The State of the Arts Q&A With Stephen Butler, CNY Arts

A Q&A With https://drive.google.com/drive/search?ogsrc=32&q=owner:charlie%40cnyarts.org

Stephen Butler

Executive director of Syracuse-based CNY Arts appeals to individuals and organizations to help raise a half-million dollars by Dec. 31 for the arts sector, which is facing potential loss of more than $55 million due to the pandemic

By Mary Beth Roach

The arts in Central New York has become another victim of the pandemic, as museums and theaters across the area remain closed or have had to drastically cut the number of visitors. Individual artists have been severely impacted as well. It’s estimated that the sector has lost more than $55 million in potential revenue.

The CNY Arts organization, in its ongoing mission to support, promote and celebrate the arts, culture and heritage in the area, has begun a fundraising effort. The agency serves Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego counties. When it gets New York state regional economic development funds, it also serves Cayuga County.

Executive director Stephen Butler talked about the fundraising drive and the effect of the pandemic on the arts.

Q: Can you share the details of this initiative?

A: In March, when the governor’s order came through to help flatten the curve, organizations needed to shutter. Of course, for the arts, that’s a huge impact because we live by people coming together to participate in the arts, whether it’s to go to an exhibit or go to a show. Immediately, our ability to generate revenue was lost and, of course, government became very constrained in its ability to provide funding during this time. We held a big regional Zoom meeting across seven counties. The arts sector representatives said, ‘CNY Arts do two things: Do a specific survey about this region. There are certain questions we want you to have in it. And secondly, be in touch with the foundations about us because we’re 1/2 very imperiled.’

We did that survey. The aggregate data showed that with 20% of the field responded, there was actual and projected losses of $15 million. When we went back and looked at some of the other research about the size of the sector and created a formula, we really were looking at something close to potential $55 million actual losses and projected losses through the end of September. Furthermore, on average, those respondents said that by late October they would be running out of their cash reserves if there weren’t infusions of cash.

So we met with our board and shared these statistics. We really needed to create a $1 million fund. That seems like a drop in the bucket. For our small agency, it was quite ambitious. It also

geared to about what we give out annually, which is about $1 million and $1.8 million a year in funding to arts groups. We thought we will try to raise this $1 million. It’s in addition to what we will distribute this year, but that amount will be less than the usual amount we give out. That is partially why we are doing this fund drive.

Q: Who were the survey respondents?

A: We surveyed arts groups and individual artists who are equally impacted by the closures.

Q: There’s a matching component to this?

A: As time went on, we received three challenge grants from the Jon Ben Snow, the Reisman and the Central New York Community foundations, totaling $175,000. They said, ‘We’ll provide these challenge grants and we’ll match them. That will unlock the dollars that we’ve allocated for you.’ Ever since that time, we’ve been working toward those challenge grants. Also a $20,000 grant from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. This grant is a match and will unlock challenge grant dollars.

Q: How far along are you to the $1 million goal?

A: We’ve raised some of the challenge money. And so, with the unlocked dollars, we’ve raised $300,000 since late July. Our goal is to try to raise it by Dec. 31. We’ve given out about a third of that already. And we’re working on raising the challenge grants by the end of December. Our goal is to be at half a million dollars by Dec. 31.

Q: How is this funding distributed?

A: We use the same process we use in all of our grants-making. People apply. We put it through a panel process. We looked at the models of COVID impact funding throughout the country — what other arts agencies were doing — and came up with a set of guidelines and questions. Those were vetted by the foundations that were providing funding. We try to do that in a 30-day turnaround.

Q: How do you measure the impact of the arts organizations in a community?

A: I would say that there are two primary impacts and one of them is economic. Equally important is the quality of life for the citizens. We’ve done three studies that have measured that data. For instance, with LeMoyne College, we did a study a few years ago of just greater Syracuse. We know that [the arts in the] greater Syracuse alone in a normal year directly infuses $48 million in the local economy, and the audiences spend close to $100 million in peripheral spending, on restaurants, cafes, gas, hotels.

In terms of quality of life — we did a big study in 2014 — we found that people were as interested in attending arts events of all kinds as they were in hiking and sports. We know that this is important to the community for their quality of life.

And I have to applaud the arts community for being so nimble and innovative, that even as resources became scarce, that they immediately turned their attention to producing events and then finding ways to virtually stream them, reconnect with audiences, connect in new ways.

In Phase 4, things did open up a little bit, so some sites, particularly heritage and visual arts more so than performance, were able to reopen and then through careful audience planning, people were then able to return to the actually physical location to participate in the arts. There are expenses with that — protective equipment, disinfectant, purchasing reservation systems, creating a safety plan. There are new costs associated with that no one has had to think about in the past.

