ Philipson’s is based in Rome and currently has nine stores across the region Oswego for years at our other stores,” Philipson said. “It’s got the lake and lots of hunters, and normally there’s a winter up there.” “It really matches up to a lot of what we offer,” he added. Due to proprietary reasons, Philipson did not share hard figures in terms of gross revenues or investments. However, he did say the company has experienced growth on a conservative level. “It’s not like we’ve been getting unbelievable gains, but we’ve grown conservatively,” he said. Philipson said store locations are not in high-growth areas. “These communities have all been sort of beaten down,” he said. “We’ve been in these communities for a long time and we understand them. That’s our thing.” “We try to run a tight ship,” said Philipson, noting each store can be visited in a day trip and managers frequent each location on a regular basis. “We really feel we are a tight family of stores,” he added. There are between 20 to 30 partand full-time workers at each location.
In the beginning
Gary’s father, Herb, started the business. After Herb got out of the Navy, he worked for his family in a similar business in Utica. He would then go on to open his own Army-Navy store in Rome. “From the get-go he was very loyal and worked six days a week for a long time,” said Philipson, noting his dad would take the time to wait on 85
Rome 1951: First ‘Herb’ Philispson’s store
every customer. Philipson noted his dad didn’t have much credit or money at the time, and was known to order just what he needed to cover inventory. “He had a good reputation and
was honest,” he added. What gave Herb a competitive edge was his pricing. He would make sure he was “always a little less” than some of the big retailers in town, Philipson noted.
Interior of ‘Herb’ Philipson’s store in Oswego. Each of the nine stores in the region has a different layout. 86
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“That’s how the business grew. We are still thankful for his reputation,” he said, noting his dad died about 13 years ago at the age of 80. “Although he took some time off [in retirement], he still used to come in when he was up here. He was really committed to the business,” Philipson said. A solid reputation and competitive pricing are still the key tenets to the business, he noted. “We like to say it’s a great value,” Philipson said. Top-brand names such as UnderArmour, Nike and Carhartt are offered at everyday prices, he noted. “We do have some sales, although we don’t market things like many of the department stores do — mark merchandise way up so they can take it down. That’s really not our M.O. [modus operandi],” he said. “We’re very concerned that when we offer a price on something, that it’s a better price than what you can get at a big box store or at the mall,” he said. He said along with a trained customer service staff, the intent is to APRIL / MAY 2016
create a comfortable place to shop. “There’s no magic or secret to what we do. We just work hard and have a great staff of people to work with,” he said. Philipson said each store has its own character. “It’s not like we build our stores to our specifications, such as a Macy’s, Sports Authority or Dick’s. They come and build a unit. We really end up taking over another store,” he said. The challenge becomes fitting merchandise to the size of each store, he added. “Every store really is a little different from any of the other stores,” he said. “When you come into one of our stores, it is a nice environment and you don’t feel as if this could be the same store in any other city. Hopefully, it’s a nice, local feel,” he added.
Enter the modern age
The business has abstained from offering online sales, primarily because it prefers shoppers to come into its stores and experience the merchandise first-hand. However, that sentiment is changing. Over the last several years, a hot topic at “Herb” Philipson’s is offering online sales.
Gary Philipson is the president of the ‘Herb’ Philipson’s. He is the son of founder Herb, who died about 13 years ago at age 80. Philipson said online sales will be used by the business in the near future. The business does use social media outlets such as Twitter and Face-
book, and features a “Price Fighter” Club that offers discounts to frequent customers. Philipson credits his staff for enabling the business to be in expansion mode. “You can’t expand and go into new areas unless you have good people,” he said. “We have a great staff of people in our little corporate office here in Rome and great managers at each of our stores.” He said the business had ample staff and a fine-tuned system to enable it to expand into Oswego seamlessly. “We’re committed to Upstate New York and have been doing business here for a long time. We just hope we make good decisions,” he said. Philipson said the business is not looking to expand further at the moment. “Our bellies are kind of full right now,” he said. Philipson said consumers’ standards haven’t changed over the years. “They want names they know, quality brands and prices they can afford. That’s been our philosophy since 1951,” he said. He added the level of customer service at “Herb” Philipson‘s far surpasses competitors. “We wait on them with people who know a little bit about the product,” he said.
New store in Oswego is located at the building once occupied by Tops Friendly Maket.
APRIL / MAY 2016
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Best Business Directory DEMOLITION
Fisher Companies. Commercial & residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 46 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315-652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.
AUCTION & REAL ESTATE
EXCAVATING
Dean D. Cummins over 35 years experience. All types of auctions & real estate. Route 370 Cato. Call 246-5407.
Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic and tank pumping. 691 county Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.
AUTO COLLISION Northside Collision, Baldwinsville. Upstate’s largest collision/repair center. Lifetime warranty, loaners or rentals. We assist with the insurance claims. 75 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville. More information, call 638-4444..
AUTO SALES & SERVICE Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — Third generation business. Towing, auto repair & accessories, Truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57 Fulton, NY 13069. Call 593-1332 or fax 598-5286.
AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Northstar Tire & Auto Service. Major/minor repairs. Foreign & domestic. Alignments. Tire sales. Call Jim at 598-8200. 1860 state Route 3 W. in Fulton.
BUILDING SUPPLIES Burke’s Home Center. The complete building and supply center. Two locations for your convenience: 38 E. Second St. in Oswego (343-6147); and 65 N. Second St. in Fulton (592-2244). Free deliveries.
