Oswego County Business, #176: October - November 2021 by Oswego County Business Magazine

www.cnybusinessmag.com

Serving Oswego & Onondaga counties

OSWEGO COUNTY

BUSINESS October / November 2021

$4.50

CNY Busin ’s Maga ess zine

START-UPS Some local entrepreneurs have defied the odds and started their businesses during the pandemic — some of them during the high peak of COVID-19. They share their experiences. P. 68

ON THE JOB

EDUCATION

MANUFACTURING

P. 13

P. 46

P. 84

‘What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?’

Sector braces for challenging times with shortage of teachers

Novelis won’t be affected by slowdown in auto industry

Had a Stroke. Back on Stage. Crouse

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.

FACE DROOPING

A. S. T.

ARM WEAKNESS

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age. Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices. What to do: Time lost is brain lost. So it’s vital to know the signs of a stroke — F.A.S.T. Four words to live by: Call 911 and say, “Take me to Crouse.“ When it comes to stroke, every moment matters. As one of just 10 hospitals in New York State tohave earned Comprehensive Stroke Center status, and with the region’s newest ER and hybrid ORs, Crouse offers the most advanced technology for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment

Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.

TIME TO CALL 911

2022

COMING S

OON!

REACH KEY DECISION MAKERS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK

n QUALITY CONTENT The Business Guide is the only publication that ranks the largest employers in all Central and Northern New York, bringing a wealth of information about who they are, what they do and who is in charge.

n READERSHIP Read by professional and business people, managers, small business owners and regular folks in the community.

n DISTRIBUTION Nearly 20,000 readers based on 5,000+ copies distributed. Mailed to more than 4,000 decision makers in the region. 1,000 copies placed at strategic locations for high visibility.

n FREE ONLINE Our interactive online publication allows readers to easily connect to industry leaders, and can navigate directly to an advertiser’s webpage by clicking the ad!

SERVING THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY

SINCE 1995

LAST YEAR’S

GUIDE

TO ADVERTISE, CALL 315-342-8020 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO EDITOR@CNYBUSINESSMAG.COM

go & Onondaga Serving Oswe

counties

OUNTY OSWEGO C

smag.com www.cnybusines

BUSINESS $4.50

mber 2021

October / Nove

CNY’s Business Magazine

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021

PROFILE KATHLEEN KERR

START-UPS e defied the epreneurs hav ses during ines Some local entr ted their bus the odds and star — some of them during r y share thei the pandemic The 9. ID-1 COV high peak of experiences. P. 68

ON THE JOB

business ‘What is the best received?’ advice you’ve ever

EDUCATION

challenging Sector braces for of teachers times with shortage

MANUFACTURINGted by affec Novelis won’t be industry slowdown in auto P. 84

P. 46

P. 13

Cover Story

• New start-ups defy odds, COVID-19 pandemic

Jobs & Finance

New vice president of student affairs at SUNY Oswego has wide responsibilities: food, housing, mental health, medical care, sports, social activities and more. She comes to SUNY Oswego after a long career at the University of Delaware .......18

SPECIAL FEATURES 46

• Challenging times for schools • Jobs: more hirings expected in the fall • Online financial fraud shot up during pandemic •Top banking mistakes small businesses make

Manufacturing

ISSUE 176

On the Job ‘What’s the best advice you’ve received?.....................13 Crossing the Line Cuomo pays the price for crossing the line...40 Cannabis Owner of Syracuse.com to launch New York Cannabis Insider, a website catering to the growing industry..................................42 Retirement Is it a thing of the past?.........................................................54 Digital Divide Reliable high-speed internet often remains out of reach for rural CNY communities .................................................................. 60 Still Building College to create new home for School of Communication, Media and the Arts. ...........................................................65

• Profile of six women who have made a difference in CNY • Meet the 100 Women Who Care CNY group • Nancy Fox: CNY Arts Center Helps Revitalize Fulton •MACNY: Taylor Hodge is now in charge of workforce development

Dining out

Mark Wahl talks about Oswego Music Hall’s new season. P. 98

Chef Rebekah Alford is in charge of two Pulaski eateries. P. 93

DEPARTMENTS How I Got Started Kathy Hotaling, Cakes & The Big Dipper...................16 Where is Sandra Scott Cyprus, in the Mediterranean.............................20 Newsmakers / Business Updates..............................................................26, 34 Tim’s Corner Oswego County makes it easy to get vaccinated...............44

Large coconut-breaded shrimps with garlic chili sauce for dipping served at RiverHouse. 4

My Turn The art of leaving while you’re on top....................................58 Guest Columnist Employee or independent contractor..........................81 Economic Trends Operation Oswego County presents awards...........89 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Do you use I-81?

How to make your comment

We can create a thriving community grid AND build a landmark tall bridge that keeps us moving. Before there is a final decision about the I-81viaduct, NYSDOT is required to consider your opinion.

Phone Email Web Mail

The public comment period ends Thursday, October 14th.

855-481-8255 i81opportunities@dot.ny.gov www.dot.ny.gov/i81opportunities Mark Frechette, P.E. NYS DOT Region 3 333 East Washington St. Syracuse, NY 13202

make your voice heard. It’s go time!

Contact DOT and tell them to to:build a better bridge.

QR code

Granger Construction… A PRINCIPLE-BASED COMPANY. pre-construction services general construction design/build construction management

Your building project represents a big investment. You need a contractor you can trust. Granger builds lasting relationships with each of our clients based on honesty and integrity. We will partner with you to make your project a success.

commercial I industrial I healthcare hospitality I mixed-use I redevelopment

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wwww.grangerconstructioncompany.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

ADVERTISING INDEX 3 Sisters...................................23 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.....................19 ALPS Professional Services....29 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler).....................6 Ansun Graphics.......................53 Barclay Damon........................38 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law.................25 Buckingham Brothers..............85 Bugs Bee Gone.......................29 Builder’s FirstSource...............15 Burke’s Home Center..............27 C & S Companies....................92 Canale’s Italian Cuisine...........33 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting .....................17 CB Stump Removal.................27 Century 21 Galloway...............29 Century 21 Leah’s Signature...67 Chalet Whiteface.....................24 CNY Community Foundation...43 Compass Credit Union............19 ConnextCare.............................9 Crouse Hospital.........................2

Dusting Divas............................6 Eis House Lodge.....................33 EJ USA....................................81 Elemental Management Group............12 Empower Federal Credit Union........................51 Exelon Generation...................99 Financial Partners of Upstate..79 Fitzgibbons Agency.................88 Foster Funeral Home...............79 Fulton Oswego Motor Express.88 Fulton Savings Bank................79 Fulton Taxi...............................85 Fulton Tool Co.........................88 Gartner Equipment..................87 Granger Construction................5 H. Lee White Museum.............23 Harbor Eye Associates............53 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY..............39 Hoss Country Corner...............24 Howard Hanna.........................10 Hunt Realty..............................25 IBEW-NECA Local 43..............87 Johnston Gas..........................28

L C Cleaners............................49 Lakeshore Hardwoods.............88 Laser Transit............................43 Longley Brothers.....................19 LW Emporium Co-Op..............23 MACNY....................................91 Menter Ambulance..................39 Mimi’s Drive In.........................33 Mitchell Speedway Printing...............................29 Mr. Sub ...................................33 NBT Bank................................55 Northern Ace Hardware...........27 Novelis...................................100 Ol’ Factory Soaps....................24 Operation Oswego County......99 Oswego County Federal Credit Union..........91 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................17 Oswego County Opportunities........................8 Over the Top Roofing..............29 Painful Acres Amish Furniture..................23 Pathfinder Bank.......................11

Patterson Warehousing...........88 Plumley Engineering................10 Pontiac Care & Rehabilitation Center ........7 RiverHouse Restaurant...........33 Riverside Artisans....................23 Safe Haven..............................23 Save I-81...................................5 Small Business Development Center...........85 Scriba Electric..........................27 Spereno Construction..............29 Sweet-Woods Memorial Co.....29 Technology Development Organization (TDO)............55 The Medicine Place.................39 The Wild Center.......................24 Trimble Services, LLC.............27 United Wire Technology..........87 Vashaw’s Collision...................38 Watertown Industrial Center Development...........81 WD Malone..............................27 White’s Lumber & Building Supply...............27 WRVO.....................................96

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach. Putting the needs of my clients first is the approach I believe in. I’ll work with you to find the right financial solutions to help you plan for your unique goals. And together, we’ll track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help get you where you want to go.

Nadine K. Barnett

Randy L. Zeigler, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® Private Wealth Advisor CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner 315.342.1227 97 W. Utica St. Oswego, NY 13126 randy.l.zeigler@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/randy.l.zeigler

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with plaque design) in the U.S. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. © 2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (03/21)

Your Fabulous deep cleaning experts providing 9 years of service. 315-591-1762 • www.divasdusting.com FULLY INSURED • FULLY BONDED • FREE ESTIMATES

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

A place we call home!

“I enjoy eating in the dining room, especially the tuna salad, and playing dice games with friends. I love the staff and feel I’m treated like family.”

“I like the staff, the different activities they have — balloon toss, going outside — and the dining room. I enjoy the pasta salad.”

Ed M. resident since 2017

Jay D. resident since 2018

“I like the staff and the care they provide. I enjoy all the activities, especially crafts and going outside. I love eating spaghetti and meatballs in the dining room.” Aida G. resident since 2018

Building a Better Nursing Home • Short-term rehabilitative stay following (but not limited to) surgery, illness, or injury that may require physical or occupational therapy. • Long-term stay while maximizing the quality of life by privacy, dignity, and opportunities for social interaction and participation in the community. • Specialization in wound care.

• Dietitians certified by American Diabetes Association plan therapeutic and modified diets. • We also offer a personalized leisure time activities program, which includes music therapy and intergenerational activities. • Social service counseling, eye and dental services, and psychiatry and psychological services by professional staff are also available.

Pontiac Care and Rehabilitation Center, LLC 303 E. River Rd., Oswego, NY 13126

Call for a special tour of our facilities! 315-343-1800 | www.pontiaccare.com

Feed the hungry, house the homeless, teach the children, support family skill development, provide reliable transportation, help develop job readiness, provide health services, improve literacy, reach out to the isolated, advocate for those without a voice, care for the most vulnerable among us.

DO WHAT MATTERS.

CNY’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com Writers Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone Ken Sturtz, Steve Yablonski Mary Beth Roach Aaron Gifford Columnists L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli, Sandra Scott Tim Nekritz, Steven E. Abraham Advertising Peggy Kain Richard Annal Office Manager Nancy Nitz Layout and Design Joey Sweener Cover Photo Getty Images

Help People. Improve Our Communities. Change Lives.

Oswego County Business is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes Business Guide, CNY Summer, Fall, & Winter Guides, College Life Newspaper, In Good Health–The Healthcare Newspaper (in four regions), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults of Rochester and Central New York. Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2021 by Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Buffalo, NY Permit No. 4725

How to Reach Us

Work. Donate. Volunteer. www.oco.org 315.598.4717 8

P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776 Editor@CNYBusinessMag.com OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Say hello to healthy. 63 dedicated physicians and healthcare providers.

Say hello to a more convenient way to stay healthy in Oswego County. Formerly known as NOCHSI, ConnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, social work under one medical group. Patients within our network can now visit any of six locations at any time. And because we’re seamlessly connected, our staff can access your medical records at the touch of a button. It’s a faster, more convenient and easier way to keep yourself and your family healthy.

Learn more at connextcare.org — or better yet, stop in to one of our six sites Located in Fulton, Mexico, Oswego, Parish, Phoenix, Pulaski and say hello.

Publisher’s Note

e’re mailing and emailing hundreds of letters to local businesses and organizations — it’s time for us to update our annual Business Guide, which brings detailed information on more than 300 of the largest businesses in Central and Northen New York. This will be our 28th edition and we’re proud to have found a niche — and fill it. The annual guide is one of kind and most use as reference material. It’s an ambitious project, which involves a great deal of research, phone calls, checking and double-checking information, writing and design work. The Business Guide carries detailed descriptions of local businesses, including latest developments, employment information and background. It also carries profiles of business owners and CEOs and their comments on the local economy and their industries. It focuses on four counties: Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Jefferson. A series of graphics shows the largest employers by region, top public employers, manufacturers, auto

By Wagner Dotto

for companies to highlight their growth, expansion, new products, whatever new they have to share. For readers, the guide provides a great snapshot of companies located in the region and what they do and who is in charge. The guide will be published in mid-November. Paid subscribers to Oswego County Business will receive the publication as soon as it’s published. We will also make some free copies available throughout the region. We welcome companies to place advertisements in the publication. Cost to advertise is fairly low and advertising in the guide is a great way to showcase their products, services and their presence in the region.

Last year’s cover.

dealers, home improvement, healthcare and others. We’re glad that Operation Oswego County, the county’s economic development agency, uses it extensively as part of its marketing strategies to attract new businesses to the region. The guide is an excellent chance

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

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“I’ve owned several businesses over the past 26 years. Having worked with Pathfinder for almost my entire career we have become friends and family. No matter which branch we go into, Pathfinder Bank has cultivated a really good feeling and an atmosphere. You don’t just open up a business like this without some type of financial support and without a partner. Pathfinder has been fantastic.” – Terry LeRoi, Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique

Terry LeRoi and Tammy Wilkinson, Owners of Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique

Aqua Spa works every day to improve the health and wellness of the community it serves. At Pathfinder Bank, we’re here to help you relax with individualized solutions that take the stress out of banking. Small businesses are vital to our local economies. At Pathfinder Bank, we’re more than just your banker, we’re your friends and neighbors. We’re proud to support businesses like Aqua Spa as we work together to nurture the communities of Central New York.

To learn more about our personalized approach to banking, visit any of our 10 locations throughout Onondaga and Oswego counties or reach out to us by phone 315-343-0057 or at www.pathfinderbank.com

WE CARE LIKE FAMILY

We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry. To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions.

Become a part of Our Family!

Life in balance.

A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.

17 Sunrise Drive Oswego, NY 13126 315-342-4790 | www.MorningstarCares.com

Our Mission.

To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life.

Our Vision.

RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER

To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.

Our Team.

Registered Nurses Licensed Nurses Certified Nursing Assistants Physical Therapists Occupational Therapists Speech Therapists Social Workers Recreational Therapists Dietitians

Waterville

Nurse Aides Housekeeping Laundry Finance Maintenance Medical Records

220 Tower Street, Waterville, NY 13480 315-841-4156 | www.WatervilleCares.com

Assisted Living Community

132 Ellen Street, Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-0880 | www.TheGardensByMorningstar.com

Aaron

Manor

Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

100 St. Camillus Way, Fairport, NY 14450 585-377-4000 | www.AaronManor.com

ON THE JOB ‘What’s the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?’

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

“Focus on revenue-generating activities first. Building a business comes with a long list of tasks and it’s easy to stay busy doing things that are important but not critical. Revenue-generation is critical if you want to stay in business. Do those tasks first every day.” Deb Coman Owner, Deb Coman Content Marketing, Syracuse “Work at your business, not in it. You can’t grow if your focus is on producing work not improving and growing your business. This includes building your skills as a businessperson, especially management of financial ratios and people.” John Henry CEO, Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Oswego

“The best business advice I ever received is, ‘Know that leadership is a personal journey with people and experiences along the way helping to shaping who and what your impact will be.’ I always keep this in mind when working with clients and teammates to help them and our Central New York market grow and thrive.” Stephen Fournier Central New York market president and regional retail leader, KeyBank, Syracuse “You need to own your own business! Stop working for others.” William R. Galloway Broker and owner, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego “Be authentic. No one wants to do business with someone who is fake. People will do business with people

they can relate to and trust.” Debbie Bilello Owner Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “Leaders should behave as leaders.” Jeff Weigand Publisher, The Palladium Times and The Valley News, Oswego “Listen first; react second.” Tyler Ahart Coalition Project coordinator, Oswego County Prevention Coalition, Oswego “If better is possible, then good is not enough.” Barry Trimble Vice president, Allen Chase Enterprises, Inc., Oswego “’No Surprises!’ which translated means, ‘Have great communication with your customers.’” Bill Reilly Co-owner, The River’s End Bookstore, Oswego “A positive mindset brings positive results!” Leah Haggerty Licensed real estate broker/owner, Century 21 Leah’s Signature, Fulton and Liverpool “What sticks in my mind, especially during COVID when we couldn’t have our normal fundraisers, is that ‘People who are able to continue to support your business will be glad to.’” Sue Brown Treasurer, Friends of History in Fulton, Fulton “’As long as you keep working hard, you will achieve many goals,’ Joe Garafolo told me. It’s good advice and to this day, I still use it. It’s how I ended up where I am now.” John “Luther” Gray Owner of Motivated Creations, Oswego

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

“The best piece of business advice I received is, ‘Do it afraid. No idea is too big. Keep going even if others try to discourage you.’” Ashley McLeod Director, In Our Words, Auburn “The best business advice I have ever received is to clone myself in the way of creating video content. What I mean by that is I was doing all work in-person. I was going to worksites and doing all of that myself, but I am only one person. By putting my information into video, I am able to be in worksites all over the nation. We were able to scale our business model because it wasn’t dependent on me being present.” Kelly Springer Registered dietitian and owner of Kelly’s Choice Nutritional Company, Skaneateles “The best business advice I ever received was, ‘It is possible to live your wildest dreams as an entrepreneur. You must build a strong business plan, put together a team of business advisers, get rid of all dream killers and trust your gut.’” Gwen Webber-McLeod President/CEO, Gwen, Inc., Auburn “Never give up. Don’t take ‘no’ from someone who doesn’t have authority to give it to you.” Daniel Walsh Chiropractor, Central Square Family Chiropractic, Central Square “Take care of your customers and take care of your employees.” Janet Yuckel Owner, Done Right Cleaning, West Monroe “Always choose your partners wisely for personal life and business life.” Jeffrey Scheer Partner, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, Syracuse “I had a great customer who told me a long time ago to keep coming back to him and keep calling him back. He said that a number of people had come to see him. The day they showed up, he didn’t buy something but the people who did come back, he did buy. To be a successful manufacturer representative,

“‘Save your money because everything is going to cost more than you think to operate a business.’ I haven’t always been the best at that but I’ve tried to do this.” Amy Lear, owner of Man in the Moon Candies in Oswego

don’t be a pest, but keep coming back to make him aware of what’s going on. When he wants to buy and has a question, answer the phone and answer the question. I thought it was the stupidest thing I ever heard but that was 20 years ago and it works. That advice has paid dividends. If I can’t answer the question the customer has, I try to direct them to where they need to go.” John Zanewych Owner Big John Sales, Inc., Oswego “The best business advice I received was from my grandfather Arthur Paradise, a local small businessman in Syracuse back in his heyday. His advice could be used in any business. ‘Make adjustments and adapt new business models frequently to stay current with your clients and customers. If you’re not growing in business, you’re dying, so adapt to new situations and move on. Nobody likes change, but if you learn early on that it’s inevitable you will use change as a growth opportunity.’” Eric Pedrott Licensed real estate associate broker and office manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CNY Realty, Oswego “Safety first.”

Kyle Cheele Property manager, Canal Commons, LLC, Oswego

“It costs a whole lot of money to get an education. It can be a real mistake to go to college because of that. Consider your other options.” Carl Richardson, Jr. Owner, Carl Richardson Blown Insulation & Painting, Phoenix

“You’re only as good as your last meal.” Amy Watson General manager, Domino’s Pizza, Oswego “Communicate with your guests to better meet their needs.” Tanya Telian General manager, The Eis House, Mexico “Years and years ago, I was told, ‘Be honest and don’t try to cheat people. Give them their money’s worth.’ I’ve been doing this business for 31 years, so it must work. I make sure the drivers are honest with people out there too.” Dennis Miller Owner, Fulton Taxi, Fulton “Work harder than you think you need to, dream big, set your goals and don’t give up.” Jay Knight, Trucking/excavation consultant, Oswego “The best piece of business advice I ever received is, ‘Assemble a team of professionals.’ As a small businessperson, you try to do it all yourself. You try to do every aspect of running your business. To be effective in business, you need many other people, like a legal partner, banking partner, account partner and also some people close to you, ones you trust that you can count on to help you make decisions in your business. You really cannot do it all alone. It is not possible, as much as you may think you can.” Kim Enders Co-owner, Red Schoolhouse Maple, LLC, Fulton “’Your client and their experience are how you will be perceived by others.’ I utilize carefully structured processes for onboarding new clients and providing ongoing client service. I utilize technology to streamline those processes. Regular communication is a process. I also place a strong emphasis on regular written, verbal and electronic communication with all clients. I hope to learn of their life changes and share the world’s changes.” Robert Rolfe President, Harmony Financial Services, Oswego

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Started How I Got By Steve Yablonski

Kathy Hotaling For owner of Kathy’s Cakes & The Big Dipper in Fulton, ‘secret’ to success is hard work and best quality product and service

Q: Can you tell us a little about your background?

A: I have always loved to bake for family and friends. I was a stay-at-home mom and would bake for some close friends. I grew up with my grandmother baking; most of my recipes came from my family. Plus, I do have recipes that customers have brought me; they want me to make their items. Q: How did it all begin?

A: One of the friends who encouraged me to start a business was Joe Fiumara, who at the time [2008] was the director of the Fulton Community Development Agency. He mentioned several times that he could provide assistance and grants to help new businesses and I should consider baking for the community. Eventually, when my youngest child started school full-time, I decided it was time to get back in the work field. And, what better way than to work for myself? Q: Did you work prior to this?

A: Prior to starting my business, I was a stay-at-home mom. I had worked as a secretary at Safety Kleen [hazardous material cleanup], assistant manager for Modern Woman [clothing store], typist at Deluxe Check Printers [data entry] and a secretary in an accounting office. Q: You started at a different location?

A: Originally located on Oneida Street, it was a bakery/ice cream/catering establishment known as Kathy’s Cakes & The Big Dipper. Now I’m on Route 3. Q: What do you offer?

A: I provide special occasion cakes, wedding cakes, homemade pastries, homemade gelato, hard ice cream and soft ice cream. Q: Why did you move?

A: Over the years of having my business at 129 Cayuga St., I realized it was important to relocate to have more parking available for my customers and more space to expand my business. I looked at a few different locations. Then, The Big Dipper was for sale. After much consideration, I decided that ice cream goes very well with baked goods and would make a perfect location to relocate. I moved here in January 2020. I acquired the property in May of 2019; ran both locations for the first season. In that October, we closed the Route 3 site for renovations, renovating a storage room into a kitchen and we 16

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

moved in the following January. Q: Who helped you start your business?

A: In the beginning, I began the process by speaking with others and researching the best strategies of how to start a business. I met with [the late business adviser] Larry Perras at the Small Business Development Center in Oswego. With his guidance and Joe Fiumara’s persistence, I completed all necessary tasks and completed the micro-enterprise program to qualify for assistance with a grant and a loan. I also got help from Kevin LaMontagne from the County of Oswego IDA and John Halleron, senior business adviser at the Small Business Development Center in Oswego. I have relied on their expertise a few times over the years. I’ve been very fortunate to have their help over the years. I actually just talked with Kevin about possibly getting funding to do more renovations. Q: Were you nervous?

A: Yes, it was a very scary time. I had fears and doubts that I wouldn’t be successful. I was determined to provide the best quality baked goods and the best customer service to the Fulton community. I knew I needed to hire experienced employees that could support all aspects of the bakery. Even though I could bake, I was not the best at the decorating cakes. Therefore, I was able to hire an experienced decorator and a baker to help in the kitchen. I am a firm believer that it takes teamwork to complete the job. I invested a substantial financial amount and dedicated a larger amount of my heart and soul into the business. Q: Were there any challenges?

A: Having never owned a business, I experienced many difficulties. This includes financial, staffing, product development and consistency. It is important to remember the saying, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ As a new business owner, I had to expect the unexpected and had many learning experiences. Q: How are you doing now?