Q: If people want to contribute but can’t until the end of the year, can they still do that? And how?

A: They can go to www.cnyarts. The Covid Arts Impact Fund Page takes them where they can make a donation.

Q: If somebody is interested in contributing, is there a way they can designate their gift to a certain county or a certain entity?

A: Because it’s a panel process, designating it for a certain entity is more difficult. But we’ll certainly take their wishes into account. If they wanted to say the ‘city of Oswego,’ ‘the county of Onondaga,’ they can put that in the notes. If they would like their donation to go to individual artists, or specifically musicians, they can say those kinds of things as well.

When we went into the shutdown last March, everybody went to YouTube and Netflix. Everyone began looking for arts and entertainment as a way of consolation, relief and joy. That’s what art does.

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New Property Owners

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Reaching new property owners. Another good reason to advertise in Oswego County Business

of stock on Amazon.com and Walmart. com).

Brown said the company recently filled orders for Tops Friendly Market and Price Chopper Supermarkets and that consumers should check local stores for availability. “What I’m telling people they should do is go to the store as early in the morning as possible after shelves have been re-stocked at night,’’ she added.

Central Square resident Vickie D’Agostino noticed in September that her favorite brand of beans was missing in action. She grew concerned that, for the first time in memory, her family’s Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t include Grandma Brown’s beans. But luck was with her and she found a couple cans at a Price Chopper store.

“Every store I go in I always look for them,’’ said D’Agostino, 55. “I hadn’t seen any in a very long time and Price Chopper was the first place I saw them. They were literally on the bottom shelf, way in the back. If I didn’t take the time to really look, I wouldn’t have seen them.’’

D’Agostino, who grew up in Central New York and has lived here all of her life, said family birthdays, reunions, cookouts and other get-togethers are not complete without Grandma Brown’s beans on the table. She “doctors’’ them up a bit, adding brown sugar, bacon grease and a bit of crumbled bacon on top, before baking the beans until hot and bubbling. “I would even take leftovers and make a sandwich for lunch with cold beans and mayonnaise,’’ D’Agostino said. “There’s nothing else

Where’s the Beans? comparable to them.’’ The local devotion to Grandma Brown’s goes back to 1937, during Missing from grocery store shelves: Grandma the Great Depression, when Mexico resident Lulu Brown began making

Brown’s Home Baked Beans. Company large pans of her family’s favorite baked beans and selling them in local recently resumed production after months- grocery stores. The beans proved popular: Lulu’s long shutdown husband, Earl, son, Robert E. Brown, and partner, Richard Whitney, soon expanded their sales and marketing ef-

Things that have been in short sup- The company ceased production forts to Oswego. Eventually they would ply during the coronavirus pan- of the beans beloved by generations deliver pans of beans to stores within a demic: Appliances. Bicycles. Toilet of Central New Yorkers this summer 70-mile radius of Mexico. paper. Pressure-treated lumber. Patio heaters. Sewing machines. Canning jars and lids. Coins. Children’s desks. Add Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans to the list. The flagship product of a small, and resumed production before Thanksgiving, according to company owner and president Sandra Brown. The beans, as well as Grandma Brown’s bean soup BUSINESS UPDATE Business continued to grow, enough to require a bean processing and canning plant. If you’ve been to Mexico, you’ve probably seen the Grandma Brown’s facility on Scenic Avfamily-owned company in Mexico dis- and split pea soup, are slowly enue — and smelled the beans appeared from store shelves for several making their way back to stores and being processed. The company remains months earlier this year. online retailers. (They are currently out in the family and has 14 employees.

Popular item

Fun fact: Grandma Brown’s had a concession stand in the shape of a can of beans at the 1950 New York State Fair in Syracuse and sold baked bean sandwiches for a nickel each. They were enjoyed by more than 70,000 fairgoers.

Thomas Connors, owner of Syracuse Crate, considers himself fortunate at this time (early December) to have Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans in stock and available for orders.

It’s a busy time of year, and Syracuse Crate spotlights a range of locally produced food products to “bring a bit of Syracuse to your door.’’ Two of the company’s best sellers, the Bit of ‘Cuse Crate and the Courtside Crate, contain a 16-ounce can of Grandma Brown’s Beans, packed alongside Hofmann German-style mustard, Salamida’s NY State Fair Spiedie Sauce, Buck’s All-Purpose Seasoning and other made-in-Central New York food items. The beans are also a popular add-on item for Syracuse Crate’s “Build a Crate’’ option, in which customers can customize crates as they like.

“Grandma Brown’s beans are in 99% of every purchase,’’ Connors said. “They’re tied for No. 1 with Hinerwadel’s salt potatoes, Dinosaur BarB-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce and Pastabilities Hot Tomato Oil.’’

