Oswego County Business, #177: December 2021 - January 2022

www.cnybusinessmag.com

Serving Oswego & Onondaga counties

OSWEGO COUNTY

BUSINESS December 2021 / January 2022

$4.50

Thanks to a cash prize of $50,000 from the Next Great Idea business plan competition, 6 Acres Farm Brewery is a step closer to open the first tasting room in Oswego County, complete with a restaurant, place for performers and more — a first for the county.

P. 50

A NEW BREWERY IN TOWN

+

CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS ANTICIPATE BUSY SEASON LABOR SHORTAGE STRUGGLES CONTINUE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS GREAT NEWS FOR CNY

Oswego Cou nty Busines s’ inaugural gift guide:

ShTohretlist P. 61

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TIME TO CALL 911

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OSWEGO CO UNTY

Serving Oswego & Onondaga coun ties

BUSINESS December 2021

/ January 2022

$4.50

Thanks to a cash prize of $50,000 from the Next Great Idea busine ss plan competition, 6 Acres Farm Brewery is a step closer to open the first tasting room in Oswego County , complete with a restaurant, place for performers and more — a first for the county.

P. 50

Subscribe to CNY’s ONLY business magazine and get the 2022 Business Guide & the 2021–2022 Winter Guide for FREE!

A NEW BREWERY IN TOWN

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BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR

EXTRAVAGANT ROMA NTIC WINTER GETAWAYS

LABOR SHORTAGE STRUGGLES CON Exp lore TINU E Winter in Upstate New York INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS GREAT NEWS FOR CNY

WINTER WINERIES & MORE IN THE FINGER LAKE S

Oswego Cou inaugu nty Business’ ral gift guide:

ShTohret list P. 61

2021–2022

15

WAYS TO WEATHER WINTER

EE FR

CHRISTMAS TREEBELOW-ZERO TEMPS FARMS ANTICIPATE BUSY SEASON

Hello. I would like to subscribe to Oswego County Business: CNY’s only business magazine, and receive my free copies of 2022 Business Guide and 2021–2022 Winter Guide. Payment has been enclosed.

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• Lights on the Lake • Ice Fish ing With the Pros • Nature Walks in the Park • Taki ng the Polar Plun • Stargazing on ge Winter Nights • and more!

1 YEAR (6 ISSUES)

P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126 www.CNYWINTER.com

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2 YEARS (12 ISSUES)

Offer valid through March 2022. Offer subject to change without notice. First issue mails within 3 to 6 weeks. Oswego County Business Magazine is published bimonthly by Local News, Inc.

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

ISSUE 177

50 MEET THE WINNERS OF THE NEXT BIG IDEA Get a glimpse into the three winners of the Next Great Idea.

One of the winners—6 Acres Farm Brewery—plans to use their money to open the first tasting room in Oswego County.

Features

en Report: Wom rn ea rk Yo in New eir male 84.5% of th P. 31 ts. ar rp te un co

Don’t miss some gift ideas in Oswego County Bu siness’ inaugural gift guide: “The Shortlist.”

P. 61

61

72

82

Christmas tree farms across the region anticipate a busy season; Oswego’s DPW director talks battling CNY winter; Oswego County Business’ inaugural gift guide, “The Shortlist”

Is winter the best time of year to sell your house? Some brokers say yes; real estate marketing tips; the struggle to rebuild our labor market continues for local businesses

Suicide rates have increased at an alarming rate; how do drugs and treatments get approval?; 30% of Upstate New York adults skip dental visits. PLUS: Health News Briefs.

‘TIS THE SEASON!

4

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

JOBS & FINANCE

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

HEALTHCARE SPECIAL

Beckwith Christmas Trees in Hannibal anticipates a busy holiday season. P. 64

More Contents 42

Central Current

44

Tim’s Corner

47

Economic Trends

48

My Turn

58

Breweries

69

Infrastructure

78

Solar Power

Nonprofit website launching with goal to fill a ‘gap’ in CNY news coverage Buying a house to help preserve a neighborhood and heritage

By Tim Nekritz County of Oswego Industrial Development annual report

By L. Michael Treadwell Why can’t we come to a consensus about what’s true?

By Bruce Frassinelli Is NY’s soaring craft beverage industry due for a slowdown?

Biden’s infrastructure bill is a boon for Upstate New York New York’s climate goals fuel solar power growth in CNY

Departments 10 13

Publisher’s Note On the Job

16

How I Got Started

‘How do you define success in business?’

Jim Bushey of Valti Graphics

18

18 Profile

Victoria Furlong

20

Where is Sandra Scott?

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

26 Newsmakers 34 Dining Out Restauraunt Guide

The Eis House in Mexico won’t leave you out in the cold

38 93

Business Updates Success Story

98

Last Page

Farnham Family Services Mike Pollock

Pulled pork burger at the Eis House. See our review on P. 34.

98 DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

5

ADVERTISING INDEX 3 Sisters Gifts.........................25 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home....................70 ALPS Professional Services.............................29 Ansun Graphics......................70 Barclay Damon.......................71 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law..................6 Brookfield Renewable Power.............81 Buckingham Brothers.............30 Builder’s FirstSource..............33 Burke’s Home Center.............29 C & S Companies...................49 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting....................27,29 Caster’s Sawmill Inc...............27 Century 21: Galloway Realty.................29 CNYCF...................................30 Compass Credit Union...........31 Connection Point....................25

ConnextCare..........................85 Crouse Hospital........................2 Eis House...............................37 EJ USA...................................15 Elemental Mgmt. Group .........41 Empower Federal Credit Union.........................9 Excellus BCBS.....................100 Farnham.................................87 Financial Partners...................12 Fitzgibbons Agency................46 Foster Funeral Home..............87 Freedom Real Estate..............46 Fulton Savings Bank...............12 Fulton Taxi..............................23 Fulton Tool Co........................46 Gartner Equipment.................10 Gosch Supply.........................23 Green Planet Grocery.............24 Harbor Eye Associates...........92 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY.............91 Hunt Realty (Teri Beckwith)....15

Johnston Gas.........................29 JTS Remodeling.....................15 Lamb’s Handyman Service.....29 Laser Transit...........................46 LW Emporium Co-Op.............24 MACNY...................................75 Menter Ambulance.................91 Mimi’s Drive Inn......................37 Mitchell Speedway Printing....19 Mr. Sub ..................................37 Murdock’s Bike.......................25 Northern Ace Home Center....27 Novelis....................................11 Operation Oswego County.....99 Oswego County Federal Credit Union.........17 Oswego County Mutual Insurance...............31 Oswego County Opportunities.......................8 Oswego Health ......................89 Oswego Music Hall.................19 Picture Connection.................25

Plumley Engineering...............75 Pontiac Care & Rehabilitation Center ..........7 Press Box Restaurant.............37 RiverHouse Restaurant..........37 Riverside Artisans...................24 Rooftop Lounge......................24 SBDC – Small Business Development Center..........23 Scriba Electric.........................27 Sweet-Woods Memorial.........29 Technology Development Organization (TDO)...........71 The Medicine Place................91 Trimble Services.....................27 United Wire Technology.........75 Vashaw’s Collision..................89 Watertown Industrial Center of Local Development........12 WD Malone.............................27 White’s Lumber & Building Supply..................27 WRVO....................................57

Bond understands the unique needs and opportunities of Oswego County businesses and we are committed to a thriving future for our clients and the communities in which we live.

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One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202 • 315.218.8000 • BSK.COM 6

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

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DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto · editor@cnybusinessmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steve Yablonski WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Christopher Malone, Ken Sturtz Steve Yablonski COLUMNISTS L. Michael Treadwell, Bruce Frassinelli Sandra Scott, Tim Nekritz ADVERTISING Peggy Kain • p3ggyk@gmail.com Richard Annal • richlocalnews@gmail.com OFFICE MANAGER Nancy Nitz · localnewsoffice@gmail.com LAYOUT & DESIGN Joey Sweener COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright

OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., publisher of the Business Guide, Upstate Summer, Fall, & Winter Guides, College Life Newspaper, In Good Health—The Healthcare Newspaper (across four regions), CNY/Rochester Healthcare Guides and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults of Rochester and Central New York.

Subscription rate is $21.50 a year; $35 for two years. Single-copy price is $4.50. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725. © 2021 Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. No material from this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020; Fax: 315342-7776; editor@CNYBusinessMag.com.

Advertising information—including demographics, circulation, and rates—are available upon request; contact your sales representative or the editor.

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Publisher’s Note

A

new brewery in Oswego County?

Well, it’s about time.

Thanks to a $50,000 cash prize it received, 6 Acres Farm Brewery in Mexico is one step closer to making it a reality.

The business was established in 2019 and has been experimenting with different recipes and techniques, producing a variety of brews. It already produces batches of fruit-infused beers that are sold to a few restaurants and other nearby businesses.

In November, 6 Acres got a big boost. It finished first in the Next Great Idea business plan competition, organized by Operation Oswego County, the county’s designated economic development agency. As a result, it received the needed cash prize to invest in the business. By participating in the competition, it also became eligible for low-interest rate loans and other incentives offered by economic development groups.

That’s welcoming news to Denyel Busch and Jenna Behling, two young entrepreneurs who have become the

face of 6 Acres. They are the brew master and the assistant brew master, respectively.

They have been working nonstop on the project and have made it their mission to see it succeed. It’s exciting to see them talk about the project. Their enthusiasm and motivation are contagious in a positive way.

In an interview with Associate Editor Steve Yablonski (page 52), they said they are already planning to scale up production and are in the process of finding a location within Oswego County to open a tasting room. The new location will also double as a restaurant and a venue for live performances and other activities. This will be the first brewery of its kind in the county.

Once the tasting room is built, they will be able to hire employees for various jobs and plan to bring more visitors to Oswego County. “[They] said they see a great opportunity to capitalize on growing the fledgling wine and craft beverage industry in Oswego County with this business and their ambitious plans,” Yablonski

writes in this issue’s cover story.

They also said they plan to start canning their beer so it’s available at grocery stores and other retail locations.

“As the brewery grows, we have every intention of expanding our production levels to keep up with demand. We hope that our community will enjoy our beer as much as we do,” said Behling.

The potential of the business is tremendous and once it is fully implemented, it will represent a great option for entertainment in Oswego County.

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

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ON THE JOB

‘How do you define Success in Business?’

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant “We’re busy all time and making money. I’d call that successful.”

Denise McGill Co-owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton “We have growth and positive customer feedback from happy customers.

We really strive to go the extra mile, whether it’s special orders or helping them to the car with their purchases if they need help. More than dollars and cents, it’s having customers who feel satisfied with the service they receive here.”

Dorinne Kallfelz Owner, Square Deal Liquors, Central Square “If you have satisfied customers or clients and satisfied employees, that’s one sign your business is successful. If

you’re keeping your customers or clients satisfied, you have internal policies and procedures and a good environment. If your customers or clients are satisfied, you are putting out a quality product or service.”

Jeff Scheer Partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King, Syracuse “Nothing defines success in a business more than having a positive reputation in your business community from your clients as well as everyone you deal with in business.”

William Galloway Broker/owner, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego “Success: It means many things to different people. In my other life I’m a musician. Recently I played a show

in a metro area jazz club with my trio backing a vocalist. The band was on fire! The vocalist was buoyant, the band supporting him through every word, every line, every story. The audience was riveted to the stage, speechless, erupting with applause after every number. Afterwards, we were overwhelmed with compliments from the audience, many of them thrilled to witness the magic that we call music.

It was a success, musically. Financially, another story. The club would’ve been better not opening that night. Our audience topped out at 15 people in a room that holds 120. The owner was there along with two bartenders and a cook. Huge success and epic failure at the same time.”

Joseph C. Cortini, Jr. Owner, Cortini Shoe Store, Fulton “I feel having the capacity to complete your organization’s goals defines success. If you are doing what your business set out to do, you are successful.”

Tyler Ahart Project coordinator, Oswego County Prevention Coalition, Oswego “Overdeliver, reinvest in your business and compensate a great team.”

Marie Schadt Owner, K9 Grooming & Pet Motel, Oswego “Public opinion is the best indicator of your business success. Public meaning, the opinion of your clients and being recommended by your clients to new clients.”

Frederick Reed President, Dot Publishing, Fulton “For me, it’s the longevity and the personal satisfaction of accomplishing the goals for our clients, helping them get what they want and improve their living conditions, whatever it is. We work with seniors who are moving into senior living and that improves their life. We work for young people who are moving from a rental or those who

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

13

are living with parents and buying their first home. There is a lot of satisfaction in that. Sellers moving on to whatever their next plan, whether moving up or downsizing.”

Faye Beckwith Real estate agent and owner Freedom Real Estate, Hannibal “Happy customers. We’re totally full and have no availability in our apartments. Some of our tenants have been here for 30 years. We have younger and older people living here.”

Sharon Schantz Apartment supervisor, Country Garden Apartments, Central Square “We’re a horse boarding facility and we have every stall filled. Happy horses means happy customers.”

Lorayne Winters-Hinman Owner, Buxton Creek Stables, Central Square “I’ve been in business 37 years. I think that’s a sign I’m successful.”

Pierre Lengauer Owner, Bay Graphics, North Syracuse “Repeat clients. That helps me know that people are satisfied with our work. Right now, with the pandemic, I’m turning away a lot of work because I don’t have enough people to work.

I don’t have enough people who are willing to come in and clean. For all the years I’ve been in service, I have never seen this before.”

Janet Yankel Owner, Done Right Cleaning, West Monroe “One of the things that means BASCOL is successful is we have the trust of parents to care for their children while they’re working. We’ve come back from the pandemic to nearly full capacity. We appreciate that.”

Natalie Scavone Executive director, BASCOL, Liverpool “I’ve been doing this for 50 years.

I think that people are happy with us.

We try to keep everybody happy. A lot of people in business never return phone calls and ignore people and that makes a difference as to whether or not you’re successful. We try to keep up with people.”

Nolan Bradbury Owner, Bradbury’s Boatel in Brewerton and Barado’s on the Water, West Monroe “People keep coming in. We’re pretty busy all the time.”

Clayton Brewer III Owner, Brewer & Brewer Mobil Service Station, Fulton

14 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

“Overall, being a hospitality centered business, our main focus is customer satisfaction. We look for the return of regular customers. It’s a 14room establishment and we can build a rapport with our customers and their families. If we have a family dropping off their child for freshman orientation, we see them for four years. If we can capture that customer’s business for four years because they like staying here, then it’s an automatic insight that people are happy to come back. Or if they called and we’re booked and the guest is disappointed because they wanted to stay here, that’s our measure of success. We are the closest hotel in town to SUNY Oswego, so we get a lot of families coming in for tours in the summer and for freshman drop-off.

They know they have a safe, comfortable place to stay. We book out 13 months in advance for graduation. We have so many regulars who know we book that far in advance and they call early. We enjoy seeing that.”

Kyle Walton Operation manager, Beacon Hotel, Oswego

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Started How I Got

By Steve Yablonski

Jim Bushey Owner and founder of Valti Graphics in Oswego says business is still thriving — 40 years after it was started. Business employs six people

Q: How’d you come to be interested in this work?

A: I took some printing courses in college. It was the big thing going back in the 1980s and 1990s. A lot of ball teams getting shirts, Greek organizations and people wanting “Oswego” shirts.

Q: What were you doing prior to this?

A: City traffic department — I worked for the city for more than 33 years, did this on the side. Started at home, it kind of grew the first three or four years. I ended up hiring somebody to help printing in the cellar. It outgrew that space. I realized I had to move. I opened Jimmy B’s Valti Graphics at the forks of the road in 1989, between Buckland’s and Broadwell’s; moved here [Bridge and Liberty streets] in 1997.

All that time, I worked for the city days; went to the store at night to print. I had people run the store for me during the day. It just grew, I never expected it to, but it did.

Q: What’s the cost of doing all this?

A: We began on a shoestring budget, slowly purchasing equipment (used and new) as sales grew.

Q: What’s your business philosophy?

A: To provide a quality product at a reasonable cost in a timely manner. Placing your customer needs and deadlines first, is powerful advertising; builds your reputation and is a formula for successful growth.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve received?

A: Several local business and community leaders advised me. One of the best pieces of advice was to watch your cash flow, without capital you cannot pay for labor and materials no matter how many orders you receive.

Q: Has the business changed?

A: It’s changed immensely. When we started, we were using dye inks – didn’t dry, you had to hang them up and let them dry. Or, we’d put them through a dryer and kind of force dry them.

Q: It was quite the hands-on job?

A: Back then, all your stencils were made by hand. You’d stick on letters and everything. There were no computers back in 1981. Bought our first computers in 1986. We bought two, one for bookkeeping, one for artwork.

The one for bookkeeping cost $4,000.

It wasn’t a hard drive. It was two dual floppys. The first artwork computer was part of a $13,000 system; bought on a lease. I bought it out and in the end it cost me $18,000 or $19,000 to buy it out five years later.

Q: Who are your customers?

A: The college, high schools, the

16 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

community, from all over. We get customers from all different directions. We do a lot of things for the college, sports teams, Greeks and others.

Q: Did the pandemic hurt business?

A: It was a rough year for everybody! It wasn’t just me.

Q: Are things looking up?

A: Actually, we’re quite busy right now. This summer it started picking up. This spring was slow. We did OK. It dried up in June and all of a sudden, when the governor lifted a lot of the restrictions, people who were just not going to do things decided they would.

This fall has picked up quite nicely.

We’re still suffering somewhat.

Supply chains have been impacted due to the pandemic. Some of our products come from overseas. It’s not always easy keeping things in stock. We’re pushed right to the limit right now in here. We have six employees plus a few contract workers, doing sewing and stuff like that. I’ve some people who’ve been with me a number of years. They do a great job.

HELP WANTED: OFFICE MANAGER Local News, Inc., publisher of Oswego County Business and several other publications, is hiring an office manager. It’s a fast-paced office with multiple deadlines on a weekly basis. Job duties include supervisory functions, database management, invoicing, collection, coordinating with distributors, payroll, staging, etc. Knowledge of Microsoft Office is a must!

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Q: Do you ever feel like stepping away?

A: Last year, when things got tough, at my age, I could’ve just said ‘the heck with it.’ But I didn’t. I think I’m good for a few more years. I’ll keep doing this for two or three more years; maybe longer. I enjoy it. It’s a rewarding business. We make it a point to meet deadlines, ensure the customer’s satisfied. If you miss deadlines, you’re not in business long. We try to do quality work at a reasonable price and on time.

I’ve actually kept the prices lower than I should have. But, you know, it’s not a question of trying to make a fortune here. It’s really rewarding when people come in and say, ‘I really like what you did.’ That’s the part that’s important. I enjoy that part.

Q: Are you ever going to slow down?

A: This is fun. I’m still in it, even at my age. I retired from the city 16 years ago. I expanded the business; I put the addition on the storefront here in 2005.

I like the business. I like the creativity.

Each job seems to be different. I don’t do as much of it as I use to, but I still enjoy doing it.

Q: What will you do after you retire?

A: I’d be doing something. I can’t sit around! I’m not the kind of guy to sit around and do nothing. I’ll find something else to do. I won’t be playing golf and fishing all the time, either. That’s not me. That’s one reason why I’m still in business at this age. I just enjoy working. That doesn’t mean I don’t fish and golf, I do (he added with a smile).

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DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

17

PROFILE

By Steve Yablonski

Victoria Furlong

F

Oswego native will serve as SUNY Oswego’s first female vice president for administration and finance

rom her office window, Victoria L. Furlong has a panoramic view of the changes unfolding on the SUNY Oswego campus. Her career, in many ways, has mirrored the progression at the college.

In September, Furlong was named as the college’s vice president for administration and finance; the first woman to serve in this role.

She earned her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Sciences degree in business administration from SUNY Oswego.

Furlong began her career at SUNY Oswego more than 26 years ago and has had progressive leadership experiences on campus.