A: We’ve done thousands of cakes. I’d say special cakes, occasion cakes, birthday cakes, those are the most popular. I do do quite a few weddings as well; they’re seasonal, more in the summer than winter. To start, my gross revenue was approximately $110,000. Now, the gross revenue is $250,000plus. Currently, I have two full-time OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

and 12 part-time employees. I offer many different services, including special occasion cakes, wedding cakes, catering for small events or work functions, homemade pastries, homemade gelato, hard ice cream and soft serve ice cream. Some of the best sellers are the homemade half moon cookies and Blue Goo flavor burst soft-serve ice cream. Q: What do you like about your job?

A: I enjoy doing “basic” kinds of cakes, but I’ve created several special design cakes such as a Baby Yoda, a suitcase with a box of candy on top, a bunch of doughnuts and many others. We pretty much do anything. We make cake for a hundred people, or a few hundred. Q: Have customers had trouble finding you?

A: We still have people that go downtown and are like, ‘where are you?’ But for the most part, a lot of people followed us here. It’s a lot better location, more parking and better visibility from the road. It is definitely busier and it’s definitely improved the bakery side, we’ve gotten a lot more orders. My customer base is pretty much all of Oswego County. We also get some orders from Syracuse as well as local people who have moved away but still order from us.

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A: It took a while to get well-known, about five or six years. We went to dinner in a place in Syracuse and someone came up and said, ‘hey, I know you! You did my graduation cake.’ That’s when I realized people were recognizing what I was doing! Q: What is your business philosophy?

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PROFILE By Ken Sturtz

Kathleen Kerr

New vice president of student affairs at SUNY Oswego has wide responsibilities: food, housing, mental health, medical care, sports, social activities and more

or Kathleen Kerr working in higher education has become something akin to joining the family business, though she didn’t plan it that way. Her career in higher education has spanned three decades; one of her daughters has a master’s degree in college student administration. And her father recently retired as vice president of student affairs at a college. “You could say that I was following in his footsteps,” Kerr said. “The reality is that I went to college knowing that my dad worked at a college, but not really understanding what he did.” That changed when Kerr — who joined SUNY Oswego in August as the college’s new vice president for student affairs — was in her junior year at Indiana University in Bloomington. She was trying to decide whether to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology, but was serving as a resident assistant (RA) and deeply enjoyed the job. “So, I called my dad up and I said ‘How do I keep doing this RA thing and working in higher education?’” she said. Up until that point Kerr had assumed she had to choose between a doctorate and working with students. But her father explained that there was a profession called student affairs and that it was possible to get a master’s and a Ph.D. and work on a campus supporting students. “It wasn’t until he and I had that conversation when I was a college student that I really understood what he did as a profession and that led me to get a master’s degree and eventually a doctorate,” she said. Kerr comes to SUNY Oswego after a long career at the University of Delaware. She began in residence life, working as an assistant area coordinator, director of residence life for programs and student leadership and then director of residence life. She later became executive director of residence life and housing. Over the past four years, she served as associate vice president for student

life at Delaware. That position gave her responsibility for an array of seven areas within student affairs. As SUNY Oswego’s chief student affairs officer, she serves on the president’s council and oversees an accordion-like portfolio that affects just about every aspect of students’ lives while they’re in college: auxiliary services, campus life, counseling services, health services, intercollegiate athletics, residence life and housing, and student conduct. Kerr enjoyed her time at Delaware, but she began considering the idea of a new job. Her four daughters were finally grown and out of the house. Then her husband, a school teacher, decided to retire, in part because of the pandemic. That freed them up to relocate. Kerr saw the job posting at Oswego and thought it was a great opportunity. She noted that Oswego was a bit smaller than Delaware. “But I like that because I want to be able to maintain the amount of contact with students that I think this size school affords to a vice

president,” she said. Kerr is keenly aware of the “big learning curve” she faces in taking on a new responsibility at a college in the midst of the pandemic. There are the challenges of learning a new job as well as the immediate difficulties brought on by COVID-19. Students returned to campus in August to begin in-person instruction. The college announced that all students with a physical presence on campus must be vaccinated by Sept. 27. Despite the challenges Kerr said students need the support provided by the college now more than ever. Students have had to deal with distance learning and social isolation, for example, things that have reaffirmed Kerr’s view that there is a significant benefit to students being on campus. It can be as simple as being able to walk down the hall and ask a friend for help with a class or popping into a professor’s office hours with a question. “There is a benefit to learning with others around you,” she said. “COVID taught us that distance learning is not ideal in terms of facilitating engaged learning experiences.” One way of thinking about student affairs is that it concerns all the things

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“I really want to talk to students, hear their concerns, hear what they love, hear what they don’t like, hear what they want more of, what they want less of.” that take place outside the classroom: food, housing, mental health, medical care, sports, social activities, creating a sense of community. Kerr likens it to the things that make college feel like home when students are away from home. “I think of student affairs really as supporting students toward success, helping them with any bumps in the road,” she said. In some ways student affairs has undergone a dramatic shift over the last several decades. In the past, for example, gripes about the spartan accommodations on college campuses and stomach-churning food served in the dining halls were comedic fodder for students. Today colleges and universities make it a point to highlight their modern residence halls, generous meal plans and seemingly endless list of extracurricular activities. One of the reasons for the shift, Kerr said, is that research shows the closer students are to support resources (faculty, tutoring, other students, etc.) the more likely they are to persist toward graduation. So, it’s in everyone’s inter-

Lifelines Birthdate: Aug. 12, 1966 Birth Place: Bloomington, Indiana Residence: Oswego Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in college student personnel administration from Indiana University. Doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. Personal: Husband, Christopher, married 32 years (they met as RAs in college). Daughters aged 29, 27 and 21-year-old twins. Hobbies: Swimming, cooking, reading Affiliations: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, American College Personnel Association – College Student Educators International OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

est to boost the amenities to encourage students to remain on campus as long as possible. The other reason is that competition among colleges and universities to attract students has soared over the last 30 years. “When I first started in residence life and housing people weren’t putting a lot of attention into what did a residence hall room look like and how did the food taste because there wasn’t a lot of competition,” Kerr said. “Nowadays students have choices.” Kerr believes there’s a balance to be struck between enhancing amenities such as food and the living experience and education. “I don’t think it’s necessary for us to spend a lot of money on amenities that aren’t contributing to educational experience.” That reflects Kerr’s philosophy during her time at Delaware. She said she focused on utilizing the resident experience to support student success and contribute to student learning, but doing so in a very intentional way. That meant guiding staff so everything from check-in and bulletin boards to social programs and conversations with residents was aligned with the overall education goals of the institution. She also worked to strengthen the university’s “culture of care,” creating a wellbeing center to increase the level of student awareness about the support resources available on campus. Kerr is interested to see if some of the initiatives she focused on at Delaware can be useful at Oswego. She said that over time she also wants to form a consensus about the exact goals of the Division of Student Affairs and how best to strategically move toward those goals. But initially she said most of her time will be spent listening to students and staff to gain an understanding of the culture and existing programs. “I really want to talk to students, hear their concerns, hear what they love, hear what they don’t like, hear what they want more of, what they want less of,” Kerr said. “I have to learn a whole lot. It’s like drinking from a fire hose the first couple months.”

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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? Cyprus

Mediterranean island has unique position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East

ith its strategic location in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has been the crossroads between three continents from the time of Aphrodite. Cyprus was the first country visited by apostles Paul and Barnabas on their mission to spread Christianity, crusaders stopped on the way to Jerusalem, and today tourists enjoy all of the aspect of Cyprus. According to legend, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam in the waters offshore of the city of Paphos. There are several places on the island associated with the goddess, including the beautiful beach where Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology), emerged from the sea. West

of Polis is the grotto Aphrodite used for secret trysts with her many lovers. Long a holiday destination for Europeans, Cyprus is virtually unknown to travelers from the Western hemisphere. Many come to enjoy the beaches. With 400 miles of coastline, there is a beach for everyone. The “Blue Flag,” an exclusive eco-label awarded to beaches meeting a strict criterion, has been awarded to 49 of the country’s beaches. Cyprus has accommodations suitable for every pocketbook from a hut on the beach to a temple of luxury that would please even Aphrodite. Resorts are full-service, offering a plethora of water sports, golf, fine dining with shopping, museums and historical sites nearby.

Cyprus has an agritourism program that encourages restoration of traditional houses so they are equipped to receive visiting guests. It is the perfect way to get in harmony with Cypriot lifestyle, stop to smell the jasmine, enjoy nature trails, visit historical monasteries and meet the locals at the local tavern. At certain times of the year it is possible to ski in the morning and laze on a sunny beach in the afternoon. For history buffs, history is everywhere. Currently Cyprus has three UNESCO World Heritage sites with other sites on the waitlist, plus new archeological discoveries are common. Choirokoitia, dating back to 6800 BC, is a neolithic site with reconstructed round stone huts that give evidence to

from left Anassa Beach in the city of Paphos. Cyprus has 400 miles of coastline; Choirokoitia, dating back to 6800 BC, is a neolithic site with reconstructed round stone huts that give evidence to a relatively sophisticated lifestyle for the time.

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Lofou, a traditional village in Cyprus located between Limassol and Paphos. right Old City neighborhood in Nicosia, Cyrpus’ capital, located in the heart of the island. It’s the island’s largest and busiest city. left

a relatively sophisticated lifestyle for the time. At the archeological sites near Paphos there is a stunning collection of intricate and colorful mosaics. The House of Dionysus, so named because of the mosaic featuring Dionysus, the god of wine, contains the most famous mosaics. The house was large and palatial detailing the level of wealth in Cyprus during the Roman era. Not far away are the underground Tombs of the Kings, which seem to have been influenced by the Egyptian. The Medieval Castle and Museum in Lemesos was built in the 14th century over a Byzantine castle and has been occupied by various groups through the ages. The fortress is where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria in the 12th century. Saint Paul’s Column is a historically significant religious landmark situated in Paphos. According to local accounts, this was the place where the apostle Paul was tortured when he first arrived on the island to preach Christianity. Due to the column’s OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

association with Saint Paul, the site has held immense religious significance and several churches were built close to it over the ages. The Troodos Mountains is home to Mount Olympus — at 6400 feet, Mount Olympus is the highest point on the island. In the Troodos Mountains there are ten Byzantine churches with exquisite murals, all on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It is where Aphrodite made her home with the 12 Olympian gods. The ski season in the Troodos Mountains is between January and April with four ski lifts and eight alpine ski runs. Dating back 1000 years, the capital Lefkosia (Nicosia) is both old and new. Located in the heart of the island, the city that was once enclosed by a starshaped Venetian fortress wall and moat. The Cyprus Museum has displays that spans over seven thousand years. Interestingly there are terra cotta figures, while smaller, they predate those in Xian, China. The city has many highend shops, boutiques and handicraft stores. The island’s unique position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East has added exotic dimensions to the island’s cuisine that make it particularly varied and delicious. Sample several of the great dishes

with meze which consists of as many as 30 small plates of food, from savory dips and vegetables to a wide range of fish and meat dishes. Much more than hors d’oeuvres, the meze often comprises the heart of a meal itself. In some restaurants and taverns you can choose to order seafood meze or meat meze. Enjoy a meal with one of the island’s fine wines. Cyprus wines are considered some of the most ancient ones in the world. Their production started in 2000 BC. Try Commandaria, a sweet dessert wine, which is considered to be one of the oldest wines in the world. Don’t miss the chance to watch a show of traditional dances. To visit only a valid passport is necessary. Cypress is part of the EU so the Euro is used and, even though Greek is the official language, a higher percentage of Cypriots speak English than any other European country. Sandra Scott along with her husband, John, traveled the world for over 50 years. With John’s passing, Sandra has moved to Oswego and continues to travel. 21

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NEWSMAKERS

NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE NBT Bank Appoints New President of Wealth Management NBT Bancorp Inc. (NBT) President and CEO John H. Watt, Jr. announced that NBT has appointed Ruth H. Mahoney executive vice president and president of wealth management. She will be part of the bank’s executive management team. She has more than 30 Ruth H. Mahoney years of experience in financial services, including wealth management, private banking, retail banking and regional leadership. Mahoney comes to NBT from KeyBank where she served most recently as Capital Region market president. “We are thrilled to welcome Ruth Mahoney to NBT as leader of our wealth management business,” said Watt. “Her diverse and extensive experience in banking and her skill at building partnerships across business lines to provide clients with the most comprehensive suite of financial services position her well to lead our team of wealth management professionals.” NBT Wealth Management is a division of NBT Bank and a provider of investment services and consulting to individuals and businesses and organizations of all sizes. A graduate of Marist College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, Mahoney lends her leadership abilities to many organizations. She serves as co-chairwoman of the Regional Economic Development Council, chairwoman for the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce and as a board member for Albany Medical Center and the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Mahoney has earned many recognitions and was included on the Albany Business Review’s Power 50 List pub26

lished in July 2021. She also received the Women Who Mean Business Award from the Albany Business Review, the Executive of the Year Award from the Capital Region Business Review, the Women of Distinction Award from the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and the Most Powerful Women in Banking Team Award from American Banker.

Jessica Harris Earns President’s Award for Teaching Excellence Health promotion and wellness faculty member Jessica Harris earned this year ’s SUNY Oswego President’s Award for Teaching Excellence. “Jessica cares deeply about the learner experience, exemplary pedagogy and quality teaching/mentoring in and out of the classroom,” Jessica Harris wrote Harris’ nominator, fellow health promotion and wellness faculty member Sandra Bargainnier. “As her colleague, I have witnessed the impact of her teaching, advising, and mentoring on our students and graduates.” Harris had taught, as of spring 2021, 72 courses as well as eight different preps for the health promotion and wellness department, while remaining active developing, revising and modifying the delivery of courses, Bargainnier said. “During the spring 2020 pivot to remote learning, Jessica’s transition from face-to-face classes to remote learning was seamless,” Bargainnier said. “Dr. Harris’s compassion to help students during times of distress and uncertainty was evident during the pandemic,” wrote Amy Bidwell, chairwoman of health promotion and wellness. “She regularly scheduled

Zoom sessions with her students to ‘check-in’ on them and try to help them navigate the change ... She not only met with students who were seeking her out but emailed all of her students individually to inquire about how they were handling the change.” Harris also turned that time into a learning opportunity for students, having them gather and analyze data related to health programs. “Students’ comments support that putting theory into practice increased their understanding and application of health promotion theories and models. She makes learning relevant and meaningful to her students,” Bidwell said. “Jessica also goes beyond the typical workday in order for her students to apply their skills in real-world environments,” Bargainnier noted. “She can be found in a residence hall watching students present to first-year students at 9 p.m., or evaluating students as they educate the campus community on the quad, or present at SUNY Oswego in Syracuse for National Women’s Wellness day.”

Davis-Standard Announces Staff Changes Davis-Standard, a global leader in the design, development and distribution of extrusion and converting technology with a plant in Fulton, recently announced two staff changes. The company announced that Jay Baxter has been appointed to commercial product director – liquid coating. Baxter will be responsible for growing Davis-Standard’s global business in liquid coating and will support strategic initiatives. He comes to Dav i s - S t a n d a rd from Neenah, Inc. (formerly Neenah Paper) where he was Jay Baxter OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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marketing director, managing a team responsible for technical papers including sandpaper, masking tape, medical packaging and sensitive labels. He also spent 18 years with Kimberly-Clark in a variety of roles including sales, marketing, purchasing, operations, and process engineering at the staff level and within non-woven fabric mills. Baxter has a bachelor’s of science degree in chemical engineering and a master’s in business administration. He has been a member of the National Air Filtration Association, Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC), European Adhesive Tape Association (AFERA), Federation of European Producers of Abrasives (FEPA), and is a founding member of the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council. The company also announced that

Joe Guigli has been promoted to vice president, aftermarket sales — North America. He will lead a dedicated team to advance customer service goals, field sales coverage, and improve market penetration throughout the United States and Canada. Guigli brings more than 13 years of Davis-Standard experience to his position having held various leadership roles including regional sales manager, inside aftermarket sales, and product manager. He will build and manage an expanded aftermarket field sales team that will better serve Davis-Standard’s broad customer base with dedicated personnel for each territory. In addition, Davis-Standard is seeking candidates for coverage in three new regions, which include the West, upper Midwest, and Northeast/Canada.

Optometrists Lori Youngman and David Dexter of Harbor Eye Associates recently contributed $25,000 to Oswego Health.

Harbor Eye Associates Support Local Healthcare with Gift to The Campaign for Oswego Health With locations in Oswego and Pulaski, locally owned Harbor Eye Associates know the importance of having a strong healthcare system. To further show their support to ensure the highest quality of care is available for the community, optometrists Lori Youngman and David Dexter have recently contributed $25,000 to the Caring for Our Community, Right at Home, The Campaign for Oswego Health. “A healthy population is a community’s greatest asset,” said Youngman. 28

“Oswego Health strives to keep all of us healthy. As eyecare providers, we are pleased to partner with Oswego Health in this mission. We are proud to financially support the Oswego Health Foundation and encourage all to join in and support their campaign. Together we can maintain a healthy community.” The Campaign for Oswego Health is focused on a future with best-in-class care for Oswego County’s residents, and to date, community members, foundations and corporations have contributed nearly $3 million toward the overall $3.5 million goal. For more information about the campaign or Oswego Health, visit www.oswegohealth.org or contact The Oswego Health Foundation at foundation@oswegohealth.org or by calling 315-326-3473.

SUNY Oswego recognized for sustainability efforts SUNY Oswego has earned a STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS — the sustainability tracking, assessment and rating system — Joe Guigli measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. By participating in STARS, SUNY Oswego aligns itself with high campus sustainability standards and commits itself to continuing to work toward a more sustainable campus. In previous years, the college has participated in STARS and enthusiastically looks to continue this participation. “It has been an inspirational experience to work with a team of dedicated professionals from across our campus to gauge our progress towards a more sustainable future through the STARS reporting process,” said Kate Spector, the college’s sustainability manager. Through SUNY Oswego’s commitment to being a more sustainable campus, STARS particularly recognized campus food pantry SHOP (Students Helping Oz Peers), which supplies non-perishable food items, personal care items and clothing to students in need. SUNY Oswego also received high marks for diverse academic offerings that encompass sustainability-focused topics as well as the large percentage of faculty members who take part in sustainability-centric research opportunities and grants.

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The filet tips entree was surprisingly affordable, especially with the portion of meat and the two sides.

Northern Comfort RiverHouse continues a regional tradition

fter reading about the RiverHouse Restaurant’s history on its website, it’s hard to ignore the resilience of businesses that once sat at that location, at 4818 Salina St. in Pulaski. For over 200 years, this spot has been dedicated to hospitality in the form of taverns, hotels, hat boutiques and eateries. At times, the establishments were renovated to accommodate the growing businesses. Other times, the premises succumbed to fires — four times over — and had to be rebuilt. RiverHouse continues this longstanding tradition of Pulaski toughness with enduring another year of a pandemic, offering takeaway and dine-in 30

experiences in a safe, well-maintained dining environment. For those who love to enjoy their meals al fresco, outdoor seating is also available. Located literally a stone’s throw — OK, perhaps more of a smaller, heftier rock — away from a scenic view of the Salmon River, RiverHouse offers as much of a comforting experience in a casual atmosphere. (I felt “at home” seeing the New York Giants sign below the bar’s television.) The menu has something for everyone with a variety of starters and salads to burgers and sandwiches to entrees and pasta dishes. Choosing the coconut shrimp ($14) and pot stickers ($12) to start the meal were immediate decisions. The former

featured five large, coconut-breaded shrimp with garlic chili sauce for dipping. The coconut is seared to a crisp brown and the combination of flavors, especially with the garlic sauce, is really delicious. Plus, there’s enough of the sauce to be overly generous when dipping. Although I didn’t enjoy the pot stickers as much as the shrimp, it’s still not a bad thing. The pork-filled stickers had good flavor, thanks to the pork, but the coat leaned on the chewier side than crispier. The sticker is enhanced when dipped in either the sweet chili sauce or the creamy sriracha mayo. Eight pot stickers are served, too, which is

Seared scallops sat atop a medium-thick creamy sauce featuring pieces of bacon and fresh peaches. right Large coconut-breaded shrimp with garlic chili sauce for dipping. below The pork-filled stickers have good flavor, thanks to the pork. top

The hot honey crispy chicken sandwich. The southern-style and lightly fried chicken was super flavorful and tender.

definitely ideal for sharing. The hot honey crispy chicken sandwich ($14) was a spontaneous decision. The southern-style and lightly fried chicken was super flavorful and tender. Be not afraid of the name because it’s not overly spicy. It has a very subtle heat that is balanced by the sweet pickles beneath the piece of chicken. Overall, it was very light fare for a chicken sandwich, even with a brioche bun. The sandwich came as-is and without lettuce, tomato, or onion. I’m sure if you request to have these added, RiverHouse will surely provide them. Each burger or sandwich comes with a choice of side, and fries, a generous mound, were incredibly crispy. My original plan of getting the seafood platter was deterred by the list of specials, particularly the peaches and bacon scallops ($28). Four seared scallops sat atop a medium-thick creamy sauce featuring pieces of bacon and fresh peaches. Reading the description got me curious. Seeing it come out and served to another patron — the woman who actually painted the interior of RiverHouse, I came to find out — made it even more enticing. Enjoying the entrée, 32

RiverHouse Restaurant 4818 Salina St., Pulaski, NY 13142 315-509-4281 | riverhouserestaurant.net facebook.com/ RiverHouseRestaurantPulaski instagram.com/riverhouse_restaurant Sun. – Mon.: Closed Tues. – Sat.: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

however, made me regret nothing. Was any saved for leftovers? No way. The large scallops were gently seared to golden brown and easily chewable. The sauce with the peaches and bacon was incredibly delicious food harmony — sweet enough and unapologetically savory at the same time. It all came together for a memorable entree. Each entrée came with two sides. I opted for brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. The sprouts were how I personally love them: charred a little bit and still brilliant green. The mashed potatoes were also to my personal

liking: soft, a smidge creamy, and with shreds of skin. The filet tips ($20) entree surprisingly affordable, especially with the portion of meat and the two sides (coleslaw and fries). Why did I get more fries instead of onion rings? I don’t know. My mistakes prove I’m human. The coleslaw was notable with thick cuts of iceberg lettuce (opposed to shreds) in a very light mayo dressing that pooled a little bit. The fries were as consistent and as plentiful as the last pile. The tips were also consistent. I asked for them medium rare and each piece of meat I cut in half was unmistakably medium rare. I did several times over out of disbelief; there was no way, I thought, these various-sized bits could be that consistent. But they were. Before tip, and save the $7 beer added in, the total came to a reasonable $105 and change. I also have to give kudos to the staff, who were friendly, talkative and hospitable. After driving past RiverHouse several times in the last few years, it was nice to eat in and enjoy what they have to offer. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Adding Some Rudy’s Lakeside Flavor to the Adirondacks New Chalet Whiteface B&B and Rudy’s Scar Bar, owned by Oswego native Allison Livesey, show steady growth after the pandemic

llison Livesey knows a few things about operating a restaurant. She’s part of the family, now in its third generation, who’s been running Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-in in the town of Oswego on the shore of Lake Ontario for decades. She decided to bring some Rudy’s Lakeside flavor to the Adirondacks. She opened a bed and breakfast with a pub. The B&B is called Chalet Whiteface (chaletwhiteface@yahoo. com). It is a cozy mountain chalet in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. “We are a large bed and breakfast with 10 guest rooms and a pub called

Rudy’s Scar Bar and Grille; a spinoff of our mothership in Oswego Town, New York, Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In,” she added. The bar got its name from nearby Scarface Mountain in Lake Placid. It’s located in Wilmington, home of Whiteface Mountain Olympic Ski Hill and the High Falls Gorge. Wilmington neighbors the Olympic Village of Lake Placid and Ausable Chasm, the ‘Grand Canyon of the East.’ Livesey said it took “a lot of blood, sweat and tears, a SBA loan and a fabulous business plan” to get started. After growing up with the Rudy’s Lakeside business, Livesey said opening

up a place of her own in the Adirondacks was a chance to springboard off the original idea and have some flexibility to change things up a bit. “It was time to do something for myself. My faithful, dedicated and hardest working partner, Scott Goewey, and I had both been working for decades in food service and we felt we had some great ideas and insight,” she explained. “We were excited and motivated for the great adventure to create something new…we still are, four years into this project! Even with the exhaustion, drama and demands it’s worth it…for now!” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Scott Goewey and Allison Livesey of Chalet Whiteface at their Adirondacks bed and breakfast. Photos provided.

above

They’re currently operating with less than 10 employees. “We adhere to the highest level of cleanliness. Everything gets changed between lodge guests,” she said.