In October, Connors said, he received a deluge of emails and phone calls from people inquiring about the whereabouts of Grandma Brown’s Beans. He sometimes drives to Mexico to pick up cases of the beans himself and said several weeks ago that he had the beans back in stock — and expected to go through them quickly during the holiday season.

Connors has shipped Grandma Brown’s Beans as far as Australia and says a couple dedicated fans sometimes drive to Syracuse from Rochester and Pennsylvania to pick up cases of beans rather than have them shipped. He said he is confident the Grandma Brown’s supply chain will get back to normal soon.

“I think they’re kind of going in rotation,’’ Connors said of the company. “They might do beans one week and their soups another week. I think this allowed them to really see how fanatical people are about their product.’’ People enjoying some of the attactions at Greek Peak Mountain.

Ski Resort Operators: A

Season Like No Other

Operators believe more skiers will hit the slopes this season because it provides the opportunity to get out of the house and be active

Outside is in, and inside is out.” home state of New York, there is no This is a quote that Peter Harris, need to quarantine afterward. owner-operator of the Labrador A longer, snowy winter would and Song Mountain ski areas, came up also help. with recently. It captures the op- “It really depends on if timism that operators of area ski centers are feeling as they prepare for a season like no other. To deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York state BUSINESS UPDATE good old Lake Ontario gives us all that lake-effect we love,” Harris said, with a chuckle. Greek Peak, Tog, Lab and Song all plan to be open by in October released guidelines mid-December. In addition, the for ski resorts, which will force them centers are prepared to help Mother to retool nearly every aspect of their Nature along, if need be, with snowbusiness, including capacity numbers making operations. restrictions, rentals, face coverings, lifts, “We will closely manage operafood and beverage services, registration tional expenses as much as possible, practices for the purpose of contact which means capitalizing on prime tracing, and changes in ski lessons. snowmaking conditions when they

While there is the possibility that occur, especially long stretches of really ski centers will see a loss in revenue, cold temperatures,”Broderick noted. officials at Labrador (Lab), Song Moun- “Having other winter operations such tain, Greek Peak and Toggenburg (Tog) as snow tubing, cross country skiing, — four of the largest ski areas in Central snow shoeing, mountain coaster, guided New York — also see the silver lining. zip line tours and a lodge with indoor

Harris and Drew Broderick, vice pools and waterpark features helps president for sales and marketing at generate winter revenues.” Greek Peak and Tog, believe that more Lab, with 22 trails, and Song, with skiers will possibly hit the slopes this 24 trails, offer downhill and snowboardseason because it provides the oppor- ing skiing only. tunity to get out of the house and be active; and because by skiing in their By Mary Beth Roach

Clothing Company Betting on Promoting Syracuse Love

Just before the birth of their baby, vanced Media New York in Syracuse.

Matt and Taylor Sourwine birthed “There are so many growth optheir company, SYR Clothing, which portunities,” Matt said. “It’s been a shares their love for the Salt City. fun first year. There’s lots of growth

“It was so much work getting it opportunities in the future.” launched before the baby came,” Taylor The Sourwines have received recalled with a laugh. “The business orders from customers are far-flung has struggled to get the attention it as Hawaii. Matt thinks that it’s likely deserves.” Though Matt and Taylor Sourwine did not grow up in Syracuse, they founded a company based on their shared love for the Salt City: SYR Clothing BUSINESS UPDATE people with roots in the area. “It’s our goal to sell something to someone in every state,” he said. They are considering adding gift items such as mugs Co. (https://syrclothingco.com). and perhaps photos of scenic

The sporty apparel and accessories Syracuse vistas. all bear original logos designed by the It has been a challenge getting Sourwines that relate to Syracuse. their name out, especially considering

The Sourwines grew up in Alexan- the ease of ordering items online and dria Bay, but felt it was a treat to go to receiving them within two days. Destiny USA — then known as Carousel “We don’t have a huge budget, Center — for shopping trips. After Matt but we’ve done a pretty good job congraduated from SUNY Morrisville and sidering the amount of time we have Taylor from Syracuse University, they in our lives,” Matt said. “It takes time moved to Syracuse and their love for to build a brand. That’s a challenge of the city only grew. any business.”

The Sourwines enjoy traveling SYR Clothing Co. primarily marand noticed that places they visit have kets through social media ads and posts city- promoting apparel; however, their and through sending out press releases. adopted hometown did not. That is why As a two-person company, the they founded SYR Clothing Co. in NoSourwines can remain nimble and vember 2019. Like many entrepreneurs, tap trends as they happen. They have the Sourwines built their company on touched on COVID-19 in their designs, a shoestring. for example.