“I am a native Oswegonian, born and raised here in Oswego,” she said.

“I went to St. Mary’s elementary school and then Oswego Middle School and Oswego High School before enrolling at SUNY Oswego. I am married to my husband, Patrick, for 22 years. We have three daughters, Laurin (21), Hailey (19) and Emilie (14).”

“As a graduate and proud alum, I came here for school…and never left,” she said. “I started working in 1995 as an account clerk in the accounts payable office and mailroom.”

It is a pleasure to serve her alma mater, she said.

Over her tenure at Oswego, she has advanced through the finance division serving as principal account clerk, director of accounting, campus budget director and most recently associate vice president for budget and finance before being named the vice president for administration and finance this year.

“In the summer of 2019, I also served as the interim director of undergraduate admissions as a temporary assignment for about 18 months,” she added.

“Vicki has an abiding commitment to sound financial stewardship for our campus,” President Deborah Stanley said in announcing the appointment.

“The depth of her experience here, particularly deploying her insight into our needs relative to New York state funding

and our role as part of the SUNY system allow us to strategically manage our financial resources in alignment with our mission and institutional priorities.”

In her new role, Furlong oversees the administrative areas of the campus such as facilities operations, facilities construction, university police, human resources, environmental health and safety, budget, accounting, accounts payable and purchasing.

She also serves as a member of the President’s Council, a senior leadership team that reports directly to the president.

“In affiliate roles, I have the pleasure of serving as the treasurer to the College Foundation, Inc., the philan-

18 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

thropic arm of the campus and as the operations manager for SUNY Oswego Research Foundation,” she added. “As the chief financial officer, I am responsible for the stewardship of the campus budget and all fiduciary matters related to the college.”

As the new vice president, Furlong said she is “excited to be working collaboratively with senior leadership and taking on this new opportunity.”

“Therefore, I am not necessarily looking toward retirement, yet,” she added. “Obviously, as I embark on this last professional appointment of my career, the ‘retirement’ conversation will come up eventually. But not for many years.”

“I love that SUNY Oswego is such a diverse community with many opportunities to engage with faculty, staff and students daily,” she said. “Our focus at SUNY Oswego is student-centric, so leading and empowering my division to assist students on their journey through higher education and beyond is very rewarding.”

“I tell my staff that there is a unique opportunity to learn each day at SUNY Oswego, whether formal or informal. I encourage them all to embrace learning with excitement and fervor and actively participate in the exchange of ideas and knowledge,” she continued.

“As a family, we love to travel and are huge Disney fans. Many of our fondest vacation memories involve Disney in some way,” she said. “In addition, we attend as many local sporting events as possible, including events at SUNY Oswego, particularly ice hockey and basketball. I enjoy golfing during the summer months and taking advantage of Lake Ontario with boating and other water activities.”

“On a side note, my three daughters along with my three nieces own and operate Six Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe in Oswego. So, I am a regular patron during the summer when they are open,” she added.

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Lifelines Birth Date: Aug. 18, 1971 Birth Place: Oswego Residence: Oswego Education: Bachelor’s of Science in business administration from SUNY Oswego, 2008; Masters of Business Administration from SUNY Oswego, 2010 Affiliations: Boards of Oswego College Foundation, Inc. (treasurer), Oswego Health (secretary).

Personal: Husband, Patrick Furlong Jr. Three daughters, Laurin (21), Hailey (19) and Emilie (14). Laurin is a first-year graduate student earning her doctorate in physical therapy with a BS in health sciences, psychology and a minor in developing childhood and families. Hailey is a sophomore at St. John Fisher majoring in biology, with a chemistry minor on a preveterinary medicine track. Emilie is a freshman at Oswego High School.

Hobbies: Traveling, golf, attending local sports events.

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Overview of Rio de Janeiro, a city of nearly 7 million people in Brazil. Christ the Redeemer is on the left. Sugarloaf Mountain is on the right.

20

Where in the World is Sandra Scott?

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Famed for its beaches, carnival, soccer

R

io de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil (population: 6.75 million) that was the capital until 1960 when Brasilia became the new capital.

Rio is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is famed for the beaches, including Copacabana’s 2.5-mile stretch of sand, and the more upscale Ipanema Beach. Both are famed for girl watching.

The iconic symbol of Rio and Brazil is the 98-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer at the summit of Mount Corcovado. His outstretched arms span 92 feet. Most people take the 20-minute cog train through the Atlantic Forest to the top but the hardy can hike up to the top in

about two hours.

Check on the weather before setting out. The statue is often in the clouds. The other must-do is Sugarloaf Mountain.

Two cable cars rise to the 1,299-foot summit. Both offer amazing views.

Near the station of the Corcovado railway is Largo do Boticario, one of Rio’s most picturesque squares. It is surrounded by colonial-style houses.

Check out the Jardim Botanico, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with more than 8,000 species of plant life, plenty of birds and native animals. Not to miss is the Orchidarium, a green house filled with more than 2,000 species of orchards.

The Japanese Garden has cherry trees

Samba school parading at Sambodromo during Rio de Janeiro carnival. “There are some things that one should do at least once in their life and Rio’s carnival is one of them,” says writer Sandra Scott.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

21

top The Copacabana Beach, a 2.5-mile

stretch of sand, is famed for girl watching. inset The iconic symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil is the 98-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer at the summit of Mount Corcovado. His outstretched arms span 92 feet.

and koi ponds.

Even though Rio is a pulsating city with nearly seven million people, the Tijuca National Park is one of the world’s largest parks within a city. To get to the park leave the cog wheel train midway to the top of Corcovado and follow the road through the forest.

Most of the trees are native species and provide habitat for capuchin monkeys, quatis, toucans and other birds, along with many other species of wildlife.

The 2014 Summer Olympics put the world spotlight on the city. The Maracana Stadium was home to the

opening and closing ceremonies. Soccer (called football in Brazil) fans might want to catch a game or take a brief tour of the stadium.

The National Museum of Brazil is housed in what was once the residence of the Portuguese royal family. It has one of the largest collections of natural history and anthropological artifacts in the world. The National Historical Museum is housed in what was once St. James of Mercy Fort dating back to 1603. Later the Calaboose Prison, the war arsenal, and barracks were added creating a large complex to hold nearly 300,000 items and 25 permanent exhibits.

There are some things that one should do at least once in their life and Rio’s carnival is one of them. Carnival is a multi-day event that signals the start of Lent. There are many events throughout Rio but the do-not miss event takes place in the Sambodrome, a purpose-built parade stadium. The 80,000 people in the stands yell and sing as each samba school parade passes through. The schools spend a year preparing music, costumes and floats. The characters on the floats dwarf the other people on the

22 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

float. Each parade lasts 80 minutes and ends with fireworks. The fun lasts all night. Security is very tight with two key cards, one to get into the stadium and one to get in the section where one has pre-purchased tickets.

Americans only need a valid passport and can download an e-visa. Brazilian currency is called the real (BRL) but credit cards are widely accepted.

The official language of Brazil is a dialect of Portuguese called Brazilian Portuguese. Rio is safe for tourists who travel smart: don’t flash money around, leave expensive jewelry home, and stick to tourist areas.

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.

CNY STEM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OPENS APPLICATION

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS of bringing great ideas to light

13 scholarships worth $120,000 available to local students

artners for Education & Business, Inc. (PEB) recently announced a record year for local employer-sponsored scholarships.

Regional high school students can now apply for four-year college scholarships in architecture, computer science, nursing or engineering (specifically automation, chemical, electrical, mechanical, or process engineering).

The CNY STEM Scholarship Program, endorsed by the CNY Tech Sector and the CNY STEM Hub, was launched in 2013 and is open to high school seniors intending to major in the areas listed above. Residents of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Tompkins counties are eligible to apply. This year multiple scholarships are being offered by seven local companies: Cooper Lighting Solutions; INFICON; King+King Architects; Loretto; Novelis; SRC; and TTM Technologies.

Marianne Ferris, coordinator for the program, said, “The scholarships continue to evolve because of the commitment from local employers to find this region’s best and brightest, assist with their educational expenses, and ultimately offer them internships and full-time positions right here in Central New York”.

Ferris added that over the years she has seen students receive scholarships, take advantage of paid internships, graduate and be offered positions with these local companies.

Over the past nine years, PEB has awarded 65 scholarships with a total value of $706,000. This year, PEB is adding a record 13 more scholarships with an additional value of $120,000.

Interested students can complete an online application at cnystem.com beginning on Dec.1. The deadline for applications is March 1.

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NEWSMAKERS

NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE Family Resource Center Has New Director The Family Resource Center of Oswego County has undergone many changes within the last year. One of which included welcoming Catalina Fierro to its team as the new executive director.

From Reno, Nevada, she is looking forward Catalina Fierro to the impact she can make within the walls of the FRC and within the community.

Fierro is married to her high school sweetheart of 24 years and they have four children. In Nevada, she worked with youth in the public school setting and was involved as a volunteer in Youth and Family Ministries for over 15 years.

She started at FRC as a volunteer peer counselor in the fall of 2020, counseling and encouraging new mothers and fathers, and by May of 2021, Fierro was asked to consider the executive director position. “After much prayer and the guidance of friends, I humbly accepted the position. I am very excited to be a part of the FRC family and I am so very excited to see how God’s plan unfolds through us. The impact we can make on the community is endless,”

Excellus Has New General Counsel and Senior VP Brenda Rigas has been appointed general counsel and senior vice president at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Over the past 14 years, Rigas has been the primary legal support for compliance and regulatory affairs at the organization and has managed the organization’s response to various high-profile matters.

“Brenda has been managing the legal team for two years and has worked to better align the team’s resources with our business needs,” said Jim Reed, Excellus BCBS president and CEO. “She has developed trusted, collaborative relationships across the organization and with key outside counsels and regulators — we are proud to announce this appointment and have BrenBrenda Rigas da on our team.”

In her new role, Rigas is chief legal officer and adviser for the organization, managing the full range of legal services and matters for all corporate operations and activities.

Prior to joining Excellus BCBS in 2007, Rigas worked as counsel to the chair of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, where she actively participated in regulatory and administrative reform initiatives.

Following eight years with New York state, Rigas provided consulting services to large, self-funded employers on workers’ compensation compliance and management.

A graduate of Ithaca College, Rigas earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. She serves on the board of directors for a local, nonprofit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility and is active in the Marietta and Marcellus communities where she resides with her husband and two daughters.

Excellus Names New VP for Health Equity and Community Investments In keeping with its mission to ensure access to high quality health care and reduce health disparities, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced that

26 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

physician Gina Cuyler has joined the health plan as vice president health equity and community envestments.

In this new role, Cuyler will set the organization’s direction to promote health equity, cultural sensitivity and community health.

A graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Cuyler is a board-certified internal medicine physician Gina Cuyler and co-founder of the Black Physicians Network of Greater Rochester, an organization whose mission is to reduce health disparities and improve the health of the community by increasing the number of black physicians.

“We are excited to add to our team a leader with the experience and accolades of Dr. Cuyler,” said Melissa Gardner, chief population health engagement officer at Excellus BCBS. “We have an opportunity to use our resources and relationships to stand against structural racism and continue to work toward reducing health disparities and in this new role, Dr. Cuyler will drive action to achieve more in these areas.”

She has spoken locally and nationally, authored “Insider’s Guide to Leading Your Medical Care – How to Advocate for Your Medical Needs,” and is currently the owner and founder of Comprehension Internal Medicine where she supports patients in being better advocates for themselves and loved ones.

Cuyler has received numerous awards for service including the 2017 UR Presidential Diversity Award, the 2017 Gerhard Neighborhood Outreach Center Award for Outstanding Community Service, and the 2019 Top 20 Women in White Coats Award.

Cuyler lives in Rochester with her husband and enjoys focusing on preventive care, countering health disparities,

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holistic community empowerment, and devoting time to her faith, family, and friends.

NBT Promotes Smaniotto to Chief Human Resources Officer Cynthia Smaniotto has been promoted to chief human resources officer at NBT Bank. This promotion is the result of Smaniotto’s role in supporting the organization’s growth over the past 20 years, including expansion to more than 1,900 employees across seven states in the northeast, according to the Cindy Smaniotto bank.

“Cindy has repeatedly demonstrat-

ed her effectiveness as a leader throughout her two-decade tenure with NBT,” said Catherine Scarlett, NBT executive vice president and chief of staff. “Recently, as facilitator of our NBT forward team, Cindy has provided executive leadership and guidance in helping the company and employees navigate the challenges of the pandemic.”

Smaniotto joined NBT Bank in 2000 through the acquisition of LA Bank in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she served as director of human resources.

During her time with NBT, she has held numerous roles, including regional employment manager, director of employment services and, most recently, director of human resources. She is based at NBT’s Scranton Financial Center on Keyser Avenue.

Among her many contributions to NBT, Smaniotto has supported the development and expansion of the human resources division to include specialties, such as talent acquisition, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and career guidance. She has also served as a steadfast employee advocate by

LEADER BARCLAY HONORS LOCAL CAREER CONSERVATIONIST

DEC for 23 years. During that time, he helped restore brook trout spawning habitats and provided ongoing educational programs at the Salmon River Hatchery for school-aged children. He was also instrumental in developing the National Hunting and Fishing Day open Assembly Minority Leader Will house taking place each September at Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski), right, recent- the hatchery. ly presented Fran Verdoliva (center) “Fran was the perfect fit for that with an Assembly resolution that role. An avid outdoorsman, conserrecognizes his long-time contribu- vationist and fisherman, he used his tions in his role as special assistant talents, knowledge about fish and the to the Salmon River Watershed for environment to become a true ambasthe Department of Environmental sador for the community. In doing so, Conservation (DEC). Verdoliva’s wife, he not only greatly promoted outdoor Noreen (left), was also present while sports, but he helped encourage those receiving this distinguished honor. he met to be stewards of the region,” Verdoliva served in his role with the said Leader Barclay.

28 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

advising managers and executives on talent development best practices.

“One of the most fulfilling accomplishments of my career has been the time I have spent supporting the cultivation of a successful and cohesive team here at NBT Bank,” Smaniotto said.

Fitzpatrick Named Vice President, Financial Consultant Craig Fitzpatrick has been named vice president, financial consultant at Pathfinder Bank.

“Craig’s extensive knowledge of investments and his commitment to customer service have been instrumental in growing our investment services revenue since joining our team in 2010,” said Ronald G. Tascarella, first vice president & sales manager. “We are proud to acknowledge him with this promotion.”

As vice president, financial consultant, Fitzpatrick will continue to collaborate with customers and assist them with accumulating and protecting Craig Fitzpatrick assets, as well as developing income strategies. Fitzpatrick will assist Pathfinder Bank in expanding its service in the areas of small business benefits and advisory services.

Prior to joining Pathfinder Bank in 2010, Fitzpatrick was employed by HSBC as a branch relationship banker.

Fitzpatrick is a graduate of St. John Fisher College and holds a bachelor’s degree in science. He holds the series 6, series 7 and series 63 licenses along with the New York State life, accident and health insurance license. He lives in Fulton with his wife, Alexandra, and their two children, Quinn and Connor. In his spare time, Fitzpatrick is a board member for the following organizations; Oswego County Opportunities, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Oswego County and the Oswego Health Foundation. He also enjoys spending time with family, golfing and snowmobiling.

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Elaine and Steve Jacobs at the CNY Philanthropy Center.

Elaine and I enjoy donating both our time and money to several local organizations and are grateful to know that we are making a difference in our community. We have found that it’s not important to worry about how much you give, but rather to just get started.

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We hope our dedication to generosity will transfer to our children and grandchildren, carrying forward our legacy of giving for Read more of the Jacobs’ story many years to come. at cnycf.org/Jacobs

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30 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Oswego Habitat Has New Executive Director Samuel Raponi has recently accepted the position of executive director of Oswego County Habitat for Humanity. This position was made possible through a grant from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation Raponi comes to this position with more than 25 years of experience in construction management within the home building industry. During the last 15 years he worked for PEACE, Inc.’s Head Start/Early Head Start Samuel Raponi program as parent engagement/male involvement coordinator and as the AmeriCorps Family Corps coordinator, creating a holistic learning environment for families within Onondaga County.

His education at Syracuse University College of Arts and Science along with serving AmeriCorps Health Corps at the Syracuse Community Health Center reinforced his interest in community advocacy while incorporating his love for art and architecture. He was awarded member of the year by the AmeriCorps Health Corps for his exemplary service as a case manager working with inner city families throughout Syracuse..

“I am excited for the opportunity to utilize my experience in the construction industry and as a case manager to serve Oswego County Habitat for Humanity to help empower families and create community awareness to housing revitalization and neighborhood stability,” Raponi said.

Debra Geroux, president of the board of directors of Oswego County Habitat for Humanity, shared that the affiliate is looking forward to having Sam Raponi’s leadership to support the mission of Habitat which is to work in partnership with communities and people in need to build and renovate houses so that more people can provide a stable place for their family to live.

I

Salary Gap: Women In NYS Earn 84.5% of What Male Counterparts Make

n 2020, New York women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,000 or 84.5% of the $1,183 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, according to the US Bureau of Labor statistics.

Chief regional economist Martin Kohli said the 2020 women’s-to-men’s earning ratio of 84.5% compared to the 83.8% in 2019.

Nationwide, women earned $891 per week or 82.3% of the $1,082 median for men.

In New York, the women’s-tomen’s earnings ratio has ranged from a low of 78.5% in 2000 to a high of 86.9% in 2015.

Data for the states began in 1997.

Among the 50 states, median weekly earnings of women in full-time wage and salary positions in 2020 ranged from $675 in Mississippi to $1,166 in Connecticut. Women’s earnings in five other states (Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia) and the District of Columbia were at or above $1,000 per week.

Median weekly earnings for men were lowest in Mississippi at $878 and highest in Massachusetts at $1,356.

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia had weekly wages above $1,000 for full-time male workers.

Connecticut had the highest women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio among the states, 97.0% and Utah had the lowest, 72.7%. The District of Columbia had a ratio of 85.6%.

Consequently, earnings comparisons between states should be made

with caution.

The estimates in this article were obtained from the current population survey, which provides information on the labor force, employment and unemployment.

The survey is conducted monthly for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible households representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The survey data on earnings are based on one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers.

All self-employed workers, both incorporated and unincorporated, are excluded from the data presented in this report.

According to statusofwomendata. org: New York ranks sixth among the 50 states and District of Columbia on the Employment & Earnings Composite Index, earning the state a grade of B on this measure of women’s status.

New York ranks sixth for women’s median annual earnings, first for its ratio of women’s to men’s earnings, and ninth for its percentage of all employed women in managerial or professional occupations.

On one component indicator, women’s labor force participation, New York ranks in the bottom half of all states and the District of Columbia, at 27th.

Despite this lower ranking, New York is one of just 12 jurisdictions among the 50 states and the District of Columbia whose labor force participation rate for women has increased since 2002.

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DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

31

Davis-Standard Acquired by Gamut Company has 148 workers in Fulton

G Novelis’ $130 Million Expansion Sends a Positive Message The project is set to start in the spring and be completed in 2024

N

ovelis is investing approximately $130 million to upgrade its operations in Oswego. The investment projects will begin in spring 2022 and are expected to be completed in 2024.

Novelis is the largest manufacturing business in Oswego County and employs 1,150 workers, according to the 2022 Business Guide, published by Oswego County Business Magazine.

The project enables Novelis to increase its hot mill capacity by 124,000 metric tons at the plant, which serves the can, automotive and specialty products markets. It will also enhance finishing capabilities for automotive sheet, according to Leila Giancone, Novelis spokesperson.

“This is great news. It’s a game-changer, not only for the Oswego County region, but for New York state as well,” according to L. Michael Treadwell, executive director of Operation Oswego County. “They’re investing millions to make the plant more efficient and expand its production capacity. There will be a lot of upgrades internally.”