Oswego native She grew up in Oswego through grade nine. “I was blessed with the opportunity to experience boarding school near [Washington] DC and then eventually university abroad. I spent 25 years mostly away before returning to New York after my second child was born and my father, Brad Livesey, passed,” she said. She went to school, snowboarded, OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

traveled far and wide, and worked a bit in interior design, as well spending time in Oswego most summers, doing ‘back of house’ work at Rudy’s and creating and launching spice bag sales. “My jobs during school ranged from dishwasher to sales clerk to ice cream scooper. In our early branding days at Rudy’s Oswego, I created the now familiar Rudy’s fish logo, with the help of Ellen Wahl’s savvy editing,” she said. Upon her return in 2004, she restructured Rudy’s dessert menu into an ice cream/dessert stand and “stepped up the spice business launched by myself and my father years prior,” she said, adding, “I still maintain the spice bag production and sales.” She and her father, Brad, marketed spice packets for people to create their own Texas hots at home. They also sold the packets at area shops and grocery stores.

In addition to the spice bag business that they continue to sell to a handful of grocery stores and farm markets, she produces and supplies the wholesale spices to Rudy’s Oswego, Rudy’s ADK [that’s us, she noted] and Maui’s Dog House (as seen on the Food Channel’s “Diners, Dives, And Drive-Ins”). It is the base of much of what she serves today. However, the new venture’s menu doesn’t duplicate Rudy’s Lakeside’s menu, she said. “In the ADK, we have a modified Rudy’s menu, with a handful of new proprietary favorites in the North Country,” she said. “We have added chili with beans, lobster, bacon, steak, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie. We make our chili, shepherd’s pie, and meatloaf from scratch.” There’s a hint of spice in every dish, she added. Their best sellers include fish, scallops, lobster, giant burgers, mac ‘n cheese, wings and the Fishigan (that’s 35

a fish hot w/cheese in Oswego lingo, Livesey explained. Rudy’s Texas hot sauce is also known as Michigan sauce). They buy and prepare fish the same way as Rudy’s Drive-in. Their chicken is fresh and organic. They marinate and bread it themselves. Beef comes from fresh local livestock farms and is used for all of their creations. “We have much love for food and pride in providing a superior product and experience,” Livesey said. “Our food is mostly fresh and cooked to order.”

In the beginning

A sample of Oswego’s Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-in food at Rudy’s Scar Bar in the Adirondacks. Photos provided. 36

After acquiring the building in 2016, and then a year of renovations, Livesey said the business started taking shape. They had a soft opening in January 2019. By June, they were open. Prior to the pandemic, there were many international travelers visiting Chalet Whiteface. The virus caused “text book stress and drama that feels like we could break on all fronts. We recognize this and are able to cope and carry on,” she said. Now, travelers from some neighboring towns and elsewhere around the state have started coming in. “We were very busy, very busy, over the Fourth of July holiday,” she said “A lot of people are getting out and going places now. “The ADK is a magical place; unique, awe inspiring, international draw and supported by truly fantastic local communities. The High Peaks specifically because of the Olympic region and the varied and plentiful attractions in the area. We’ve seen a steady increase over the past three years of operation. We are gaining a following rapidly, we’re racing to keep up. It has been difficult to get consistent help.” She added that she’d like to hold festivals, like Rudy’s did back in the day. “I want to do that here, too,” she said, adding that they have music some Saturdays in the bar; but due to the pandemic, it’s only solo acts. They would have plenty of room for events, thanks to a park-size property on which to frolic, she said. That’s the best part of her job, she says is the live music, welcoming atmosphere, satisfied and grateful customers. If she wasn’t doing this, she said she’d be doing the same thing; “perhaps on a smaller scale, with more art and music.”

By Steve Yablonski

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE

ConnextCare Expands Services to Central Square

onnextCare has announced the opening of a new office in Central Square. The new site will offer primary care and mental health services and will open its doors this winter. ConnextCare is a federally qualified health center currently operating six health centers and seven school-based health centers throughout Oswego County. It offers primary care, mental health and dental services. The expansion to Central Square supports ConnextCare’s ongoing mission to provide accessible, comprehensive and premier health care to Oswego County residents and surrounding communities. “We are excited to announce the establishment of a ConnextCare health center on this side of the county,” said Tricia Peter-Clark, president and CEO of ConnextCare. “The addition of the Central Square practice further strengthens our ability to deliver high quality health services to new and existing patients at a location that is most convenient for them. We will now be more ‘connexted’ than ever before, with our network spanning across the entire county, providing a medical home for more than the 27,000 patients we already serve today.” ConnextCare’s Central Square location will operate out of the Oswego Health Central Square Medical Center located at 3045 East Ave. This will continue to strengthen the ongoing partnership between ConnextCare and Oswego Health to work together in providing the community with accessible locations that offer a wide variety of services under one roof. Currently, ConnextCare and Oswego Health jointly operate out of facilities in Pulaski, Fulton, Mexico, Oswego, Parish and Phoenix. “Oswego Health’s mission is to provide accessible, quality care and improve the health of residents in our community,” said Michael Backus, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Oswego Health. “Our goal is to ensure the safety net of care in Oswego County and we are OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

always looking for ways to collaborate with other providers. We strongly value our partnership with ConnextCare and when they approached us about

expanding their primary care in Central Square, we knew we had an opportunity that could benefit the community in that area.”

Tricia Peter-Clark, president and chief executive officer of ConnextCare, and Michael C. Backus, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Oswego Health announce the opening of a medical office at 3045 East Ave. in Central Square. 37

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Community Foundation Distributes $32,400 to Local Nonprofits

en local nonprofit groups received grants totaling more than $30,000 from the Oswego County Community Foundation (“OCCF”). • Blessings in a Backpack/Fulton Chapter received $1,500 to supply atrisk school children with food for the weekends when free school meals are not available. • Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County received $3,000 to purchase curricula and train staff, implementing the to implement the Monique Burr Foundation for Children Prevention Education Programs for the community and schools. • CNY Arts Center received $3,000 to cover production costs and royalties for autumn musicals. • Food Bank of Central New York received $2,000 to support the distribution of nutritious food to families living in the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central School District. • Friends of Camp Hollis received $3,000 to support the construction of an inclusive playground. • Friends of Fort Ontario received $7,000 to purchase historic clothing and equipment for a living history interpretation by staff & volunteers. • Friends of Great Bear re ceived $5,000 to improve parking, walkways and entrances. • Fulton Family YMCA received $3,000 to support the LifeSkills program, which seeks to build social and emotional skills in children. • Oswego Health Foundation received $3,100 to purchase a new Q-Stress system for its cardiac stress lab. • WNPE/WNPI TV/WPBS received $1,800 to produce a weekly public affairs show that includes stories on art, culture, history and conservation. These grants were made possible with support from the Oswego County Community Foundation, A. L. Lee Memorial Hospital Health Fund, NBT Bank Fund and The Emerick Fund. Grants from the Oswego County Community Foundation, founded in 2013, are awarded from the endowment fund annually to aid vital programs in education, health, social services, the arts, civic and environmental concerns, as well as the preservation of historic resources in Oswego County. The Fund has awarded nearly $160,000 to support community-based projects and programs since inception. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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SPECIAL REPORT

Crossing the Line of Propriety How do you know exactly where it is these days? By Bruce Frassinelli

ormer New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined a list of other New York state politicians whose careers came to a screeching halt because of improper behavior. The other two most notably are former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace in 2008 after he had had at least seven liaisons with prostitutes over a six-month period and paid more than $15,000 for their services, and former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who was charged with sexting a 15-year-old girl, among others, and served 21 months in a federal prison. In Cuomo’s case, he resigned shortly after a state attorney general’s investigation validated allegations that he had sexually harassed 11 women. Through it all, Cuomo maintained his innocence, insisting that his displays of affection were misinterpreted by

the women. I find it curious how some politicians try to dodge responsibility for their actions. The pressure becomes so intense, defense among their supporters melts away, and despite adamant insistence that they are innocent or try as they will to remain in office, their positions ultimately are no longer tenable, and they resign in disgrace. It wasn’t that long ago that Cuomo endeared himself to the nation with daily updates on COVID-19 statistics in the state. He was even mentioned as a likely presidential candidate down the road. All of that is over now. Other politicians, such as former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton were able to navigate the choppy waters of sexual allegations, even when there was concrete proof, but were still able to maintain enough support

to remain in office. Both survived impeachment charges — in Trump’s case twice, although neither was brought because of his extra-marital dalliances and payoffs to the women involved, which reportedly happened before he occupied the Oval Office. Clinton’s impeachment was directly tied to the lies that he told investigators about his involvement with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Cuomo was not the first New York governor who was entangled in sexual allegations. In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland, who was mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York, was believed to have seduced a widow, fathered her child, refused to marry her and paid her off. Despite these allegations, voters chose him for president of the United States twice during non-consecutive terms. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“In doing some soul-searching during this #MeToo era, I can recall instances where I touched a female employee on the arm or shoulder to show (at least in my mind) an understanding of an emotional issue she might have been going through, such as a death in the family. I did the same with male employees.” Cuomo, 63, said he was stepping down before he completed his third four-year term because he did not want the investigation to become a distraction while the Empire State is facing so many major issues, none the least of which is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases spurred on by the delta variant. Let’s face it: If Cuomo had not resigned, he most assuredly would have been impeached and convicted. This became almost a certainty when he lost the support of just about all of the big names in the Democratic Party — both at the state and national levels, including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Although Biden had strongly urged Cuomo to resign, he still commended the former governor for doing “a hell of a job.” Cuomo was replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who made it clear out of the box that her policies will not parallel Cuomo’s. For one thing, their styles of governance are near opposites. Hochul aims for consensus-building, while Cuomo wielded raw power in dealing with dissenters. Cuomo insiders have been coming forward — anonymously for the most part — and say he is “bewildered” by the speed of events which brought him down. He was expecting his day in court where he could reiterate what he has been saying all along about his self-proclaimed innocence and that, in the end, he would persuade the doubters as to how his actions were misinterpreted. Cuomo maintained that he had not crossed the line of propriety. “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn,” Cuomo said. In a taped statement, Cuomo denied touching anyone inappropriately but apologized to two accusers, including former staff member Charlotte Bennett. Cuomo said he asked Bennett about her love life in a misunderstood bid to help her cope with trauma from a past sexual assault. “I thought I could help her work through a difficult time,” Cuomo said. Thinking that what he had done was OK was really disingenuous on Cuomo’s part. The 165-page report by state Attorney General Letitia James made that clear as she presented corroborating evidence from eight of Cuomo’s accusers whose stories we already knew from when they went public. In addition, it gave details of three previously unreported instances of sexual harassment. In one, Cuomo was accused of harassing and inappropriately touching an unnamed state trooper whom he wanted to hire for his security detail. In another, Cuomo was alleged to have run his fingers across the chest of an energy company employee. Having been a manager or department head for most of my professional career, I was reflecting on things I said and did 30 or more years ago that would not cut it in today’s workplace. Because Cuomo is a touchy-feely kind of guy who greets women and men with hugs, he admitted not knowing where the line of acceptability is today. The same issue dogged President Biden when he was candidate Biden,

and several women complained about his actions making them feel uncomfortable. In doing some soul-searching during this #MeToo era, I can recall instances where I touched a female employee on the arm or shoulder to show (at least in my mind) an understanding of an emotional issue she might have been going through, such as a death in the family. I did the same with male employees. There also have been plenty of instances where females and males have touched me on the hand, arm or shoulder while talking to me in a professional setting. I never gave it a thought until recently. It is remarkable how something that seemed so innocent years ago can now be regarded as a litmus test as to whether a person might be a harasser — sexual or otherwise. That said, there is no justification for what Cuomo did when he inappropriately touched women in private places on their bodies, told crude jokes or flirted with them. Today’s managers must be talented enough to show concern and empathy but be able to walk a narrow line and not overstep their bounds, lest they be considered harassers, predators or worse. Empathy is simply recognizing emotions in others and being able to “put yourself in another person’s shoes” — understanding the other person’s perspective and reality. To be empathetic, you have to think beyond yourself and your own concerns. But here is the big question: How do you do this without overdoing it and without having your intentions misunderstood? If I were a manager today, I would certainly think twice about showing my empathy in any kind of a touchy-feely kind of way. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This type of harassment describes the unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct. The behavior does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. I am amazed that there are still men my age (82), even younger, who still refer to female servers in restaurants and bars and other service personnel as “honey,” “sweetie” or with other terms they consider endearing. 41

SPECIAL REPORT

Welcome to ‘Cannabis Insider’ Owner of Syracuse.com to launch New York Cannabis Insider, a new website that seeks to position itself as vital source of news on state’s cannabis industry By Ken Sturtz

Central New York media company is launching a subscription-based website dedicated to covering the state’s nascent cannabis industry — an economic opportunity it’s called unrivaled in New York history — betting it can join the bonanza by positioning itself as the go-to resource for insiders and influencers. Advance Media New York plans to kick off the initiative, called New York Cannabis Insider, later this year.

Tim Kennedy, president of Advance Media New York, says the company saw the potential after it put on a cannabis event in Albany several years ago when medical cannabis laws were passed. “We thought there would be increased demand for news once adult use was passed,” he says. Recreational marijuana became legal in New York in April; some estimates predict that once the state’s cannabis industry is up and running it could be

worth as much as $4 billion a year and create tens of thousands of jobs. Kennedy says the company benefited from the ability to observe their colleagues at a sister publication in New Jersey that launched a similar cannabis news service there several years ago. Advance Media New York — the parent company that owns The Post-Standard and operates Syracuse. com and NYup.com — is a legal affiliate of Advance Local. Owned by the billionaire Newhouse family, Advance Local is the publisher of nine digital news sites and 24 affiliated local newspapers across the country. A job listing for Cannabis Insider says it will target “C-Suite influencers, industry group leaders, lobbyists, politicians and political influencers, legal and security experts, banking and medical experts, and business owners.” Its business model will rely on generating multiple revenue streams related to coverage of the state’s cannabis, hemp, and cannabinoid industries. “There is great demand for quality targeted information about the cannabis industry development in New York,” Kennedy says. “We believe customers will pay for that quality information — be it newsletter, website and/or event.” The company is in the process of hiring a dedicated editor and reporter to staff Cannabis Insider. The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and NYup.com haven’t had a dedicated reporter following the cannabis industry, but coverage has been provided by longtime beer, wine and spirits reporter Don Cazentre. Kennedy says Cazentre has been responsible for “some terrific reporting on cannabis in CNY,” and that Advance Media New York would continue reporting on the industry. “There will likely be cross over content,” he says. “We’ll see how that plays out over time.” The company already shares significant amounts of content between Syracuse.com and NYup.com, which includes coverage of all of Upstate New York. But for all the talk about New York’s potentially explosive cannabis industry, what it will look like and how it will actually operate remains a bit of a mystery. That’s because of New York’s inaction. The state agency and control board responsible for making the rules and regulations for the industry and for issuing licenses essentially exist in name only. Some experts say it could be at least a year before the industry takes off. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

It’s likewise somewhat uncertain what news coverage of the industry in New York will focus on given the fact that there’s never been an industry to cover. Advance Media New York has said Cannabis Insider will cover everything from plant science, politics and regulatory issues to social justice and economic empowerment concerns. There remains a stigma surrounding marijuana and some reporting will inevitably be superficial or reliant on misinformed notions about the cannabis industry, says Andrew Matranga, a media professor at the University of Denver who teaches courses on cannabis and journalism. One of the first heavily covered stories will be when the state’s first dispensary opens for business, Mantranga says. Cameras will focus on the line of people stretching around the block and the first person to make a purchase will briefly become a media star. There will also likely be stories that reappear each year leading up to Halloween about unfounded concerns children will consume marijuana, Mantranga says. “It’s the worst evergreen local news story,” he says. “Nobody’s going to buy $20 worth of edibles and let a kid find them.” Also likely are cyclical stories such as Green Friday — the day after Thanksgiving when marijuana sales soar — and stories dealing with the cultural undertone of music and concerts. More important stories will have to do with the science and business in the industry, Mantranga says. There’ll be many data points to observe and report on, such as monthly tax data, sales figures and product breakdowns. “And then of course you’re going to have all the people who are against it,” he says. “You’re going to have that other side and you’ve got to quote all those people too.” The biggest issue will almost certainly be figuring out the enforcement and regulation of the industry, Mantranga says, especially since New York hasn’t yet built its regulatory framework. But the lack of regulations hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for preparing for the industry. More than 400 people attended the first Cannabis Insider event in May. Kennedy says the Cannabis Insider website launch will likely coincide with their next statewide virtual cannabis industry conference scheduled for Oct. 28. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

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Robert Sarason and Jane Burkhead with their dogs, Omar and Snoop, at their home.

GIVING BACK FOR CHANGE: ROBERT SARASON & JANE BURKHEAD

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Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com

County Makes Vaccinations Easy, Efficient, and Maybe Even Fun ‘Health experts know getting out of the COVID-19 era will not be a piece of cake. The delta variant, some relaxation among society and a large unvaccinated population mean an ongoing challenge.’

TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community. 44

And you can thank a Girl Scout for part of its success

obody likes to get a shot. That said, what impressed me this year was how easy, efficient and — dare I say — fun the process of getting two COVID-19 vaccinations came via the Oswego County Health Department’s clinics. And, in part, you can thank the Girl Scouts for that. As I file this story, about half of county residents had received COVID-19 vaccinations (hopefully when you read this, it will be appreciably higher). Very many of those received their vaccines via a clinic conducted by the county. I was one of those to go to a county clinic, in two installments at G. Ray Bodley High School. I got the Moderna vaccine — shout out to Dolly Parton! Once you parked and came to the building, it was more pleasant than almost any other customer service experience from the past year. Everybody was so friendly, so helpful and so knowledgeable that it almost took my mind out of getting a needle with a scientific marvel jammed into my arm. From the person outside the door to the door greeters to the people who check you in to the people who organize any lines to the person who preps you to the person who gives you the shot to the person who schedules the next shot (if you receive a Moderna or Pfizer) to the people who check on you while you wait to a few minutes to ensure you don’t have a reaction — well, I felt like I made a bunch of new friends. They were warm, they were caring and they told you everything you needed to know. But I know even that army doesn’t take into account the people who cleaned and sanitized and scheduled the shots and answered questions about registration who did all the little unseen jobs that made it run so smoothly. So I wanted to reach out to Diane Oldenburg, the senior public health educator

Tim’s Notes

who I learned was a key player in organizing the clinics, to see why.

‘Amazing staff’ Oldenburg immediately credited two “amazing staff members” that she supervises, Sonia Robinson and Emily Boyle, emergency preparedness coordinators for the county. “I think the background is important, since just after 9/11, local health departments have been given grant funds to prepare for public health threats, and we have trained to be able to stand up ‘points of distribution’ (PODs) for mass vaccination or distribution of antibiotics or other medical countermeasures,” Oldenburg explained. “We have trained in how to manage public health assets and distribute them — so things like medical supplies, equipment or medications.” That’s where things got interesting with a little-known sweet fact about the role of Girl Scout cookies. For several years, the county’s health department conducted what Oldenburg called the “cookie drill,” a partnership with the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways that allows them “to practice receiving, inventorying and distributing assets,” she said. “In this drill, we use Girl Scout cookies to simulate these assets,” Oldenburg noted. “In these drills we move about 30,000 boxes of cookies. This drill pulls together health department staff from every department and many from other county departments: highway, buildings and grounds,sheriff’s, emergency management and promotions and tourism.” Having nuclear plants in Oswego County requires another set of regular drills and emergency management knowledge as well, plus Oswego — like any county — is required to be prepared for crisis management. “So we have a history in this county OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Diane Oldenburg, senior public health educator with Oswego Health Department, and Sonia Robinson, public health educator and emergency preparedness coordinator with Oswego County Health Department. They are shown at a recent vaccination clinic at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton. Photo provided.

of getting support to respond to crisis — whether through our public health drills or the radiological drills and exercises coordinated by emergency management,” Oldenburg said. “The players are familiar to us and we are used to working together. Sonia and Emily coordinate our annual drills and exercises and develop a lot of the logistics and operations along with a team at the health department.”

Assembling a team The mass vaccination efforts, like the ones I attended in Fulton, required “about 40 people, including parking assistants, flow control in the building, COVID-19 screeners at the door, registration, finance, medical screening, vaccinators, EMS (emergency medical services) and sheriff’s deputies,” Oldenburg said. “Many are county employees from the health department or other county agencies.” They also reached out to volunteers and placed a call for signups on their website. In a county known for its volunteer spirit, it’s probably not surprising they received help from retired school nurses, volunteer firefighters and many other members of the community. So, you get a lot of good people OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

— but how do you make it run like a well-oiled machine? “Before each clinic we do what we call a ‘just-in-time training,’ and run through the operations, and we have job action sheets available to explain the role,” Oldenburg said. “Those with more technical jobs like medical screening and our vaccinators, we usually partner them with an experienced person in the role until they feel comfortable to be on their own.” COVID-19 is a stressor on many levels, and that includes receiving the vaccines, especially knowing about potential short-term side effects and making sure everything is handled in as safe an environment as possible. But the right attitude of those coordinating and working the clinics goes a long way in reassurance. “We try to keep a relaxed atmosphere,” Oldenburg said. “I think being really organized and practiced lets the health department staff know that we can deal with the glitches as they come up.” That the health department and other county partners support each other throughout the year means an air of familiarity and camaraderie that provides the right atmosphere. “I think we know that the commu-

nity will feed off the energy in the room and if we are calm, friendly and able to answer their questions and alleviate fears or apprehension that word spreads and people are more likely to share their positive experience with friends and family,” Oldenburg said. (All the people sharing their vaccination photos and positive experiences on social media, me included, hopefully helped the cause.) “Ultimately, we want to get as many folks vaccinated as we can to help protect the community and give residents a sense that some normalcy is around the corner,” Oldenburg noted. “Cupcakes help too! We have one volunteer that often brings homemade cupcakes for the staff.” But health experts know getting out of the COVID-19 era will not be a piece of cake. The delta variant, some relaxation among society and a large unvaccinated population mean an ongoing challenge and a need to ensure the county’s team keeps welcoming visitors for their first vaccinations or for the booster shots they will expect to provide in the near future. In the mean time, I suddenly feel a need to figure out where to get some Thin Mints. 45

JOBS & FINANCES

New York is facing declining enrollment in teacher education programs, increased retirements and shortages in difficult-to-staff subject areas and districts, both urban and rural, according to ‘Take a Look at Teaching.’

Challenging Times for Schools Sector faces a challenging future: more teachers considering retirement and declining enrollment in teacher education programs will worsen teachers’ shortage By Steve Yablonski

chools across the country, and right here in Central New York, are going to be looking for more teachers in the coming years. A reported 27% of educators are considering changing professions or quitting altogether, many citing COVID-19 stress as a primary reason. A recent poll by the New York State United Teachers union of 1,100 of its members found 55% of them, aged 55 or older, were considering early retirement. “I can’t speak to the number of retirements this summer because I don’t have access to data on that,” said Matt Hamilton, who handles media inquiries for the New York State United Teachers union. “The best I can say is that certainly we’re seeing the workforce skew more toward educators at or near retirement age, about a third of them are.” “Here at NYSUT, we have an initiative we call ‘Take a Look at Teaching’

to help address the teacher shortage we are seeing. It is driven in part by older teachers leaving the profession and a lack of new teachers in the pipeline to fill those positions,” he pointed out. New York is facing declining enrollment in teacher education programs, increased retirements and shortages in difficult-to-staff subject areas and districts, both urban and rural, according to ‘Take a Look at Teaching.’