Since she was “hugely pregnant” at “We came out with shirts that say, the time as Taylor put it, she tapped a ‘Spread love, nothing else,’” Taylor said. few friends and cousins to model their “We had a lot of orders for that. When clothing for the website. SU was having trouble with graffiti

The couple sells their clothing we started a line with ‘Stronger Than through their website and on a few Graffiti.’” local racks such as at Syracha’cuse, a It takes about a week between the store in Camillus. They view the local date a customer orders an item and presence as a way for shoppers to pick when it is received. up a last-minute gift. Their items are The couple likes to give back to the made on demand by a third-party screen community. Each month, they donate printer because they could not find a a portion of each order to a different local provider. charity, such as Food Bank of Central

“We’ve had a great reaction since New York, Clear Path for Veterans, CNY we launched, though it’s slowed down Community Support Fund, CNY SPCA, since COVID,” Matt said. “It’s starting On My Team16 and Rescue Mission. to pick up as people want to support For November, it was Salvation Army. local businesses for the holidays.” “There are fewer red kettles out

The couple maintains full-time jobs, there this year,” Matt said. Taylor as a third-grade teacher for the Syracuse City School District and Matt as a manager of a creative team for Ad- By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Ryan Galloway, right, joins the business started by Thomas Galloway (seated) and run by his father, Bill Galloway.

Ryan Galloway Joins Family Real Estate Business Third-generation real estate specialist ramps up role at Century 21 Galloway Realty

When Thomas Galloway and than 40 years of his life to real estate. his late wife Bridget began For the third-generation real estate independently selling real agent, it means more than just a career estate and insurance out of their home upgrade. in Oswego in the mid-1960s, little did “It feels like I am carrying on the they know their grandson Ryan would family legacy into a new generation,” BUSINESS UPDATE be a third-generation real estate sales professional in 2020. Ryan is stepping into a job that both his father Bill and grandfather Tom experienced. he said. “There is a sense of tradition attached to that.” Ryan said there was a time when he and his parents were tentative about the decision.

In 1994, Bill and his wife Elaine “But now that it’s here, purchased Century 21 Galloway Realty it’s the best decision,” he said. from his father Tom. Bill became the For Bill, seeing his son follow in broker-owner and has devoted more his career footsteps was something he always wanted, but he made sure it was exactly what Ryan wanted to do.

“He worked into it the same way I did. I worked at Nine Mile Point and did something different, and then realized real estate was the way to go and jumped in,” he said.

“Every buyer and seller is different, but when you grow up and live in a small community like Oswego, you really get a sense of the pulse of the community and what a typical buyer and seller is looking for,” Ryan added.

Plentiful experience

Ryan grew up in a family that lives and breathes real estate, and that upbringing helps him in terms of taking on the challenges as a real estate salesperson.

“I’ve heard and seen so many situations that my dad and grandfather and everybody in the business has had to deal with over the years,” he said.

He said paying attention to how his father and grandfather worked through challenges and thinking of what could have been done differently will pay dividends in his career.

Ryan said his main strengths lied on the technology and advertising side.

“I think I am good at problem solving on the fly. I am able to run through scenarios quick in my head and try to find the best solution,” he said.

His dad recalls the days of working in the industry pre-internet.

“We started with books, and now we have to do everything online with COVID-19,” Bill said.

“Ryan and Elaine can tell you that I may not be the greatest at this, but they are probably impressed that I merged everyone together for this virtual interview,” he added.

He said technology is advancing at a “mind-blowing” pace, and having a person in Ryan who grew up in the Internet age is certainly an advantage.

Social media is a tremendous plus in the industry now, particularly with COVID-19.

“They keep coming out with more things to utilize all these tools on Facebook, but we also have an online filing program,” Ryan said. “With COVID-19, the way we are able to have e-signatures on contracts really helps to keep person-to-person interactions down while we are still able to do business. It’s been enormous during the pandemic.”

“We are very excited that Ryan has decided to carry on the family business. He does have a lot to offer,” she said.

“We all work very well together and respect what each one does. Ryan has great knowledge and experience from working in the office and growing up in the real estate world.”

“He has a great relationship with everyone in the office and that’s a really good feeling on our end to see. We are proud parents for sure,” she added.

Managerial background

Ryan worked as a store manager at Fajita Grill for many years, and that role helped in terms of developing business skills that included interacting with co-workers and the public on an effective level.

“At the restaurant, there’s always something crazy or wrong going on. You have to be on your toes at all times and make quick decisions. I think that’s what helped me the most,” he said.

“Everybody is different, but there’s a common thread with people that you can interact with,” he said.

Ryan also has worked in the office management and advertising side of the business for more than four years.

That experience has provided him with a firm understanding of the administrative and marketing end of real estate.

Having the administrative side down gives Ryan a full grasp of the entire real estate transaction.