The new investment includes upgrades to the plant’s hot reversing mill motors and drive train and hot finishing mill coolant systems, as well as an enhancement of batch annealing

capabilities.

Enhancing energy efficiency at the plant through this investment in Novelis Oswego is not only aligned with Novelis’ commitment to world class manufacturing but is in line with Novelis’ sustainability goal to reduce energy use by 10% by 2026, according to Giancone.

This investment further strengthens the plant’s position for additional recycled aluminum inputs and increased recycled content across its product lines in the future.

Novelis’ project does three things, Treadwell said.

“First, it says they have confidence in the workforce and performance of that facility. Secondly, they’re investing a significant amount of money to stay and expand in the Oswego area market.

And, it sends a good signal to others; it sends a message that Novelis thinks this is a good area for a manufacturing facility. That could entice others to do business in Oswego County,” he said.

This investment will also add approximately 75,000 additional square footage to the existing 500,000 square foot facility, but according to the company, it won’t create new jobs.

By Steve Yablonski

32 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

amut Capital Management, L.P., a leading New York-based middle-market private equity firm, announced Nov. 9 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Davis-Standard, LLC and its affiliates from ONCAP, the middle-market private equity platform of Onex.

Davis-Standard has a plant in Fulton, where it employs 148 workers, according to the 2022 Business Guide, published by Oswego County Business Magazine.

Davis-Standard is a leading supplier of extrusion and converting systems and related aftermarket products and services for the rigid packaging, flexible packaging and infrastructure end-markets with an installed base of approximately $7.5 billion of equipment globally.

“We are excited to partner with the Gamut team during this next phase of Davis-Standard’s long history as a provider of highly engineered solutions to an extensive base of industry-leading customers. The resources Gamut brings to this investment will enable us to not only accelerate growth within our markets but also transform Davis-Standard into a leading, value-added global process solutions business,” said Jim Murphy, CEO of Davis-Standard. “We achieved great growth and performance under ONCAP’s successful ownership and look forward to leveraging the strong foundation we built as we move into our next phase of growth.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close by the end of the year.

BMO Capital Markets and Stifel, Nicolaus and Company served as the financial advisers and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Gamut.

Jefferies and Robert W. Baird served as the financial adviser to Davis-Standard. BMO Capital Markets and Stifel, Nicolaus and Company are providing financing commitments for the transaction, subject to customary terms and conditions.

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DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

BY CHRISTOPHER MALONE

EIS-SY FOOD CONDITIONS The Eis House in Mexico won’t leave you out in the cold when it comes to great meals

Pulled pork burger ($12.75) at the Eis House. A thick patty of angus beef is topped with a pile of pulled pork, coleslaw, cheddar cheese, fried onions, and a slice of bacon. And there are lettuce and tomato, too. How this burger doesn’t cost more is beyond me.

34

S above CBR flatbread ($11.50). The breaded chicken and bacon were plentiful. The ranch was probably an unhealthy amount — but who cares when it comes to CBR pizza.

itting in the tavern at The Eis House, located at 114 Academy St. in Mexico, is comfortable. For a mid-November evening, save the clouds and their indecisiveness to wring their cold rain out, the dark aesthetics of the restaurant is like a blanket compared to the looming outside conditions.

For those wondering, the German “Eis” does translate to “ice.”

After being served a nice, tart hazy IPA ($7) from Cazenovia brewery Meier’s Creek, the starters were ordered.

The CBR flatbread ($11.50) wasn’t what I was expecting. Sure, I was able to decode the CBR to chicken bacon ranch, plus, mozzarella for cheese, but the flatbread was what slapped my almost concerned mind. Several places offer flatbread and, while many of them make their own doughy base, others don’t.

I’ve gotten naan flatbread pizza from a restaurant I will not mention, and it the doughy base turned out to be one of those bagged store-bought breads. For the price, the offering was small and the toppings were few.

I definitely didn’t dislike Eis House’s flatbread.

The bread boasted a great crunch. The breaded chicken and bacon were plentiful. The ranch was probably an unhealthy amount — but who cares when it comes to CBR pizza.

Next — a cup of the French onion soup ($4.25).

Normally, it’s go-big-or-go-home when it comes

to this kind (or for any soup, actually), but there was more food to enjoy. The cup of the onion soup was nice and hearty with a thick blanket of swiss and provolone cheeses on top. Underneath was a not-overly salty soup with onion slices and chunks of bread.

I should have gone bigger.

When finally deciding on what else to eat, the pulled pork burger ($12.75) entered my life and on a plate.

How this burger doesn’t cost more is beyond me. A thick patty of angus beef is topped with a pile of pulled pork, coleslaw, cheddar cheese, fried onions, and a slice of bacon. And there are lettuce and tomato, too. But if this burger was a mountain, it’d be an Adirondack high peak. And, on top of it all, the burger was cooked a perfect medium rare.

Intimidating to look at and delicious to take a bite out of. Human jaws can’t unhinge like a snake’s but you can’t blame a person for trying to get everything in one bite — halves of the Kaiser roll included.

When I did bite into it, there was something cold. It was the pulled pork. The temperature difference threw me off but, by itself, the slightly smoky pork was far from dry and there was an ample amount of sweet barbecue sauce.

Instead of choosing fries for the side, the ante was upped (making up for the soup) with macaroni and cheese ($5.25). There is a mac and cheese pasta dish on the menu and it’s served with roasted red

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

35

peppers, bacon (yes, more bacon), and the house creamy cheese blend. This initially caught my attention but passed because, like all mac and cheese dishes, it sounded heavy.

The side was the same offering.

Instead of thick, caked-on cheese, it was more of a sauce. It was light and gratifying. Plus, this came with the aforementioned ingredients.

Although, I still think this would have been a lot for a pasta entrée, because of the amount of cheese, there are no regrets with my deciding to choose this side. I should have put some on the burger.

Finally, the special I ordered — the chicken fresca ($18). The hearty meal consisted of a generous piece of chicken coated with cheese, mashed potatoes and veggies. Living up to the name, the tender chicken was heavily seasoned.

The leftovers I had the following day didn’t falter.

The mashed potatoes were soft, creamy and boasted the skin kept on.

The veggies were a medley of carrots, green and white string beans, and squash. The issue I have with sides like this, aside from a strong dislike for the word medley, is this could have come from a bag and been frozen. Normally with those, the carrots have serrated faces. These did not. Still, I was concerned.

I do have to mention that I did ask for another entrée but did not receive it. It wasn’t listed on the check, so the bartender exceling at her job and keeping patrons happy probably didn’t hear me. I have no qualms about it but need to mention this to keep me honest.

Before tipping the friendly and conversational staff, the total came to a mere $62.39. For the amount of food, I think this is very affordable.

The Eis House won’t leave you out in the cold when it comes to a good meal.

You’ll leave full and definitely wanting to come back.

The Eis House 114 Academy St., Mexico, NY 13114

from top Chicken fresca ($18). The hearty meal

consisted of a generous piece of chicken coated with cheese, mashed potatoes and veggies; A cup of the French onion soup ($4.25) — nice and hearty with a thick blanket of swiss and provolone cheeses on top. Underneath was a not-overly salty soup with onion slices and chunks of bread.

36 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

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BUSINESS UPDATE

38 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

A View from the Top

T above The Rooftop Lounge, located on

top of the Litatro building in downtown Oswego, has recently opened to the public; The outdoor terrace boasts an especially picturesque view. opposite page, from left Owners Atom and Falecia Avery expect the place will become a new tourist destination.

Patrons can experience intimate indoor dining and unique outdoor terraces, while enjoying specialty cocktails, craft beers, small plates, charcuterie boards and decadent desserts —all with great views of downtown.

Rooftop Lounge offers birdseye view of the Port City

he Rooftop Lounge, Oswego’s new destination, is located at the Litatro building, in the heart of downtown.

This newly constructed cornerstone of the revitalization initiative throughout the city of Oswego offers a luxurious and vibrant space to unwind, while offering panoramic views and world-famous sunsets.

Patrons can experience intimate indoor dining and unique outdoor terraces, while enjoying specialty cocktails, craft beers, small plates, charcuterie boards and decadent desserts.

“The Rooftop Lounge is an awesome addition to downtown providing a fresh and unique experience unlike anything we’ve had before in Oswego,” said Mayor William J. Barlow. “While visiting The Rooftop Lounge, you have awesome views of the city, a wonderful drink list and great food in a setting that you typically find in bigger cities.”

“I expect The Rooftop Lounge, in time, to bring many more people downtown and be a draw for people from around the county and beyond because it is such a different option,” Mayor Barlow added.

Currently, The Rooftop Lounge is welcoming guests for “soft opening” nights Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m., with the focus to expand to Monday through Saturday dining options in the near future. A full opening

is expected to take place soon.

As the menu focuses on small plate dining, The Rooftop Lounge encourages patrons to explore all that the downtown dining scene in Oswego truly has to offer. They can start off with a charcuterie board and appetizer before visiting one of the neighboring establishments for their entrée. Or, vice versa, grab their meal elsewhere and then end their night with a crafted cocktail and a delicious dessert, sourced by local businesses including Chelle’s Bakeshop and Man in the Moon, all while overlooking Oswego’s lit up cityside or tranquil riverside from the Rooftop’s terrace views.

Adding to The Rooftop Lounge experience is the inclusion of Oswego’s ever-expanding lineup of musicians featured every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. including a variety of solo and duo acoustic acts, experienced jazz performers and even soothing pianists entertaining diners throughout the evening.

Two outdoor terrace areas sandwiched between an elegant indoor dining space, which offers panoramic views of downtown Oswego.

Reservations for The Rooftop Lounge can be made online at TheRooftopLounge.com. It’s located at 189 W. First St. For more information, email: therooftoploungeoswego@gmail.com or call 315-207-2078.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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BUSINESS UPDATE Greg Mills, owner of Murdock’s Bikes in Oswego, wants to make the lives of his customers easier. He is adding a van service that will pick up and deliver bikes to customers. “The idea with the mobile bike shop is to be able to do the repair right there, right in the driveway,” he says.

Murdock’s Bikes to add Mobile Service

G

The vehicle would assist customers as a traveling repair shop

reg Mills of Murdock’s Bikes in Oswego is adding four wheels to the business.

He is augmenting his brick and mortar store with a van, which will be equipped not only to pick up and deliver bikes, but also to serve as a mobile repair shop.

He has been in business on West First Street since September 2017.

“To come into an existing business is a blessing,” he said of taking over the business. “There is familiarity, people know the product. Even today, I still have people from the area that have never been in here; never heard of the place. They were going by, going some place, and decided to walk in and see what we are all about.”

“I think if you look at the demographic of this area, what we are gaining with the LITATRO building and Riverwalk, the people living in those properties are living there for a reason; ‘I want to be downtown. If I live in the country, I own a car, but if I live in the city I want to be right here,’” he said.

Bicycles and more “The majority of what I sell is going to be bicycles. But we also have clothing, footwear, equipment, snowshoes in the winter and more. Everything is sourced and made in the United States,” Mills said. “With the van we’re going to be able to do bicycle repairs wherever. It makes the business mobile. The idea behind the van is to mobilize the bike shop, without having to have another bike shop. Four wheels take me to wherever somebody has a need.”

“We have a bike shop in Oswego.

We have one in Waterloo. We have one in Rome. So, how do I access Pulaski?

How do I help Camden, Mexico?” he said rhetorically.

“If they can’t bring the bike here, I go to them and bring the service to them,” he said as he explained the reasoning behind the acquisition of the van.

The van should be fully operational by early 2022.

“The other benefit is pick up and

40 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

delivery. You bought a bike. But you’re driving a small car, you going to put that bike in the back seat? How are you going to get that bike home?” he said.

“We are going to bring it to you.”

Or, if all of a sudden you need to get a tune-up, but hesitate to get the bike fixed because you don’t know how to get it into the shop, he said for example. “So I’d come and get it and bring it here. I’d do the job on site, if I can,” he said. “That’s the idea. The idea with the mobile bike shop is to be able to do the repair right there, right in the driveway.”

“We’ll be able to pick up or deliver the bike when the weather is bad. I’ve been doing that for a while now. But I have an open back truck. With the van, the bike is out of the elements,” he added. “Now, I can fit a trike, I can fit a bike and deliver it in an enclosed vehicle; that is a big difference.”

He said he got a great deal on the vehicle.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.

We put a hitch on the back of it. Hopefully I’ll have it fully equipped by the first quarter of 2022,” he said. “That is typically the slower time of the year for us. It gives me time get it equipped and be up and running.”

Mills grew up in North Rose.

“So I have people coming from there, Wolcott and Red Creek, Fair Haven. But there is nothing between here and Rochester. Nothing. So why not go to people? The van will enable me to do just that,” he explained.

He said he wouldn’t charge for a 10-mile radius.

“Outside of that, it would be like $25, outside of 50 miles maybe $50. I’m happy to go to Binghamton for a bike job, but you’d have to pay for it,” he said. “We hope to mobilize the shop to make the service a value to people.”

By Steve Yablonski

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SPECIAL REPORT

CNY’s New Source of News

A

Nonprofit website launching with goal of filling ‘gaps’ in CNY news coverage

startup nonprofit called the Central Current is fundraising and hiring staff to build an independent digital news organization aimed at providing free coverage of Central New York.

Eric Persons, a consultant with experience in public affairs and startup initiatives, is working with the Central Current’s board to develop a framework for launching the organization, including business and strategic plans. He said they’re working toward reaching a $1 million fundraising goal and hope to hire staff and launch the news operation by year’s end.

One of the forces driving the creation of the Central Current is the contraction of traditional broadcast and print news organizations, Persons explained.

Media companies in Central New York have hemorrhaged staff for years, following a national trend as changes in the news business fueled layoffs,

By Ken Sturtz restructuring and reduced coverage.

At the same time, nonprofit journalism has grown significantly.

“A lot of these nonprofit news organizations are coming in to fill those gaps and that’s certainly the vision for the Central Current,” Persons said.

“There are opportunities to cover stories at a local level that aren’t being covered right now.”

Although careful not to blame other media outlets for coverage gaps, and adamant that the Central Current’s objective won’t be to compete with anybody, Persons is certain the community can benefit from deeper coverage and different perspectives on some topics.

Priorities will include pivoting from breaking news to focus on more thorough and complete reporting on topics such as government accountability, the economy and community development. Criminal justice is another example. Rather than approaching crime as breaking news and then tracking cases through the courts, reporters will

42 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

likely seek out deeper stories involving the criminal justice system.

Persons said the Central Current also aspires to cover communities that have been underserved by local news outlets. Some neighborhoods in Syracuse rarely receive attention outside of crime coverage, he said. And the region has rural communities and a growing immigrant population that would benefit from additional coverage.

“When we launch we’re going to be relatively small and nimble, but as we grow we want to be responsive to the needs of those communities,” Persons said. “We want to reach out to those communities to understand what needs they have and how they see local news and put those ideas into our strategic plan.”

The number of nonprofit news startups has grown dramatically over the last decade, both nationally and in Upstate New York, according to Sharene Azimi, communications director for the Institute for Nonprofit Journalism,

above Eric Persons is a consultant with

experience in public affairs and startup initiatives who is working with the Central Current’s board to develop a framework for launching the organization. opposite page View of the Central Current website, centralcurrent.org. “There are opportunities to cover stories at a local level that aren’t being covered right now,” says Persons.

which supports the work of several hundred independent news organizations.

A third of nonprofit news outlets operating today didn’t exist five years ago.

Nonprofit news organizations already exist in Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca and the Adirondacks. And the pandemic hasn’t slowed growth. More than 20 new nonprofit news outlets launched in 2020 alone, Azimi said.

While the number of startups has grown, there’s been a significant shift in who’s been founding them. A decade ago veteran journalists, displaced by industry cutbacks and wanting to do in-depth reporting, tended to be the ones starting nonprofit outlets. Over time that’s evolved, Azimi said. Some startups are still founded by journalists, but many are now created by people with little or no background in news.

“They may be business folks or entrepreneurs, really trying to meet the needs in their community or to cover an issue they see is going uncovered or to do statewide coverage,” she said.

“So, we’re seeing the startups starting in response to needs.”

Such was the case with the Central Current. Tony Malavenda’s background

included four decades in business and time spent serving on the boards of several local nonprofits. He and a childhood friend co-owned Duke’s Root Control, a company they grew into a national leader in removing tree roots from municipal sewers. Malavenda sold his stake and in 2019 launched an unsuccessful campaign for Onondaga County executive.

“Coming out of the campaign Tony really felt and understood firsthand the need to be able to discuss issues and explore issues in a way that’s not being covered now,” Persons said.

Malavenda and local attorney Larry Bousquet approached Persons about the idea of starting a nonpartisan, independent news organization in Central New York and the three men began exploring what it would take.

The board also includes Rick Wright, a Syracuse University professor emeritus and long-time local radio host, and Mary D’Ambrosio, a former foreign affairs correspondent and current journalism professor at Rutgers University.

Persons said he and the Central Current’s board are continuing to finalize plans for coverage and staffing. Their goal is for the employees to have a sense of ownership in the enterprise, he said.

Longtime journalist Sean Kirst has agreed to serve as a regular contributor to the Central Current. Kirst, who has received acclaim for his columns chronicling the lives of Central New Yorkers, wrote for The Post-Standard for decades before joining The Buffalo News several years ago. He’s accepted a teaching position as journalist-in-residence at Le Moyne College.

“He really embodies everything we hope to see in the staff we bring on board,” Persons said. “He’s very in tune with the community.”

Even with community support the Central Current will still have to contend with the Achilles’ heel of nonprofit journalism: funding.

“I never used to think about money before I was an editor,” Jolene Almendarez said. “But when you’re in a nonprofit startup space it was something that was on my mind every single day.”

Almendarez, who isn’t associated with the Central Current, spent several years as managing editor of The Ithaca Voice, a nonprofit outlet covering Tompkins County, and later co-founded a news startup in Texas.

After college, Almendarez had several corporate news jobs that left her unhappy and feeling as though she was

only writing for “clicks.” She said she considered leaving journalism.

“My outlook on journalism got brighter when I got into nonprofits,” she said. “It gave me a chance to focus on people-centric journalism.”

Although she enjoyed reporting for The Voice and overseeing its small staff, Almendarez said she worried constantly about the organization’s finances even though she was responsible for newsgathering, not fundraising.

There were times she was forced to defer part of her paycheck until later in the month because there wasn’t enough money to pay the whole staff.

She tended bar a couple nights a week to ensure she had extra money.

Almendarez also bumped into difficulty when writing a series of articles about a local organization that happened to be one of The Voice’s largest sponsors. Almendarez said her executive director informed her the sponsor had communicated that if the articles didn’t cease, they’d have to rethink their support. The loss could have forced the outlet to fold.

“I realized if we stopped reporting the stories to keep the sponsor, then The Ithaca Voice had already gone under and ceased to do the work we wanted to do,” Almendarez said.

They continued publishing the series; the organization that was the subject of their reporting backed down and continued their sponsorship.

Because of the challenges, the Institute for Nonprofit Journalism provides its members with extensive fundraising support, Azimi said. That includes everything from teaching them how to organize fundraising campaigns and optimize their websites for donations, to developing a sponsorship program and cultivating larger donors.

The institute also runs a national matching-gift campaign designed to help nonprofit newsrooms strengthen their fundraising capacity.

Persons said the Central Current’s board is taking the time to raise enough money now to sustain itself while the organization takes hold and grows. He said they’re exploring ways to diversify their revenue, such as hosting special events. They plan to launch a membership program once they’re closer to reaching their $1 million fundraising goal.

“One of the things we’ve learned from others is that you’ve got to have a pretty good business plan going in and enough funding to sustain yourself and grow those first few years,” he said.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

43

Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com

Buying a House to Help Preserve a Neighborhood and Heritage

S ‘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.

ometimes you go to an auction and buy a historic house that was a cornerstone of your neighborhood.