Key points • Enrollment in New York state’s teacher education programs has declined by 50.4% since 2009. • The NYS Teacher Retirement System projects that more than onethird of New York’s teachers are eligible or will soon be eligible to retire. State officials estimate districts may need up to 180,000 teachers in the next decade. The U.S. Department of Education

Matthew Hamilton OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“When I talk to students coming into our programs, I tell them, ‘you have made the right decision to become a teacher.” Amanda Fenlon, chairwoman of the curriculum and instruction department at SUNY Oswego Amanda Fenlon

has officially designated about a dozen teacher shortage areas throughout New York. They include: special education, bilingual education, English as a second language, science, social studies, English language arts, literacy, world languages, career and technical education and health science. Growing anecdotal reports suggest shortages in many other subject areas, with urban and rural districts experiencing the most difficulty with recruitment and retention. “I know some also have looked at how the stresses of the past 17 months have led to burnout among educators. I don’t have any New York-specific data on this, though, based on anecdotal evidence, burnout most certainly is a concern,” Hamilton said. “RAND, with support from the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, released a study on job-related stress in June, which found that about one in four teachers said they were likely to leave their jobs by the end of the most recent school year (compared with one in six who were likely to leave prior to the pandemic). That may not all be through retirement.” Teachers who identified as Black or African American were most likely to be considering leaving, according to RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. “Anecdotally, we hear that many teachers who can retire will do so. The stress with COVID-19, the new requirements and responsibilities and the pressure of the job may hasten their exit from the classroom,” according to Bill Spreter, vice president at NYSUT Retiree Council 7. SUNY Oswego is doing its part to help fill the need for new teachers in the coming years. The university was formerly known as “teachers’ college.” According to Amanda Fenlon, OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

chairwoman of the curriculum and instruction department, the most recent enrollment numbers — total numbers of majors in childhood education grades 1-6, adolescence education — grades 7-12 (that includes content areas math, social studies, English and science education) and teaching English to speakers of other languages (Grades K-12) — are on the lower side: • Spring 2016: 440 • Spring 2017: 429 • Spring 2018: 477 • Spring 2019: 540 • Spring 2020: 544 • Spring 2021: 531 According to Fenlon, in 2008, the number was closer to 1,000. “Our numbers in 2006 was 1,269. Our numbers started going down that year,” she said. “By 2010, we were still at 1,160. But then by 2013 we were at 739. You can see the decline. We’re slowly starting to climb back up again.” If you look strictly at those numbers, you could get very depressed, she said. “I’m hopeful about our preparation and students that are coming into teaching want to become teachers, they really want to become teachers,” she added. “SUNY Oswego has always been at the forefront of teacher education. If you go back to Edward Austin Sheldon, he was really a pioneer in teaching practices. We continue to do very innovative cutting-edge preparation for our students.” There will be a massive teacher shortage in the coming years, she noted, adding, “We’re already experiencing it.” “I have superintendents calling me every week and saying, ‘Do you have any graduates? We need this math position filled.’ And then they’ll say in the second breath, ‘You know what? We’ll even take your student teachers, we’ll hire them,’” Fenlon said. “Teaching is hard, it’s a hard

profession; it’s rewarding,” Fenlon said. Young people aren’t necessarily going into teaching anymore because the pay is not maybe as competitive as they would like, she said, adding that the 2008 economic downturn certainly had an impact on young people, “they maybe felt like maybe teaching was not as secure a profession as others.”

A good time for education majors “When I talk to students coming into our programs, I tell them, ‘you have made the right decision to become a teacher. This is a great time to enter the teaching profession, you can pretty much write your ticket,’” she said. “Now people are retiring, there is a real shortage, especially in our rural districts and even in urban districts. New teachers will be in high demand.” Districts who can’t find a teacher may end up hiring someone who’s uncertified, she noted, adding, “That’s a real disservice to the children.” Fenlon had high praise for the SUNY Oswego students. “Our students have just been amazing,” she said. “You cannot believe what they have had to do to get through this last year and a half and stay focused and be resilient.” SUNY Oswego has done a good job the last few years in recruiting students of color into the teaching profession. It’s important for students in urban settings to see teachers of color, to see themselves basically in the classroom, she said. “Besides this pandemic year, our numbers were slowly creeping up (in the program),” she said. “We are hopeful that they will continue growing. With record numbers of teachers retiring, the market for new teachers is very strong. There’s a lot of reason for hope for us.” 47

JOBS & FINANCES

Jobs: More Hirings Expected in the Fall Season usually brings more job offers in retail, education, warehousing, distribution By Steve Yablonski

s the weather cools down, the number of available jobs heats up. “Typically, with the start of back to school in the fall, we tend to see increased hiring needs in the education sector. This includes both the public and private sectors across pre-K, K-12, junior colleges and college level/universities,” said Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist with the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Research & Statistics in Syracuse. Increased hiring in the retail trade sector in preparation for the holidays

usually begins in October, she said. Increased employment also occurs at online retailers, local warehousing and distribution facilities and delivery service businesses in anticipation of holiday gift giving and delivery, she added. The colder weather in the fall and winter months also leads to seasonal hiring at local ski resorts. “As our local economy continues to recover from the pandemic-induced recession, there is still strong demand for workers across most of our local

industry sectors, especially leisure and hospitality [for example accommodation and food services] and professional and business services,” Knapik-Scalzo said. Sales jobs, in general, are in demand this time of year. Many are seasonal and will cease at the end of the holiday season. However, telecommunication sales profession is currently hot, KnapikScalzo noted. You can earn an hourly wage and commissions. New positions for office and adminOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

of private sector jobs in New York state increased over the month by or 0.6%, to 7,496,400 in July. This was the largest net gain in private sector jobs since March 2021. Similarly, the number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.6% in July 2021. New York state’s private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 493,200, or 7% over the year in July 2021. By comparison, the number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 5.8% over the year.

Karen Knapik-Scalzo

istrative support workers are opening at a break-neck pace, especially in big cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, according to jobnetwork.com. Customer service representatives, executive secretaries, office-worker supervisors and executive administrative assistants are in high demand to keep business rolling smoothly. Monster.com recently added more than 388,000 listings for admin professionals, so it’s a great time to be one.

Good news on the employment front New York state economy added 43,800 private sector jobs in July. According to preliminary figures released on Aug. 19 by the New York State Department of Labor, the number

Among the other jobs that are in demand now across the country, jobnetwork.com lists: • Food preparation and service: While industries such as transportation, accounting and personal financial services are on the rise because of specific contemporary factors, the strength of the food industry is pretty constant. However, certain areas of the industry are certainly in a growth phase this fall, such as supervisors and servers. The fast food industry may be less mighty than it once was, but food preparers and servers are still very much needed at McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Wendy’s. Cooks are needed, too. • Repair and maintenance: Here’s another old-fashioned industry that also continues to deliver the jobs. Those who are great with their hands and have a knack for installing appliances and performing automotive maintenance or general repairs will find a very welcoming job market. Supervisors for mechanics, installers, and repair people are also necessary in today’s market.

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• Accounting: Accounting may not be the most exciting profession in the world, but number crunchers are needed in a number of industries this fall. One reason for the high number of accounting positions is the abundance of new companies that started up in the wake of the economic collapse a decade ago. Those relatively new companies are still on the lookout for help in their accounting departments, and brand new companies are kicking into gear all the time, which means that accounting jobs should be abundant for some time. • Call centers: Another industry on the rise is the call center business. More and more, customer service is being handled over the phone. Call center workers both help customers with problems and handle sales. Initially, this kind of work tended to get outsourced, but public outcry has resulted in call centers opening up in the United States. Those with traditional sales and customer service experience may decide to put their skills to use at one of these new domestic call centers. The jobs are definitely out there. • Transportation: The popularity of online sales is one reason that call center work is thriving these days. The online retail industry has also created a high demand for the delivery people who transport the products purchased through Amazon, Fresh Direct, and other online companies. That means truckers and other drivers should have a fairly easy time getting work these days. Those who are interested in transporting people instead of goods may find work for companies such as Lyft and Uber.

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JOBS & FINANCES

Online Financial Fraud Shot Up During Pandemic Expert discusses ways to reduce or avoid being victim of fraud and scams By Steve Yablonski

uring the months of the pandemic, more and more people have gone to online shopping. Credit card use is also high among college students, especially freshmen who are experiencing financial independence for the first time. However, the risk of fraud and scams has also spiked. “There is evidence that fraud has increased significantly, especially because of the shift to online shopping. Fraudsters are impersonating businesses through fake sites, emails and phone calls,” according to Mason Miranda, a credit industry specialist with Credit Card Insider. There has also been a rise in coronavirus-related scams, like asking people for bank account information for stimulus payments or to pay for vaccinations, he added. “Keep in mind that fraudsters need specific information in order to steal your money. That includes your credit card information, Social Security number, date of birth, rent or mortgage amount or your full name,” he warned. “Never divulge any personal 50

information.” According to a study by Credit Card Insider, there were some interesting statistics for New York, Miranda said. • There were a total of 67,202 reported identity theft cases in 2020, which is an 84.93% increase from 2019 • Total fraud losses were more than $169 million • Identity theft made up for 28% of all types of fraud reported • The top forms of identity theft included: credit card fraud (37%), government documents and benefits fraud (23%)

Red Flags There are a number of different ways that scammers can get your credit card information. There are some common ones that everyone should be aware of. “Thieves can send a message via text, email or social media with a link they hope you’ll click. These messages are often out of the blue, include grammatical errors, have irregular formatting

or come from an unknown sender,” Miranda said. • Pay attention to the email address, name or phone number you receive these messages from. If you don’t know them, delete the message immediately. Never click any links unless you’re absolutely sure of the sender. • Most messages are geared toward scaring or exciting you into giving up your personal information. It can be anything from winning a raffle you never signed up for, to threatening civil action for something you never did. • Verify where the message came from and if it seems legitimate, take a minute to do research before entering in your information. Google the company it came from, search to see if anyone else has received a message like it, and find all the information you can. • Never enter your payment or personal information if you don’t trust the sender. Create accounts with unique usernames and passwords. “It’s convenient to reuse passwords and usernames from other accounts, but this could give easy access to your credit card information,” Miranda said. “If your account was hacked on another site, like Amazon or Netflix with the same information, fraudsters could use that to log into your bank account.” If you have an iPhone, take advantage of its password creator, which automatically generates a complicated password and saves it with your username to your phone, which is also protected, he added. It’s a good idea to check your credit card statements monthly for unauthorized transactions. If you find anything fishy, contact your card issuer immediately. Miranda advises finding a credit card issuer that goes above and beyond safety expectations. Some things to look for include contactless payments, fraud alerts via text or email, chip technology and location tracking. Contactless credit cards are excellent alternatives to avoid skimmers and shimmers, which are devices that read your credit card information when you swipe or insert your card at a payment terminal. Add additional security at checkout by using mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay, or digital wallets like PayPal. Both mask your credit card numbers with temporary information, in a process called tokenization. This makes it more difficult for thieves to steal your account information. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

JOBS & FINANCES

Top Banking Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

our business finances are important to its success. By extension, your banking practices can also affect your success. A few area bank leaders shared common banking mistakes small business owners tend to make and how to avoid them. • “Not working with a trusted partner, whether a banker or CPA, you need to work with someone frequently. You need to update both with what’s going on in their business. Talk with us now before it becomes an issue. If we’re in the dark and you experience an issue, we don’t want to be surprised. You need full disclosure so we’re ahead of any problems down the road. • “Not keeping accurate records. Or waiting until the end of the quarter before reconciling accounts. You need to be aware with what’s happening with your accounts. Those who don’t reconcile two or three months, there could be a fraud issue. There are timing issues when you bring fraud issues to a bank. • “Not filing taxes. It sounds basic, but when you come to the bank and ask for a loan, we need your last three

years’ tax returns. If you haven’t filed in two years, we’re not going to be able to help you. • “Fraud protection is something small business owners should be aware of. Monitor your accounts and make sure you can reach your banker when you need to. Community banks are more easily reachable than larger ones. The local community banks, odds are someone knows your business if you live and work and bank in that area. We will discuss your loan request and someone will know you. If the approval gets sent to Buffalo, they won’t know your local business.” — Angelo Testani, senior vice president in commercial loans at Seneca Savings in Baldwinsville • “One thing small business owners need to be cautious of while determining who to bank with is narrowing their consideration to singular items, such as loan interest rates. It is very important to expand your review and look at the quality of the bank to understand the direct and indirect costs

of doing business with that bank. • “Direct costs of other services include things like checking account fees, wire fees and overdraft fees. Indirect costs involve the time it can take you to resolve any issues that might come up, including billing and other service-related issues. This is where the quality of communication with your banker plays a critical role. Is your banker a one-person show or is there a broader support team, including a relationship manager and a branch manager, that jointly service the account? Who else is on their team? • “The depth of expertise and services at the bank is important to consider. In most small businesses, time is money. When time is spent tracking down people to resolve an issue or answer a question, that means time taken away from focusing on the core of their business. Making sure there are consistent banking contacts can help to maintain stability and create a solid relationship history with the bank. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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• “Small business owners should ask about services such as insurance, wealth management, 401K services, personal mortgages when evaluating a new bank.” — Richard Shirtz, regional president

• “Not having a relationship with their banker or avoiding keeping their banker in the loop on what they have going on with their business is a far too common mistake. The more your bank/ banker knows about what is going on with your business the more they can do to help you achieve those objectives. This hurts a business in the form of lost opportunity to take advantage of their banker’s expertise, etc, and potentially a more time consuming and difficult process to access capital — borrow — when they need to or are ready. • ‘Another common mistake is not having your financial information in order before contacting your bank to discuss a potential loan. All banks are going to be looking for the last three years of financial information (tax returns, financial statements, a personal financial statement, etc) to evaluate the loan opportunity, why not have those items readily available when you meet with the bank? Better yet, send them over when you schedule the initial meeting. Having that information

ready to go before the banker even asks for is a strong signal that you are highly organized, well prepared and serious about your business. • “Clients should have a clear understanding of what their needs are from the bank before they approach the bank. Those needs should be communicated early in your conversations so that the bank can get you in contact with correct resource to help you with what you are looking for. • “While knowing what you are looking for is critical, not being open to suggestion is even more problematic. If you approach your bank and are only open to one specific preconceived solution you are losing out on the opportunity to explore a better alternative. Nearly all modern banking needs have several potential solutions and the array of solutions is constantly shifting. You are doing yourself a disservice to not listen to what options are available to meet your needs.” — Bill Murphy, chief retail banking officer at Solvay Bank • “The most important thing for a small business owner or start-up is to have a plan written out in terms of what the business is going to do, the goals of the business, a marketing plan and with that to address sales. It is easy to deviate from the plan and necessary at points but sticking with the plan is important. You’ll have defined sources and uses of revenue and that’s crucial to the operation. • “As a small business, it’s recognizing what you’re good at. If there are certain areas like finance, it’s important to have a strong financial team or CPA

inside or outside the organization to help manage the cashflow. That’s an option for some small business owners. Having someone else advise is key. • “A small business owner may want to think about separate accounts for separate entities or separate payment sources. It depends upon their business banking needs. Establishing a business checking account is key to all of this. • “They could also benefit from lines of credit for short-term needs if that’s available to them. It depends upon their need. A line of credit can help on a shot term basis to fill the gaps in revenue shortfalls in a short month or a slow season.” — Miles Bottrell, vice president of the Syracuse branch at Adirondack Bank

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RETIREMENT

Is True Retirement a Thing of the Past? Department of Labor reports 40% of people over 55 are working or looking for work; 16% are unincorporated self-employed By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

our parents’ generation (or grandparents’ generation, depending upon your age) retired in their 60s from a single career track to move to Florida, go on cruises, volunteer or some other mix of personal past times. More than half of people at retirement age keep working at their job or retire and return their noses to the grindstone through consulting, shifting to a different career, or launching their own business. According to the Department of Labor, 40% of people 55 and older are working or looking for work and an additional 16% are unincorporated self-employed people. The reason they continue working varies. They report they need more money, feel bored out of a job or they want to accomplish more.

tions of income production resulting from Social Security and in many cases defined benefit plans, where the employer deposits to retirement, but the employee contributed nothing,” said Trygve Stout, MBA with Stout Financial Network, LLC, in Oswego. As Social Security and defined benefit plans have withered, continuing to work is a necessity for many people. Some 60-plussers lacked adequate financial planning to prepare them sufficiently for retirement. Stout added that they may have exceeded their income in retirement because of poor planning. With greater life expectancies now than when they began their careers, some people find that they are in danger of outliving their money.

Finances

Gary Lim, owner of Aurarius, LLC, in Manlius, has been self-employed for more than 20 years. He likes the idea of

“The last generation had expecta-

Fulfillment

knowing he has fulfilling work for the rest of his life. “Retirement is not a word that fits in my vocabulary,” Lim said. But he realizes that is not the case for many people. “I know plenty of people who have worked at a company for decades,” Lim said. “When they reach the retirement point, they take retirement and go on to something else. Some can’t wait to go on to do what they want.” But eventually, many of these feel discontent just sitting around and search for work or find a way to make money that feels fulfilling to them. “It gives you direction, whether it’s what you set or what your employer sets,” Lim said. “If there’s no direction, in some cases, that ends up being hazardous to one’s health. There are examples of longtime employees that decided to do nothing afterwards. Some of them end up passing away fairly soon.” Floyd Creaser, owner of Floyd Creaser Quality Used Cars, Inc., in Syracuse, is 79 and does not anticipate quitting the car sales business anytime soon. “I’ve had a couple friends retire and I don’t like how some of them are, to be honest,” he said. “They stay up late, sleep longer and take an afternoon nap. They’re less active.” He encourages people to continue working and making themselves useful in some fashion.

Boredom Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner for Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Oswego, has observed retired clients go back to work because they cannot find anything else they want to do. Some of these return to work part-time. “It’s in a less demanding and stress54

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ful position than before they retired,” Zeigler said. “Many people also still retire and never look back.” Many people have developed friendships at work and feel disconnected not going to work anymore. While they can always make some new retired friends, they share little in common with them compared with longtime work associates. Zeigler encourages people to plan for retirement early — and not just financially. While it is important to set aside enough money, what you want to do is important to plan also. “It is much better to begin planning at earlier ages for this later stage in life, which may actually become a major life stage — even 20 or 30 years in length,” he said. Meeting with a financial adviser and maxing out the employee benefit plan are important steps for financial preparation. Ziegler also encourages people planning retirement to consider how they will challenge their intellect, create fulfilling relationships, pursue hobbies and volunteer during retirement.

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RETIREMENT

Where’s the Exit? Planning Business Succession Think about succession planning five years before you think you should start thinking about it By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you have built or continued a family business, succession planning should be part of the business plan. Jarod Schoonmaker, owner of CNY Capital Corporation, a private equity company in Syracuse, said that he has observed companies “where the dad built an empire and the kids squander the money.” For him, an exit plan prevents situations like that. “Even with a start-up, you need to know your longterm goal and exit plan,” he said. That may include selling the business to heirs, employees or outsiders to help fund retirement or support a charity; giving the company to heirs; or selling shares of the company to heirs or employees. Not planning can pass along a mess to the surviving family. It can also mean chaos if you become temporarily incapacitated. For many business owners, succession planning means their legacy will live on after them. Unfortunately, many wait too long to plan, according to Jeffrey Scheer, partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, in Syracuse.

“You should be thinking about succession planning five years before you think you should start thinking about it,” Scheer said. “Otherwise, you may not be able to position the business to achieve the greatest value for it.” Waiting too long can mean for some that they become burned out in the work and business slacks off. As the company spirals downward, they have fewer clients, less money and less means to improve the business. Planning earlier can prevent this because those taking over will have the opportunity to infuse the business with their energy and ideas to keep it operating. Planning also enables you to take advantage of taxing and gifting strategies that can save you money. “If people wait too long, there may not be enough time to plan effectively because you have to do it fast to leverage state tax advantages,” Scheer said. It also allows you time to clean up what Scheer calls “blemishes” on the business — like old receivables, judgments and obligations. Starting earlier can also help get

family members more interested in the business. “The next generation won’t want to come in at 45 or 50 years old,” Scheer said. “If Mom and Dad say they want to hold on forever, you won’t have an effective succession plan. Sometimes Mom and Dad say Junior isn’t ready. But I ask them, ‘Were you ready when you started or when your parents passed it on to you? Maybe it’s time to give Junior the same opportunity.’” The business may need tweaking to carry on, such as a 100-cow dairy may not be large enough to support the two families who want to take over and the parents who own farm and they will need to scale up to 1,000 cows. If one heir has worked at the business and the other hasn’t, you should consider the value of the sweat equity of the working heir. “Fair” is not always “equal.” Carol Crossett, partner at Tully Rinckey, PLLC, in Syracuse, walks clients through questions on their goals for succession, any planning documents they may have, any legal documents related to the business, and more. “Financial statements could be important for the gross profit revenue, business valuation, and what assets are part of the business and what entities hold them,” she said. Gathering all this information takes time, a fact that she said surprises many clients planning succession. But planning sooner is better than scrambling during a crisis to figure out how to carry on the family business. A franchise-based business often has to ensure that the successor has the proper credentials and sufficient assets to take over the business. It is not as simple as signing a few papers and handing over the keys.

Jeffery Scheer is a partner at Bond, Schoneck & King PLLC in Syracuse. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Carol Crossett is a partner at Tully Rinckey, PLLC, in Syracuse.

“Even ones that require just a notice and application, and that they have enough capital, there’s also normally a new agreement once it passes on,” Crossett said. “Those are situations where it’s more involved.” She added that it can take a few meetings to iron out all the details. The US Small Business Administration offers services to help with business planning, including succession and short-term emergency circumstances. “How can they keep the business viable until that key person is able to come back?” said Daniel Rickman, deputy district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration in the Syracuse district office. This can include documenting and training on vital business systems and procedures—not just the actual work that makes the money. Keys, passwords, entry codes and contact information for vital vendors and clients are all part of planning for short-term emergencies. Who will handle different roles? To whom will they report? “What you might find is you haven’t prepared for that transition,” he said. “You have to plan financially and for the operation of the business. The sooner you start planning, the better.” After some preliminary planning, Rickman advises making it official through an attorney. The SBA offers educational programming to help learn business administration, which can augment a succession plan. The SBA also offers loans frequently used for changes of ownership. “For typical main street businesses, one that’s successfully transitioned is stronger and healthier,” Rickman said. “The potential for long-term success for the new owners is greater when there’s a good plan executed properly.” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Americans On Average Live 18.2 Years Past Retirement Age Country is ranked 27th out of 34 in the world. French workers live 24.8 years past retirement age

uropeans might hail the United States as a nice place to visit, but not the best place to retire. In fact, the United States is ranked 27 out of 34 countries with the longest average retirements. The list, compiled by Comparethemarket.com, a British online insurance intermediary, indicates that the average worker in the U.S. lives 18.2 years past the average American retirement age of 67. By contrast, France was No. 1 on the list, with the average worker there retiring at 60.8 years old and living 24.8 years after they stop working. Spain was second, at 24.15 (years past retirement age), followed by Greece (24.1), Luxembourg (23.6), Belgium (23.3), Italy (23.2), Slovenia (22.3) and Austria (22.15). The highest non-European nation on the list was Australia, at No. 9. The average retirement age there is 64.8, with 21.5 years as the expected period of life afterward. Canada was No. 13 in the list, with the average retirement age at 64.7 for 20.95 years of work-free life. The neighboring nation ranked the highest in the

western hemisphere and finished ahead of Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. All but seven countries on this list of 34 were in Europe. South Korea claimed the bottom spot, with the average retirement age at 72.3, with 14.6 years as the expected duration for post-retirement. Japan, at No. 26, was the only other Asian nation on this list. Chile, at 31 (68.3 years retirement age/17.2 years expected afterward), was the only South American nation on the list. New Zealand also made the list, but there were no African countries. Russia, China, India, Brazil and Indonesia also were not listed. The study’s methodology is largely based on pension statistics; Pension systems in European countries are much different than federal, state and private sector pension plans in the United States. The study also does not take into consideration the different standards of living for retirees in different countries.