“A lot of times as an agent, when you get everything signed and done, you don’t realize and get a full grasp of the entire real estate transaction,” he said.

Elaine has been a significant influence on his life and career.

“She is just huge for me. The energy she brings into the office is something we all feed off, and she is a big influence in everything we do there,” Ryan said.

Elaine has watched her son develop in the back office, and said he now has the advantage of that foundation as well as the listings and sales side of the business.

“It’s the best of both worlds, because he has knowledge of both sides of the business instead of just one or the other like Bill and I have,” she said.

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CNY Nonprofits Struggle Amid Pandemic, Optimistic About Future

As the COVID-19 virus upended day-to-day life and plunged Americans into financial calamity, nonprofits sprang to action: emergency food, mental health care, medical treatment, social services, education, even safeguarding cultural and historic treasures.

While the pandemic has affected everyone, the plight of nonprofit organizations has been somewhat less noticeable.

Nearly every Central New York nonprofit — from major hospitals and universities, to food pantries and museums — has felt the pressure.

“The nonprofit sector was under and is under completely unprecedented stressors,” says Frank Ridzi, vice president of community investment at

By Ken Sturtz

the Central New York Community Foundation.

Many organizations have seen demand for their services skyrocket. Ohers have struggled to provide services amid the pandemic. The financial strain has been especially difficult, Ridzi says. Nonprofits haven’t been able to hold their typical fundraising events or haven’t been reimbursed by the government for their services.

“It’s a really scary storm,” he says. “It’s a much larger gap in funding than we could ever fill.”

Even some of the area’s largest nonprofits have been affected. St. Joseph’s Health and Syracuse University announced layoffs.

New York’s continuing budget crisis crippled many nonprofits that receive significant portions of their revenue from state contracts. The state has long had a reputation for dragging its feet when paying nonprofits, but this year state agencies have delayed payments as the state wrestles with a massive budget shortfall and the uncertainty of federal aid.

ACR Health provides services across Central New York, including syringe exchanges, medical support programs, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and services for LGBTQ youth. The organization relies on government contracts for 90% of its budget and says the state was late paying $1.6 million for a range of services. In July, ACR Health furloughed 70 employees,

nearly half its staff, and closed three of its eight offices.

LiteracyCNY became another victim of slow state payments. Before the pandemic, the organization trained volunteers, who helped hundreds of adult students learn to read each year. Because of the pandemic, volunteers were working virtually with less than a hundred students.

After six decades LiteracyCNY announced it would cease operations before the end of the year. It cited $100,000 in outstanding payments from the state — about a third of its budget — as one of the reasons.

Even nonprofits with diverse revenue streams have struggled. The Rescue Mission operates a chain of Thrifty Shopper stores that brings in more than 60% of its revenue. But the stores were forced to close in spring.

“From a financial level one of the bigger problems was the closing of our stores,” says Tori Shires, chief development officer. “When you suddenly shut down the Thrifty Shopper stores for three months you find yourself in quite a predicament.”

In March the Rescue Mission, which runs a homeless shelter and meal program, laid off 285 employees. The layoffs included staff from its thrift stores as well as nonprogram staff. The Rescue Mission continued operations and later put its employees back on the payroll thanks to a $2 million PPP loan. Over the summer, it reduced its staff by 21 positions.

The Rescue Mission has since reopened its thrift stores and began selling some items online to supplement store revenue. Though they were forced to cancel several of their larger annual fundraisers, some have gone forward and donations have remained steady. The PPP loan as well as support from the Central New York Community Foundation and other foundations has helped the Rescue Mission “get over the financial hump,” Shires says.

Aside from financial challenges, Shires says the Rescue Mission, like other nonprofits, has had to learn how to adapt to serving clients.

“The first challenge is how to provide great service and safe service to all of the people that we serve on the program side of things,” she says.

The Rescue Mission runs a 183bed dorm-style homeless shelter, the largest in the region, and Shires says they wanted to make sure they did everything possible to safeguard the health of clients, staff and volunteers. The main dining room of the Clarence L. Jordan Food Service and Culinary Education Center in Syracuse seen during a holiday celebration for clients last year. In 2019, the Rescue Mission completed a $5.8 million expansion of the facility, which serves meals year round to anyone in need. During the pandemic, the Mission has had to adjust how it serves up to 700 meals a day to clients to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

A Rescue Mission chef prepares meals for delivery to clients at the Rescue Mission’s facilities in Auburn. During the pandemic, the Rescue Mission has delivered meals to many people in need to limit exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Staff separated beds and began checking clients daily for symptoms. Anyone who shows symptoms is sent to be tested immediately. Shires says they have only had minimal cases of COVID-19, which she says is a testament to the diligence of the staff and the rigorous cleaning procedures that have been instituted. Serving meals to those in need also required changes. Shires says they wanted to keep community members coming in for meals from infecting shelter clients and vice versa. In November they expanded dining hours at their food service building: community members eat the first hour and shelter residents eat the second hour.