Not often, but it happened to me this year.

(I should note it took a little bit of preparation. It’s not like I just showed up, shouted out a bid and won it. That would have been funnier, but I digress.)

My new house is best known for housing Swiatlowski’s grocery store in its ground floor on the corner of West Fifth and Tallman street for decades.

In what was once Oswego’s Polish neighborhood, this is where so many people stopped to buy meat, basic groceries and — for many many people I’ve heard from — penny candy.

Not much of that Polish heritage is evident any more. Drive a few blocks west down Tallman and you’ll see the usually empty back parking lot for St. Stephen’s Church. Not many years ago, its annual Polish Festival overflowed with people and pierogies, golabki and good times.

The last one I visited had a long line out of the basement and well into the yard for people who pre-ordered their food, and an even longer line for those who decided to buy just that day.

While that space generally sits empty due to church consolidation, another nearby landmark is not as recognizable.

Mahunik’s Polish bakery, formerly at the corner of Hart and Ellen streets, filled an important role for — and many bellies with — Polish baked goods until the 1970s.

Few things bring together a community like food, and losing all of these places over a number of years correlates both directions with Polish residents moving out of the neighborhood.

Many people might not realize what a traditionally immigrant town Oswego was for much of its history. In the mid-19th century, when so much of the goods and travelers going to the rapidly expanding United States came through the Port City, and Oswego was the second-fastest growing community in the state, many who handled that and other trades came here from other countries.

Some brought their own specialties,

44 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

such as the many new German citizens who had a flair for cabinetry, while others were stevedores loading and unloading ships, supply clerks to track everything or service employees taking care of all those hands.

Soon you had neighborhoods that were enclaves one step away from becoming a melting pot, with Irish, Italian, Polish, German and other communities. Within the Catholic faith, you could see this in their churches, with St. Mary’s and Irish families, St. Joseph’s and Italian families, St. Stephen’s and Polish families, among other churches keeping cultures connected.

Tim’s Notes

The Polish Port City story According to a 1969 Mark Slosek article in the old Oswego County Historical Society journal, Polish immigrants started arriving in Oswego by the late 19th century “and in larger numbers the first two decades of the 20th century.” At the time, steady employment and high wages were Oswego’s main draws. The whirring factories positioned by the lakeside shipping and rail lines offered a large number of jobs that paid well, many held by Polish immigrants.

From two people identifying as Polish in the 1870 census, their number grew to 916 names in the 1912 St. Stephen’s Subscription Book — 620 in the Seventh Ward, filling my neighborhood. St. Stephen’s held its first mass in April 1911, and Polish citizens having their own church and parish made the neighborhood especially attractive. They brought with them their customs, food and a lively agrarian flavor, as many residents had their own gardens of various sizes, and “as many as 40 cows moved up and down Ellen Street and the streets adjacent to it,” Slosek wrote.

In 1912, Pulaski Hall at 124 Tallman St. (now a vacant lot) opened as the center of social activity, where the Polish American Club first organized in 1920. Several saloons dotted the neighborhood, including two around the corner of West Third and Varick streets where today one can find The Irish Inn (an Irish neighborhood sat just north of the Polish neighborhood).

In search of an American dream, some Polish workers became meat cutters and grocery shop keepers to serve their culture and neighborhoods.

Its central location and the determination of Mary Swiatlowski meant this store outlasted the others. She and John began operating the store in the mid-1940s, before he died in 1963. The meticulous hand-written records Mary kept well into her 90s run through the end of July 1996. Next to her last entries is a notation: ICU. She would die in Oswego Hospital within days, on Aug. 3, 1996, closing the door on a store that united the neighborhood for more than 50 years.

Long before then, in 1969, Slosek’s article saw the neighborhood and culture changing as the second generation “found their identity more as Americans than as the sons of Polish immigrants.”

The Polish culture had not yet died out in Oswego by then, flourishing “primarily in the Seventh Ward,” Slosek wrote. “The church is still well attended and the local establishments remain. Polish is still spoken by many.

The native cuisine lives on as does the bakery. Now the second generation is dying off and with them will go another segment of the culture.”

The Swiatlowskis connected to the house through this year were the children, with Fred, Sophie and Ed all educators and not looking to continue the family business. Fred passed away in 2004, and Sophie’s death in 2019 was the catalyst for the property leaving the family, resulting in this spring’s auction.

Not even a month after I signed all papers to take ownership, Ed died as well — one could wonder if he was holding on just long enough to ensure that the house found itself a decent owner.

A new future for the home that once housed Swiatlowski’s grocery store in Oswego, in a neighborhood where Polish immigrants thrived.

Rediscovering community Shortly after becoming the high bidder on April 10, I posted about it on Facebook and a torrent of neighborhood memories were set free by my friends. They recalled visiting it in their childhood, the penny candy and the meat, and they fondly remembered the Swiatlowski children teaching them.

Most of them had moved out of the neighborhood, while in some cases their parents still live right around the corner.

When I opened the front doors to the shop in July after taking the keys, the fresh air wafted in for an extended period for probably the first time in 25 years. Since then, more than a generation had grown up walking or driving

Buying a home in Oswego. Shortly after becoming the high bidder on April 10, I posted about it on Facebook and a torrent of neighborhood memories were set free by my friends.

A 24-foot-by-24-foot space on the second (and main) floor was home to a barber shop. “With its dimensions and wooden ceiling, it possesses excellent acoustics,” says Nekritz.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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past this store when it only existed in people’s memories. In large part, one could say the same thing about its status as a Polish neighborhood.

The store is no longer zoned retail, and the profit margin in penny candy is long since gone, but the main product I’d like to offer is preserving a sense of identity. Maybe when the weather gets warm, I’ll hold a kind of memory lane open house. I’d throw the door open wide — and the shop could use the fresh air — and invite neighbors, former neighbors, children and grandchildren of former neighbors to come in and tell their memories of the store and those who ran it.

A corner store that went about its business modestly and stayed out of trouble didn’t attract a lot of ink in that era, so I can’t find news clippings about it. I have found only one black-andwhite photo of the store in operation, merely showing a full meat counter and well-stocked shelves. If more photos or clippings exist, I would welcome any.

While the store is a kind of empty museum of a place that was once, maybe I can focus on what can be? It seems overly ambitious to make it a kind of informal museum to post community memories and information, but there certainly would be no better place for it.

The real shine in this gem is probably a 24-foot-by-24-foot space on the second (and main) floor that is a former barber shop. With its dimensions and wooden ceiling, it possesses excellent acoustics. This is a space where I could see people make and enjoy music or participate in other informal artistic events.

I envision not a business as much as a place where people can share their talents — penny candy for the ears and eyes and brain. Some musician friends have shown interest in playing in the space. How that would unfold in terms of logistics, how to organize such things, how gatherings could come together are all questions perhaps residing in pipedreams. But stranger things have happened — like, say, going to an auction and buying a house?

My favorite story was how Mary Swaitlowski would step out the door of her shop when school let out to make sure all the children had safely made it to their front doors. That’s the kind of act that defines a neighborhood. That’s the kind of community that I’d like to remember — and perhaps create again — in this same location.

L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org

COIDA Supports Creation of New Jobs, Retention of Existing Positions Annual report from County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency shows its programs created 152 new jobs, retained 62 existing positions With the acquisition of additional purchase of land — between the CSX rail line and NYS 481 — the Oswego County Industrial Park in the town of Schroeppel doubles its size.

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.

D

uring the 20202021 fiscal year, which ran from Aug. 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021, the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (COIDA) supported 21 projects that have or will be investing more than $74 million in Oswego County.

These projects are projected to create 152 new jobs and retain 62 existing positions in Oswego County over the next three to five years.

During the fiscal year, COIDA provided or approved assistance through five of its nine financial assistance programs. The two programs which supported the greatest number of projects were the Straight Lease Transaction and the Micro Enterprise Program Economic Development Fund, representing 62% and 24% of the projects respectively.

• The Straight Lease Transaction provides financial assistance to companies via real property tax, sales and use tax and mortgage recording tax exemptions as authorized by NYS General Municipal Law. The program supported 13 projects projected to create 118 and retain 53 jobs in Oswego County. Some examples of projects that were assisted through this program include: Liland Trade and Radiator Service in the town of Volney, Tailwater Lodge in the town of Albion, Tully’s Good Times Family, Inc. in the city of Oswego, SG Ontario Sun PV in the town of Sandy Creek, OYA Pulaski in the town of Richland and DePaul Properties in the city of Oswego.

• The Micro Enterprise Program Economic Development Fund was capitalized from a loan from HUD grant and matching funds from the COIDA. It provides loans to graduates of the micro-enterprise training program sponsored by Operation Oswego County, SUNY Oswego and the COIDA. The program supported five projects projected to create 13 jobs in Oswego County.

The projects that are being assisted through this program include: Hannah’s Creations in the town of Granby, The Looking Glass Salon in the town of Schroeppel, Wun-

derland in the town of Scriba, Granger Landscape in the town of Williamstown and AllSource Fire Supply in the town of Hastings.

Other forms of assistance administered by the COIDA during the 2020-2021 fiscal year included the PILOT Economic Development Fund, which supported three projects, the Housing and Urban Development Economic Development Fund, which supported one project, and the USDA Intermediary Relending Program Economic Development Fund, which supported one project. Business projects assisted were distributed throughout Oswego County, located in 10 towns and the city of Oswego.

Projects represented numerous industry sectors, including manufacturing/distribution, services, housing, tourism/recreation, energy and mixed-use. Eight were service businesses, seven projects were energy related, two were manufacturing, two were mixed-use, one was tourism related and one was housing. Seven of the 21 projects were in solar energy, representing 33% of all projects and 45% of total capital investment. Detail on each is provided in the COIDA annual peport which may be found at www.oswegocountyida.org.

The COIDA had recognized a critical need to expand the Oswego County Industrial Park (OCIP) in the town of Schroeppel.

Due to the successful build-out of the OCIP, available sites had become limited. The agency completed the acquisition of an additional 185 acres during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Adjacent to the existing park and situated between the CSX rail line and NYS 481, the acquisition doubled the size of the park.

Members of the County of Oswego IDA board, during the fiscal year, included Gary T. Toth (chairman), Nicholas M. Canale, Jr. (vice chairman), H. Leonard Schick (secretary/treasurer), Thomas Kells, Morris Sorbello, Tim Stahl,and Barry Trimble.

L. Michael Treadwell serves as the CEO and Kevin LaMontagne serves as the CFO.

Economic Trends

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

47

Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

‘You Can’t Handle the Truth!’

W ‘When we can’t even agree on what is obviously the truth, how are we going to make any progress on the major issues that confront all of us?’

Why can’t we seem to come to a consensus on what is true?

e have access to more information, more news sources, more viewpoints from friends and strangers than at any time in recorded history, yet we can’t seem to come to a consensus on what is true and what is not.

There are so many examples, but let me focus for now on just three major recent events from where the truth seems to be incontrovertible, yet millions of Americans deny its authenticity.

Example 1 – COVID-19 Despite the devastation it has caused, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken more than 5 million lives worldwide, including more than 770,000 in the United States.

Yet, millions believe it to be a hoax or overblown. The scientific community has proven conclusively that the coronavirus and its variants have had a profound impact on nearly every aspect of our lives for nearly two years and will continue to play an outlier role for years to come.

In New York state, there have been more than 2.5 million cases with nearly 60,000 deaths. Tell the families of the 736 persons in Onondaga County, 566 in Oneida County, 107 in Oswego, 106 in Cayuga, 98 in Madison, 79 in Wayne and 71 in Jefferson who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 that the virus is a hoax or not as serious as health professionals would have us believe. (Those figures are from October and change on a daily baisis.)

In addition to scoffing at the reach of the virus, many of these same deniers

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.

48 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

have questioned the value and safety of the vaccines that were developed in record time and the wearing of masks, social distancing and other safety recommendations to protect us from COVID-19.

While the virus was spreading uncontrolled during 2020, one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history also was unfolding.

My Turn

Example 2 – 2020 Election Results Donald Trump and his legion of supporters have never accepted the fact that he lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden despite affirmation by election officials in every state, scores of unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the results, confirmation by the legislatures of the states, approval by the U.S. Congress, review upon review, recount upon recount, audit upon audit.

Even Trump’s own Justice Department conducted its investigation and found no widespread fraud. Yet, without a shred of plausible evidence, the incessant beat goes on that the election was stolen from Trump.

It will be forever known as “the big lie,” because by all measurable accounts, the election was fair and square, and Biden should be acknowledged by all Americans as the 46th president of the United States.

That he is not, by a wide majority of Republicans and a few others, brings us to the topic of this column — what is truth?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines truth as “the real facts about something.” When the results of the election have been confirmed through accepted standards, litigated with a near-unanimous outcome in favor of the confirmation of the results and a finding of little to no fraud — certainly none to change the election’s outcome — to me, this makes the statement “Joe Biden won the 2020 election” a fact.

Sample 3 — The Jan. 6 Riots That brings us to the other event, which ties in with the election — the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol building

in Washington, which resulted in five deaths, 140 injuries to police officers and danger to the safety of the vice president (a Republican) and members of Congress who were convened to certify the 2020 Electoral College results, which had been verified by every state.

Many of these lawmakers feared for their lives as rioters stormed the building, pushed aside members of the Capitol and Metropolitan police forces and hunted down but never found Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and others.

More than 600 persons, including 47 from New York, have been charged so far by federal officials. This is the fourth highest number among states, next only to Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Immediately after what many branded as an “insurrection,” there was near unanimous condemnation of the actions of then-President Trump for encouraging the crowd to march to the Capitol and demand that the legitimate election results be overturned. He was also criticized for not intervening early and forcefully after the rioters stormed the building. His actions led to Trump’s second impeachment, but as in the first instance, the articles of impeachment

were not approved in the Senate.

Even Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy blamed Trump for his role in this dark day in our nation’s history.

Now, however, both have backed off their original accusatory stances.

An effort to establish an independent 9/11-style commission (comprised of five Democrats and five Republicans) to investigate who instigated the riot and other key information was scuttled

by Senate Republicans, presumably because it might hurt their chances in the mid-term elections in 2022 and because it might anger Trump, who still heads the party and who is quick to take revenge on those who cross him. Instead, a select committee comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans are investigating what happened on Jan. 6.

The truth is that Trump supporters were at the heart of the Capitol riot, but now revisionists are attempting to sell the idea that it was Democrats, antifa (a political movement of autonomous groups opposed to fascism and other forms of extreme right-wing ideology) or others posing as Trump supporters who were the trouble-makers. They also are suggesting that the rioters were

patriots or sightseers and that they really didn’t really do all that much wrong.

When we can’t even agree on what is obviously the truth, how are we going to make any progress on the major issues that confront all of us?

Our growing skepticism about the value of expertise, and our view that we know more than experts diminishes the value of the findings of health professionals, teachers, scientists, political scientists, etc.

This is laid out in scary detail in the best-selling book by Tom Nichols, “The Death of Expertise. “The increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement,” Nichols writes. He issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age. I wonder whether the words screamed by Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise in the hit (1992) movie “A Few Good Men” have now become prophetic. When Cruise demands the truth, Nicholson replies, “You can’t handle the truth.”

Is this what’s going on with so many in our country?

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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COVER STORY

MEET THE WINNERS

The winners of the Next Great Idea competition were crowned Nov. 16 during a luncheon at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, Oswego. 6 Acres Farm Brewery finished first and received the top prize: $50,000. North 40 Clover received $25,000 and Moth + Flame Basecamp got $15,000.

In addition, the cash prizes can potentially be leveraged to borrow up to 10 times their value in partnership with local banks, the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency, the cities of Oswego and Fulton community development offices, the U.S. Small Business Administration, New York Business Development Corporation and other economic development agencies.

The following is a glimpse of the three winners.

BY STEVE YABLONSKI

opposite page Smashing Apples Amber Ale, brewed by first prize winners 6 Acres Farm Brewery.

51

COVER STORY

E

6 ACRES FARM BREWERY

stablished in 2019, 6 Acres Farm Brewery was founded

by Jenna Behling, Eric Behling and Lori Behling along with Denyel Busch.

“It is named after the six acres of land that our farm originated on. It is the first niche craft brewing company of its kind to develop fruit

infused beers with locally grown fruit and proprietary methods to create naturally full-flavored fruit ale beverages,” said Jenna Behling.

The two brewers, Busch (head brewer) and Jenna Behling (assistant brewer) are “a dynamic duo” that started like most, home brewing.

“Denyel and I started off by home

52 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

brewing while experimenting with different flavors and varieties about four or five years ago,” Behling said.

They both started out making small one-gallon batches on the kitchen stove to experiment with different techniques, styles and flavors. They then climbed the ladder on making larger scale batches.

For both of the brewers this whole process has been “years of trial and error along with a learning curve.”

The brewery is somewhat through Behling Orchards, yet separate as they are doing business as 6 Acres Farm Brewery, she said.

Behling Orchards started around 1947 and has since been passed down through five generations.

Behling and Busch have plans of making a few hard ciders along with a hard seltzer line to entice other customers who might not be interested in beer, they said.

“Currently, we sell kegs to local restaurants and businesses within an hour radius of Mexico,” Behling said.

“In the tasting room, we would like to open a small-scale restaurant focusing on using locally grown ingredients in our recipes. As you can see, we’re really big on from farm to pint or table by utilizing local farm-grown sources.”

The tasting room would be family oriented and dog friendly in hopes of having something for the whole family to enjoy, she said.

It would have a kids’ area for entertainment at the venue. Live music would be enjoyed along with special events with inclusion for all, at any age. The tasting room will also have a private event room that would be perfect for a family get together, birthday parties, anniversaries, meetings and more, according to Behling.

“The tasting room will be located in Mexico or New Haven; hopefully on orchard property. We have a few options that we’re currently looking at, but nothing definitive,” Behling said.

Once the tasting room is built, “we will need to hire servers, bartenders, live performers, kitchen staff, etc. to join our team!” she added.

Her family wanted a way to expand its existing business, Behling Orchards, opening more possibilities and having its customers experience their beautiful farm in a new way, she said.

Craft beer seemed to make this possible after countless hours of home brewing and fine-tuning recipes.

“We were inspired by the bountiful fruit grown on our farm to infuse our

above Samples of beverages produced

by 6 Acres Farm in Mexico. The business is planning to open a tasting room either in Mexico or New Haven. opposite page Jenna Behling (left) and Denyel Busch are in charge of creating the recipes fo brews and other beverages.

“We were inspired by the bountiful fruit grown on our farm to infuse our own fresh produce, making our beer stand out.”

Jenna Behling

own fresh produce, making our beer stand out, as we don’t use any flavoring additives or syrups,” she said. “We pride 6 Acres Farm Brewery on using as many local ingredients as we can, from our hops and grain all the way to our maple syrup.”

They are a member of the New York State Brewers Association and have hopes of competing next year in the New York State Craft Beer Competition, she added.

Her personal background in relation to brewing, Behling said, is graduating from the University at Albany with a Bachelor of Science degree, working on the family farm for over 10 years and home brewing.

“I was an employee of Mexico Academy and Central Schools for the last five years and currently coach two sports within the district,” she said.

“My hobby of home brewing small one-gallon batches sparked my interest in brewing on a larger scale for people to enjoy our creations. As of right now, we have 13 different varieties of craft beer that we are extremely proud of. We will continue to experiment with more flavors and styles.”

“6 Acres Farm Brewery has been

an exciting new adventure for myself, Denyel, Eric Behling and Lori Behling as we have been selling at Behling Orchards in the fall. We’ve been receiving great feedback from customers and other businesses, which solidified our decision to open a tasting room in the near future,” she continued.

Once the tasting room is built, they will be able to hire employees for various jobs and plan to bring more tourism to Oswego County, she said.