By Aaron Gifford 57

Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

The Art of Leaving While You’re on Top

O ‘Years ago, I advanced ‘Frassinelli’s theory of going out while you are at the top of your game.’ It is at once simple and very complicated.’

ur society admires and cheers success, so in business and industry the quest to succeed can lead to issues that can have profound consequences on a person’s mental and physical well-being. We have heard about burnout of those who can’t handle the relentless strains and stresses of high-powered jobs where the emphasis is on up or out. In other words, you either keep moving up the ladder or you’re likely to be shown the door. We are in awe of the legends of the corporate world — the Bill Gateses and Jeff Bezoses. Their Horatio Alger stories of rising from humble beginnings to become among the most successful and wealthiest people on the planet are templates for the “how to succeed in business” manuals. In the world of entertainment, Oprah Winfrey left her hit daily show while she was at the top of her game and transitioned beautifully to the next phase of her life. She didn’t wait around until the audience

drifted away and her program was cancelled. A decade ago, she started her own network — OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) — now jointly owned by Discovery Inc. and Harpo Studios with Winfrey as chief executive officer. But for every Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, there are thousands of others — executives and personalities who fail to move on at the right time. It is these who are the subject of this column — the person who has grabbed the brass ring but who overstays his or her welcome. The landscape is littered with these famous personalities, and they come in all walks of life, not only business and entertainment. Among the high-profile corporate examples who were shown the door are Travis Kalanick of Uber, Andrew Mason of Groupon, Jerry Yang of Yahoo, David Neeleman of Jet Blue and Rob Kalin of Etsy. One of the most recent high-profile cases in the world of sports involves

My Turn

BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central NY) from July 2001 to June 2002. 58

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“Maybe employers might zero in to find a deeper definition of excellence and courage, one that goes beyond solely performance and the bottom line.” Simone Biles, who went into the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summer as the undisputed best female gymnast on the planet. Among her competitors, several admitted outright that with Biles in the mix, their goal was to get a silver medal (second place), conceding the gold medal to her. Something totally unexpected happened on her way to the winners’ podium, proving once again that nothing in life in certain except for death and taxes. Biles imploded, faltering badly in an early all-around team event, then pulling herself out of competition for the remainder of that event and all of the other events in which she was scheduled to compete up until the final gymnastics event — the balance beam. Biles made a remarkable comeback to capture a bronze medal (third place), the same finish she had in that event five years earlier in Rio. Biles said she withdrew after she had no idea where she was in the air during a routine — an issue commonly known in gymnastics circles as “the twisties.” Biles also admitted that her mental health had been affected by the unreasonable expectations placed upon her going into the games. ``I do feel as if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times,” she told her Instagram followers in July. After competition ended, she also reported that a favorite aunt had died during the week she was to have competed. Coming into the Tokyo games, Biles was the undisputed star attraction, with many believing that the results of her competitions were foregone conclusions. Regardless of what happened in Tokyo, Biles will leave an incredible legacy. She has performed routines that have made us gasp, but there is now a small asterisk next to her name and the word ``perfection.” She is no longer seen as invincible. The mystique that embraced her is gone. She is now another mortal, just as we are, but now OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

she is also revered in some regards as having conquered significant obstacles to compete and succeed. Did she stick around too long? Years ago, I advanced “Frassinelli’s theory of going out while you are at the top of your game.” It is at once simple and very complicated. I based it on my own decision to retire as publisher of The Palladium-Times at age 59 ½ when I had my most successful and productive years. The decision was whether I kept at it, trying to build on those successes and risk regression or outright failure and being replaced. Or, would I bask in the glow of knowing that my contributions were acknowledged, and my presence would be missed. I had been in the newspaper business for 32 years, working my way up through the ranks, first as a reporter, then a bureau chief, regional editor, managing editor, editor, general manager and, finally, publisher. I loved my job and the newspaper’s role in helping to make the community better. Each job level has its pitfalls and dangers, and, at each rung, the demands and the pressures become increasingly more daunting. Here, though, is the best part: Going out on top equals permanent euphoria. I retired on my own terms. Nearly 22 years later, I have never regretted, not even for one minute, leaving when I did. For all of these years and for those yet to come, I can enjoy the memories of my successes and accomplishments, the accolades from my coworkers and bosses and the beautiful written note of commendation from the corporate CEO thanking me for my service and the success of the newspaper and thank you notes from readers whom the newspaper helped. I think about those who stayed around too long in business, sport and elsewhere. Their demise and the humiliation they suffered played out in a very public way, and they are left to replay these memories for the rest of their days. Muhammad Ali, for example, one

of the top fighters of all time, was just a shell of his glorious self, and we cried for him as lesser opponents pummeled him during his last several bouts following his return to the ring after his glory years. Afflicted by Parkinson’s disease, likely caused by some of the beatings he absorbed during those ill-advised, latter-career bouts, he was robbed from enjoying the ``golden years” he so richly deserved. Football great Tom Brady, quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl last year, should have packed it in at the end of the season, but he has decided to play again this year. Why? With seven Super Bowl rings — the other six with the New England Patriots — a lock on induction into the Football Hall of Fame and a legacy of being one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, what more does he have to prove? Nothing. What does he have to lose? Much, especially if he has a mediocre season or is injured. At age 24, Simone Biles entered the 2020 Olympics with nothing to prove. She had done it all. In addition to being the reigning Olympic champion after her jaw-dropping performances at the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro, she is the most decorated U.S. women’s gymnast ever with 32 World/Olympic medals. That she suspended her participation in Tokyo when she did rather than risk permanent injury was a brave move, and we need to acknowledge how important that was even if it did taint the myth of her invincibility. For leaders in the business community, there are lessons to be learned from the Simone Biles story, and they are brilliantly noted in Lindsay Kohler’s recent feature story in Forbes magazine. • Even your star performers will wobble from time to time. • Great expectations can lead to burnout. • It takes courage to speak up when things aren’t right. • Great performances require great mental health. Maybe through the Biles experience, employers might zero in to find a deeper definition of excellence and courage, one that goes beyond solely performance and the bottom line. Obviously, when it comes to deciding when to leave or retire, there are many practical and personal considerations. We also must determine what we want to achieve in our careers. Each of us must decide what going out on top looks like. 59

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The Digital Divide Reliable high-speed internet often remains out of reach for rural CNY communities

hen Stephanie Michalski and her husband were house hunting, access to high-speed internet was almost an afterthought. In 2019, they purchased a house in Nedrow, within sight of Interstate 81. Their previous home had been serviced by Verizon Fios, which provided ultra-fast fiber optic internet. But Michalski says she wasn’t concerned because the listing for the house said broadband was available. “We didn’t know there was no internet here until we closed on our 60

By Ken Sturtz house and called Spectrum to be told our address isn’t serviceable,” she says. Even though neighbors in the surrounding area had access to Spectrum internet, Michalski was stunned to discover that the nearest terminal was about half a mile away. She was told it would cost $40,000 out of pocket to run coaxial cable to their house. “We were told there’s not enough houses on our street to make it worth their while to run the lines,” she says. Such is the state of broadband in rural communities throughout much of the United States. The federal govern-

ment claims that most of rural America has broadband internet, but vast numbers of people either still lack broadband or are underserved. Many rural areas lack the underlying infrastructure needed to support broadband. And in places where broadband is available, the high cost sometimes puts it out of reach. Central New York is no exception. In theory New York has made great strides over the past decade to bring broadband to even the most remote corners of the state. In practice, however, many New Yorkers have been left behind in a growing digital divide. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Christopher Ali is a media studies professor at the University of Virginia who researches rural and broadband issues. “This issue [of internet access] is particularly apparent in rural America,” he says.

Rural vs. Urban While the percentage of Americans with broadband access has steadily crept up, the digital divide between rural communities and suburban and urban communities has continued growing despite efforts to extend broadband access. Indeed, the federal government collectively spends billions of dollars each year on rural broadband infrastructure. In many ways the issues with rural broadband closely parallel the challenges of electrifying rural America in the early 20th century, says David Danbom, a retired professor who has written several books on American agriculture and rural life. Early on, most residents in towns and cities had central station power, but in the country people generally didn’t have electricity unless they had their own electrical plant or were close OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

enough to a town to extend the lines to their home. By the 1920s and 1930s, however, electricity came to be defined as a necessity for modern people. “And really in a lot of ways it’s like the internet today,” Danbom says. “It’s increasingly difficult to get along without it.” Much like broadband today, in the 20th century the federal government stepped in and bankrolled rural electric co-ops and provided low-interest loans to farmers who wanted to electrify their farms and to people who wanted to purchase electric appliances. The push to electrify the countryside, like extending broadband, didn’t happen overnight. By the early 1950s, however, all but the most remote areas of the U.S. had electricity. Unfortunately, extending broadband has proven more complicated. One of the major policy failures has been how broadband is actually defined,

says Christopher Ali, a media studies professor at the University of Virginia who researches rural and broadband issues. The Federal Communications Commission defines a broadband internet connection as having a minimum download speed of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. At that speed — commonly referred to as 25/3 Mbps — a household could stream a movie and post on social media at the same time without slowing down. Many households have connections much faster than the FCC threshold for broadband. The average speed in the U.S. in 2018 was 96/32 Mbps. But is 25/3 Mbps sufficient to be called broadband? That question is at the heart of a major policy fight. The FCC hasn’t changed its definition of broadband since 2015. Ali, whose forthcoming book “Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics 61

In theory New York has made great strides over the past decade to bring broadband to even the most remote corners of the state. In practice, however, many New Yorkers have been left behind in a growing digital divide. of Rural Connectivity,” focuses on broadband policy, says when he testified earlier this year before the U.S. Senate he argued that 25/3 Mbps is too slow to be considered broadband. “There’s a lot of politicking involved in broadband,” Ali says. “The Federal Communications Commission likes to keep that definition low because it means that the digital divide, it looks like it’s shrinking because more Americans can be said to be connected to a network even if that network is not particularly good.” There are several ways to deliver broadband, the most desirable being ultra-fast fiber optic. It can handle nearly unlimited data, but is expensive to install and can cost $27,000 a mile, Ali says. The next best option is coaxial cable, which is more reasonably priced and offers great download speeds and decent upload speeds. It’s the most common broadband technology in the U.S., but can be hindered by network consumption, meaning if everyone in your neighborhood is watching Netflix at the same time, you might experience a slowdown. There’s also fixed wireless, which usually involves running a fiber optic cable to a tower to transmit internet connectivity to households, kind of like a giant Wi-Fi community. Speeds can be decent and the technology can be useful in rural communities that area spread out. The other technologies for delivering internet — dial-up, satellite and DSL — are more problematic. Dial-up has been virtually abandoned in the U.S. due its slow speed. Under the FCC’s 25/3 Mbps threshold, however, satellite internet and DSL continue to count as broadband. Satellite internet can be adequate in some circumstances, but is heavily dependent on the weather, Ali says. DSL isn’t particularly good at delivering the data speeds a contemporary household needs because it relies on 62

traditional copper telephone lines. It’s still fairly common in rural America because phone companies are reluctant to make expensive infrastructure upgrades; network conditions greatly affect DSL speed. But since satellite and DSL are capable of supporting speeds of 25/3 Mbps, a household with access to one of them is considered to have broadband. That was the case for Michalski, whose mailing address is Nedrow, but lives in the LaFayette school district. When she and her husband moved into their new home in 2019 they didn’t know that Spectrum wouldn’t run the internet to their house. The only wires running to their house were the electrical lines. They still had options for the internet, just not any good ones. She and her husband researched satellite internet, but the strict data caps and high price made it unrealistic, especially since satellite was unlikely to be able to handle streaming video. They considered purchasing a personal hotspot, but that also came with restrictive data caps and would have been extremely expensive, she says. The internet situation was so bad that Michalski says it even affected her husband’s job. He worked in IT and a large part of his job involved being on call for after-hours services. He tried to use a computer at his parents’ home in Kirkville, but eventually decided he couldn’t do the job without reliable internet and changed professions. The family’s saving grace is that they have good cell phone service, which remains their only reliable means to access the internet. Even that’s not an ideal solution since it’s hard to get and keep a strong enough signal to use a laptop or desktop computer. “We were used to having multiple devices running all day long and now we have nothing,” she says. “In some ways it’s nice because the kids can’t sit

and play games all day long.” During the pandemic, however, lack of internet was isolating, preventing the family from connecting and socializing with other people. They couldn’t talk with friends about the most popular television shows people were binge-watching at the time. Schoolwork became especially difficult. During the pandemic the LaFayette schools loaned them a hotspot so Michalski’s children could learn and do work remotely. But the internet still lagged and disconnected often. “So that hasn’t been easy either,” she says. “That’s not foolproof.” Unfortunately, there’s no truly accurate count of how many households are like Michalski’s. On paper of course, most Americans, even in rural communities, have access to broadband. The FCC estimates that slightly more than 26% of rural America, of 16.9 million people, still lacks access to a broadband connection. But the FCC’s estimates have proven to be far from accurate due to the way the agency collects data on broadband access. “We actually do not know who is connected and who is not connected, nor do we know who is under-connected and that’s because the broadband deployment maps are awful,” Ali says. Broadband Now, an independent research group whose data is frequently cited, examined flaws in the FCC’s estimates of how many Americans lack access to broadband internet. The FCC’s Broadband Deployment Report states that 21.3 million Americans, or 6.5% of the population, lack access to broadband. That figure relies on semi-annual self-reporting by internet service providers. As Broadband Now noted, however, the reporting system includes a widely acknowledged flaw: if an ISP offers service to at least one household in a census block, then the FCC counts the entire census block as having coverage. Broadband Now manually checked internet availability using FCC data as the source of truth for randomly selected addresses. Based on its research, the group concluded in a study released this year that 42 million Americans don’t have access to wired or fixed wireless broadband. In New York state the estimate was 640,000, twice the FCC estimate.

Central New York and Oswego County Central New York again is no OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

exception. An infrastructure analysis report commissioned by Oswego County reached a similar conclusion regarding broadband access. Three companies — Verizon, Windstream and Spectrum – together provide wireless and broadband coverage for more than 92% of the county. “Although providers indicate that their coverage extends across most of Oswego County, stakeholders have suggested otherwise,” the report says. In addition, a crowdsourcing campaign led by Sen. Chuck Schumer reported a total of 118 wireless dead zones in Oswego County, leading the Central New York region. The situation is so confusing that earlier this year the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board launched a survey asking businesses and residents in five counties to share information about the quality of their internet access. The survey is meant to give municipal leaders a better picture of underserved areas. Ray Nellis and his wife lived in one of those underserved areas in Oswego County for three decades. Their house is on the edge of Hastings, near the Mexico town line. They used DISH for television, but high-speed internet was extremely difficult to access in their neighborhood. Nellis says his wife, who works in life insurance, needed reliable internet to do her job from home, so they spent $120 a month on a hotspot device. The hotspot worked most of the time, but they frequently went over the data limits and ended up paying extra. “We were always going over on usage,” Nellis says. “I’d watch highlights of a ball game and my wife would be yelling at me.” When Spectrum ran a cable line down their road a few years ago, Nellis says he and his wife decided to make the switch and chose a package that included unlimited data. They haven’t gone over on data since and Nellis says he watches all the baseball games he wants — not just the highlights — without fear of being up-charged. Caron Chapman-Case has struggled for access to high-speed internet for years and before that suffered similar problems with the telephone. She’s lived on her family’s small dairy farm in Tully for most of her life. The 56-year-old remembers as a child that when her father needed to call the vet he sometimes couldn’t get through because the line was dead, which meant a trip down the road to OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Caron Chapman-Case has struggled for access to high-speed internet for years and before that suffered similar problems with the telephone. She’s lived on her family’s small dairy farm in Tully for most of her life. “Things are getting better, but we’re kind of unhappy that we’ve been left in the dark,” she says.

use the neighbor’s phone. In addition to phone trouble they never had access to reliable high-speed internet despite living on a state highway. Chapman-Case says that she paid for a landline telephone and dial-up internet for many years, but that the service was extremely unreliable. About a decade ago she switched to satellite internet. The price was reasonable and even though the service wasn’t reliable — the internet never worked when it rained or snowed, or on major holidays — it was a marked improvement over dial-up. “We just knew on Christmas Eve don’t plan on sitting down and watching a movie,” she says. Their satellite provider eventually went away and most of the neighbors on their road switched to using their cell phones, Chapman-Case says. Her family began using their cell phones when they could and tried several brands of hotspots that cost as much as $100 a month and came with data limits. She says Spectrum, which is running cable nearby in Otisco, told her it would cost $30,000 to run a cable to her house. Last summer, Chapman-Case’s daughter had a paid college internship doing research online. She’d hoped her daughter could use the local libraries

while she was home, but they closed down during a portion of the pandemic. Running a simple Zoom meeting meant a trip to the parking lot of the library or the nearby Burger King to use their Wi-Fi. Her daughter was able to finish her internship using borrowed hotspots from the library. So why has the expansion of rural broadband been slow and left so many people behind? Some rural areas still don’t have the infrastructure to support broadband and finding someone willing to build that infrastructure is difficult. “This issue is particularly apparent in rural America and that’s largely because the large internet service providers — who are often the largest telecommunications companies or largest cable companies — don’t see the return on investment to deploy in rural America,” Ali says. Rural areas tend to be sparsely populated, which makes rolling out broadband infrastructure very expensive and makes it difficult to find companies to make the investment. In 2016, the state Public Service Commission approved the merger of Charter (Spectrum) with Time Warner Cable, which made Charter the largest cable company in the state and the second-largest in the U.S. The approval 63

came with the caveat that Charter agree to extend service to 145,000 unserved and underserved homes within four years. Whether Charter lived up to its obligations has been a source of intense controversy. “It’s an interesting case in New York, particularly with Charter Spectrum because they made all of these promises when they bought Time Warner Cable, particularly in New York State, and heretofore they have not lived up to these promises,” Ali says. Charter has continued to expand service, but in areas where it has promised to build out the internet it’s claimed federal subsidies, even if it hasn’t built out the internet yet. That means that if a competitor wants to extend internet service to the same area, they have to do it without federal support, Ali says. “And so, what happens is these kinds of quasi-rural, but not remote areas are just left completely underserved,” he says. The pandemic has brought renewed attention to the issue of broadband access, especially after millions of Americans spent months stuck at home with the internet as their main lifeline for entertainment, education and employment.

A crowdsourcing campaign led by Sen. Chuck Schumer reported a total of 118 dead zones in Oswego County, leading the Central New York region in lack of access to reliable internet. President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure package would direct tens of billions of dollars toward improving broadband access, particularly in rural communities. Michalski hopes the situation improves in the future. She wrote a letter to County Executive Ryan McMahon about the issue after he pledged to spend some of Onondaga County’s share of federal stimulus money toward extending broadband. She’s also signed up on the waitlist for Starlink, billionaire Elon Musk’s project to bring high-speed internet everywhere using a constellation of satellites.

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Those solutions are likely years off, however. For now, many people who are underserved, like Chapman-Case, have had to be satisfied that things have improved slowly over time. A few years ago, the local libraries began lending hotspots purchased through a grant program and Chapman-Case says that those devices combined with their personal hotspot helped somewhat. But her family still doesn’t have access to reliable highspeed broadband. “Things are getting better, but we’re kind of unhappy that we’ve been left in the dark,” she says.

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The current Hewitt Union, which has sat partially vacant since the Marano Campus Center opened in 2006.

SUNY Oswego to Embark on New Major Renovation Project College to create new home for School of Communication, Media and the Arts. The project is part of a long-term $850 million campus renewal program By Ken Sturtz

UNY Oswego is launching a $65 million renovation project to transform its old student union building into a nationally competitive hub for its School of Communication, Media and the Arts. In addition to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott Furlong says the building will feature a contemporary design meant to encourage collaboration outside the classroom. “It will now become in many ways a showcase building for the university,” he said. Plans call for renovating the former Hewitt Union, located in the middle of campus. The building has sat partially vacant since the Marano Campus Center opened in 2006, taking its place as the

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

student activities center. When renovations finish, the Communication Studies Department — which includes broadcasting, graphic design and cinema and screen studies — will relocate there. The project is part of a long-term $850 million campus renewal program the college began nearly two decades ago to modernize its aging facilities. In academia professors are often eager for the newest facilities and state-ofthe-art equipment, while administrators are keen to boost the institution’s prestige and wow students with gleaming buildings. In this case, however, college officials say the renovation project is sorely needed. The Communication Studies Department has long been shoehorned into a labyrinth-like space on the lower level of Lanigan Hall. It’s not simply a matter

of not having enough space, said Jessica Reeher, chairwoman of the department. When the building was designed in the 1960s little thought was given to issues such as handicapped accessibility or the need for computer labs and TV studios. Even with some renovations a little over a decade ago, problems have persisted. For example, Reeher said, one of the main computer labs has a giant column in the middle of the classroom, blocking the view of the front of the room. “You can only do so much with the space that you’re given and in order to really make the space accommodating you’d have to knock down walls and mess with support structures,” she said. Previous construction has addressed similar issues with other academic programs. Renovation of 65

The first floor of the Hewitt Union will have a high open area with classrooms, faculty offices, a skylight and a prominent television studio suite that includes a newsroom and control room to showcase the college’s historic strength in broadcasting.

above

Wilbur Hall in 2018 allowed the School of Education to be consolidated into two buildings. The School of Communication, Media and the Arts — which includes the art, communication studies, Music and Theatre departments – has been scattered across several buildings since it was created in 2008. Renovations of Tyler Hall in 2019 brought the fine and performing arts together. This project will bring the remaining departments in the school together in Hewitt, said Julie Pretzat, dean of the school. She said the new space will address many of the issues programs within her school have had to deal with, particularly communications studies. “The size of their program does not meet the size of the space that they are in any way shape or form,” Pretzat said. “We are such a signature program in graphic design and in communication 66

studies that it was clear that it was time to give us the kind of space that those departments deserved to highlight them visually, but also create that buzz, create that sense of excitement about creating new things.” The design for the new 35,000-square-foot Hewitt Hall is based on the desire to open the building up and encourage collaboration between

students and faculty from different programs and the larger college community, Pretzat explained. The first floor will have a high open area with classrooms, faculty offices, a skylight and a prominent television studio suite that includes a newsroom and control room. The ground level will contain most of the other broadcasting, audio and podcast OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

studios and technology spaces. The second floor will focus on graphic design with collaborative workspaces that will resemble a professional environment more than traditional classrooms. A soaring, updated and airy two-story ballroom will provide a performance space for a range of campus events. The building will offer spaces such as virtual reality studios that address the interdisciplinary nature of advanced visual technology. Hewitt Hall’s other showcase spaces will include a gallery, screening room and the naturally lit collaborative core as a central feature. The new building will be a warm, inviting, contemporary space where students will want to work together and learn, in and out of class, said broadcasting professor Michael Riecke, who was part of the project planning group. It will also allow students and faculty to be more transparently connected to other programs. “We now live in a world — we’re not getting there, we’re there — where these disciplines all intersect,” Riecke said. “It’s increasingly important that our students are at the very least aware of the basic fundamentals of each of these disciplines because we overlap so

evolving technology is changing many of the disciplines being taught, said Kelly Roe, chair of the art and design department. One need look no further than Hewitt’s planned virtual reality studios, which not long ago would have been nonexistent in a similar building. “We’re constantly looking at the industry and what’s next,” Roe said. Riecke said the college’s strategy with the project was to have enough flexibility that spaces could adapt over time to changes in industry. “This will allow us to be more innovative and educate that next generation of content creators.” The college has tapped CannonDesign of Buffalo as the project’s architect and DiPasquale Construction of Spencerport to do the renovation work. CannonDesign previously worked on the college’s Campus Center and Shineman Center building projects. Exterior renovations are projected to be completed in 2022. Hewitt Hall is scheduled to reopen in fall 2023, in time for classes. The project is financed by the State University Construction Fund and will create 439 jobs over the course of construction.