Adapt or Perish

“It’s the nature of nonprofits to adapt,” says Betsy Copps, senior director of operations for Oswego County Opportunities (OCO). “We have to do that all the time with changing community needs, changing economic climate, and shifting of funding.”

While nonprofits are accustomed to adapting, Copps says it was unlike anything OCO had experienced before and the organization was forced to write a new playbook as it went.

OCO is the community action agen-

cy for Oswego County, administering more than 50 human services programs and employing hundreds of staff. In mid-March OCO began working to equip as many staff as possible to work remotely.

“We were fortunate because we never really closed,” Copps says.

A few programs did close and there were a few layoffs, Copps says, but OCO’s diversity of programs and funding sources proved to be a strength.

Some programs were reimagined. Head Start staff put together packages to drop off to families so children could do activities at home. In several facilities for adults with disabilities, the staff couldn’t come and go due to concerns about infection. So OCO temporarily repurposed transit drivers to handle pickup and delivery of essential supplies like groceries and hygiene items.

“It was an interesting, exciting time for us to see how we could come together and work toward mitigating a crisis,” Copps says.

OCO’s operations aren’t back to normal yet. Some staff still work remotely and meetings are held via video conference. And there are Plexiglas barriers and more space between desks in offices now, which is especially challenging. In human services making a human connection is vital, so it’s been challenging adapting to barriers and distance, Copps says. In-person outreach remains very limited, though social media interaction shot up 400%

Dawn Ellis, 11, of Oswego, is pictured with Flat Sailor Sam in front of the National Historic Landmark Tugboat LT-5 in Oswego’s Historic Maritime District. The Canal to Shore Challenge -- sponsored in part by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the New York State Canal Corporation -- was developed to allow families to learn about the area’s maritime history remotely. LT-5 is one of the sites of interest.

earlier this year as staff used it to connect with clients.

The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego similarly turned to social media this spring to share relevant photos and pieces of history; the museum’s Facebook page saw a 2,000% increase in visits, Executive Director Mercedes Niess says.

The museum was forced to close in mid-March, but managed to reopen at the start of July, in time for the summer season, which provides most of the museum’s earned income. The museum had to develop a plan outlining its health and safety procedures. Masks are required and staff and volunteers have their temperature checked every day. The building is also cleaned daily.

Most events — Oswego Paddlefest, history lectures and boat building seminars — have been canceled, but Niess says the museum was able to adapt and go forward with its annual boat tours to Oswego’s West Pierhead Lighthouse, which raise money for the museum. And the annual Christmas at Sea open house will still happen, albeit with social distancing.

The museum also developed a new pandemic friendly program for families called the Canal to Shore Challenge. A booklet highlights 23 historic sites along the Oswego Canal and Lake Ontario. Participants visit each one, take a selfie with museum mascot Sailor Sam, and upload the photos. Finishers receive a custom patch from the museum. Niess says the program is part of an effort to allow people to learn about the area’s maritime heritage whether or not they physically visit the museum.

COVID-19 Community Support Fund

When the pandemic hit earlier this year, the Central New York Community Foundation found itself in an unusual situation. With vast resources and reach, the foundation typically invested significant time and effort identifying large community problems — childhood lead poisoning in Syracuse, for example — and then spearheading solutions with community partners.

“As this hit, we saw this was a much bigger crisis than we could solve on our own,” Ridzi says. “We had to figure out what our role would be.”

After conferring with community partners, the foundation created the COVID-19 Community Support Fund and seeded it with $300,000. The idea was that other funders would contribute to one pot of money and the foundation

and its partners would move quickly to make grants where they were needed most. This was a significant departure from the norm; traditionally each foundation has its own application systems, grant processes and timelines.

Foundation staff divided funding into three categories. The first was immediate human needs, such as making sure food pantries had enough food and providing diapers to parents. The second included health-related items like PPE for health care workers and first responders. The third focused on efforts to help nonprofits adapt to the new environment. This included help moving staff to work remotely or meet with clients virtually. It also included efforts to ensure critical care workers had childcare and children and schools were able to adapt by providing new learning materials.

By the end of July, the support fund had raised nearly $1.8 million and distributed 97 grants totaling more than $1.4 million to Onondaga County nonprofits. Affiliate funds in Cayuga and Oswego counties distributed 45 grants totaling more than $360,000.

“We look at trends over the years and that’s how we decide what to respond to,” Ridzi says. “But this was lightning speed. We were responding to immediate need.”

