we will have something much more effective at communicating all there is to see and do here in Oswego County,” he said. “The visitor guide is just about ready to go to print. We will be redoing our little history pamphlet — that was highly requested — so we are doing a reprinting of that.” With the waning pandemic, Turner believes there will be a resurgence in outdoor activities across the county. “We are looking forward to continuing to work with all of the municipalities in the county to help promote all the things they have to offer, whether by geography or season,” he said. “We’re still promoting all the things we do. Harborfest has a brand new director. We’re looking forward to working with Dan [Harrington] and his board to let as many people as possible know about Harborfest.”
Oswego Visitor Center The Visitor Center on West First Street in Oswego was open from midMay to mid- September with close to 500 visitors last year. “July was our biggest month with nearly half of the tourists for the summer. Local people and those from neighboring counties stop in to see what’s coming up, but many come from all over the state,” said Eva Corradino of the Oswego Promotion and Tourism advisory board. “As we saw last year, people came from all over, Florida to Kingston, Ontario, Massachusetts to California, for many reasons. Oswego is becoming a destination in itself.” The center provides information on Oswego County’s rich history, boating and fishing, access to Canada by water or road, the Oswego Speedway and more.
“Families coming for softball and baseball tournaments at Legends Field all found our little center” Corradino said. “We were able to direct people to the things that interest them, providing directions to parks and museums, places to buy T-shirts and other memorabilia, restaurants that fit their taste or budget. We even helped one boater navigate the website to enter Canada by boat.” “We met people who had recently moved here, drawn by jobs in Oswego and Onondaga counties, as well as retirees choosing Oswego for its small-town vibe with a lot of activity,” she added. When coming to Oswego for one reason, they found a fun-filled place to spend time — beautiful sunsets, Harborfest, block parties, tiki boats, family fun Days, boat trips to the light house, history and outdoor music everywhere enticed visitors, Corradino said.
National Marine Sanctuary a Step Closer Plans are underway to create a new national marine sanctuary in New York’s eastern Lake Ontario, according to Dave Turner, director of the county’s Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. “We’re moving ahead with the marine sanctuary. It’s still not official, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Turner said. “If things go
T
as planned, might be an announcement late this year or early next year.” The proposed boundary encompasses 1,724 square miles of eastern Lake Ontario waters and bottomlands adjacent to Jefferson, Oswego, Cayuga and Wayne counties. The area contains 43 known shipwrecks and one aircraft. The New York State Tourism Hospitality Association will be meeting in
MANUFACTURING Preparing the Next Generation of Workers
he efforts from local industry to establish relationships with students in high school are reaping rewards to those manufacturers who recognize the value of staying proactive, according to Brian R. Heffron, principal Oswego County P-TECH. “The success that we are experiencing with students successfully transitioning from school to workspaces in our communities is rooted in an active investment from industry to build relationships with students as early as ninth grade,” he said. P-TECH students value and are loyal to manufacturers who spend time and resources to open up their doors for
visitations, establish mentoring partnerships, designing industry-specific challenges and projects, and creating job shadowing and paid internship opportunities, he explained. “In return, industry gets a front row seat in promoting their companies’ culture and values to the next generation of employees who are graduating from the program and entering the workforce,” Heffron said. While students graduating from P-TECH enter the workplace very “green” and have limited experience on the floor, “our industry partners have communicated to us that they bring a hunger and passion to learn from
Oswego in April, he added. “On the first day, discussion will be about the marine sanctuary and the status of it,” he said. The NYSH&TA is the oldest state lodging association in the country. Today the association includes members from nearly all segments of the tourism industry. their peers and establish themselves as master tradeswomen and tradesman,” Heffron said. Yet, what he is most excited about, what they hear most from employers and what sets these graduates entering the field apart from traditional pathways is their advancement in the areas of professional skills. “Our graduates will be safe on the job site, our graduates will be responsible with their expectations and our graduates will have the drive to perform,” Heffron said.
CCC: Advanced Manufacturing Institute is a reality Manufacturing in Central New York is at a fascinating moment. Right now, established companies are growing, there’s an exciting influx of new industry leaders and there’s a definite need for the current and future work-
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
87