frequently when producing content.” As an example, Riecke pointed out that a digital news organization today would have graphic designers, writers and video producers working together. “It’s not that we’re not collaborating now,” he said. “It’s just we really don’t have the space to do that. Our space doesn’t speak to collaboration. The new space will.” That’s especially true in the case of cinema and screen studies, said Professor Amy Shore, who directs the program. When Shore helped launch the program more than a decade ago it was tucked into the English department. Moving into closer proximity to the School of Communication, Media and the Arts will allow cinema students to collaborate more easily with other students in disciplines such as writing, acting and sound production, Shore said. “We’re going to be able to authentically collaborate with each other,” she said. “Hewitt is going to allow people to build a network from the ground up.” One of the biggest challenges with the Hewitt project was trying to design a space for the needs of faculty and students with the knowledge that rapidly

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COVER STORY

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Starting a new small business is daunting under any circumstances — business plan, financing, finding the perfect location, getting workers in order, production issues, you name it. Now add the aggravation of a once-ina-century public health pandemic that has shut down most of the economy. We interview eight entrepreneurs who did just that. They started their business during COVID-19 — some of them at the height of the pandemic. They share their stories. 68

Don Agate & Marie-Helene Gingras GOOD Eats and Sips

Couple started restaurant in Skaneateles in June last year, during an especially high peak of COVID-19 By Mary Beth Roach

here have been many sayings over the years about opportunity growing from adversity. For Don Agate and his wife, Marie-Helene Gingras, this has become more than a quote. It became their reality during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they opened their restaurant-café, GOOD Eats and Sips, in June of 2020. The menu, according to its website, goodskan.com, specializes in locally-sourced ingredients and offers a variety of coffees, teas and smoothies; bagels; grain, green, noodle, smoothie, yogurt and oatmeal bowls. The Skaneateles resident husbandand-wife team had been looking to open an eatery in their home village. They had a business plan; a great location had become available at 18 W. Genesee St., across from Skaneateles Lake; and they had funding approved on March 11, according to Gingras.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Several days later, the pandemic hit and everything was shut down. But it was during this time that they saw the need — and the opportunity. Like so many of the young families in that area, they were looking for take-out options and while there might be hamburgers and pizza, Gingras said, there was little else from which to choose. “Where a lot of older, established restaurants were struggling to pivot to the demands of the take-out customer, we knew that there was a new demand for it. We knew there was a niche in the market that wasn’t being filled and we took a chance,” Agate said. Convenience was the main objective for them, he said. During recipe development, if it took more than five minutes to make the dish, it didn’t make the cut, he explained. “We wanted something that was

going to be quick and fresh,” he said. “We knew we had to keep up with the pace of not only delivering to the locals, but keeping up with the demand of the tourists that come in.” With decades of experience between them, they know the industry. Agate has worked in numerous restaurant kitchens, including some in and around the Skaneateles area, and Gingras has been a catering sales manager, a restaurant manager and a banquet manager. GOOD Eats and Sips is in the former White Birch Vineyards’ tasting room spot, where Gingras had been a manager. When that business closed in January 2020, the space became available. “It was serendipitous. It was meant to be,” Agate said. While they created a business opportunity from the adversity of a pandemic, the couple was not without challenges in getting their business up and running. Agate said their intent was to hire a chef. But during the shutdown, it was difficult to find staff, especially people with a specific skill set. Agate, himself, stepped in. Their wait staff is made up of mostly local high school students, which Agate believes offers the couple the opportunity to support the community. In the early days of its opening, take-out was about 80% of their business, but slowly the number of people opting to eat in the café has been growing, he added. “As occupancy has opened up, the seats have filled as well,” he said. And on a Friday afternoon of a recent holiday weekend, just a little over a year since it opened, the café’s foot traffic was steady. A mix of customers, from young families to teens to senior couples, entered under the bright green awning and took their seats, choosing between the small tables in the front of the space or the longer, high tables in the back area. The vivid GOOD logo on the walls, a well-lit menu board and white twinkle lights toward the back of the area all add to the friendly ambiance. “I just want good vibes and good food,” said Gingras. In trying to find just the right name for the place, she said she wanted to convey to customers that the place had a good atmosphere, good food, and food that was good for you. She kept coming back to the word, “GOOD.” So it was decided that that’s what the name would be. Although this is the first time at 69

COVER STORY owning a business, Agate and Gingras are optimistic for the future and are considering franchising down the road. “I think we latched onto something,” Agate said. “We’ve got some-

thing good here. We’re fresh enough; we’re new enough that we’re easily able to adapt and pivot to any future changes. There’s definitely a desire for what we’re offering.”

than a decade. During that time, I logged more than 1,200 hours of training and certification in yoga and meditation teaching and therapy,” she said. “More recently, I went to school for massage therapy and received my licensure here in New York with 1,000 hours of school.” She had been self-employed as a yoga therapist for a number of years. “I decided to add massage therapy and open my own studio when we moved to New York about two years ago,” she said. “I love yoga and massage as selfcare tools. I had taken thousands of hours of yoga classes in my lifetime, but found a practice that truly helped me when I began private lessons. I decided that, with the addition of massage, I would open a studio where each client receives the kind of attention and care that every person deserves to have, dedicated to and specifically for their needs,” she said.

Getting started

Jenny Dunlap Wunderland Wellness

From Jet Engine Mechanic to Massage-Yoga Therapist By Steve Yablonski

enny Dunlap grew up an Army brat, mostly in Germany and the Netherlands. She enlisted in the Air Force as an F-16 jet engine mechanic and was stationed in Germany. That is where she met her husband, Patrick, and had their two boys. “We spent the next 20 years moving across the globe until he retired and we both started school,” she said. “He’s now a practicing nurse at Oswego Hospital and I am a massage and yoga therapist.” She’s settled in Central New York and opened a new business. Wunderland Wellness is located at 5509 state Route 104, just outside 70

Oswego. Right now, she has no employees. “It’s just me,” she said, adding, “It is an authentic and singular space whose purpose is to offer a set of unique and dedicated practices including yoga therapy, meditation and massage therapy, intended to support those having experienced any form of trauma and those searching for wellness and a deeper contact with self.” It is fully inclusive, no matter your race, creed, gender or preferences; you are welcome to Wunderland just as you are, she added. “After I got out of the military, I worked in mortgage banking for more

“It was much less difficult than I expected! I own a space adjacent to my home that I hired a contractor to build out specifically for the studio’s purposes,” she said. “I took a local class for small business owners [with John Halleron, senior business adviser, Small Business Development Center], applied for and received a small business loan to finance the start-up. The details and specifics were sometimes complicated, but it is a labor of love for me. So every step has been an amazing experience.” She had intended to open Wunderland Wellness in early fall of 2020. “The pandemic absolutely put a stop to that,” she said. “Thankfully, it gave me a little more time to plan and put the pieces in place. I believe it made for a smoother and easier opening.” It also changed her cleaning and client management practices. “I opened well after the start of the pandemic. But it still dictated my cleaning methods and protocols, as well as how I managed my client intake and protocols,” she said.

Uphill climb “As with almost all personal services businesses, booking enough clientele to sustain the business financially is the hill we must all climb,” she said. “In a community such as this one, excellent word of mouth is the goal. It’s a slow and steady climb, but one that has so far been productive and right on OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

target for Wunderland.” Wunderland Wellness offers relaxation and deep tissue massage, therapeutic private yoga sessions, meditation lessons and additions to massage, personalized sessions, prenatal massage plus yoga and trauma-informed massage plus yoga. Dunlap said she will add ashiatsu massage to the offerings to help those particularly who need deep tissue work routinely and those who would enjoy a different type of massage experience. In addition to the types of services listed, any add-on services that are on offer are never charged as extras, she said. They are available to anyone booking a massage session and include: hot stones, cold stones, paraffin dip, essential oils aromatherapy, warm foot and hand wraps and spoken meditation at the end of the massage. The 60-minute massage is the current front-runner for most booked, she added. “Each person that comes to Wunderland arrives in a place of no judgment. It’s a safe place, a sacred space that is held just for you to be yourself. Wunderland is fully inclusive, no matter race, creed, gender or preferences. Every person is welcome to Wunderland just as they are,” she said. “At Wunderland, the focus of care is solely on each individual client’s wellbeing. The path to feeling and moving well can be a journey taken with joy.”

“My two boys are grown. The oldest is active duty Air Force now and our youngest lives across the country in an assisted living community, as he is profoundly autistic,” she continued. “Rais-

Ashley Fox started her CNY Ranch Supply and Feed business November 2020. “Yes, I work more than 70 hours a week,” she says. “It is at least usually eight in the morning to seven at night, every day seven days a week.”

Ashley Fox

Helping others The best part of her job is helping people feel better, about themselves, within themselves and about what they can achieve for themselves, she said. If she wasn’t doing this, she said she would likely still be working in the mortgage industry. “I was an auditor for the last few years of that career and I really liked it. I could work remote and the money was great,” she said. “It simply wasn’t fulfilling and I really wanted to impact people on a more personal and profound level.” She said she feels the most at ease when she’s walking in her woods, gardening and stargazing. “My husband and children, definitely, have had an influence on me. My husband is an amazing human, smart, kind, compassionate and fun. He has always been a source of support and love that have been invaluable to my growth as a person,” she said. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

ing those two amazing humans taught me so much about who I am, who I want to be in the world and how much love it is possible to hold in one heart.”

CNY Ranch Supply and Feed

Love of animals was the impetus behind entrepreneur’s new business By Steve Yablonski

shley Fox has been working with animals her whole life. “So, I knew I wanted to do something with animals. I decided to start the business because I love animals. And, I love seeing the customers and helping them,” said Fox, owner of CNY Ranch Supply and Feed, 8283 state Route 104 in Oswego. “I’ve owned animals my whole life.” “We all know the struggles of going shopping for our animals and they [the stores] never have what you need. Some of them never know anything other than the info they read off a computer screen. There is no knowledge to what is right for your animals,” she said.

Tough start It was very difficult to get started, the 2020 high school graduate said. “I am very young, so most people do not take me very seriously. And, with the whole COVID crisis, my building plans were pushed back about six months from when it was supposed to start,” she explained. “I do not plan on continuing my education,” she said. She will focus her attention on the business instead. She said she convinced people she could handle a business by “always showing up and working as hard as I 71

COVER STORY could. And, I still do, to earn the respect I deserve.” The business is located right at the family’s farm, she said. The services CNY Ranch Supply and Feed offers are Sthil equipment and service, Pine Creek non-GMO feeds, Tribute grains and Blue Seal products. They stock a large selection for all small and large pets. They also have plenty of outdoor products from bulk mulch, bag mulch, grills, firepits and more. CNY Ranch Supply and Feed works along side with her family’s horse farm, Fox Hollow Farms, with horse trail rides, weddings, proms and more, she said. “The problems we have come to are not being able to get enough product in. Everything is on back order. It is very difficult to order something for someone and it never comes in,” she added. “We only opened in November, so COVID didn’t really have much of an affect us.” In a typical day, she said she starts with working with the horses if they are having a trail ride. “I also do a lot of mulch deliveries, special orders and re-ordering throughout my day as well,” she said. “Our best seller for 2021 summer is for sure our bulk mulch for $24 per yard, no one is yet to beat us on our price,” she said. Right now, they have three employees one full-time and two part-time. “The best part about my job is definitely getting to see my customers,” she said. “It is nice to have conversations with them and to provide something more than just a product.” Running this type of business requires many hours on the job. “Yes, I work more than 70 hours a week,” she said. “It is at least usually eight in the morning to seven at night, every day seven days a week.” “If I didn’t start the feed business I would have definitely expanded the work we do with our horses,” she added. “Any spare time, I spend in my barn!” “The people who influenced me the most would be my parents. There’s no way I would have gotten through life without them pushing me through life. My parents helped out with the finance for the business,” she said.

James Gaffney and Lindsay Gaffney The Organic Earthling

New business focuses on good health — naturally, carries synthetic-free vitamins, minerals, organic supplements and more By Steve Yablonski

local couple launched a new business to share its healthy alternatives with the public. “We’re a husband-and-wife team. Lindsay is from Clayton, New York, and I’m from Marcy, New York. We met in a retail environment [Sangertown Square, New Hartford] in 2007,” James Gaffney said. Lindsay came to Utica for college and was doing part-time sales at Kay Jewelers. James was the optical lab manager at Lens Crafters. “We’d coordinate our trash runs to meet up at the dumpster. “We now have two little boys, Jacob and Jeremiah, and reside in Mexico, New York, on a 13-acre homestead complete with free-range chickens, ducks, an apple and peach orchard and a chemical-free, no-till herbal and vegetable garden,” he said.

Before The Organic Earthling, Lindsay was running a gift store she started in 2013. James was director of quality for Lyft Bike and Scooters, East Syracuse hub. “Lindsay’s specialty was hand-painted glass. She’d travel around the state and do winery showcases and events,” James said. “I’d occasionally tag along on weekends for the fun and festivities.” However, in 2019 he was diagnosed with a 17mm pituitary brain tumor that took him out of work, had him scheduled for brain surgery. Lindsay had always dabbled in medicinal herbs. With the onset of COVID-19 and constant cancellations of surgery, his health declined. They decided to attempt to restore his health with diet and medicinal herbs while cutting out all sugars, chemicals and OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“Once news hit that these alternative remedies were working miracles on me; we wanted to share this knowledge with the public. A little more than a month later, we opened the Oswego location.” James Gaffney, co-owner of Organic Earthling.

pharmaceuticals.

Amazing results On July 14, 2020, they were informed by his neurological team, members of Crouse Medical and Syracuse University hospitals, that MRI scans showed the tumor had shrunk — significantly. Surgery was no longer necessary. Prior to this news, Lindsay had started a small online presence featuring their proprietary blend of CBD and a few other herbal blends. “Once news hit that these alternative remedies were working miracles on me the floodgates opened. We wanted to share this knowledge and products with the public,” James said. “A little more than a month later, we opened the Oswego location.” Difficult to get started? Yes. It was, she said. “Our family thought we were nuts,” Lindsay said. “But we kept at it and things fell into place. There was a lot of red tape to deal with, too.” There are many state and federal regulations to adhere to when dealing with herbals, especially CBD, James agreed. “That’s not to mention stipulations that come with cannabis products,” he added. “We didn’t want to be just CBD. We wanted to carry a full line of clean, synthetic-free vitamins, minerals and organic supplements as well. We had to convince the city of Oswego that we weren’t a head shop. We wanted to be taken seriously, as a contributing factor in Oswego’s health solutions. So yeah, there was some red tape.” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Advice From the Pros

Two business owners, a PR specialist and professional business adviser talk about what it takes to get a business going. By Steve Yablonski

John Halleron

Business adviser with Small Business Development Center Key to Success: Desire to succeed and the effort put into it Usually, John Halleron’s job is to help people learn the tools needed to successfully open their own business. However, for the past several months, Halleron, senior business adviser at the Small Business Development Center in Oswego, has been helping business owners navigate through the pandemic. “I don’t have an exact number from January 2020 to today, but I can tell you that once COVID hit, our focus rapidly shifted to assisting clients with relief funding applications,” he said. “I can also say that many budding projects came to a screeching halt.” By the middle of the third quarter 2020, newer projects did surface and some that were sidelined began to come back around, he added. There were eight new businesses in 2019 and four in 2020, he noted. “Most have been restaurants; various service businesses, a few small construction and lawn care companies,” he said. “One client has opened a yoga/wellness business that deals with veteran issues.” When people are thinking about starting a business, especially these days, there are certain things they must take into consideration, according to Halleron. Startup failure rates can be as high as 90% and 21.5% of them fold in the first year alone. He said he doesn’t have any data on figures in the county. However, in order, these are some points to consider when starting: • What problem are you solving or what need are you fulfilling? • What value are you delivering? • Who are you creating this value for? In other words, who might be willing to pay for this value? Who are your customers? Do some surveying.

• How will you reach your customers? By talking to potential customers, you will determine the best way to create advertising, social media or other means of communication. • What are the different revenue streams at your disposal and are they one time or recurring? • What resources will you need to get started? • What are the top activities required to operate? • What networks do you need? Things such as suppliers, delivery mechanisms and the like. • What is the actual cost of starting the business? These vary significantly by industry and scope of the business. Do some types of new businesses survive longer than others? “Again, I can’t present hard numbers, but if properly planned and executed, the success rate is proportional,” he said. “No one type will last longer than the other. Again, it goes back to the desire to succeed and the effort put into it.” “My best advice would be don’t buy yourself a job,” he added. “Do what you have a passion for, because you are in for the long haul.”

George Joyce CEO of Laser Transit

Key to Success: Understanding your market, prioritizing your target opportunities and formulating your sales approach Self-assessment is as important as the business plan, according to George Joyce, CEO of Laser Transit in Lacona. “Starting a business takes tenacity, toughness and more time than most individuals ever conceives,” he said. “However, there is probably no better time to start a business than today with access to funds, tools and available resources to assist entrepreneurial ventures. Even the continued expansion of the gig economy allows testing your own skills, ideas and assessing

COVER STORY “Considering the personal battle with my health we had just been through; the miracle that was bestowed upon us, failure wasn’t an option. We pushed through and persevered,” he said. They started with around $30,000 to get the herbal line manufactured and a few other items on the shelves. As they grew, they continued to throw all revenue into the shop. “With hard work and discipline, we forfeited our returns and finally opened the Zenergy Café in April of this year,” she said. “I’d say there is $60k to $80k invested to date,” he added. They dealt with the pandemic differently than other businesses. “We’re a health supplement store. We have all the tools to build up immunity and fight viruses. So we never shut down. We felt an obligation to keep the doors open,” she explained. Besides the COVID-19 problems, there is an element of trust in the supplement business, James said. “We try to spend as much time as we can with every customer. Lindsay went as far as calling customers to get feedback on certain products and keep up on results,” he said. “We know our products are exceptional, but how do we get people to trust and try them?” They put a 30-day empty bottle guarantee on all supplements, tried to educate everyone, help them take the supplements correctly to achieve optimal absorption. “We’ve been open for 10 months now and I think we’ve had two returns on the 30-day guarantee. It’s not only a testament to the quality of our supplements but a testament to going that extra mile and spending a little time with the clients,” he said. They offer a full line of all-natural vitamins, minerals and organic herbal supplements. They carry chemical-free bath and body products from local vendors as well as some leading national brands. The Zenergy cafe offers freshpressed juices, whole fruit smoothies and gluten-free baked treats. Organic coffee and wellness teas are on the menu as well as veggie cups and fruit parfaits. They’ve had several repeat costumers, she said, adding they’ve also garnered positive feedback on social media. “It’s just Lindsay and me right now. Lindsay is the face of the store. She is here every day and still tries to connect 74

with every customer,” he said. “I deal with purchasing and inventory. I enjoy coming in and helping out at the store as well, but Lindsay is the go-to girl when it comes to all things herbal.” Their sons come and help out with customer relations and running smoothies down to customers. “Given the option to stay home, do homework and chores or come help out at the smoothie bar for tips, the boys choose the smoothie bar every time,” he said. They’re currently accepting applications for two positions, in person and on Zip Recruiter. “I’m amazed every day by my wife and founder of The Organic Earthling. Her caring and kindness are unmatched

by anyone I have ever met. Her drive and will to succeed and her ability to bounce back and get back up and move forward is inspirational. If I could be like anyone in the world, it would be my wife. I can’t wait to see where she takes this business,” James said. “If you follow your dream, you may help others to be able to follow theirs,” he said. “I love that. It fits well.” “I have never felt such purpose and gratification as I do with this business. I sometimes think I was spared and healed for a reason,” he added. “We have a big message here at The Organic Earthling. And that message is that these gifts from our Mother Earth can help and heal you! You just have to be willing to listen and try.”

Sisters Brianna Horton and Danielle Osborne had to shut down their salon in Phoenix less than three months after its opening. They re-opened it and tripled in size of the business — in the middle of the pandemic.

Brianna Horton and Danielle Osborne Looking Glass Salon

Sisters’ salon thrives despite pandemic — was able to triple its size in the middle of the pandemic By Steve Yablonski OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

he Looking Glass Salon, 86 State St. in Phoenix, was opened in January 2020 by sisters Danielle Osborne and Brianna Horton. “We happened to stumble on the location by accident, but immediately fell in love and knew we had to open our own salon right here in Phoenix,” Brianna Horton said. “It really was a dream come true; things right from the start were super successful. We cannot believe the overwhelming amount of support that we had right from the start.” Obviously, things got pretty interesting real quick as they were forced to shut down in late March 2020, having been open for only over two months, she said. “We were concerned a little bit, but we remained positive not only with our workers, but our clients as well,” Horton said. “We would reach out to them often during the pandemic to make sure they were OK in more ways than one. We would do little videos on social media to keep in contact and make sure they didn’t forget about us.” They were allowed to open back up in June 2020. “Once again, the overwhelming flow of support almost brought us to tears,” Horton said. The things that got them through, were good planning on their end, she said. “We paid out of pocket for everything when opening the salon, so we had no big overhead debt which definitely made shutting down a lot easier,” she said. Before opening, they took a small business course through SUNY Oswego with John Halleron, senior business adviser at Small Business Development Center in Oswego. “That really helped prepare us so much,” she said. “We would reach out to him often for help!”

Expansion “In January 2021, yes just one year after opening right in the middle of a pandemic, we started construction on an expansion,” Horton said. “That tripled the current size of the salon.” They went from five hair stations to nine hair stations and four treatment rooms, three bathrooms, a break room and a color mixing room as well as a laundry room, she said, adding that “This was a huge accomplishment for us!” Because they took the class at OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Advice From the Pros market demand or outsourcing to others some of the startup business needs to limit fixed overhead and stay flexible.” Your first hurdle is often getting those first sales and knowing your customers’ expectations are met, he said. “Understanding your market, prioritizing your target opportunities and formulating your sales approach to meet that capacity is key,” he said. “If you are hiring employees, then gaining their trust and investment in your company’s future deserves consistent attention.” Failure can often be a learning opportunity, he added. “But, in a startup, employee churn and failure to perform are exit inducing events,” he said. “Also, referrals, forming positive relationships with customers, employees and vendors leads to success.” “Prior to starting my business, I was fortunate enough to have had 25 years working within a business,” Joyce said. “I had diverse business roles in operations, accounting, management and sales; lessons in handling tough situations and mentoring from my father and others. My daughter was instrumental in motivating me and supporting the startup while I continued working full time.” “I think it’s a combination of underestimating resources and primarily cash needs,” he said. “But you also need human capital and a business plan with enough owner discipline to follow.” Adjustments and surprises are inevitable, he said, adding that “repurposing objectives daily invites chaos and indicates weakness in the original plan and necessary forethought.” Joyce advises, “Avoid chasing rabbits that can sap resources including the time and energy needed to succeed.” Instead, he suggests startups rely on informed data, cultivate access to expertise and fine tune processes that produce positive results. “Apart from this, the owner needs persistence through challenges, the ability to build emotional capital

within the organization, and a real passion for the product or service being provided,” he said.

Terry LeRoi and Tammy Wilkinson Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique

Key to Success: Choose something you’re passionate about Terry LeRoi and Tammy Wilkinson are business partners as well as life partners. The owners and wellness ambassadors of Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique in Oswego weighed in on what startup businesses need to do to succeed. According to the two entrepreneurs, people looking to start a new business should choose something they’re passionate about. Discover who your competition is and ask yourself “What is it they do well and what is it you could improve upon?” Find your tribe, inspirational folks, champions, supporters and run your plans by them, they said. Explore ideas and have open conversations with successful folks you know and admire. There are many hurdles to overcome; but one of the hardest things to find is great employees that share your values and are team players, they said. It’s important to find like-minded people that can support and nurture your vision. It’s your job as a business owner to teach, grow and sustain that mission and vision...teach by example. Have patience, good things take time. LeRoi and Wilkinson said they were blessed in that their journey had organically put certain people in their path and then their job fairs did the rest. They met folks at these events, had honest conversations about their vision for the Aqua Spa, goals and how they fit into that vision. As far as overcoming hurdles is concerned, it’s really simple: just show up every day, do the next right thing, never quit and continue to evolve

COVER STORY

“What’s next? The thing is, who can ever really know? But we will assure you one thing, we are nowhere near done. There will be much, much, much more to come.”