The foundation remains in solid financial shape, Ridzi says, because its emphasis on long-term planning allows it to increase funding in times of crisis, such as during the 2008 recession. He says this year the board approved more funding and delayed as many projects as possible to divert money to emergency needs.

As the pandemic has continued, the foundation has tried to help nonprofits that have been struggling to stay afloat. The goal is to help them adjust in an orderly fashion rather than suddenly collapse, Ridzi says.

Despite the pressures, many nonprofits expressed confidence that they would ultimately weather the pandemic. Copps says the sacrifices staff have made has been heartening and that the whole experience will make OCO a stronger organization in the future.

Shires noted that the Rescue Mission had survived hard times before, including recessions, depressions, wars and the 1918 pandemic.

“We’re going to survive through this one too,” she says. “We are very confident we will be here going forward.” State-of-the-art Repair Facility

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Craig Buckhout, principal at Rockbridge Investment Management, stands on the rooftop terrace outside his office in downtown Syracuse.

My wife Carol and I developed a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation to easily facilitate our annual giving to the causes we care about. Central New York is where we’ve grown up and it continues to be our home today. It is vital for us to continue providing funding for local organizations to ensure a prosperous region for generations to come.

GIVING BACK TO MY HOME: CRAIG BUCKHOUT

Read more of Craig’s story at cnycf.org/Buckhout

Building Material Costs Skyrocket, Some Items Hard to Find

Contractor: Same project that cost $2,300 in the spring, now goes for $8,300

In the spring Joe Spereno furnished an estimate for a woman who wanted a deck built on her house; material costs: $2,300. Three months later, when the woman decided to go ahead with the job, he tallied up the new price for materials: $8,300.

“It was insane,” Spereno says. “I told her ‘You should obviously wait and let’s hope everything goes back down.’”

Throughout the year hardware stores, homeowners and contractors have been forced to contend with widespread shortages of many types of building materials and hardware and skyrocketing prices for other items, such as pressure-treated lumber.

Typically, when hardware or building material prices fluctuate so dramatically it’s due to a specific issue related to supply or demand, says David Logan, a senior economist at the National Association of Home Builders.

“This pandemic has kind of in-

By Ken Sturtz

duced the perfect storm of double-sided negative effects on both the supply and demand sides,” he says.

Earlier this year the pandemic forced many people to work from home, which contributed to an explosion in DIY projects and hiring contractors to do work on houses. Consumers responded by buying up building supplies, especially from big box retailers. That’s a major reason some suppliers have had trouble keeping materials in stock, Logan says.

While consumers were gobbling up supplies, manufacturers were forced to shut down or idle their plants due to the pandemic. And as borders closed, supply chains were disrupted. Key components became difficult to obtain and imported items, especially from China, disappeared.

Logan says people first noticed a shortage of residential lighting fixtures during the first quarter of the year.

The U.S. imports a substantial portion of its lighting fixtures, with about 90% coming from China. As imports plummeted, lighting fixtures became difficult to find.

The biggest shortages, which began in mid-April and May, included lumber and wood products, Logan says. In particular, pressure-treated lumber, dimensional lumber and decking practically disappeared from many shelves as limited supply failed to keep up with rising demand. The result was record high prices for lumber over the summer. Prices have eased about 40% since mid-September, says Logan, but the average price of lumber in 2020 will still shatter previous records.

Spereno, of Mexico, owns Spereno Construction. When the pandemic forced people to stay home in the spring, he was sure his business would slow down. Instead he began receiving

calls from eager customers, some with stimulus checks they wanted to spend.

“Everybody was sitting at home wondering ‘what can I do to improve my house’ or ‘lets finally get this fixed,’” Spereno says. “So, it actually went the other way.”

He had enough work to keep himself and five employees busy, but soon began noticing material prices creeping up. Pressure-treated lumber eventually shot up more than 300%. Oriented strand board (OSB) — long used as a cheap alternative to plywood — skyrocketed from $10 a sheet to $27.

As much demand as there was to add porches and decks and to start other building projects, Spereno says some homeowners ultimately decided to hold off on projects and wait for the price of materials to come down.

Shortages started in the spring

Local hardware stores began experiencing difficulty stocking certain items, especially pressure-treated lumber.

Tim Searles, owner of New Haven Building Supply, says that for most of the year he has struggled to keep a consistent supply of pressure-treated lumber in stock. The price soon soared, hurting local contractors. Any items imported from China — nails, screws, plumbing fittings — have been hard to find. Earlier this year customers, stuck at home with little to do, cleaned out most of his home and garden supplies. OSB as well as plywood shot up in price and became harder to find.

Searles began helping his father around the hardware store as a child. Four decades later, he says he can’t remember a similar stretch of material shortages and price increases.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it,” he says.