The business would utilize the NGI funds to scale up production, acquire canning equipment for distribution and develop a tasting room on-site.

The founders said they see a great opportunity to capitalize on growing the fledgling wine and craft beverage industry in Oswego County with this business and their ambitious plans.

“We also would like to start canning our beer to be available for purchase along with our current growlers,” she said. “As the brewery grows, we have every intention of expanding our production levels to keep up with demand.

We hope that our community will enjoy our beer as much as we do!”

Follow on Instagram @ 6acresfarmbrewery

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

53

COVER STORY left James Macklen from Lacona began North 40 Clover to solve a problem, and found that he could help others as well.

He’s already gathered a loyal clientele, to boot. opposite page Paula ‘Pau’ Barreto and Amanda McLoughlin earned $15,000 to help get their business plan — Moth + Flame Basecamp — off the ground.

NORTH 40 CLOVER: ONSITE HYDRAULIC HOSE FABRICATION & REPAIR

J

ames Macklen from Lacona began North 40 Clover: Onsite Hydraulic Hose Fabrication & Repair to fix a problem. He found he could help others, too.

When he was in high school, he took heavy equipment operation and repair at BOCES. He attended Cobleskill and furthered his education in equipment repair and hydraulics.

Currently, he’s also a certified John Deere mechanic.

Macklen started the business

during 2019. People are now able to be helped where they are. The mobile fabricating service allows him to pretty much, depending on the field, drive right to where the equipment is. In most cases down time is reduced and operators can be up in running quickly, he said.

One day, he went to (a store) to get a hydraulic hose made for his tractor.

“They told me it would have to be ordered because it was nothing they stock, it’d probably take two days,” he said. “When I asked why they ordered

54 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

hoses instead of making them, they said it wasn’t their policy.”

On the way home he thought about all the equipment he owned and how many times he would be waiting in good weather and that the store’s policy was dumb.

“I contacted Lawson Products, ordered a hose machine, hose and fittings. Then it occurred to me other people had the same plight and that I could probably pick up enough business to pay for the set up,” he said. “I purchased a van and devised a plan for hose repair and storage.”

There was quite a substantial startup cost. He has invested $50,000 in van, trailer, two hydraulic hose machines, generator, hydraulic hoses and fittings.

It didn’t take long to get customers on board, he said.

He wanted to get his feet under him slowly. So, he didn’t advertise, never has. He wanted to test the waters and work out any bugs. But after his first customer, just by word of mouth, his business exploded.

“It only took that one frustrated operator who was broke down on a sunny day to get things started. When he called me to complain, I told him it was his lucky day. I could be at his location shortly and make him a hose,” Macklen said.

From that, it quickly spread by word of mouth.

“What began as a speculative business enterprise, exploded into my life’s work,” he said. “As demand increased, I purchased an 18’ tow-behind trailer and devised another floor plan to expand inventory and storage. Then, because I’m a certified John Deere mechanic, many farmers asked if I would also do equipment repair.”

He has a contract with Burrville Power Sports to make third function kits for the compact tractors they sell.

Third function kits are required to operate implements like brush hogs,

snowblowers and bucket loaders.

These kits don’t come with the tractor. It’s an option the dealer has to provide.

At this time, he has no employees.

But he is willing to train people.

“These hoses are under high pressure and you need to be careful with putting the fittings on them. It’s not hard, but it’s serious business,” he said.

When it was beginning to get super busy, he thought of a plan to ease his workload, which in turn increased his client base. Everyone knows he is a oneman operation, so he tells clients “if we all work together we can all benefit.”

If someone calls and he is on another job, he tells them, if they are in a hurry and can remove the hose and bring it to him, he’ll make one for them. There are some clients who can do that and it works well.

He has begun teaching clients if they do preventive maintenance, emergencies are reduced.

There will always be room for improvements; that’s how this whole business got started, he noted. “I’m not afraid to step off the beaten path.”

Macklen thinks of himself as a catalyst. He likes to think outside the box because in many cases, that’s where the future ideas are. He started the mobile service partly because he has no repair shop.

He also does tractor and implement repair. When farmers have broken-down equipment that needs repair, they can explain their problem to him and if it’s something easy, he tells them how to do it. Some of them can. If they can’t, he schedules a time to fix the problem.

He plans to go to CiTi this winter, explain his business and maybe find students willing to be interns.

Rural Hill Sand and Gravel, Bashford Lumber, Sturtz Excavating, C R Murphy Landscaping and more have contacted him to do repair work.

The business will use the NGI prize to expand its mobile hydraulic repair and fabrication business that services many industries including manufacturing, mining, road plowing, agriculture and logging operations around Oswego County and the North Country.

This mobile service is especially needed in rural areas where extended downtime can be catastrophic to business, Macklen said.

He’s the organist at the Orwell Union Church. He also plays the piano, accordion and trumpet.

MOTH + FLAME BASECAMP

A

manda McLoughlin and Paula Barreto love traveling and being outdoors. Escaping the city to be immersed in nature has always been medi-

cine for them.

Friends talked about liking camping, yet wanting a comfortable bed.

Others said they didn’t mind camping but didn’t have time to pack after working all week. Some were curious about getting an RV; the storage, maintenance and gas were turnoffs.

The inspiration for Moth + Flame Basecamp came from those stories as well as the tree houses, yurts and tiny home accommodations found throughout Oregon and Washington. A vintage RV spot on the Washington Coast caught their eye and imagination.

The duo plans to open a basecamp featuring vintage RVs where visitors can relax while they explore various sites around the surrounding area.

“As you crossed onto the land, you

left the contemporary behind. It felt like a time capsule. Period pieces from the ‘50s through ‘70s were organized tightly throughout the compound. People enjoying their stays were as eclectic as the vintage RVs and friendly enough to share their stories. The answers were simple, it was easy and unique,” Barreto said, recalling the Washington Coast experience.

They fell in love with the idea; wanted to bring it home.

“Basecamps are traditionally places to set up and sleep so you can continue your adventures. Moth + Flame would be that and much more,” McLoughlin said. “Offering a hassle-free camping experience within beautifully renovated vintage RVs that come with a comfortable bed and other essentials is the backbone of the idea.”

Through collective referrals to other local businesses, a core mission of Moth + Flame would contribute to bolstering fellow entrepreneurs and the county’s economy, she added.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

55

COVER STORY

Paula ‘Pau’ Barreto and Amanda McLoughlin recently purchased a vintage a 1968 Shasta RV that they plan to restore. The goal is to buy at least five of those RVs and Airstreams to provide accommodations for travelers.

Moth + Flame would be CNY’s first Vintage RV, Airstream and eclectic structure glampground.

They are now looking for land to place the RVs and rent them out like a cabin or tent at a traditional campground.

Glamping, combining “glamorous” and “camping,” brings together nature and modern luxury to create an outdoor experience not previously provided to leisure travelers.

“The goal is to acquire at least five vintage RVs and Airstreams to start; one of which was purchased over the summer, a 1968 Shasta,” said McLoughlin.

“The money from the contest will supplement the purchase of the remaining accommodations.”

“We want to think of ourselves more as socioprenuers, use Moth + Flame Basecamp as a platform to bring several community-driven opportunities to Oswego.” Barreto said.

They met at St. Mary’s School (Oswego) in the 1990s. Their adventure began in 2008, after Amanda finished grad school and Barreto wrapped up five years of naval service ending with several tours in Iraq. They packed up, headed to Portland and spent 13 years there.

In 2020, they decided to return to be closer to family. They thought

about what they’d do next. McLoughlin worked in the education field, starting as a special education teacher; spent the last 10 years doing nonprofit work in health, prevention, equity and inclusion. Barreto spent the last six years at a landscape architecture and urban planning firm. Community parks, campuses, streetscapes, trails, plazas and many other projects benefited from her work.

Before they moved, Barreto’s mom mentioned the NGI contest. They brainstormed based on their passions.

McLoughlin wanted to stay in the education field. Each September, she and 10 chaperones took 50 teenagers camping; spending three days discussing social justice, identity and how they could make a difference in their schools. They didn’t have cell reception, ate together, made a fire each night and in between workshops, walked the trails. The youth mentioned how calm they felt; their anxiety seemed to go away. McLoughlin would love to work with youth or offer families a chance to reconnect to each other and disconnect from the high-paced lives they live. Barreto loves what she currently does and appreciates working with diverse populations and perspectives. After a whirlwind of ideas, they narrowed it down to an idea that aligned with their passion for the outdoors, their want to offer an activity

56 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

that promotes relaxation, physical and mental health and something artsy and eclectic to bring to the county they once again call home.

“What we love most about this area are the people. Local business owners are weathering this pandemic in resilient ways; families are trying their best with the resources they have to support their kids. Our youth are overwhelmed and anxious, but they still keep showing up,” said McLoughlin. “For our family, camping is the way for us to recharge and reset. When our kids take walks, ride their bikes, stare at the fire or help prepare a meal, they’re content and act like themselves again. I’ve always known that being in nature is therapeutic. When you see the magic with your family, it seals the deal.”

They’re looking for land to buy or lease with several acres and established mature trees. They have a few leads.

“The notion that starting a business is a risk or that starting a business takes serious finances isn’t lost upon us,” Barreto said. “The NGI top prize would give us the money needed to purchase the vintage RVs for our initial fleet. If successful, we hope that people will come to Moth + Flame to escape some stress, bond with their family and leave with a memorable experience.” ●

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SPECIAL REPORT The Farm Winery Act

Is New York’s Soaring Craft Beverage Industry Due for a Slowdown?

By Ken Sturtz

E

arlier this year when officials announced the semifinalists of a small business development competition in Oswego County it was clear that tapping into the craft beverage industry was a common theme among the entrepreneurs.

Five of the 14 semifinalists for the Next Big Idea contest proposed producing and selling alcohol in some form: artisanal ales, draft mead, hard cider, fruit-infused beers.

The state’s craft beverage industry has grown tremendously in the last decade. New York now has the fourth most wineries, third most distilleries and second most breweries in the country.

The number of licensed manufacturers has grown 157% since 2012, to more than 1,200. As of October, the State Liquor Authority counted 500 breweries, 485 wineries and 203 distilleries, as well as 75 producers of hard cider.

Such a breathtaking pace inevitably raises questions about just how much room exists for the industry to grow before the market becomes saturated.

“There’s certainly room for more growth,” says Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association. “Is there a ceiling? I’m

sure there is, but it’s not clear where the ceiling is.”

Craft breweries have grown 415% since 2012 when fewer than 100 existed.

Before the coronavirus pandemic breweries were opening in the state at a rate of one every eight or nine days, Leone says. The pandemic slowed things, but several dozen breweries still opened in 2020.

Leone says the state could probably support 100 more breweries before the industry begins to see a slowdown.

New York’s breweries tend to be smaller mom-and-pop operations that can survive in a relatively small geographic area, he says.

And while there are heavy concentrations of breweries in Long Island, the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes, other parts of the state remain largely untouched.

Leone cited Wayne County, which has two tasting rooms, but is getting its first actual brewery. The county’s 90,000 residents could easily support many more breweries, he says. Oswego County has just a handful of craft beverage producers; Onondaga County has dozens.

58 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

The craft beverage industry in New York didn’t take off by accident. It was in large part the product of long-term efforts by the state to expand the sector beginning with wineries.

The wine business in New York was long dominated by a handful of larger wineries. Hundreds of small grape growers made a living selling most of their crop to those large companies.

But by the 1970s those farmers faced a crisis. Several large wine businesses in the state consolidated and were acquired by corporate interests that sought cheaper grapes. A couple businesses went under. And cheap imported wines began pressuring the domestic wine industry.

With few options for selling their grapes, the solution was to turn them into wine. But grape growers were essentially forbidden from making wine and selling it directly to consumers.

Under the state’s three-tier system, wineries had to sell 95% of their production through a distributor or wholesaler who then sold to retailers.

So, in 1976, the state passed the Farm Winery Act. The law created a category known as farm wineries — until then all wineries were classified solely as commercial. Provided they sourced their fruit locally, farm wineries could sell their whole output to the public at the winery and directly to retailers and restaurants, bypassing wholesalers.

“The Farm Winery Act was kind of revolutionary because it allowed people to produce, sell and be wholesalers if they wanted,” says Chris Gerling, a senior extension associate at Cornell University’s Craft Beverage Institute.

“The idea was they were too small to cause too much trouble.”

The result was a successful model for unprecedented growth. There were fewer than two-dozen wineries in the state in the mid-1970s; today there are 485.

“This became a real bright spot for Upstate agriculture and tourism,” Gerling says. “It really helped a lot of the communities that were having Rust Belt decline.”

Is a Slowdown on the Horizon?

Craft brewing became popular in the 1990s and about a decade ago the state followed the same model it had

gearing up for a brew day

Denyel Busch, left, and Jenna Behling getting ready for a brew day at 6 Acres Farm Brewing. below, from left Grain before going through the mill (photo 1); pouring grain into the mash tun to let it steep (photo 2); the boil process in the boil kettle (photo 3); the final product: Smashing Apples Amber Ale (photo 4)

Chris Gerling is senior extension associate at Cornell University’s Craft Beverage Institute. “The Farm Winery Act [of 1976] was kind of revolutionary because it allowed people to produce, sell and be wholesalers if they wanted,”

created for wineries, expanding its farm producer licenses to include brewers and distillers. The state also cut fees and regulations and offered grants and tax incentives. As with wineries, craft producers have to source their ingredients in New York state.

The number of breweries and distilleries began growing. In addition to changes to the law, the craft brewery boom has been driven by younger consumers looking to support local businesses that make products with locally sourced ingredients.

“Millennials are really conscious of those things,” Leone says. “So, it was really a perfect storm for growth.”

Despite the growth, however, even some entrepreneurs entering the craft beverage industry have wondered if the pace is sustainable.

Jenna Behling’s family owns several hundred acres of orchards in Mexico where they grow apples as well as raspberries, cherries, strawberries and blueberries. They sell apples wholesale and offer U-pick. Behling says her family was looking for ways to expand the business and became interested in producing craft beverages.

“We were wondering about the brewing industry as well and there’s been a big debate over whether it’s saturated,” she says.

They started out home brewing four or five years ago with one-gallon testers on their kitchen stove. They brought in a head brewer, set up a one-barrel system and began experimenting.

In the fall when people flood their orchard and farm stand they sell fruit-infused beer under their 6 Acres Farm Brewing label. They also sell kegs to local restaurants. They’re producing 13 unique recipes of beer and experimenting with several others.

Behling, who entered and won the Next Big Idea contest, plans to use the $50,000 prize money to help scale up production. She says they’re in the process of opening a tasting room. They currently sell growlers of beer, but she says they hope to eventually acquire canning equipment to allow for easier distribution.

As for whether the craft beverage industry is saturated, Behling says she believes there’s room for it to continue growing, at least in Oswego County where there aren’t other farm breweries.

“It’s not like there’s five or six of them in this area,” she says.

Clusters of breweries isn’t necessarily bad for business, Leone says.

Consumers who enjoy craft beer usually prefer to visit several establishments in an outing and will often choose an area with multiple breweries.

“If one brewery opens, that’s great,” Leone says. “If three open, then it’s a destination.”

Diversification In the Finger Lakes the number of wineries, breweries and distilleries has skyrocketed, raising concerns about whether the businesses will eventually cannibalize each other.

Decades ago on Seneca Lake there was a winery about every five to seven miles, Gerling says. Today there are so many wineries that a tourist would need days to visit them all.

“It’s just astounding how many places there are for a person out for the day to stop,” Gerling says.

Even with more tourists visiting the Finger Lakes, businesses are likely to see fewer customers than they might have decades ago. There is an upside though. Greater competition has led many businesses to fine-tune their focus to the benefit of customers.

In the past a business might have gotten more customers, but they were often just touring without anything in mind other than visiting some wineries, Gerling says. Today customers are much more focused. They might seek out a business that specializes in IPAs, hard cider or that produces certain types of wine.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

59

“There’s a little more choice and selection,” Gerling says. “Consumers have better experiences and they tend to spend more at the places they choose.”

Diversification in the craft beverage industry hasn’t just taken place in the Finger Lakes. Across the state winemakers, brewers and distillers have increasingly narrowed their focus and searched for a niche.

Hard cider, for example, has made a startling comeback. Historically cider was once on par with beer in terms of popularity in the United States. The drink faded in the early 20th century, but New York now has more cideries than any other state.

Hard cider isn’t the only example of diversification of the craft beverage industry.

Jonathan Shaver is looking to capitalize on a new take on an old drink.

Mead has been around since ancient times. Although there are many variants, mead was traditionally something akin to a sweet honey wine with a high alcohol content.

“It’s not a mainstream beverage anymore like it used to be centuries ago,” Shaver says.

Shaver’s business plan for Feral Hive Meadworks was a semifinalist in the Next Great Idea contest. He’d like to establish a facility to produce a carbonated draft version of mead with a lower alcohol content and a flavor profile similar to hard cider. He says he plans to open a tasting room in Oswego once he receives the necessary licenses.

Shaver is an electrical engineer at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station and a commander in the Navy Reserve. He became interested in mead when two hobbies intersected. A few years ago, he started beekeeping, maintaining hives at his home. He had also brewed beer at home. The first time he tried mead he didn’t like the taste.

“I thought it was a really sweet syrupy flavor and I did not like it at all,” he says.

He began experimenting with fermenting mead to see if he could scale back the alcohol content and the sweetness to get a more accessible flavor profile people would like. He eventually landed on a recipe he and his friends enjoyed.

“It definitely is in line with what people are looking for especially in the craft industry,” he says.

Although the public isn’t familiar with mead, that might be beginning to change. A handful of meaderies have started popping in recent years; nine now dot the state.

Jonathan Shaver is looking to capitalize on a new take on an old drink. Mead has been around since ancient times. Although there are many variants, mead was traditionally something akin to a sweet honey wine with a high alcohol content.

The Next Phase One of the reasons the state has been able to absorb so much growth in the craft beverage industry is that while the overall number of businesses has risen dramatically, many are quite small and produce far less actual volume than people expect, Gerling says.

“It’s relatively easy to start a locally successful business where you don’t have to get into the wholesale market,” he says.

A small craft beverage maker can sell a $20 product directly to consumers and keep all the money. When wholesaling, that same $20 product might only return $8 to the business owner.

Of course, businesses make up for that when they scale up production.

But in some ways scaling up from a mom-and-pop operation to become a larger producer is the Achilles’ heel of New York’s craft beverage industry.

“Wholesale is a very difficult market,” Gerling says. “It becomes increasingly necessary because as you become successful there’s only so much you can push out of one place.”

Competition for limited shelf space in stores has increased. Distribution and the ability to consistently produce

60 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

enough volume to meet orders pose added challenges. In some ways it’s fairly easy to be a small or large business in the industry, Gerling says. It’s the medium-sized businesses that have the greatest difficulty.

“They’re not failing, but they’re not growing as they’d like to be,” he says.

“They’re not reaching the next phase basically.”

It also depends on what a business owner’s goals are, Leone says. Some breweries have experienced great demand for their product and want to work with distributors and scale up their production. Many are content to stick with their current business model of selling most of their product directly to customers via a tasting room.

The notion of a small local craft beverage producer is a large part of the appeal, Gerling says. In many ways it’s a throwback to a time before national distribution when every small town supported a handful of small businesses including a brewery and a pub.

“It’s either totally new or it’s getting back to where we were 150 years ago,” he says. “There are some things that are very new and some things that are very old and I think that’s an attractive combination to people.”

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‘TIS THE SEASON!

Christmas Tree Farms Anticipate Busy Season For some, it is a year-round business venture

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S above Beckwith

Christmas Trees in Hannibal. opposite page

Stan Kolonko and his wife, Lisa, purchased the Three B Tree Farm in Jordan from the Brown family, who operated the farm since 1990 and recently retired.