COPY + PRINT Port City Copy Center. Your one-stop for all of your copy + print needs. 184 Water St. Oswego (back of Canal Commons). 216-6163.
CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection. 169 W. First St. Oswego. Quality conservation matting & framing for your photos, prints, original artwork & objects. 343-2908.
GLASS Fulton Glass — Oswego County’s only full service glass shop. Residential. Commercial. Shower enclosures. Auto glass. Window and picture glass. Screen Repair. Window Repair. Beveled Mirrors and Glass. Hours: M-Th 8-4, Fri 8-noon. FultonGlass.net, 840 Hannibal Street Fulton, NY 13069, 593-7913.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Wet Paint Company. Paint, flooring, blinds & drapes. Free estimates. Call 343-1924, www.wetpaintcompany.com.
LUMBER
White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: state Route 13, 298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland Street, 788-6200; Clayton: James Street, 686-1892; Gouverneur: Depot Street, 287-1892. D & D Logging and Lumber. Hardwood lumber sales. Buyer of logs and standing timber. Very competitive pricing. Call 315-593-2474. Located at 1409 county Route 4, Central Square, NY 13036.
OUTBOARD MOTORS Arney’s Marina. Route 14 Sodus Point, NY. Honda fourstroke motors, 2 hp to 250 hp. Repower your boat with the best! Call 483-9111 for more information.
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT BJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment/ Sales & Service. 3649 state Route 3, Fulton, NY. www.bjsoutdoorpower.com. We sell Ferris, Echo, Central Boiler, and Simplicity products. Call 598-5636.
KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS
QUILT SHOP
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.
Quality fabrics, Notions, Classes for everyone. Explore a new hobby. The Robins Nest-315-598-1170 Fulton, NY
LAND SURVEYOR Robert M. Burleigh, licensed land surveyor. Quality land surveying. Residential, subdivision, commercial, boundary surveying. 593-2231.
LANDSCAPING D & S Landscaping office. Servicing Oswego & surrounding areas. Quality work, prompt & dependable service. Free estimates. Fully Insured. Backhoe services, Lawn mowing, Snow plowing, Top soil, Tree work. Hydro-seeding & asphalt seal coating. 315-598-6025 (cell 315-591-4303)
ROOFING/GUTTERS Over The Top Roofing. Mike Majeski. Commercial & residential roofing. Quality craftsmanship. 50-year manufacturer’s warranty for residential roofs. Best price on seamless gutters. Call 882-5255. 400 Co. Rt. 7 Hannibal, NY 13074.
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Oswego County Business • P.O. Box 276 • Oswego, NY 13126 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
89
Last Page
By Lou Sorendo
Frank Castiglia Jr. Legislator is looking into the viability of dissolving the city of Fulton
Q.: How did the concept of dissolving the city of Fulton first arise? A.: There have been several villages that have successfully dissolved, including the villages of Altmar and Seneca Falls. When the county of Onondaga came up with the idea of joining with the city of Syracuse, it was bolstered by incentives offered by the state to consolidate. I thought it was time to look into what we can do to save our city from financial ruin. Q.: What problems in the city of Fulton would be cured by dissolving it? A.: If a municipality is unable to increase its tax base, there is an increase in taxes on the existing tax base, the taxpayers. With that being said, taxes should stabilize. The increase in debt by bonding everyday expenses — such as purchasing of patrol cars, money to demolish vacant houses, etc. — would stop. The biggest expense the city of Fulton has right now is the cost of public safety. Public safety is a necessity and it wouldn’t go away but the size of the public safety workforce would decrease. A combined public safety workforce with the county, state and neighboring towns and villages with consolidated services would save money and make economic sense. Q.: How long do you believe it will take to make this happen? A.: I believe at this time it’s impossible to predict a timeline. I am researching what types of grants the state is offering to do a study. The study that Onondaga County did took almost two years. After the study is completed, there would be a series of town hall meetings to explain the plan and, mostly
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importantly, to answer questions and concerns as well as receive input from taxpayers. At some point in time, there would be a collection of signatures to put it to a referendum vote. I am attempting to begin a real dialogue with my fellow Fultonians. Q.: Do you get a sense from city taxpayers that they would back such an initiative? A.: People who are aware of this idea have thanked and encouraged me for trying to do something positive to alleviate the tax burden. Some people are positive and some are not in favor of it. Yet, it’s my firm belief that this idea is worth pursuing. More are in favor than against. Q.: If this does occur, would the city become a town or be absorbed into neighboring townships? A.: I envision the city of Fulton reverting back to being a village as it once was. There is much to be studied and it is premature, I think, to speculate.
to your idea negatively. Is that what you expected and what is it going to take to convince them this is a wise course of action? A.: I am hoping they would at the very least entertain that it is a worthy idea. In my mind, any and all ideas that could possibly help our city are worthy of real discussion and investigation. Admittedly, this idea is radical, but these are very tough economic times and the time has come to be creative and forward thinking. The leadership in the city hasn’t changed in 12 years and by the numbers, the only things that have gone up are taxes and our ranking as one of the top-10 highest taxed cities in the state. Q.: How will this stance on your part affect you politically? Are you planning to run for re-election? A.: I once said about this decision, “I have either committed political suicide or I could run for Congress and win.” Only time will tell. Yes, I plan to run for one more term. I have said all along that I will, if elected, impose a three-term limit. There needs to be fresh ideas all the time at all levels of government.
Q.: City o ff i c i a l s have reacted
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
APRIL / MAY 2016
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