Although prices and supplies have improved somewhat during the fall, Searles says roughly 40% of the items he orders are still out of stock or backordered.

Bernie Meade has experienced a similar phenomenon. Meade, who has owned Parish Hardware with his wife for 16 years, puts a weekly order in with his supplier that typically includes a list of about 400 items. Under normal circumstances there might be fewer than a dozen items out of stock, he says. These days, however, he’s lucky if he gets half of what he orders.

Shortages started in the spring, but Plumbing supplies line the wall. Hardware store owners have struggled to keep imported items, such as plumbing accessories, in stock.

A forklift moves metal roofing at New Haven Building Supply.

Lumber and other building materials sit stacked at New Haven Building Supply. Store owners have struggled to keep certain items, such as pressure-treated lumber, in stock.

Joe Spereno, owner of Spereno Construction in Mexico. Initially he thought the pandemic would slow his business down. “Everybody was sitting at home wondering ‘what can I do to improve my house’ or ‘let’s finally get this fixed,’” Spereno says. “So, it actually went the other way.”

things didn’t really become bad until May, Meade says. Some items that were in short supply were obvious. They sold tons of deck screws for all the porches people were building. Gardening supplies became hard to find in the spring as people embraced growing their own food. Seeds nearly sold out, as did chicken wire to keep out unwanted animals. And then there are the canning jars to preserve the harvest.

“Everybody is looking for canning jars,” Meade says. “There’s just nothing available.”

Meade says some items such as PVC pipe for plumbing and the plastic conduit for electrical wiring have been tough to find, or are only available in limited quantities. Some items have been out of stock for a week or two, other for months on end. And some quirky items seem to be out of stock for no obvious reason. For example, Meade says brown window caulk, never a bestseller, has been difficult to stock.

“The less popular items are more likely to be out than the more popular items,” he says, noting that manufacturers unable to meet demand have focused on producing popular brands.

The situation for Deaton’s Ace Building & Home Center in Pulaski was even more perilous than most.

Manager Mike Deaton says they had spent months planning a major reset to the store, to include moving isles and redesigning the layout.

The project got underway with a crew from out of town just as the pandemic worsened in March. As an essential business, the store never closed, which made things more difficult. What was supposed to take five weeks ended up taking months, Deaton says, and left the store’s inventory completely rearranged.

Deaton’s was soon selling out of many items, such as facial masks and cleaning supplies. Ace began scouring the market to find comparable products to replace the out of stock brand names. Deaton says they sold tons of homesteading supplies in the spring, including canning supplies and garden seeds and equipment. With so many people spending more time at home, sales of smoke detectors climbed as did lawn care supplies. Deaton says their stock of grills and BBQs was decimated and only began to trickle back in the fall.

Still, building materials remained the scarcest and subject to dramatic price fluctuations. Deaton says he went several months being out of virtually everything in treated lumber. The shortage of deck boards and 4x4s became so acute that customers began modifying their decks to make use of thicker lumber that was available.

Deaton says he has many Amish customers who do carpentry and use plywood in shed construction. Those who already had purchase orders to build sheds were forced to modify their plans. Others who had already been paid for the work lost money, he says.

Sandpaper was hard to stock for a while. Drywall and insulation are slow coming; Deaton called his supplier in the fall to place an order and was told it would be six weeks before the manufacturer would be shipping.

“We’ve gotten to the point now where we do have some treated lumber available to us and some other things that had been really behind previously, but the price is so high,” Deaton says. “Every supplier and store are making decisions about do I stock up now, is this going to get worse?”

Deaton says they bought treated lumber when the price was high; now that the price has softened they’re selling some of it at a loss.

When will it end?

In the past couple months, as supplies have slowly returned, shortages have shifted to other areas. Contractors have reported shortages of fasteners, screws, nuts, bolts and brackets. The reason for the shortage is due to disruptions in the supply chains internationally, says Logan, the senior economist at the National Association of Home Builders.

Appliances, especially dishwashers and refrigerators, have become scarcer. Builders are seeing waits of up to six weeks to get them. Many appliances for the U.S. market are assembled in Mexico. Shutdowns occurred significantly later in Mexico than the U.S., Logan says. As existing inventory has run low, supply has yet to catch up.

When will the shortages end and prices return to normal? It’s tough to say, especially with so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. Whether things return to normal will likely depend on two factors, Logan says.

The first is whether or not home construction levels off heading into winter, as is typical. The second is whether production at lumber mills and manufacturers of other materials in short supply continues at the pace it has. If demand eases and supply catches up, there’s a good chance things will stabilize, Logan says.

“Sometime early in the new year you could see a semblance of normalcy,” he says. “That’s the hope.”