Horton said. “But most of all, I think it’s the personalities that bounce around the whole salon that keeps people coming back. We want you to forget everything else and truly turn off and have fun and enjoy your time with us.”

“What’s next? The thing is, who can ever really know? But we will assure you one thing, we are nowhere near done. There will be much, much, much more to come,” Horton said.

Brianna Horton of Looking Glass Salon

SUNY Oswego, they were eligible to get a low-interest rate loan through the county of Oswego business agency, which funded their project. “Our family definitely was our biggest support; they did most of the construction, etc. for free hair cuts — most of them are bald,” Horton said. “We couldn’t have ever done it without them!” Currently, there are 12 people working out of The Looking Glass salon. “We most certainly have become a family. It’s not every day you find a group like us,” Horton said. “We have a lot to offer from hair to lashes and eyebrows to teeth whitening and facials to boutique items. We will not stop offering the absolute most that we can.” Business had been booming, to say the least. Their biggest problem is that they have, at times, had to turn people away, “which we hate doing. All of our girls are staying super busy,” Horton said. The thing they love about the salon the most is that you never know what to expect, “which was definitely our goal,” she said.

Southern charm It’s not your typical salon atmosphere. They have a very southern charm; from old licenses plates to rusty front ends, handmade mirrors and handmade stations that can not be bought at a store to exposed brick. “We always keep you on your toes!” 76

Claudia Kosty (left), owner of Inspire at the Grainery in Syracuse, with part of her team, Patricia Vercillo and Reilly Smith.

Claudia Kosty Inspire at the Grainery

Owner of Syracuse salon now happy with her decision to go ahead with her business. “I love what I do, I love the people,” she says. The shop also gives back a little to the community each quarter By Mary Beth Roach

rowing up the daughter of an entrepreneur father, Claudia Kosty has been educated in owning a business. “I saw what it takes. I know the gumption,” she said. Her father, the late Francis “Frank” Borer, was founder and CEO of PetrAll Petroleum Corp. and Express Mart Convenience Stores. It takes a lot of gumption to open a

business in the middle of a pandemic, especially when that business is a salon that requires close contact with customers. The salon and day spa includes hair styling services, as well as manicures, pedicures, facials and lash extensions. Kosty, herself, is an esthetician and a nail technician. Of course, she did not intend to open her shop, Inspire at the Grainery, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

in the middle of a health crisis, when she bought the building at 128 N. Warren St., in downtown Syracuse, in September, with her fiancé, Adam Gasiorowski. She had actually planned to open in May of 2020. “It was disheartening,” she said. “We had come so far.” But yet, she persevered. Renovation work to the building was halted for a while, but eventually was able to continue and she opened this January. Kosty has been in the industry for about four years and while this is the first business she has owned, she got some experience at the Sola Salon Studio in Dewitt. That location offers independent stylists the opportunity to own their own business by providing them space and support. It is there that she met Candace Winchell, who now works as manager. The first and second floors of the building include six chairs for hair stylists and rooms for the estheticians and nail technicians. The four-story building also gives her the opportunity to grow the business. She said she plans to eventually utilize the third and fourth floors, if she can get it rezoned. Done in a light gray and black and illuminated with large, unique chandeliers from a local vendor, the shop has a clean and crisp atmosphere. While the shop is not in the middle of downtown — such as on Salina Street or in Armory Square — it is just two blocks north of Clinton Square with nearby access to major highways. In addition, the location also affords its customers a parking lot on the north side of the building. The name of the business — Inspire at the Grainery — combines a little history of the building and its new life. The structure was built in 1885 and according to a local newspaper article several years ago, it was renamed The Grainery by one of its former owners, an architect and member of the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board, since it had been used as a granary, where grain was stored for transport on the nearby Oswego and Erie canals. As for “Inspire” it comes from Kosty’s and her team’s desire “to give back a little to the community surrounding us,” she said. Every quarter a different charitable organization is chosen by the staff to be the recipient of 10% of the monies made from any of the retail products. The selected charity during this quarter, through September, is Helping Hounds Dog Rescue. “We also wanted to inspire those OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

Advice From the Pros when necessary, they said. To help get their business off the ground the couple was supported by many entities: their community bank, Pathfinder as well as community leaders, industry apprenticeships/collectives, their marketing team, fellow business owners/colleagues and their architect and construction company. It truly was and is a team effort, they said. Startup failure rates can be as high as 90%. And, 21.5% of them fold in the first year alone. It’s hard to speculate how or why (new businesses) fail. What they know for sure is that having a plan is invaluable, LeRoi and Wilkinson said. Being honest with yourself about your goals and running multiple scenarios of potential things that could go wrong and making assessments of how that could affect the business is important, they added. It’s good to have plan A and plan B, even plan C, they explained, adding, it’s comforting to know you can change gears if you have to. They like to run worst case scenarios and ask what they’d do if thus and so happened? Warren Buffet said instead of asking “How do we be smart about running the business? What is the dumb thing you could do here and how do we avoid that?” “That’s great advice,” Wilkinson said.

John DeRousie

Custom Marketing Solutions Key to Success: Don’t forget advertising Be sure your business plan includes an advertising and marketing strategy, said John DeRousie who started Custom Marketing Solutions in June 2000. “Do the necessary research to ensure that there is a need for your products or services and that there are enough people that match the customer demographics you’re looking for,” he said.

There are plenty of hurdles facing businesses these days, especially startups. Some potential roadblocks, according to DeRousie, include: • If your business requires a store front, finding an ideal location that’s easy to get to and convenient for your customers is important. • Having enough capital to successfully open the business and get your message out to your potential customers. • Ensuring that you have the necessary permits and licenses that pertain to your business. • Establishing a support system that includes professionals to assist with tasks that might not be your expertise such as legal advice, accounting, advertising, payroll, etc. DeRousie faced similar issues when starting his business. “I did some research on my own as well as speaking with other business owners for their input and referrals,” he explained. “Business has been steady. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed things down a bit as events were canceled, but there’s been steady improvement over the past few months and I anticipate that continuing as we move forward. You have to keep moving forward.” Each business has its own set of challenges, he pointed out. “One of the most common pitfalls that businesses experience is a lack of market analysis and a dedicated advertising budget. They don’t have a clear perspective of the demographic they need to reach and if there are enough people in the area that match that demographic,” he explained. “Once business owners know the ideal demographic of their potential customers establishing an advertising budget to deliver their message as cost effectively as possible is imperative.” There is a multitude of ways to advertise your business, he said. He advises business owners to choose the options that are best suited to reaching the demographic that best represents their potential customers. “That’s paramount,” he said.

COVER STORY that are our clients to be inspired to not only take care of themselves, but others around them. You get back in life what you give out and everyone can use a little inspiration know and then.” During the early days of the pandemic, she said, she would sometimes question why she embarked on this venture. But that question is answered every day now when she walks through the door, she said. “I love what I do, I love the people,” she said. She enjoys helping those interested in the field develop their careers. Employee Reilly Smith was planning to take the exams to become a licensed cosmetologist in September. Although the dividers between the hair stylists’ chairs have been removed

and customers no longer need to call from their cars before entering, Kosty still wears a mask because of her close proximity to her clients as an esthetician. If there was an “up” side to the pandemic, it has made her more appreciative of her team at the shop and the time she was able to spend with her children. “A silver lining is how much we treasure the salon, the camaraderie between the girls (those working in the salon). They stood by us and waited for us to go,” she said. And adding to that silver lining of overcoming the obstacles of opening a business during the pandemic might just be a comment from one of her sisters. “Dad would be so proud of you,” her sister told her.

Latoya Ricks of Erma’s Kitchen, left full-time a job at St. Joseph’s Health to open her restaurant at Salt City Market in Syracuse.

Salt City Market

Vendors from all different countries are all under one roof. Greatly exceeding expectations By Mary Beth Roach

he Salt City Market, an international food marketplace in downtown Syracuse, opened at the end of January, as the country was working its way

out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Already the location is greatly exceeding the expectations of its manager, Adam Sudmann.

The goal is to hit 800 to 1,000 people per day, he said. “We have our 400-people days; but we have our 2,000-people days, too,” he said. Located at 484 S. Salina St., the market occupies the entire first floor of the building. Inside the 24,000-square-foot space are 10 food vendors, with menus ranging from desserts, teas and juices to soul food to Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Jamaican and Middle Eastern dishes; a café/bar area; the Syracuse Cooperative Market; dining areas; a small retail space operated by the Good Life Foundation, a local youth organization; and a community room. There is also an adjacent patio on the north side of the building. Eight of the food vendors are first-time business owners; two are businesses that were still relatively young and looking for a new spot, the Baghdad Restaurant and Farm Girl Juicery. Two of those vendors, Ngoc Huynh of Mamma Hai and Latoya Ricks of Erma’s Kitchen, left full-time jobs to open their restaurants. Huynh had been a reporter at the Post-Standard. Ricks had been working at St. Joseph’s Health. Huynh was born in Vietnam and was raised in Nebraska, where her family ran a café and billiards hall. She helped with some prep work and taste testing there. Although she enjoyed cooking for fun, she said she had never considered it as a profession because she had wanted to be a journalist. But after working with Sudmann when he operated the With Love test kitchen for budding restaurateurs on Syracuse’s northside and doing one of his pop-up food events, she thought she try it as a side job. But trying to be a reporter and open a restaurant was draining, and she left the newspaper November 2019. For Ricks, cooking had always been a love of hers. Her grandfather was a cook in Jamaica and she would travel with him to various functions that he worked. When she arrived in this area at the age of 19, she was disappointed in the lack of Jamaican foods available. She said she wanted “to bring what I love to this area.” After hearing of the opportunity to become a vendor at the market, she got involved. Ricks and Huynh acknowledged a few challenges along the way. For example, Ricks has had some difficulty with supply chains, increased costs for certain ingredients and in finding workers. Huynh mentioned the long hours — her OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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COVER STORY workday can run 12 hours — and she misses having weekends off to spend with her family. But she’s hopeful that as the business grows a little more, she’ll be able to hire additional employees and free up some time. Despite the obstacles, both agree that business has been good. On the market’s opening day, the capacity numbers allowed inside were low because of the pandemic. And, it was cold. Yet, people were still lined halfway down the 400 block of South Salina Street waiting to get in, Sudmann recalled. The pandemic has set the bar higher for the vendors, in terms of cleanliness and safety, and mask compliance can sometimes be challenging, Sudmann pointed out. However, the big problem they’re having is keeping up with the demand, although there’s worse problems to have, he said. Salt City Market is more than a place to get a bite to eat. It’s also a gathering place to celebrate the diversity of cultures in the Syracuse community, where vendors from all different countries are all under one roof. The idea of sharing food across cultures “is a great way to demystify one another,” Sudmann said. “We can be neighbors with one another. Food’s a start. That’s why we chose this type of business to support.” The market’s opening culminated at least 10 years of planning among many community organizations for a multi-cultural venue. When the Allyn Family Foundation became committed to the project, those plans started to take shape and construction began in 2019. The foundation created the Syracuse Urban Partnership (SYRUP), which bought the property and owns the market. According to Maarten Jacobs, executive director of SYRUP and director of community prosperity for the foundation, Sudmann was chosen as the market manager because of his work with amateur chefs, his connections in the food community and his dream of creating a place where different cultures could come together. He had started the My Lucky Tummy pop-up food events and worked with Onondaga Community College on the “With Love” kitchen on Syracuse’s northside, helping new restaurateurs gain training and experience. When he was brought into the market project, one of his biggest tasks was finding the right vendors for the 80

spot. More than 50 people submitted formal applications. The candidates went through a rigorous process that included classes and practice, evaluations and interviews. Sudmann said he was looking for people with a dream.

And Ricks, the Jamaican vendor, is definitely one of those with an aspiration. “If you have a dream, you can work toward it, and it can become a reality. This is what this is for me,” she said.

Josh and his brother Dustin Trimble next to some of the equipment they own through Trimble Services, LLC. They started investing in equipment in January of 2020 to launch in March of 2020.

Dustin Trimble and Josh Trimble Trimble Services, LLC

Trimble Services gets things moving: the rigging-millwright and hauling company gets the job done all across Central New York By Steve Yablonski

ith things getting back to normal at his other business venture, The Eis House in Mexico, Dustin Trimble has started down the road on a new enterprise. Trimble Services, LLC, got under way around the start of the pandemic. “We have discussed this company for a few years. It’s a trade that our family is knowledgeable about and we enjoy doing,” he said. “So, in March of last year, my brother and I started Trimble Services LLC.” It is a rigging-millwright and

hauling company. They do quite a bit of machinery hauling and rigging in New York, he said. Between the four partners, all Trimble, (Josh, Dustin and their parents, Barry and Debbie) there is 40-plus years of experience in the rigging-millwright industry. “At this time, we have three of us full time,” he said. “For licenses, Josh has his New York unrestricted and NCCO conventional and hydraulic crane licenses. Barry has his Florida commercial general contractors license. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“We have worked in various places from Auburn to Wellsville in plastic manufactures, machine shops, power plants and large manufacturing facilities,” Trimble said. “Our hauling side is mostly geared toward heavy equipment and construction materials.” The work is specialized and it can be challenging, “which makes it a great industry to be in,” Trimble said. “The Eis House is very well staffed now and has a team that can lead it to success. It was time for us to dive into this venture.” They started investing in equipment in January of 2020 to launch in March of 2020. However, COVID-19 delayed equipment. “The initial investment was quite large, but in this industry you need the right tools and they need to be quality,” Trimble explained. Among Trimble’s equipment are a 10-ton Autolift forklift, a five-ton Cat forklift, a RigReady forklift boom with 12’6” horizontal reach, a Western Star 4900, a 50-ton Lowboy and a high flatbed. They are in the process of purchasing a 60-ton hydraulic truck crane, 110 feet of powered boom and 56 feet of jib. COVID-19 certainly made it tough

to enter the market, he said. “You could no longer meet with people face to face and many facilities reduced their office staffing or they went remote, making it difficult to get meetings,” he said. “We are starting to see some growth as the economy is returning and knowledge of our company is becoming known,” he added. Transporting equipment and building materials is 30%-40% of their business. The larger part of their revenue is in the rigging and millwright services. “For trucking, we mostly serve contractors and equipment rental companies,” Trimble said. “For the millwright and rigging services, we serve manufactures, power generation and distribution as well as contractors.” There are two kinds of days really, he explained. “I have either a day working in the field either driving truck or on a rigging job. Or have a day in the office doing paperwork and marketing,” he said. “Now that Eis House [restaurant] is getting back to normal we are putting much more energy into market penetration in the Central New York area.” The last couple of jobs have been

fun, he said. “ We d e l i v e re d a n d s e t a 14,000-pound CNC lathe for Vacuum Innovations, LLC, in Dansville. This, we picked up in Sidney, Ohio, transported back, skated off the Landoll and set in place and leveled. We rigged out four 3,000-gallon fermenter tanks out of a brewery in Brockport, which were loaded on hotshot transports and sent to Michigan. We transported concrete manholes for Rombough Electric for the Oswego Port project,” he said. They were also in Wellsville at Dresser Rand where they moved out turret lathes, a 26,000-pound break, a large water jet, plasma cutter, drill presses and jib cranes. In terms of transport, they are mainly intrastate New York, Trimble said, adding, “But, we do some runs into Pennsylvania and Ohio. We haul up to 60,000 pounds.” “We do have plans for expansion, as we continue to grow. We are having discussions about purchasing a crane and a triaxle tractor,” he said. “The goal is to provide services to New York and potentially surrounding states down the road.”

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Employee or Independent Contractor? The differences between the two statuses are not always easy to determine

‘Generally speaking, it is much more advantageous if an organization can treat its workers as independent contractors. Nevertheless, it’s not always clear into which category a worker falls.’

STEVEN E. ABRAHAM is a professor in the School of Business at SUNY Oswego. He received his B.S. from Cornell University, his J.D. from NYU school of Law and his PhD from University of Wisconsin, Madison. He teaches courses related to employment law, union–management relations and human resource management. 82

business frequently utilizes the services of individuals to do work for the business. An interesting legal question is how those individuals should be categorized. Usually, they are considered employees. But it’s also possible that they may be considered independent contractors. The differences between the two statuses are significant, but it’s not always easy to determine.

contractors are much less than the potential liabilities to employees. The organization benefits financially if it can treat its workers as independent contractors as well, as Social Security taxes need not be paid, and unemployment insurance contributions need not be made. In addition, workers’ compensation insurance need not be provided for independent contractors. Nevertheless, it’s not always clear into which category a worker falls.

Guest Columnist

Differences

Employees are covered by a plethora of federal and state employment laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the New York State Human Rights Law, etc. Independent contractors are not. When employees are hired, the organization must fill out an I-9 form, certifying the employees’ eligibility to work in the United States. This is not required of independent contractors. When an employee is hired, the employee fills out a W-4 form for tax purposes. Independent contractors fill out a W-9 form. At the end of the year, the organization must provide employees with a W-2 form listing the wages paid to the employee during the year. Independent contractors, on the other hand, receive a form 1099 if they are paid more than $600 in a calendar year. Organizations must notify the federal unemployment insurance agency of any employees; no such notice is made for independent contractors. There are legal requirements regarding when employees must be paid. In New York state, employees must be paid weekly or semi-monthly, depending on the occupation. There are no such requirements for independent contractors. Generally, it is much more advantageous if an organization can treat its workers as independent contractors. First, the potential legal liabilities to independent

How to know the difference

Since the differences between the two categories of workers are so important, it is crucial that the organization be able to classify them correctly. This is often difficult, however, because there are different tests that the courts will use to make this determination. According to the New York State Department of Labor, an employer-employee relationship may exist if the organization: • Chooses when, where, and how the workers perform services • Provides facilities, equipment, tools, and supplies • Directly supervises the services • Sets the hours of work • Requires exclusive services (An individual cannot work for competitors while working for you.) • Sets the rate of pay • Requires attendance at meetings or training sessions • Asks for oral or written reports • Reserves the right to review and approve the work product • Appraises job performance • Requires prior permission for absences • Has the right to hire and fire The federal Department of Labor refers to the following factors which the courts have used in making the determination: The extent to which the services rendered are an integral part of the principal’s business. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

• The permanency of the relationship. • The amount of the alleged contractor’s investment in facilities and equipment. • The nature and degree of control by the principal. • The alleged contractor’s opportunities for profit and loss. • The amount of initiative, judgment, or foresight in open market competition with others required for the success of the claimed independent contractor. • The degree of independent business organization and operation. It should be noted that when Donald Trump was president, the Department of Labor stated that the agency would use what was known as the “economic realities test” to determine an individual’s status. That status stated that two “core factors” were the ones to be used: • The nature and degree of the worker’s control over the work • The worker’s opportunity for profit or loss. This rule was generally thought by most to make it much easier for organizations to categorize workers as independent contractors; it never was enacted, however. The rule was issued by the Trump administration’s DOL on Jan. 7 and was set to take effect on March 8. It was withdrawn without ever taking effect after President Biden was elected, however. And the IRS essentially uses what is known as the 20-factor test: • Does the employer dictate when, where and how the worker will complete the work? If so, the worker could be classified as an employee. • Is there a minimum number of training hours required before the worker is permitted to begin the job? Is the employer supplying the training? This suggests an employer-employee relationship. • Is the work heavily integrated with business operations? Is the success of the business heavily reliant on the satisfactory completion of the work by the worker? • Must the work be performed by a certain person and no one else? ICs are typically free to outsource their work, whereas employees are expected to perform the work themselves. • Does the employee have control over the worker’s assistants? Does the employer dictate who the worker uses as an assistant or even pay the assistant? This suggests an employer-employee OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

relationship. • Has the worker been performing the same job and the same tasks for the same employer for an extended period of time? • Does the employer dictate the hours or days when the work must be performed? This is likely. • Does the employer demand that the worker work a minimum number of hours that equates to fulltime work? Since this would prohibit the IC from seeking work elsewhere, this would likely be considered an employer-employee relationship. • Does the employer require the worker to perform the job at a certain physical location? Could the work practically be performed elsewhere instead? This is the marking of an employment relationship. • Is the schedule of the work to be performed dictated by the employer? This indicates a level of control that is more employer-employee than employer-IC. • Does the worker have to check in with employer with status updates on the work being performed? Are written or oral reports a requirement? If so, the worker may be an employee. • How is the worker paid? Is there a particular payment schedule set in place, such as hourly, weekly, or monthly? ICs typically get paid in a lump sum once the work is completed ICs typically bear their own travel and business expenses, whereas employees are usually entitled to some sort of compensation for business or travel expenses How do the workers get the work done? Is it with company-supplied tools and equipment or are they supposed to provide their own tools and equipment to complete the work? Employees typically use company equipment, whereas ICs are expected to provide their own. ICs do not typically invest in the facilities where they perform work. Does the worker invest in the company premises? If so, they may be an employer rather than an IC. ICs do not share in profit or loss. Employees may be part of a profit-sharing plan. Is the worker able to work elsewhere? If not, they may be classified as an employee. Are the worker’s skills available for general hire to the public? If not,

it’s more likely an employer-employee relationship. What are the circumstances under which the employer can withdraw offers to work? If there is a contract in place, it may or may not suggest in IC relationship with the employer. Does the worker have the right to turn down ongoing work? If so, that’s more of an IC-employer relationship. It also should be noted that the Biden administration prefers something known as the three part ABC test. This test has three essential components. An individual performing any service shall be considered an employee and not an independent contractor, unless: The individual is free from control and direction in connection with the performance of the service, both under the contract for the performance of service and in fact; The service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer; and The individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed. It should be noted that courts might apply a different set of criteria to determine an individual worker’s status. The tests just listed are the ones utilized by various state and federal agencies, but courts are not bound to any of those tests. A court is at liberty to use a different set of criteria. Finally, it should be noted that it is also possible for an organization to set up the relationship with its workers in certain cases. For example, if the organization wishes to have its workers considered independent contractors the organization might be able to establish a working relationship in such a way that is more likely that the workers will be considered independent contractors, by utilizing the tests discussed above. 83

MANUFACTURING

Novelis: No Slowdown Plans Thanks to the diversity of products and clients, Novelis won’t slow down as chip shortage forces automakers to slash production

By Ken Sturtz

hen automakers announced that the worsening global shortage of computer chips was forcing them to temporarily close factories, it raised questions about how companies supplying the auto industry would be affected. Novelis, a major supplier to the auto industry, employs nearly 1,200 workers at its Oswego County aluminum plant. Ford is its second-largest overall customer; Novelis aluminum is used in the body panels of Ford’s ultra-popular F-Series pickups. The plant also provides aluminum to GM, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, BMW and Mercedes. Last March, Novelis partially closed its 1.7-million-square-foot plant after some of its largest customers, including automakers, shut down due to the pandemic. The company ramped production back up that summer. A similar scenario now is unlikely, the company says. “Recognizing the challenges presented by the chip shortage, Novelis is committed to working alongside our valued customers to innovate to meet their evolving needs and continue to deliver quality products,” says Leila Giancone, a company spokeswoman. “Due to strong customer demand across our markets, we don’t have plans to slow down production.” The computer chip shortage driving automakers to halt production is the result of the modern global supply chain being interconnected, says Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. “And if you have one part of the supply chain that gets disrupted then the rest of the supply chain gets disrupted,” he says. “We’re seeing more of it this year than we probably ever have before.” Computer chips are not easy to make and chips of varying complexity are used in an ever-greater list of products including cell phones, laptops and automobiles.

Last March, Novelis partially closed its 1.7-million-square-foot plant after some of its largest customers, including automakers, shut down due to the pandemic. The company ramped production back up that summer. File photo, 2016.