“I’d looked at this property several years ago,” Kolonko says. “My wife loves Christmas, so that fits the bill.”

everal facets of the pandemic influenced more people than ever to purchase real Christmas trees in 2020. Growers

anticipate another robust year this season for the same reasons.

Taking the family out to cut a tree at a “U-cut” farm is a safe, socially distanced outing.

“Last year, we had no difficulties with distancing and masks,” said Faye Beckwith, owner of Beckwith Christmas Trees in Hannibal.

The 30-acre farm offers plenty of space for customers to spread out and stay separated as they look for a tree to cut or while they select a pre-cut tree.

Beckwith said that the farm opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving and sold out of cut trees early last year. While offerings like refreshments, warming area and wagon rides were nixed last year because of the pandemic, Beckwith hopes the business can offer them again if health guidelines allow them.

Many people still crave something novel to do.

“We have tried to have something new or different every year for our customers,” Beckwith said. “With COVID it’s challenging as you don’t want to have a petting zoo. We did have good success with a memorial tree.”

The farm provides a memory tree at the farm at no cost for customers to adorn with plain balls.

They can write something on the ball, such as the name of a loved one or a special memory.

“A lot of people stand around it, thinking of people they’ve lost,” Beckwith said.

The memory tree ties into the increased focus

64 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

on family and memories spurred by the pandemic.

Sharing a traditional experience of selecting a Christmas tree helps people feel nostalgic.

The Christmas tree business is not without its challenges. Some people wonder why a tree should cost so much, for example. Growing Christmas trees for a business is more than planting, waiting 10 years, and then opening the farm for a month.

“The trees need attention from April through December,” Beckwith said. “Neither of us has to spend money on a health club. It’s a daily job for my husband. You start with the planting and it doesn’t take long before you have to mow and shear, mow and shear.”

Shearing refers to trimming the trees so they remain shapely and do not become too tall or gangly.

Tree farmers must also remove the cones of some varieties, since some of the fir varieties grow excessive numbers of cones.

“Fir cones are unlike spruce or pinecones,” Beckwith said. “They disintegrate. If you leave them on, they do this when the customer wants it in their home. That’s problematic. When there are hundreds of cones on one tree, that deforms the tree. You don’t get branches at the top. You won’t have a leader for the star or angel. Firs are not native to our areas, so they’re almost an exotic species.”

The biggest pest issue that the farm experiences is with deer. The animals like to rub on the trees and eat them.

“Those trees may be culled or we may use the branches for wreathes,” Beckwith said. “Nord-

mann fir are candy to those deer.”

The farm also grows balsam fir, Fraser fir, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas fir, concolor fir, grand fir and Canaan fir. Beckwith and her husband, Jack, perform most of the year-round work and bring onboard help for the busy season. Using a temp agency helps reduce overhead and paperwork for the small farm.

Like any agricultural operation, equipment maintenance and painting the buildings also fills Jack’s hours year-round.

Thomas Hebblethwaite, his wife, Carol, and their son, Gregory, operate a 45-acre tree farm in Pulaski. The elder Hebblethwaite founded the farm in 1971 and they currently grow concolor fir, Frasier Fir, balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce, blue spruce and Scotch pine.

“We’ve been doing it quite a while.

It’s enjoyable,” Carol said.

The pandemic has increased the volume of business at the Hebblethwaites’ farm.

“People are more housebound and enjoy getting out,” Thomas said. “It’s one thing where you don’t have to be inside with 20 people. You can go out and enjoy the family and pick out your own tree. Business has been better since the pandemic, but it’s more difficult to run.”

Talking with customers has been tough, for example.

“When it’s zero out and the wind’s blowing and you’re wearing a mask, it’s hard for people to hear,” Thomas said.

“You do what you’ve got to do.”

To augment the tree business, Carol learned how to make bows and how to arrange flowers from a florist to improve her wreath-making skills.

Though December is their busiest month, they are pretty busy the rest of the year because growing Christmas trees is not a matter “of just put a tree in the ground,” Thomas said. “It’s a year-round job on a tree farm.”

He performs weed control throughout the summer, so the weeds do not overshadow the saplings. A tidy tree farm also makes for a more inviting shopping environment for customers.

“Every spring, you have to spray your trees with pesticide and fungicide,” he said. “Each fall, you have to trim every tree and form it. The trees take an average of seven to 10 years to grow.

You pretty much have all that work for six to 10 years.”

A retiree of Chrysler since 2000, Thomas works on the farm as his only occupation.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize how much work goes into a tree farm,” he said. “You’ve got to like doing it because you don’t get rich doing it.”

For the pre-cut trees, workers must harvest them for display on the lot. The farm also allows customers to reserve trees any time of the year, so at Christmastime they can cut the tree themselves or ask a worker to cut it.

“We let people go out in the summer and fall and take a red ribbon and put their name and ribbon and phone number on it,” Thomas said.

Carol and her daughter, Aimee Burns, of Brewerton, also make wreaths

on the farm. This helps the family use up boughs from trees too large to harvest as Christmas trees. Some are custom wreaths and others are standard.

“We’ll try to make up 30 to 40 wreaths a night,” Carol said. “Quite a few people want them to make money for some cause. We work with the schools and they do the same thing to make money for the school district.”

The family provides the labor force on the farm among Thomas and Carol’s five children and 14 grandchildren.

For Stan Kolonko and his wife, Lisa, the big challenge at Three B Tree Farm in Jordan is learning the tree business.

The Kolonkos purchased the business in October from the Brown family, who has operated the farm since 1990 and recently retired. A professional ice sculptor, Kolonko has plans to move his sculpting business to the farm in a few years. He has renamed it The Ice Farm. Kolonko financed the purchase through a loan with M&T Bank.

Upon purchasing the farm, he began constructing a 5,000-squarefoot building to accommodate his ice sculpting business.

“I’d looked at this property several years ago,” Kolonko said. “My wife loves Christmas, so that fits the bill. I’m trying to supplement my ice company.

I’m slow in the summer. With the tree farm, I’ll have more to do for my staff in summer. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

That much he has learned from the Browns. As part of their agreement, he is keeping on the Browns for a year so he can learn all the aspects of making a tree farm successful.

“They have a lot invested and they want it to be successful,” Kolonko said.

He plans to keep the farm like it was— why mess with a winning formula? — with just a few tweaks, such as eventually tucking ice sculptures among the trees so shoppers have a sort of self-guided treasure hunt. He may also hold ice sculpting demonstrations on busy days. He is considering Santa visits, depending upon how the pandemic guidelines go.

Kolonko plans to staff the farm with the Browns’ recommendations and ask if they know of friends and family members interested in a seasonal job.

His year-round staff on the farm will number three to four and seasonal staff up to 15.

Kolonko thinks that the location of the farm near Skaneateles and Auburn has helped it succeed, along with its appearance. The tidy rows of trees flank neatly mowed walkways and a couple of ponds grace the property.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

65

‘TIS THE SEASON! Truck from Industry Standard of Clay working to remove snow. “It’s going to be a rough winter for a multitude of reasons,” says owner Chris Dambach.

As Snow Removal Industry Looks to Winter, Challenges Await Aside from unpredictable weather, labor shortage remains one of the biggest problems for contractors

By Ken Sturtz

W

ith cold weather settling into Central New York contractors in the snow removal business are preparing for what could be a difficult winter season.

Labor shortages, increasing costs and potential supply issues have combined with the usual unpredictability of winter weather to make the outlook for the upcoming season uncertain.

Of all the issues facing contractors this season the labor shortage has been the biggest so far, according to Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow & Ice Management Association, based in Wisconsin.

While some contractors are able to compensate with robotics or remotely operated equipment, that technology is far from widespread.

“It’s an industry that’s heavy on labor,” he says. “Everything from heavy machine operators to truck and plow drivers to shoveling.”

As the economy has recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, employers have struggled to keep pace and rushed to fill job openings. With so many businesses hiring, workers have found they have a distinct advantage and are becoming increasingly picky.

The snow removal industry has felt the crunch this year as people choose to work in other fields, Tirado says. It can be physically demanding while working odd hours in the cold and

terrible weather. Wage increases haven’t helped much, Tirado says. Contractors in some cities are offering up to $30 an hour in an effort to recruit people for snow shoveling.

“You’re at the point now too where wages and money aren’t the issue,” Tirado says. “The solution is what’s kind of hard to find.”

While the pandemic is responsible for a large share of the labor issues, retirements among the baby boomer generation over the last decade have also contributed. In many cases local contractors have chosen to sell their companies when they retire, leaving customers to find a replacement to do the job.

As a result of the labor shortage, Tirado says service levels are going to be affected and the public should be prepared for potential delays this winter as contractors go without enough help.

Jason Simmons owns D&S Landscaping of CNY. He handles about 80 snow plowing accounts in Oswego and Onondaga counties. Approximately 75% of his contracts are with commercial customers such as fast-food restaurants, gas stations and drugstores.

Simmons, who has 14 employees, says the biggest labor concern every year is finding enough workers to handle sidewalks, which mostly involves running a snowblower. This year the

66 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

general shortage of labor has left some contractors unable to handle all their business.

“I got calls from some of my other commercial accounts wanting me to take on some more because the people they had couldn’t do the job,” Simmons says.

In his case, Simmons benefits from the fact that many of his snowplow drivers are longtime employees who work for him year-round, driving concrete trucks in the warmer months. He also brings in some retirees to fill the gaps, but says maintaining good relationships with his employees has gone a long way toward keeping turnover down.

“It’s going to be a rough winter for a multitude of reasons,” says Chris Dambach, owner of Industry Standard.

“When the snow hits the ground, who’s going to plow it, shovel it?”

Competition for labor extends beyond lawn care and landscaping companies that handle snow removal in the winter, he says. Municipalities also need to fill the ranks of their highway departments before the snow flies.

Dambach started his company as a residential lawn care business a decade ago after sustaining injuries while serving in the Marines. He eventually moved into general construction, ground maintenance and custodial services and began pursuing state and

federal government contracts.

His company, which is based in Clay, includes 45 employees spread across several states. They handle several dozen government contracts, including snow removal for most of the Army Reserve centers in New York and Pennsylvania and several Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in New York and New Jersey.

It takes a tremendous amount of salt to help keep the parking lots and sidewalks at those facilities free of snow and ice. Dambach says his company needs 350 tons of salt for a single VA hospital. He was worried about possible shortages so he placed his order for salt in August.

Simmons says he thinks he’ll have enough salt for the winter, but that could change if there’s a lot of snow this season or if snowfall continues further into spring than normal.

“It all depends on what kind of winter you have,” he says.

Wetter Winter According to NOAA’s 2021 Winter Outlook, wetter-than-average conditions are expected across parts of the northern United States, including the Great Lakes. A la nina is also developing, which can mean colder weather for the northern U.S. And the Great Lakes are warmer this year thanks to the warm weather over the summer and fall.

Warm water in Lake Ontario combined with cold air blowing over the lake could be a recipe for a lot of lake effect snow. There aren’t any guarantees of course given lake effect snow’s famously fickle nature. Lake effect bands can be narrow and slight changes in wind can cause shifts that leave one area snow free and another digging out for days.

Dambach thinks the warmer lakes will equal a lot of lake effect snow this winter. He says his company has a mix of seasonal contracts and accounts that pay by the trip, which helps spread the risk out if it doesn’t snow or is an especially heavy winter.

Simmons says most of his accounts are seasonal bids, so a mild winter is preferable. But he’s also prepared for a long winter.

His workers are servicing the trucks and adjusting the cutting edges on the plows. He’s also stockpiled spare parts and has a couple spare plows they can hook up if something breaks.

“If you’re going to be in the business you’ve got to have plan A, B and C,” he says.

Snow plow operated by Budget Cuts Lawn Service in Syracuse.

Contractors Brace for Bad Weather

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

he snow plowing business faces a few different challenges, some shared by other industries and some not. A lack of snow is a unique challenge that can dramatically reduce the company’s income.

“They’re saying it’s going to be a pretty mild season,” said Chris Albin, owner of Budget Cuts Lawn Service in Syracuse, which also performs snow plowing services.

Still, he remains hopeful that the winter will bring plenty of white stuff compared with recent seasons.

He has been gearing up since October, renewing existing customers, preparing equipment and staking driveways. About half of his business is commercial and the other half is residential.

Consumer conception about pricing is challenging in this service-based business.

“A lot of homeowners expect a lower price,” Albin said. “It’s a huge competitive market. I’d like to see prices to go up a little bit. People don’t understand the costs behind each plow truck: full coverage insurance, fuel, the driver’s salary. The truck itself costs $45,000 and it is $7,000 for a plow.”

To keep costs down, his company plows only properties within a 10-minute radius of his shop. Driving all over costs him more for fuel and wages.

Typically, he plows residential driveways once snow is three inches deep unless requested otherwise.

Commercial property owners usually have a “zero tolerance” policy for snow, as having customers drive on it can pack it down and cause icy conditions if it thaws and refreezes.

Jimmy Judware, owner of Jimmy’s Landscaping and Snow Removal in Liverpool, has heard predictions of a snowy winter.

“I’m thinking we’re going to be pretty busy this year,” Judware said.

Like Albin, he serves commercial and residential properties.

“They’re predicting a pretty bad winter this year. So I’m thinking we’re going to be pretty busy this year,” he said.

He and his team work on planning routes to ensure they can efficiently clear snow and keep costs down.

“It’s a lot of work,” he said.

“Everyone thinks people jump in trucks and it’s easy. We’re out there all hours of the night. I’m also out there shoveling, salting and removing ice off roofs.”

At Chase Enterprises in Oswego, Allen Chase, the owner, said that one of his biggest challenges this year is labor.

His multi-state operation performs roadside maintenance from Iowa to Virginia. He has been hiring Oswego County residents and putting them up at hotels in other states where his company has work.

Locally, Chase has 15 trucks outfitted for snow removal.

“We haven’t staffed everything we could but we’re keeping customers happy,” he said. “We’re in a big demand for middle management in Oswego County because we’re growing.”

Finding that talent has made growth more difficult. He has also scaled down his plowing business from 50 trucks to 15 in recent years because staffing those seasonal positions is hard.

Obtaining goods has also affected his business.

“The cost of salt is out of sight,” Chase said. “With supply chain problems, it’s hard to get replacement parts.

It’s expensive and it’s impossible to get. Stuff that was a phone call or finger stroke away is on back order for undetermined periods of time.”

He thinks the area is due for a snowy winter.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

67

‘TIS THE SEASON! Oswego DPW Commissioner Tom Kells goes over snow-removal plans for this coming winter.

TOP 5 SNOWIEST OSWEGO WINTERS (in total inches per season)

251.6” in 1971–72

243.2” in 1976–77

231.6” in 1977–78

Port City’s DPW Prepared to Battle Old Man Winter They are doing three shifts, a 24/7 operation, to keep the city streets snow-free

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By Steve Yablonski

K

eeping the Oswego roads cleared during the winter months can be a daunting task, but the city’s DPW is well-prepared.

There are about 380 miles of roadways in the Port City that have to be cleared during the winter.

“We have about a dozen plows.

Usually, we have six to eight out on the road at any one time. It depends on the situation,” DPW Commissioner Tom Kells said.

Some of the hardest areas to plow are the dead-ends and places like that.

“All the 481 cross-overs, in front of St. Lukes,” he added. “It can be difficult to maneuver a snowplow in some places.”

The East First Street Re-Design, which introduced additional greenspace and beautification, shouldn’t be any problem, the commissioner said.

“It’s not really any different; we

haven’t done it yet. It’ll probably take a little bit more time,” he said. “Obviously, a big open road is a lot easier to plow. We’ve been doing this for a long time and do it as safely and efficiently as we can.”

If people keep their cars off the roads [parking] it helps the plow drivers immensely, he added.

There haven’t been any bad storms recently.

“We’ve been pretty fortunate, big time,” he agreed.

They are doing three shifts, a 24/7 operation, that they never used to do, he pointed out.

“We are out in front of the storms instead of reacting to them. That has made things a lot easier for the plows,” he said. “We are out putting salt on the roads prior to any heavy anticipated snowfalls. That makes cleanup that

68 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

much easier to do.”

The city isn’t using any sand at all now.

“It’s all strictly salt and we use the brine as well; which is salt, salt water.

We haven’t used sand in quite a long time,” he said. “Stopping using sand was a good move. We save a lot of time.

“Sometimes we have 16 guys out in the plows. If it isn’t that bad of a storm, we’ll only have half that many.”

“We are equipped to handle big storms. We have the payloaders and stuff like that. If we get heavy accumulation, we have the big snowblowers to do the sidewalks, bridges and other congested areas,” he said. “We can handle it. No plans have changed really.

We know what an Oswego winter can be and we are prepared to handle it.”

SPECIAL REPORT

Infrastructure Bill: Great News for CNY Area Roads, bridges, the electric grid, broadband and more are in line for improvements

P “The passage of the Infrastructure Bill will definitely bring work to our county and state,” says Tim McKernan, facility manager of EJ USA.

By Steve Yablonski

resident Joe Biden recently signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law. It contains a lot of “what this area has been asking for.”

“This bill is tremendous news for this region. This is going to be the largest federal investment in the history for upstate infrastructure,” said Kevin Schwab, vice president for public policy and government relations at CenterState CEO. “You’re talking about roads, bridges, rail, water systems, transit and broadband. You put it all together; there’s never in history been an infrastructure investment for Upstate New York like this.”

The legislation calls for investing

$110 billion for roads, bridges and major infrastructure projects. Also in the package is $11 billion for transportation safety, a $65 billion investment in improving the nation’s broadband infrastructure, $65 billion to rebuild the electric grid, $55 billion to upgrade water systems including replacing lead pipes and billions for airports, seaports, public transit and electric vehicle charging stations.

A significant portion of funds will be delivered through competitive grants. That means states and cities may wind up competing for the same pot of money.

“I think you’ll start seeing things get going next year,” Schwab said. “You’ll

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definitely notice it in the number of road and highway projects; probably be among the first things that you’ll see; a big increase in those.”

There are a lot of projects that counties and towns and villages have got lined up, but don’t have the resources to do, he pointed out.

“That money is coming and they’ll start seeing it next year,” Schwab said.

“The passage of the Infrastructure Bill will definitely bring work to our county and state,” said Tim McKernan, facility manager, EJ USA. However, it takes time for the money to filter to various projects, he pointed out.

“We should see jobs bidding next year, using these funds,” McKernan said. “Until then, I can’t really give specific examples. In general, one such big project may be the I-81 project in Syracuse.”

“There are ‘Buy American’ provisions in this type of spending. So, USA manufacturers such as EJ and NUCOR Steel will directly benefit from these provisions,” McKernan added.

“The Infrastructure Bill is very good news for our county and rural counties in general,” agreed Oswego County Administrator Phil Church.

“Oswego County and its municipalities have broadband, water and wastewater infrastructure needs that are critical to economic growth and job creation, as well as to our residents’ quality of life.”

Broadband “It’s one of the things that this bill did pretty well, recognize that reliable internet and the connectivity it brings isn’t some kind of a luxury; it is a necessity for folks. We know that we still have areas, particularly rural areas,

70 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

that are not connected, not connected the way that they need to be, that’s for sure,” Schwab said.

All states will receive $100 million for broadband expansion, with additional funding determined by need.

The bill has $42.5 billion nationally for broadband development and additional funding through USDA for a reconnect program, which obviously is focused on rural areas, he added.

“The key to that for this region, along with some funding that has already been passed, is that it will accelerate plans for identified areas to have broadband infrastructure extended to where it hasn’t been in the past,” Schwab said.

Once the pandemic hit, it became clear that good broadband is as important as electric connection and clean water and sewer, Schwab said, pointing to the increase in things like virtual meetings and telehealth.

“These [improvements] are often unattainable by rural governments due to their cost. In terms of water and wastewater infrastructure, if you consider conveyance projects along with other infrastructure improvements, we estimate it could easily cost more than $100 million to meet critical unmet needs,” Church said. “It could cost $30 million to develop broadband service in areas that don’t have it.”

“But now, the Infrastructure Bill has created opportunities for the county and its municipalities to access funding for these projects,” Church continued.

“The bill also contains $790,000 for improvements to our airport, large grant programs for transportation, port operations, brownfield remediation, coastal flooding and cybersecurity.”

The bill earmarked $21 billion to clean up Superfund and brownfield

sites.

“The other thing, I think you’ll see in Oswego County, is there’s a significant amount of money in this bill for ports and water works. Nationally it’s $17.5 billion. Some of the large ports will certainly get a lot of that. But, there will be money in there for projects at the port of Oswego, Little Sodus Bay other places around Lake Ontario,” Schwab said. “So I think there is going to be some investment on the water side of all of this, too.”

The legislation claims that the bill includes $16.6 billion for ports and waterways. However, that may not ultimately be accurate, according to William Scriber, executive director of the Port Authority of Oswego.

“Why? Because large sums are provided to the Corps of Engineers for civil works construction and maintenance projects. These projects could be related to navigation or they may be related to water supply or environmental restoration such as was done in Buffalo, which has no public port authority,” he explained. “We just don’t know at this time where the Corps will direct the money to go. Therefore, I cannot say [if funds will come to the Oswego port].”

The Port of Oswego has asked for west breakwater repairs for years, only to have been met with limited success, he said.

“This year, there will be a project that the port has worked with Sen. Charles Schumer’s Office on and it appears to be in the Army Corps budget for construction in 2022. In saying that, more needs to be done in the harbor to protect the growing commercial marine traffic,” he said.

MARAD’s (The United States Maritime Administration) marine highway program receives an additional $5 million/year over current levels.

“Last year, the program was funded at $10.8 million. Thus, the new funding level could be almost $16 million/year.

If this is the case, the Port of Oswego is one of only 32 in the nation that is eligible for that funding and that is something we would consider,” Scriber said.

There has been controversy around this vote, at least on the House side, Schwab noted. How is it going to be paid for is one of the biggest issues.

“This bill has a lot of what businesses and local governments in this region have been asking for for years,” he said. “We are really pleased that Congressman [John] Katko was among those who voted for this because this is what this region has asked for for years.”

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71

JOBS & FINANCE “It’s been quite the year and we’re still busy,” says Christopher Teelin, of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in North Syracuse. “It’s a healthy market, but it’s manageable for the people who work in it.”

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Why You Should Consider Selling Your House in Winter Experts: Homeowner can gain a significant advantage by putting their house up for sale during winter

By Ken Sturtz

W

hen the leaves change color it’s a reminder that winter isn’t far off. For the real estate industry, it signals the beginning of a self-imposed hibernation until the market bursts to life in spring.

The winter months are viewed by the public as one of the worst times of year to sell a house in Central New York, but according to real estate experts the savvy homeowner can gain a significant advantage by putting their house up for sale during winter.

“People think winter’s not a good time to list, but there’s no bad time to put a house on the market,” says Andrew Azzarello, president of the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors and a broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Select in North Syracuse.

“Things do slow down in the colder

months, but since the pandemic things haven’t slowed down much.”

Although the coronavirus pandemic put a crimp in real estate activity in 2020, it led to a flood of buyers looking for homes later in the year when things picked up. Intense buyer demand coupled with low interest rates and low housing inventory turbocharged the market, sending prices soaring and giving sellers a decided advantage.

For a time, sellers were routinely receiving multiple offers well over asking price as soon as they put their homes on the market.

While the market has since cooled somewhat, real estate experts say it’s merely become less frenzied and that the underlying factors that have driven the real estate market for the better part of two years remain largely unchanged.

72 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

So what accounts for the tepid interest in real estate during winter?

To be sure, there is a degree of seasonality to the market.

But Teelin says customs have developed in the Central New York marketplace over many years. Realtors and consumers got in the habit of avoiding doing business in winter in large measure because of the unpleasant weather.

That in turn can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Winter isn’t perceived as a good time to list so sellers tend to wait until spring to put their homes on the market. Buyers hold off on house-hunting until the flood of new listings in the spring. Realtors often block out a large chunk of time for vacation.

Deciding when to list a property for sale can be a tricky decision. Teelin says that instead of trying to time the market he advises clients that it can be less stressful to proceed based on the needs of the household.

“What is it that has you moving and let’s use that as the barometer for the strategy we put together,” he says.

For example, sellers with children often try to list their homes for sale so they can move and settle into a new house before the start of the school year in the fall.

If a seller is considering listing their home in winter, they should give it extra consideration, Teelin says. This winter is likely to be better than past winters for sellers. There simply aren’t enough houses coming up for sale to meet demand. Low housing inventory, one of the advantages of selling in winter, has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“People who list in winter are often shopped heavier because there are fewer listings,” says Jeffrey Tonkin, of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego. “You have a better chance of getting a good price when you’re competing against fewer listings.”

In addition to less competition, Tonkin says the buyers in the market tend to be more serious and very motivated. While there are buyers yearround, a larger share of winter buyers need to find a house and aren’t in a

Andrew Azzarello

Christopher Teelin

Jeffrey Tonkin

position to bide their time for months.

That’s often the case when someone relocates for work and needs to find housing.

Most houses can sell as easily in winter as other times of the year, Tonkin says, although there are a few exceptions. If a listing has a significant amount of land and it’s necessary to walk the property, it might be worth waiting until spring. Properties with seasonal access — such as hunting cabins and waterfront homes on roads that aren’t maintained during winter — is another example, Tonkin says.

Even with the advantages associated with selling in winter, many homeowners wonder whether to list during the holidays or wait until January. It’s a common question asked of realtors.

“The buyers that are out during the holidays when it’s busy, they’re probably exceptionally serious buyers,” Teelin says. “They’re doing it because they have a need.”

Before someone can sell their house, however, they have to line up a place to live. That simple fact has proven to be the Achilles’ heel for many sellers during the pandemic who have struggled mightily to find a new house to buy once they’ve sold theirs.

Amanda Kennedy dealt with this issue over the summer. She and her husband are moving with her mother from Oswego County to North Carolina to be closer to family. Kennedy says they planned to put their home — a 3-bedroom, 2-bath in Albion — on the market in the fall once they’d found a place in North Carolina. That turned out to be more challenging than they imagined.

They spent the summer house-hunting, but the market there was so hot that some of the houses they were interested in sold before they had a chance to look at them. They finally closed on a house in North Carolina in mid-October.

Kennedy says readying their house for sale has taken longer than planned.

In addition to painting the inside, replacing a sliding glass door and installing French doors, they’re waiting to replace a window pane that’s on back order.

Even fixing up the yard and removing leaves has been hampered by the heavy rainfall this year.

“Trying to work and trying to get the house ready to sell is crazy,” she says.

“It’s time consuming that’s for sure.”

Kennedy said she and her husband

were hoping to list their house before the end of November. They want to be here through the holidays so they aren’t planning on moving until January.

Kennedy isn’t concerned about selling during the colder months. She thinks the fact that the house sits on a 3.5-acre lot and is a 25-minute drive to Syracuse will be selling points.

She says she’s more concerned that interest rates will rise soon, cooling the market. It’s not an uncommon concern among sellers eager to take advantage of the hot market. But realtors are already predicting a busy market in the spring.

A more immediate concern among realtors is homeowners who insist on listing their house for an unreasonably high price, Azzarello says. Many have watched others cash in by selling their homes at the height of the pandemic and are eager to do the same. But as the market has calmed it’s become increasingly unrealistic to do so.

“Don’t get caught up in the craziness,” Azzarello says. “Yes, it’s a seller’s market, but no, you can’t price it $40,000 over.”

While sellers are still getting multiple offers and some are receiving offers above asking price, things have slowed down.

Tonkin advises sellers to consult with their realtor about what a realistic price for their home is. He says realtors are relying on market data that includes higher sales prices from the pandemic.

Even with that caution, it remains a seller’s market, he says.

“They’re still selling, but it might take a few weeks instead of a few hours.”

Selling during the holidays The period from Thanksgiving through New Year’s is one of the least convenient times to buy or sell a house.

People are busy with the holidays and often are trying to finish work before using vacation time at the end of the year. There are still several reasons to consider listing during the holidays, Teelin says.

During the holiday season homeowners typically give their house a thorough cleaning in anticipation of putting up decorations and entertaining guests. That means the house is likely going to look its best. And a seller still has the option to limit showings to certain times so as not to interrupt the festivities. But the biggest plus to listing during the holidays is buyers.

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

73

JOBS & FINANCE

Creative Ways to Market Real Estate High-tech and low-tech are options for today’s agents

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

W

ith dozens of real estate agents working in Central New York among numerous agencies, it can seem tough to stand out—and to make properties stand out.

For Bill Galloway, broker and owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego, teaming up with Oswego County Federal Credit Union for a collaborative commercial has proven helpful. The spot has aired on NFL Network during Monday night football and baseball.

“They’re doing a new mortgage business and I tied it with a house we had on the waterfront,” Galloway said.

“We got a lot of activity and offers. It’s been good for both the credit union and for real estate. They haven’t been in the mortgage business in a long time.”

Following up with prospects represents a big part of how real estate agents develop browsers into buyers.

Galloway likes MoxiWorks, a real estate contact software company based in Seattle that provides contact resource management. MoxiWorks reaches out to prospects with new listings and with information on what Galloway’s agents are doing.

“Moxiworks emails, texts—everything,” Galloway said.

But low-tech means of reaching clients are also effective. A Century 21 program, Preferred Client Club, sends magazines, an annual calendar and a handwritten card to those who purchase a home. For some people, a tangible object represents a more meaningful connection than automated messages.

While most people will not buy a different home for years, that contact through the Client Club can help keep Century 21 on their mind as a recommendation. The printed materials also keep the name visible for others visiting their home or office.

“Referrals are a huge part of our business, especially agents building their business,” Galloway said. “It’s their sphere of influence. Everything else is social media. We’re constantly changing that on all of the platforms.”

Faye Beckwith, real estate agent and owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal, has spent 37 years in the business.

“There are a lot of new people in the industry and names I’ve never heard before,” she said. “It seems like

Faye Beckwith

Bill Galloway

74 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

everyone has an aunt, uncle, sister or best friend who has a real estate license.

It is challenging.”

She has never before seen a market with such low inventory, either. While that makes it easier to help sellers, it makes it tough to help buyers find a place. While print advertising comprised most of her marketing budget when she started in real estate, much of it is now online. The ability to target ads to the type of buyer likely to go for a property makes it a good deal, though it does exclude people who do not use social media or who remain skeptical of its authenticity compared with print.

Building trust and endurance with buyers represents a widespread difficulty in real estate sales as the process of acquiring a home can take much longer than it has before.

“When you have multiple offers, oftentimes the buyer client can lose out to someone with cash, higher bids or terms more receptive to the seller,” Beckwith said. “A lot of buyers today are losing out. It takes two to three times to make it click, so it’s a real challenge.

We have to be very strong for buyers and give them counseling for financing options that are more receptive to the seller. Strengthening their position in the market is important. Sellers have it made.”

Beckwith also relies on referrals as real estate agents can no longer perform cold calls because of New York State General Business Law §399-z(5)(a). But Beckwith feels that cold calls are not very effective anyway. Her sentiment is backed up by research. The Keller Center for Research at Baylor University states on its website that real estate cold calls result in answers only 28% of the time and appointments or referrals only 1.7% of the time.

“I’ve been fortunate to have previous clients who are receptive to conversation and putting some things together,” Beckwith said. “Staying in touch is so critical.”

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JOBS & FINANCE

The Struggle to Find Workers Continues Companies are advertising more, offering incentives and more in an attempt to hire workers

By Steve Yablonski

M

any Central New York businesses are still having trouble maintaining workers and attracting new workers.

Nick Canale, owner of Canale’s restaurant in Oswego, said during the summer he had to close his restaurant on Mondays, not because he couldn’t adequately staff the business, but because he’d been shortstaffed since January. This gave his diminished workforce a chance to rest.

He advertised widely, but got little response.

A big part of the problem was the cash incentives unemployed people received earlier this year. Even though the unemployment incentives have twilighted, the staffing problem continues. Some businesses have tried increasing salary, offering hiring bonuses and other enticements, including Popsicles.

“Labor shortages are the No. 1 problem seasonal small businesses face. Ours is no exception,” said Jim Sollecito, lifetime senior NYS certified landscape professional.

“Our long-term staff is solid. We take good care of all of our people. But there simply are not enough fresh faces showing up looking for a job. High school kids are trying to navigate being back in a structured environment and just don’t seem to be able to handle much more right now.

Same with college staff that we usually are able to bring in part-time.”

This past year, Sollecito had 18 full-time staff. They were 18% short of what they could have used.

“So, we paid more in overtime and we shortened the hours we were open. Weekend labor is tough to find; so we closed Sundays,” he said.

Normally they have three or four recently retired people working 15-20 hours a week. This year, they had one.

76

“People have learned how to live smaller, spend their retirement savings and they are still cautious about returning to a work environment where they will have more exposure to COVID than by staying home,” Sollecito said.

That being said, demand for quality landscape plants has never been stronger, he added. “Our landscape teams have been extremely busy and I see no reason short of a recession that this will be the same scenario in 2022,” he said.

Sollecito does quarterly bonuses, its pay scale is above average, they have a positive and very safe work environment. And, the big hit is Popsicle Time every day at 3 p.m.

“We started this tradition two years ago. I buy real fruit Popsicle sticks at Wegmans. At 3 every day we stop what we are doing and gather for everyone to have a Popsicle and spend a minute or two telling what is going on in their world. If customers would like, we hand them a Popsicle as well,” Sollecito explained. “One of the best morale builders I ever came up with. Wish I had thought of it years ago, but that’s what makes the future so exciting. Having been in business 48 years, we have seen a lot of bumps in the road along the way. We all learn to adapt to the new norm, we are adapting now and we’ll keep doing what we do so very well.”

“The start to the fall semester was more of a challenge in all facets of our staffing, from management, permanent hourly, temporary and student staff,” said Steve McAfee of SUNY Oswego’s Auxiliary Services division. “As the semester has progressed, we have seen improvement in these areas and look forward to that trend. Given those challenges, we have maintained all of our services to the campus community with little reduction in hours or amenities.”

“During the pandemic, as Stickley resumed operations in Manlius and Archdale, North Carolina, we immediately saw challenges finding enough workers to meet the demand for our products,” said Matt Targett, director of marketing for L & JG Stickley. “The federal and state stimulus packages seemed to contribute to the situation.

But, now we can see that there are larger, macro-economic issues that are creating the worker shortage. The shortage isn’t limited to hourly workers, skilled labor or office staff. We are experiencing challenges across the board.”

Stickley has taken steps to both attract and retain workers. They advertise locally for all open positions, use job boards, local university placement ser-

vices, on the backs of trucks, increased referral bonuses and job fairs.

“Over the summer, we greatly increased our internship program bringing college-aged workers into the factory and the office to both alleviate manpower shortages and to position Stickley as an attractive place to seek a career after college,” Targett explained.

“We are continuing that program over the holidays and again next summer.

Additionally, we increased starting wages across the board and added retention bonuses for many workers.”

It is clear that this labor shortage will not end soon and “we have to remain competitive and aggressive in retaining and seeking new employees.

We will continue to make Stickley an attractive workplace and offer the benefits of a family-owned business to each and every employee,” he added.

“We are actively hiring for positions across all of our Syracuse area stores to ensure our customers continue to receive the incredible customer service they are accustomed to during the busy holiday season,” said Marcie Rivera, Wegmans Food Markets, public relations. “To fill these roles, we have hosted hiring events to encourage those who are interested to apply.”

“We have certainly had to change our approach with recruitment and staffing in both our retail stores and our warehouse. To help attract applicants to our warehouse, we offer a sign-on bonus and pay for performance incentives,” said Kathy Sautter, Tops Markets spokesperson. “In both our warehouse and retail stores, we have changed how we interview applicants by utilizing our virtual platform, doing phone interviews and on-the-spot interviews as well. We have to be willing to talk to candidates any day, any time, otherwise we risk losing them to other employers.”

“Now, more than ever, we have also encouraged the hiring of minors as young as 14 years old in our retail locations. We help these students to balance their academic demands, sports, extracurricular activities, and

work schedules and pride ourselves on being a ‘first job’ that helps build skills for wherever they go in life,” Sautter said. “A perk for these young adults to join the Tops team is that we offer scholarship opportunities and tuition reimbursement.”

“We, as an independent living center, certainly do employ people with disabilities. We’ve experienced a pretty significant problem in hiring in general, people with disabilities or without,” said Tania Anderson, CEO of ARISE. “It’s a problem all across the country; but we have a big issue with hiring right here in CNY.” They are “certainly functioning,” but probably have more than four dozen open positions right now, she noted.

ARISE employs, across its total service area, about 650 people; about 120 in Oswego County.

“We have programs for people with developmental disabilities where about 42% of the people who are approved to receive rehabilitation services aren’t getting any service, because we don’t have the direct support professionals,” Anderson said.

Other programs are affected as well.

Some people are approved for services in their home, but aren’t getting services because ARISE can’t find the staff.

There really is a significant problem and it’s having a direct impact on people with disabilities, she said.

“We’ve done a lot to increase our recruitment efforts. We’ve done advertisements, we’ve done community events, we’ve done a referral bonus program, we put signs on our buildings in Oswego and Syracuse,” she added.

“We’re not having any success.”

They have had times where people just don’t show up for an interview.

Also, they have had a higher turnover rate since the pandemic.

“That’s a significant cost because there’s a cost every time you hire and train someone,” she said. “We’re really hurting when it comes to direct care staff; people are going without services.”

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

77

SPECIAL REPORT

New York’s Climate Change Goals Fuel Solar Power Growth in CNY Scores of projects remain in development around the state

R

ow after row of solar panels sat pointed toward the sky, their reflective surfaces gleaming in the sunlight as vehicles zipped by on a highway a hundred yards away, their drivers paying little attention to the array of panels.

It’s been more than half a decade since Oswego County inked a deal allowing a developer to build this 2-megawatt solar farm on 9 acres of county-owned land in Volney.

In exchange, the developer agreed to provide the county electricity at a discounted rate for 20 years. At the time the Volney farm was one of the first significant solar projects in the area.

Today it has company. Thousands of solar projects — completed and under development — have popped up across the state.

By Ken Sturtz Solar power has experienced explosive growth in New York, driven by more affordable solar panels, government subsidies and an all-out effort by the state to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

A decade ago the total capacity of installed solar projects across the entire state stood at just 100 megawatts, roughly the same as the combined generating capacity of the 10 hydroelectric plants located in Oswego County. By 2016, statewide solar capacity had soared to 958 megawatts.

In July, the state announced 3,000 megawatts of solar had been installed across the state, enough to power more than half a million homes. Total capacity has since risen to 3,144 megawatts.

That’s more than the three nuclear reactors in Oswego County. The James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant

78 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

and the two units at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station produce a combined total of approximately 2,745 megawatts.

Initially most solar projects consisted of residential or small commercial installations (The state’s 3,144-megawatt solar capacity is spread out across 148,000 projects). But in recent years growth has been increasingly driven by bigger commercial solar projects with the potential to produce much larger quantities of electricity.

For example, the state lists more than 6,000 projects in its pipeline that are supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). They’ll have a potential capacity of 2,729 megawatts.

Nearly 90% of that capacity will come from just 446 larger commercial projects.

The state is also supporting 73 even bigger utility-scale projects that are

above With little more than a chain-link

fence surrounding them, solar farms like this one located in Volney are often inconspicuous enough that motorists on nearby highways don’t even realize they are there. left A 2-megawatt solar farm sits on nine acres of county-owned land in Volney adjacent to the Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District offices. A decade ago the county signed an agreement with a developer allowing them to use the land for the solar farm in exchange for the county receiving electricity at a discounted rate.

under development.