During the pandemic last year automakers cut their chip orders, which have a lead time of about six months. The auto industry tends to use a fairly lean inventory process, meaning they don’t have vast quantities of components, such as chips, stockpiled. “They were surprised that sales picked up so quickly and then they went to try and reorder chips and then the semiconductor chip manufacturers said, ‘well we don’t have enough capacity,’” Penfield says. Chip makers experienced huge upticks in demand during the pandemic as consumers stuck at home purchased more electronics and appliances that use chips. The chips used in high-end electronics are more complex than those used in vehicles and make chip companies more money. “So, for them, margin-wise, the

automotive industry isn’t as attractive,” Penfield says. To make matters worse, 70% of chips are manufactured in Asian countries such as Malaysia, China, South Korea and Taiwan. As the chip shortage began to ease earlier this year, the delta variant of the coronavirus hit many workers at chip factories, leading to shutdowns. “The semiconductor chip companies are stressed as it is from a capacity standpoint, but now they’re not producing because the workers can’t go to work,” Penfield says. The chip shortage, which some experts believe could extend well into next year, has affected all automakers. Ford and GM, for example, have idled or reduced production at scores of plants. With the auto industry on course to produce fewer cars and lose billions of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

dollars in the coming months, suppliers such as Novelis have had to take notice. “If they are producing less, yes absolutely their orders will be less,” Penfield says of Novelis. But the company’s Oswego County plant will likely benefit from the diversification of the products it produces. In recent years Novelis has invested $400 million in expanding the plant, which dates to the 1960s. Once known for making aluminum beverage cans, Novelis switched its focus to supplying aluminum for the auto industry, which created hundreds of new jobs. But the plant — equipped for aluminum scrap re-melting, ingot casting, hot and cold rolling, and aluminum finishing — still makes products for the beverage can and specialty markets. Penfield says Novelis is likely able to deal with less demand from the auto industry because its other business sectors have seen increased demand. The demand for beverage cans, for example, has soared to unprecedented levels. “They’re fortunate that they have those other sectors to buffer against,” Penfield says. “If you’re the plant manager that’s the one thing you’re looking at: How do I absorb the cost of the actual factory?” Another significant issue looming for Novelis and other aluminum producers is a potential disruption to the bauxite supply chain following a military coup d’état in early September in the mineral-rich west African nation of Guinea. Guinea, a former French colony roughly twice the size of Pennsylvania, is a poor country of 13 million people that has been plagued by authoritarian regimes, political turmoil and violence. But it possesses, among other valuable minerals, the world’s largest reserves of bauxite. Guinea accounted for 22% of global production last year. Bauxite ore is the primary source of aluminum. It has to be chemically processed to create aluminum oxide before it can be smelted using electrolysis to make pure aluminum. Aluminum prices were already rising, but the uncertainty brought by the coup — which still may fail — has helped push prices to a 10-year high. Companies that buy bauxite in Guinea will likely be looking for other potential sources even if mining operations continue there. “Novelis may not get it there but prices are going up,” Penfield says. “So Novelis is going to have some issues with cost and possibly deliveries.” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

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MANUFACTURING

From Student to Employee P-Tech program allows students to enter the workforce well-trained By Steve Yablonski

-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) is an economic initiative that not only benefits students but area businesses as well. There are currently about 38 P-Tech programs around the state. The Oswego County P- Tech program was launched in 2016. It is already paying dividends as the first group of graduates is already entering the workforce. Case in point is Emmalee French, a new employee at Novelis. “I got involved with P-Tech by watching two different presentations at SUNY Oswego on a tour and another at my middle school in eighth grade,” she said. “After hearing about it, I got more information about it from my counselor.” She then filled out an application online, got two letters of recommendation from two different teachers and waited to see if she got offered an interview. “Luckily, I did. I went through the normal interview process and waited to hear back to see if I got in; and, here I am now,” she said. She is an electrical technician, working in the hot mill. Starting salary for this type of role is about $32 per hour.

A challenging program

Student Emmalee French learned about the P-Tech program, participated in it and she now got a job offer from Novelis, where she is an electrical technician. Starting salary for the position is $32 an hour. 86

Yes, the classes are difficult, she said. “You will certainly struggle through the program. But there are a lot of people who are more than willing to help you get through the tough times,” she said. “I liked the fact that they incorporated outside students into the college classes. It makes you venture out and talk to new people going through the same classes, but with different experiences. It can help you see things from a different point of view.” One thing she didn’t particularly care for was how they didn’t incorporate as many people from different programs in with the students. “There were a lot of familiar places, but it only got us so far. So, when there were other people outside from the P-Tech classes mixed in, I felt like I got a lot more from the class,” she explained. She said she picked electrical because she liked math. “When job shadowing the electricians, it was still a lot of hands-on activity, which I thought I was going to lose because I didn’t pick mechaniOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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She said she had always been interested in working for Novelis ever since she learned about the program. “So, when they asked me to have an internship, I obviously took it! Then, after going through the internship, I knew that I wanted to work with them full time and lucky for me, they offered me a full-time position in the place I interned in,” she said. Lindi Murray is the Novelis human resources business partner. She is the P-Tech leader at Novelis and also serves as a mentor for students. “None of what we do in manufacturing, especially at Novelis, would be possible without our people. The innovative technologies, complex machine centers… those are all designed, maintained and run by people,” she said. “Programs like P-Tech help us actively participate in the development of future STEM and manufacturing professionals.”

Workforce development is a key priority “We need highly skilled individuals. Whether it’s electricians, engineers, technical craftsman… there are many opportunities for high-paying and rewarding careers and programs like P-Tech are so critical for our industry because they help build a strong pipeline of STEM and manufacturing professionals to fill those roles,” Murray said. “We are grateful to our industry partners, community leaders and educational partners for ongoing support of P-Tech,” she added. “This program is a great example of what thoughtful and purposeful collaboration can achieve.”

What she expected “Yes, it is pretty much what I expected it to be since I was working with these guys for almost a year as an intern before coming in full time,” French said. “There is a lot for me to learn in this field and I am really excited for all of the things that are going to come out of this for me in the future.” “There is room for advancement, whether it’s just for how much you are getting paid based on your experience level or even moving positions completely,” she said. “It really depends on what you are looking for.” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org

Working Around PandemicRelated Business Challenges

T ‘This is a difficult time for business that calls for creative solutions. Operation Oswego County is available to help you navigate your options and put you in touch with the right people and the right solution.’

he pandemic has created many challenges for businesses, such as worker shortages, supply chain bottlenecks and confusion over where to get assistance. While these challenges are making business operation difficult, there is help available.

Workforce

When the pandemic struck, many businesses were forced to either temporarily close or change their business model significantly. Closure brought with it layoffs, furloughs and remote work, along with many in the workforce reevaluating and changing careers. Schools moved to online instruction leaving parents struggling to balance work and school under the same roof. As businesses opened back up, some found that a percentage of their employees had moved on in one way or another. To make matters worse, they may have lost skilled workers, forcing them to retrain existing employees to fill that void while trying to find new employees who will also need training. One way that businesses impacted by the labor shortage can find assistance is through the Oswego County Workforce New York office (www.ocwny.org) in the city of Fulton. They offer recruitment assistance, candidate pre-screening, job matching to your open positions through the New York State Department of Labor database, as well as potential customized training and on-the-job training programs for current employees and new hires. Additionally, some employers, where applicable, are offering employees the chance to work remotely on a long-term basis or incorporating new technology and training to increase employee productivity and improve the quality of life at the work place.

Supply Chain

L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego. To contact him call 315-343-1545 or visit www.oswegocounty.org.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021

materials. Businesses looking for alternatives to their current global supply chain issues could look locally and regionally to their neighboring businesses to source or develop the parts or materials they need. Businesses within the same industry clusters could work together to purchase in bulk and share storage, if additional space is a concern. Businesses may also identify gaps in their industry’s supply chain that could become an opportunity for business growth. During these uncertain times, redefining how and who you do business with can not only help your business to survive, but also shift your long-term strategic vision and success.

Economic Trends

Businesses have also been hampered by bottlenecks in their supply chain. Labor shortages, transportation logistics issues and business closures are happening globally. This is causing delays on shipments for raw materials, as well as finished goods, and extreme pricing instability, as supply cannot meet demand for everything from silicon computer chips to construction

Pandemic Assistance Program

Through the 18 months of the pandemic, the government rolled out several employment grants and disaster loan programs designed to assist businesses weather the storm such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Unfortunately, many of those initiatives, while successful, have exhausted their funding and many businesses continue to struggle. To compound this, some businesses didn’t fit the eligibility criteria for these programs while they were available or they were not able to react fast enough to receive needed assistance. However, there still are programs available at the federal, state and local levels if you know where to look. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is still open and accepting applications through the US Small Business Administration (SBA). As Gov. Kathy Hochul took office, she expanded the eligibility criteria for the NY Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, making it available to more small businesses. The state also offers the NY Forward Loan Fund aimed at small businesses, nonprofits and small residential landlords. Operation Oswego County still has funds available in the Oswego County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan Fund. The application is available, as are links to the federal and state programs, on OOC’s COVID-19 Resources page. 89

MANUFACTURING

What CNY Manufacturers Need to Do to Grow There is a need for a strong labor pool and more By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s the world continues to emerge from the pandemic, several factors will influence whether Central New York manufacturers will grow.

Workforce

“The current labor shortage grabs everyone’s attention. But, the need for a strong labor pool is not anything new and it calls for a sustained, longterm effort to meet the needs of our business,” said Mark Southwick, plant manager at Huhtamaki in Fulton. He said that talent generators and educational instiMark Southwick tutions in the area are essential for meeting the labor demand, including Huhtamaki’s own partnerships, which include Oswego County Workforce Career Center, Oswego County PTECH, Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation, Cayuga Community College BOCES, 90

Workforce Development Institute, Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), Mayor Deana Michaels of the city of Fulton and area high schools. He said that he would like to see all businesses in the area support these organizations to help increase the size of the future workforce.

Education

Randy Wolken, president and CEO of Manufacturers Association of Central New York, Inc. (MACNY) in Syracuse, also said that the labor pool continues to stymie growth in manufacturing and the root of the issue lies in education. He lauds the state’s “excellent educational system” yet wishes that more emphasis in education would be given to manufacturing jobs as career options. “We need the entire population Randy Wolken

more familiar with STEM careers,” he said. “At the schools, both local, and at the state level, we need to leverage those. We need more people to go into skilled trades, whether apprenticeships, associates or bachelor’s. The worker shortage is not going away.” Wolken said that with many skilled workers of the baby boom generation retiring, the “gray tsunami” of employee turnover will mean many more openings with few to fill them unless educators, parents and mentors emphasize manufacturing careers.

Local Investment

Wolken hopes to see the area undertake more infrastructure upgrades—“a huge win for manufacturers. There are a lot of manufacturing jobs when you do that construction,” Wolken said. He added that infrastructure upgrades would also bring much-needed money to the state’s economy, which also benefits central New York. “Capital is inexpensive, so there are a lot of resources to make capital investments,” Wolken said. “AvailabilOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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ity of investment will always be a top priority for manufacturers.” He also views the desire to have manufacturing in Central New York as a way of investing in manufacturing. Historically, the area has been home to many well-known manufacturers. “We like to make things and grow things, but growing things is increasingly making things,” Wolken said. “Willingness to have these great jobs is something we need to want to have. From local jobs to the government, we need to be welcoming to investment and industry. Everyone’s involved, from local officials all the way up to the governor’s office. Local zoning helps. It helps manufacturers feel welcomed.”

Marketing

CNY may have the talent and resources to attract new manufacturers, but that will not happen if they do not know about the area. “We all in our daily lives are engaged with global customers but we haven’t reached the larger audience of the industrial world,” said Laura Miller, talent and community engagement manager at Darco Manufacturing, Inc., in Syracuse. “We need to communicate better not only among ourselves but to

potential investors and customers. We have an incredibly competent workforce right here.” Miller views current manufacturing companies in the area as small but productive, nimble, lean and creative.” Jim D’Agostino But she also hopes the area can pull in some larger manufacturers to help strengthen the drive and knowledge base of existing small manufacturers. “We also get the benefit of the seasoned employees who want to go from a big company down to a smaller company,” Miller added. “They bring their broader experience to smaller companies. That’s very helpful.” She finds the current re-shoring trend as positive, as well as some of the general side effects of the pandemic. “We’re sharing work with our friends, competitors and peers,” Miller said. “COVID is making us stronger. We’re figuring stuff out that we didn’t before. Among those things is what our neighbors can do. We are growing. Orders are growing.”

Hotspot for Manufacturing

Like Miller, Jim D’Agostino, director and CEO of TDO Center in Liverpool, also wants to see CNY promoted as a hotspot for manufacturing. “If more knew about our capabilities and our ecosystem in CNY, we’d see a lot more traction going on,” D’Agostino said. “There are a lot of stigmas attached to CNY with weather and legislation. I’m not saying this is the most business-friendly environment, but with that said, we have a lot of really good things going for us that a lot of people don’t realize.” How employers reach out to potential employees may also affect their labor pool. D’Agostino hopes to see more workers returning to manufacturing jobs once the enhanced unemployment benefits end, which he believes provides “a lot of incentive to hand on the sidelines. If we could tip the scales on that with wages, benefits and wellness programs, there’s an opportunity to help companies hang onto and recruit some of the available help that’s out there.” He also thinks that employee wellness programs and improved benefits could help.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Success Story

By Steve Yablonski

Chef Rebekah Alford holds specialty bread hot from the oven. She is responsible for the kitchens at two Pulaski eateries: Rainbow Shores and Mill House Market.

Chef Rebekah Alford Responsible for the kitchens at Rainbow Shores and Mill House Market in Pulaski, chef receives the Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award of the year

ittle did Rebekah Alford know, while cooking for friends and family when she was younger, that one day she’d be the chef for a much larger group. Sharing her story is exciting, Alford said. She has helped transform Rainbow Shores, along the cool eastern shore of Lake Ontario, into one of the hottest dining locations in Oswego County. The restaurant has a deep-rooted history in the Pulaski area. It was once a bootlegging country club in the earOCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

ly 20th century. Nowadays, it offers an extensive featured menu, which is printed nightly. It includes seafood entrée options and additional appetizers and more. They are open Thursday-Sunday. Reservations are strongly encouraged as they fill most night’s availability.

Feeling blessed “I am very blessed to be where I am today,” she said.

Her interest in food began with family gatherings at a young age. That eventually progressed from an interest into a passion — preparing dinner outings with her siblings as a young adult. “I realized that preparing food is an art and dining is an exciting form of entertainment when paired with fantastic wine and excellent company; it should not be rushed,” she said. Many courses of beautiful, delicious plated-up “art” would arrive at the table. First, it would undergo a photoshoot, an enthusiastic critique and then be passed around the table for everyone to taste. They would then share their thoughts about the appearance and the flavors of the dish.

Formal culinary education “I began to collect cookbooks and 93

Beautiful sunsets at Lake Ontario is part of the experience diners have when they visit Rainbow Shores. above Chefs decorate a tray full of treats.

top

put in a lot of hours of baking and cooking for my family and coworkers,” she said. “Eventually, I was accepted into Paul Smiths College in Saranac Lake and enrolled in the culinary program, where my formal culinary education kicked off.” She was a single mother and older than most of her peers. “But, I was focused,” she added. Through school, she was introduced to several chefs and instructors who were monumental in keeping her focused, instilling her with a tremendous amount of information. “I continued to learn through some of the great chefs in the Lake Placid area with work at Lake Placid Lodge, Mirror Lake Inn and Lumiere’s,” she said. Alford was eventually hired as the chef at Simply Gourmet in Lake Placid. “I was responsible for preparing all the items that needed to be cooked and grilled for the deli and catered events. I was delegated to do most of the baked goods, including specialty cakes for weddings and celebrations,” she said. “I OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

also created gingerbread houses during the holidays.” Through Simply Gourmet, she was also hired by Lake Placid area residents as a private chef for at-home dinner parties. These experiences are what prepared her for the challenges of running her own kitchen, she said.

Opportunity knocks “When Rainbow Shores came up for sale, my parents introduced the idea of me coming back home to the Pulaski area and being the chef of my own restaurant,” she said. “We are now in our 12th season.” Alford says the setting at Rainbow Shores is unbeatable. “I continue to be excited to prepare food for our customers. Over the last several seasons many guests have made memories, watched sunsets, become OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021

engaged, said their vows, enjoyed birthday parties, anniversaries, baby showers, reunions and planned many other celebrations here,” she said. She is always seeking inspiration for new dishes and to provide a new feature menu daily with exciting cocktails and entrees. They established the Mill House Market in the village of Pulaski in 2017. The Mill House provides a casual setting with a deli and bakery serving dinner with a full bar and a gift boutique. “The menu I created in the deli is suitable for catering breakfast and lunch meetings or gatherings. Bread and pastries are made on site daily; a woodfired oven is used to prepare specialty pizzas. Online ordering is an option,” she said, adding, “The gift boutique is stocked with some locally made artisan pieces such as wall art, jewelry, locally trapped animal pelts, lotions, soaps and other home goods.”

Cited for her work In July, she received Operation Oswego County’s 2021 Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award in recognition and appreciation of exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and dedication to improving the quality of life in the Pulaski area. She was cited for the acquisition and expansion of the Rainbow Shores restaurant on Lake Ontario in 2010; for the development of the Mill House Market Deli and Bakery in Pulaski in 2017; for more than 10 years working to the improve the growing tourism industry in the Lake Ontario and Salmon River regions of Oswego County. “I am extremely thankful that the community has supported my passion,” she said. “Food and people are truly a passion of mine and I am excited to do what I do every day.” 95

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BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY AUTO SALES & SERVICE

FLOORING & CARPET

PLUMBING & HEATING SUPPLY

Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — Third generation business. Used cars, towing, general auto repair & accessories, truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57 Fulton. Call 315-593-1332.

With over 40 years’ experience, House Works Carpet offers high quality and affordable waterproof luxury flooring, hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile and carpet for all your residential and commercial flooring needs. Family owned and operated since 1984 our dedicated and knowledgeable staff are here to assist you. We do it all from design to installation. 315-593-2113, 318 W. Broadway, Fulton, Housewoeksfulton.com, or email us at the houseworks2windstream.net.

Pullen’s Plumbing & Heating Supply has a large variety of plumbing & heating repair parts & fixtures. Water heater, furnace, boiler & all plumbing installations available. We do our own excavating for water service & sewer replacement. 22 Ohio St., Oswego, 315-3431906.

Jake’s Automotive of Oswego, Inc. Auto repair and service of brakes, steering, suspension, diagnostics, oil change, tires & more. We also sell performance parts. 801 E. Seneca St. Phone: 315-342-6871. Munski Automotive-brakes, exhaust, NYS inspections, shocks & struts, steering and suspension, check engine & ABS light, tires. 14 West Seneca St., Oswego. 315-343-6229 or visit www.munskiauto.com Port City Car Care, 315-207-0500 www.portcitycarcare.com Oil, lube, NYSI, alignments, tires, brakes, electrical, air conditioning, suspension, tune-ups & timing belts, complete car care. We do it all! Over 28 years’ experience, 20 Ohio St., Oswego.

BAKERY, GLUTEN FREE Sweet Cindy’s Gluten Free Bakery. Bread and buns to cookies and crackers. Cakes and pies to take-n-bake entrees. Amazing cinnamon rolls. Full menu at sweetcindysglutenfreebakery.com. Stop in or pre-order. 55 W. 1st St. S., Fulton. 315-598-3669.

BIKES, SERVICE & SALES Murdock’s-Oswego County’s only authorized Trek dealer. We service all brands of bikes. Check out our website: www.murdockssports.com call us 315-3426848 or stop by 177 W. 1st St., Oswego.

DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial and residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 50 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.

EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.

FLORIST/TUX RENTAL Everything you’re looking for in a local florist. Full service w/del. 36 years experience. Tux/suit rentals-holiday and sympathy designs available. DeVine Designs, 200 E. Broadway, Fulton. 315-592-4245 dvinedesign. com

GRAPHICS Car wrap + vehicle and window graphics. Upward Graphics. 21 S. 2nd St., Fulton. Visit upwardgfx.com or 315-402-2099.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar figured woods, and exotics. Also, hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies. 266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

LUMBER White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: State Route 13, 315-298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland Street, 315-788-6200; Clayton: James Street, 315-6861892; Gouverneur: Depot Street, 315-287-1892.

PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection offers custom matting & framing for photos, posters, prints, oils and more. Shadow boxes, object framing, art print source. 169 W. 1st St., Oswego. 315-343-2908.

AHR Plumbing & HVAC service, sewer cleaning, hydrojetting, video inspections, water heater installs, new construction & remodel service & repairs. 315668-6569 AHRPlumbing.com.

POOL COVER REPAIR Trust the experts! Let us repair your in-ground pool cover. Free estimates. Everybody says “call this guy”. Cortini shoe zipper canvas repair Fulton 315-5938914.

ROOFING, DECKS, & PORCHES Enwright Roofing has over 40 years experience providing high quality affordable new roof, deck, and porch construction. We also offer roof, soffit and fascia repair in addition to gutter clean outs and blown insulation service. We accept all types of insurance claims and are a locally owned and operated company. Contact Enright Roofing at 315-374-2805 for service and estimates.

SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY Valti Graphics-Creating garment graphics on customized apparel in screen printing, embroidery, Greek apparel & custom lettering. 315-342-4912. 152 West Bridge St., Oswego.

TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

UNIQUE GIFTS SHIPPING SERVICES One-stop-shop for unique gifts for that hard to buy for person. We are an authorized FedEx, UPS and USPS shipping and drop-off location. Ship-It/The Village Shops. 2 W. 1st St. N, Fulton. 315-592-9357.

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Mark Wahl is a singer and songwriter serving as president of Oswego Music Hall in Oswego.

Mark Wahl Ontario Center for Performing Arts president talks about the first season after the pandemic. ‘Absence has truly made our hearts grow fonder,’ he says Some may not know what the Oswego Music Hall does. Can you talk a little bit about the organization?

The Music Hall is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing high quality, live musical performances to our community. We support performing artists and songwriters while making them accessible and affordable to our community. The Music Hall was closed for more than a year. What’s special about the new season that started in September?

We have installed technical advances to our already cutting edge facilities. Thanks to the Shineman Foundation, we now have video and broadcasting capabilities. The city of Oswego installed air conditioning. Feedback from both performers and attendees indicate an eagerness to return. Absence has truly made our hearts grow fonder. 98

What type of groups and singers are you bringing to Oswego this season?

We present a broad range of musical genre, especially those not commonly broadcast: Celtic, blues, bluegrass, jazz, swing, hip hop, traditional folk, Americana and zydeco are a few. Our terrific 2021-22 program year brings classic swing and jazz standards — Nancy Kelly, Anthony Joseph Swingtet. The McKrells and Ceili Rain both bring a Celtic flavor and the popular acoustic Americana bands Ruddy Well Band and Driftwood are returning. Highly acclaimed acoustic songwriters performing include folk legend Bill Staines, Peter Mulvey and The Cadleys. The groups Windborne, The Honey Dewdrops and Mad Agnes bring stunning harmonies, insightful lyrics and fresh arrangements. Who in general attends the concerts?

We present three programs — the

national stage with touring acts from across the US and Canada; the Hook Songwriter Series presenting three local and regional musicians in a round-robin format, and open mic Friday hosted by local musicians. These three series attract a wide range of demographics, from senior citizens to children, white collar to blue. How important is it for the community to have an organization like the Music Hall in town?

Most live entertainment takes place at bars, restaurants, weddings and events where the music is secondary to a larger event. We provide an exceptional alternative, a listening room, a platform to present our own pool of amazing local talent as well as the national acts we feature. Music Hall audiences discover a rare, entertaining, intimate, friendly and affordable experience. We’re an open community of music lovers, performers and enthusiasts, families, kids, and old timers volunteering to bring great shows to Oswego.

The fall season sponsored by the Oswego Music Halls takes place at the McCrobie Civic Center in Oswego and runs until Dec. 4. For a list of shows and ticket information, visit www.oswegomusichall.org or email ocpaoswego@gmail.com. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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