Central New York’s share of solar projects — 21.4 megawatts over 474 projects in Oswego County and 39.8 megawatts across 1,337 projects in Onondaga County — has been relatively modest, but that’s already beginning to change.

NYSERDA lists 12 large commercial projects in the pipeline in Oswego County with a combined output of 65 megawatts. In Onondaga County, 28 projects are listed as being in development. They have the potential to generate 162 megawatts. Most but not all solar projects in New York receive support from the state.

Rapid Growth L. Michael Treadwell, executive director of Operation Oswego County, said the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has approved a dozen projects in the last two years.

“There wasn’t any significant solar activity at all until the last two and a half years,” he said. “But things are very active.”

The influx of developers seeking support for solar projects was such that last year the IDA passed a solar projects

PILOT deviation policy, standardizing criteria for developers seeking assistance on solar farms.

The projects that have received assistance from the IDA include four in Richland and three in Sandy Creek, as well as one each in Volney, the town of Oswego, Hastings, Scriba and the city of Oswego. Treadwell said total investment by the project developers is nearing $60 million.

The rapid growth of solar in New York is due to several factors. Experts point to the declining price of solar panels and improvements in solar technology that have made panels more efficient. New York also has vast amounts of inexpensive land in rural areas suitable for large solar farms.

The single biggest driver though has been the state’s aggressive stance on fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions. New York has spent billions of dollars in ramping up clean energy, including investing in large-scale renewable projects, efforts to reduce building emissions and clean transportation initiatives.

In 2011, the state launched NYSun, an initiative within NYSERDA. The $1.8 billion program was meant to advance the scale-up of solar and

move New York toward a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. Since the program’s launch it’s provided more than $1 billion in incentives, leveraging $5.3 billion in private investment.

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which was passed in 2019, calls for 70% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 6,000 megawatts of solar by 2025. It also sets a goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040 and economy-wide carbon neutrality.

With installed projects and projects under development, New York is on track to hit 95% of its 6,000-megawatt solar goal.

In September, Gov. Kathy Hochul called for the expansion of the NY-Sun program to reach an even more ambitious goal of at least 10,000 megawatts of distributed solar installed by 2030.

The state’s aggressive efforts to scale up solar initially ran into a problem. As many as three out of four New Yorkers can’t install solar panels on their roof or property, said Chris Carrick, program manager of Energy Management for the Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board. Some are renters without access to a roof. In other cases, the roof faces the wrong

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

79

direction for solar or the homeowner can’t afford the steep upfront costs.

So, New York joined several other states and in 2015 began allowing community solar.

The idea of community solar is to increase access to solar for homeowners and renters who might not be in a position to install solar panels at their home. Customers subscribe to a community solar project — a solar farm that’s been built somewhere else — and receive a credit on their electric bill for the power produced by the solar panels.

Energy is still delivered to the customer by their regular electric provider; the renewable energy produced by the solar farm is fed into the electric grid.

New York ranked first in the nation in community solar installations in 2020, with 549 megawatts installed, most of which was supported by NYSun incentives. The state’s pipeline of solar projects is made up of more than 90% community solar or more than 800 projects.

The emphasis on community solar projects — which typically range from 2-5 megawatts and can take up 10-30 acres — is a significant change, Carrick said.

A decade ago his office was involved in several solar initiatives that included outreach and education campaigns. They held workshops for the public and worked with installers in an effort to sign residents up for small residential solar projects. It was tough work. Carrick said the equipment was expensive and the number of people who signed up was limited. Those who went forward tended to be higher income professionals or retirees who were concerned about the environment, he explained. Community solar has helped solar power to spread beyond early adopters.

“Now today it’s more of a mass market,” Carrick said. “We’ve seen this evolution from small rooftop projects to now these larger and larger systems.”

State incentives and New York’s ultra-ambitious renewable energy goals have certainly driven the adoption of community solar, said Mike Francis, president of Omni Renewables, a company that connects subscribers with community solar projects. He said what makes it popular with the public, however, is the idea that it breaks down the traditional barriers associated with solar, such as property ownership and capital, and allows virtually anyone to have a part in solar.

“With community solar it’s really

Solar power has experienced explosive growth in New York, driven by more affordable solar panels, government subsidies and an all-out effort by the state to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Solar farms generally need to be sited close to transmission lines or it can become expensive to tie into the electrical grid.

the democratization of solar,” Francis said. “If you pay a utility bill, you can participate.”

Francis said his company currently has a pipeline of more than 150 megawatts spread over 27 projects, including two in Richland. A significant chunk of those projects already has subscribers, but the company is continuing to sign up customers, he said.

Convincing consumers of the soundness of community solar, which is regulated by the Public Service Commission, was an issue at first, but has become less so as awareness has grown.

“In the beginning the public used to think it was too good to be true,” Francis said. “I think the public is starting to figure out community solar is the real deal and it’s not some scam.”

Connecting to the Electrical Grid Despite the rapid growth of solar across the state, scores of projects remain in development and have yet to actually

80 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

come to fruition.

Of the 12 large solar projects in Oswego County that have received IDA support, so far just one project, a 2-megawatt solar farm in Sandy Creek, is completed and operating. That project was approved in 2018; the others were approved in 2019, 2020 or earlier this year.

“It takes a while,” Treadwell said.

“These projects seem like they’re trying to move really fast, but they end up being fairly slow in terms of the process.”

Developers have to find a site to build their solar farm and secure financing for the project. There are the applications for state and IDA support, as well as approvals from local planning boards. In some areas developers have also faced stiff resistance from residents who don’t want them to build a solar farm near them.

Community solar projects, which typically range from 2-5 megawatts, tend to be somewhat simpler to develop.

Larger utility scale solar farms of 25 megawatts or more are treated like a

new power plant and must go through a process overseen by the state, which is more grueling and can take years.

“There’s a question about how many of these projects will actually make it to the finish line,” Carrick said.

“A lot of these projects die on the vine.”

The reasons a project fails vary.

Sometimes there are issues securing funding or overcoming public resistance. One of the biggest sticking points, however, is connecting a solar farm to the electrical grid, Carrick said.

Solar farms generally need to be sited close to transmission lines or it can become expensive to tie into the grid.

And with much of the country’s electric grids aging, developers sometimes need to pay for costly improvements to distribution lines or substations so they can handle the larger amounts of electricity.

“One often overlooked benefit is these developers are being asked to foot the bill to improve the utility infrastructure for the benefit of everybody,” Carrick said.

Finding a suitable site has become increasingly challenging as the number of solar projects has skyrocketed, Treadwell said. In Oswego County, the larger solar projects are spread out geographically, but in locations where they can be connected to the grid for distribution.

“There was a kind of a race to identify sites that would be doable because you just can’t grab 25-30 acres out of the blue and say I’m going to put a solar farm there,” Treadwell said. “The critical issue of locating a solar farm is siteing it whereby you can get the connection to the grid at a reasonable development cost.”

Even if some of the solar projects on the drawing board statewide don’t make it to completion, it doesn’t seem to be a deterrent for future projects. Carrick said that if anything the projects moving forward will be larger because many of the costs are the same regardless of the size of the solar farm.

Treadwell said the influx of developers looking to build solar farms in Oswego County slowed down a bit this year, but will likely continue at a steady clip going forward. He said as time goes on, many developers are learning to propose copies of solar projects that have already been successful somewhere else.

“We have been flooded with projects and companies coming back with a repeat of another project in another location,” Treadwell said. “And we’re still getting projects.”

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Without a PFD, survival time can be reduced.

Reach Key Decision Makers and Advertise in Oswego County Business 315-342-8020 • editor@cnybusinessmag.com DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

81

HEALTH SPECIAL

HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT • Suicide Rates Hit Alarming Levels • ConnextCare Adds New Staff • Clinical Trials: How Drugs & Treatments Get Approval • 30% of Adults in Upstate New York Skip Visits to the Dentist PLUS Health News Briefs 82

Clinical Trials: How Drugs, Treatments Get Approval They help researchers identify and refine better treatments

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

E

very pill, vaccine and therapy prescribed to you by your medical provider once underwent a clinical trial to prove its safety and efficacy.

While it is reassuring that the process exists, most people know little about how it works.

“Clinical trials are the major way we’re able to distinguish whether a new product is effective,” said physician Elizabeth Asiago-Reddy, associate professor of infectious disease and medical director of Inclusive Health Services at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“When doing a clinical trial, the important piece is we’re comparing placebo or standard of care with the new product. People are followed over time and there’s very, very careful procedures and observation as to what they’re receiving and how they’re doing over time. We look at how they progress towards the primary end point: the main question we’re trying to answer.”

Researchers must carefully select

volunteers who fit a profile of the patients that the new drug or treatment would affect. Other factors of eligibility may include absence of certain conditions, age, gender and more.

Asiago-Reddy said that people lacking good access to healthcare are often those hardest to recruit for trials, such as those underinsured, those living in rural areas, older adults, minorities and people economically disadvantaged.

“We haven’t provided equal care to every kind of person who lives in our country,” she said. “That’s demonstrated in the data. I personally worry very much about excess incentives to recruit people from underrepresented communities.”

Trials are usually conducted in six steps: approval of the research protocol, screening, informed consent, data collection, study closure and reporting of findings.

An institutional review board re-

views every trial conducted in the US. The board is comprised of experts who look at the risks and benefits of the study to protect those participating. Volunteers are screened for their eligibility.

As to whether a participant “makes the cut” to join, “it all depends upon the phase of study that you’re involved in,” said physician Stephen Thomas, director of global health with SUNY Upstate.

Early in studies, researchers tend to want young, healthy adults. As the trial progresses and expands, it tends to include people with a variety of ages and health issues, as long as those issues are not contraindicated for the parameters of the study.

The informed consent ensures that the participants understand the study.

As the study ensues, researchers carefully monitor patients. In some cases, they remain at a healthcare facility. In most cases, they participate in a number of visits to the facility so researchers can gather information. Once all the visits

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

83

Physician Elizabeth Asiago-Reddy is an associate professor of infectious disease and medical director of inclusive health services at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

have been completed, the trial is over.

Participants typically receive a stipend for their time spent.

Trials typically research in phases.

The earliest phase is in a lab Petri dish and then with animals. The first human trials use only a small group and focus on safety. As the phases continue, more individuals are added to the group and some receive the treatment and others (the control group) do not. This allows researchers to fairly compare the efficacy of what they are testing. As the phases continue, larger groups become involved, which can help prove efficacy among a variety of people.

Some groups are difficult to study for ethical reasons.

“Historically, pregnant women, children and people who are immunosuppressed are excluded from clinical trials,” Thomas said. “I went to college in the late ‘80s as a medical ethics major.

People look at doing experiments in those populations view them as high risk so they avoid it. Sure, you spare them the risk of participating, but you have a medication you do not know if it’s safe in that group or will benefit that

“The US has one of the most rigorous clinical processes in the world,” says Lisa Sonneborn, founder and site director of Clarity Clinical Research in East Syracuse.

group. That group has been left out and has no idea what they can use.”

Older adults are also challenging to study because they may have a long list of medications and health issues that could skew the results if their group size is too small. But it is also important to accurately represent their demographic which statistically does have more health issues than younger people.

People considering participation in a clinical trail can feel confident that they are not “guinea pigs.”

“The US has one of the most rigorous clinical processes in the world,” said Lisa Sonneborn, founder and site director of Clarity Clinical Research in East Syracuse. “It takes often 15 years to gather data before the FDA will approve it. There are many checkpoints along to way to review data to ensure the data is valid and supports moving forward with the evaluation of that treatment.

Safety data is gathered at all steps. As you go forward, we understand the effects on the disease.”

Volunteers are not haphazardly added to clinical trials. In fact, the opposite is true.

84 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

“We spend a lot of time with patients understanding their history and health and triage them into studies they would benefit from,” she said. “People are concerned that participants will be administered a treatment with understanding the risk. Informed consent can take hours of time so patients have all the information they need prior to participating. Sometimes, that even means taking that information and discussing it with their primary care provider, which is encouraged.”

She views participating in clinical trials as a means to leave a legacy in healthcare.

“There are so many people who came before you to help develop the drugs that help you,” she said. “You have an opportunity to help your children and grandchildren. You just have to call and ask what opportunities there are for you in research. You may not fit the profile for a study but calling is the first step. It moves science forward and makes cures available. It can save lives.”

Look for clinical trials at www. clinicaltrials.gov.

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.

HEALTH SPECIAL

ConnextCare Adds Staff to Fight Pandemic, Support Growth New personnel has enabled provider to help administer more than 17,000 doses of vaccine, staff new Central Square clinic

By Steve Yablonski

A

s the pandemic lingers, ConnextCare continues efforts to support its local response to the COVID-19 virus through the administration of vaccine for third doses and booster doses. Also, during the week of Nov. 8-12, they had Pfizer pediatric doses for those 5 to 11.

“Vaccine clinics were being held at five local school districts in mid-November as well as through a drive-thru option at the Parish and Pulaski offices,” according to Tricia Peter-Clark, president and chief executive officer.

“This reduced any potential barriers to accessing the vaccine.”

Despite the challenges the pandemic has posed on the health care delivery system, ConnextCare has still been able to carry out a few of its strategic plans with the opening of a new Mexico Elementary-High School school-based health center in October and the anticipated opening of a new primary care site in Central Square on Dec. 1, she added.

To support this expansion, as well as other program growth opportunities, ConnextCare has been working to recruit additional providers to ensure adequate support and patient access at all 15 practice sites, Peter-Clark explained.

New providers were hired to support the transfer of existing providers to Central Square to ensure that ConnextCare had stable capacity at the existing locations to manage the patients they are currently providing a medical home for, she added.

New staff added “Recruitment efforts have led to the onboarding of: two family practice physicians, one pediatrician, one pediatric

Tricia Peter-Clark, president and CEO of ConnextCare; Patrick Dewine, executive director of United Way of Greater Oswego County, and Tracy Wimmer, chief financial officer of ConnextCare promotes joint efforts to vaccinate the 12- 25-year-old Oswego County population.

86 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

nurse practitioner, three family practice nurse practitioners, one adult geriatric nurse practitioner, three physician assistants, one psychiatric nurse practitioner, one dentist and two licensed master social workers — many of whom have trained at a ConnextCare practice prior to joining or who have been referred by one of our existing outstanding professionals,” she said.

As for expansion on the numbers, through Nov. 5, ConnextCare has administered 17,399 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Peter-Clark said.

The hiring of the new provider team was strategic, as ConnextCare is preparing for the grand opening of its Central Square location, she added.

Physician Anthony Rotella, who is currently working at the ConnextCare Fulton office, will be transitioning to this location to serve as the physician leader for the site. And, nurse practitioners Jessica Kimball, Maya Werksman and Chelsea Claflin, currently practicing in Pulaski, will also transition to Central Square and work alongside Rotella to build this new practice site.

“ConnextCare has a wait list of new patients who have requested to establish at this location, which we will be working to schedule over the next several months,” Peter-Clark said. “This new site will expand access for the north shore and essentially make ConnextCare fully accessible throughout the entire county.”

ConnextCare’s new dentist and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner were onboarded solely to enhance access due to demands in both oral and mental health, Peter-Clark explained.

ConnextCare is a nonprofit corporation and a federally qualified health center run by a volunteer board of directors. In 2018, the health care network adopted the new name, ConnextCare, to better reflect its growth in staff, services and locations.

About ConnextCare ConnextCare was founded nearly 50 years ago as Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. It is a family-oriented primary care practice

network with sites in Pulaski, Mexico, Parish, Phoenix, Oswego and Fulton. It services residents of Oswego County, southern Jefferson County, northern Onondaga County and Lake Ontario visitors by providing quality health and wellness services.

ConnextCare runs seven schoolbased health centers in the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, Fulton, Mexico, Sandy Creek and Pulaski school districts.

It is accredited by the Joint Commission and is certified as a Level 3 patient-centered medical home.

ConnextCare employs a medical team of physicians, mid-level providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants), dentists and dental hygienists, behavioral health specialists and contracted psychiatrists.

Specialty services are available at the ConnextCare Pulaski site, provided by independent providers.

Specialties provided include cardiology, physical therapy, nephrology, podiatry, family planning and surgery.

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87

HEALTH SPECIAL

Suicide Rates at Alarming Levels Oswego County’s suicide rates among the highest in New York state

By Aaron Gifford

T

wo Central New York counties struggled with alarming suicide rates even before the pandemic struck.

According to the New York State Department of Health, the latest reported suicide rate for Madison County was 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to the state average of 8.5 per 100,000.

Oswego County’s was even higher, at 15.1 per 100,000.

These figures were for the year ending 2017, the most recent year available.

Madison County actually has less than 100,000 people, so the rate, based on increments per 10,000, is correlated to the trend line based on the population of 70,000.

Both counties are economically diverse, with more populated and middle-class communities closer to the Onondaga County suburbs, along with small cities (Oneida, Fulton and Oswego) struggling farms and small businesses as well as pockets of generational rural poverty.

As for the other two Central New York counties, Onondaga was 9.7 per 100,000 and Cayuga was 11.3 in 2017, according to the New York State Health Department.

Nationwide, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2017, with 49,000 people taking their own lives that year. New York state, whose suicide rate increased 28% from 1999 to 2016, was No. 6 on that list, behind California, Texas and Ohio. Comparatively, rural areas across the United States have experienced higher rates of suicide than urban communities.

The disturbing statistic promoted human service agencies in both counties to form suicide prevention coalitions and reach out to the most vulnerable populations. And even though more current suicide rates are not available yet, human service workers in both counties have reason to believe the events of COVID-19 have only made their situations worse.

“People even without mental illness are feeling this pressure,” said Tyler Ahart, project manager for Oswego County Suicide Prevention Coalition.

88 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

“We are still in this. There are just so many factors.”

“We do know that the calls to the hotlines as well as to the Syracuse VA hospital grew exponentially during COVID,” said Maureen Campanie, executive director of BRIDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, a key agency in local suicide prevention efforts. “It made sense to bring partners to the table.”

According to the report published

by Madison County’s coalition, “Suicide in Madison County 2020,” contributing factors to the local suicide rate for those younger than 18 years old include sexual abuse (5% of children under 18 have been victimized), physical abuse (11%), divorce (the rate is 94 per 100,000) and foster care (52.1% per 100,000). In addition, the rate of complaints to Madison County’s protective services office was 324 per 100,000 people, compared to the state rate of 248.7. These statistics are based on the year 2020 and may not correlate directly to the 2017 suicide rates, but officials believe all of these factors have always played a role in suicide rates.

For adults, notable factors are financial problems, social isolation, alcoholism and illegal drugs use to include opiates.

“I think that the key thing to remember is that suicide is often an intersection of many different issues, whether abuse, alcohol, job loss or a combination of so many other things,” Campanie said.

According to the Madison County report, 11.7% of adults in that county report feeling distressed, depressed or mentally unstable an average of 14 days per month in 2020. And yet, only 14 adults out of 100,000 visited a hospital for mental health issues, compared to the state rate of 40.5 per 100,000.

The report also said that Madison County’s suicide rate is two to three times higher for three specific age groups — those younger than 35, those between 45 and 54 and those 85 and older. It also noted that 47% of suicides involved a firearm, with asphyxia the second most common method at 37%, followed by self-poisoning at 12% and then blunt force trauma at 3%.

In rural communities, there are fewer social networks, fewer job opportunities, and a strong sense of self-reliance where many people are reluctant to ask for help. The cost of health care for any types of service is an issue. Moreover, the stigma of having a mental health

problem is an obstacle to obtaining professional help.

Oswego County’s suicide rate increased by 36% from 2010 to 2015.

About 17% of the total suicides in Oswego County between 2010 and 2016 were young adults between the ages of 18 and 27, though the coalition has identified vulnerable populations ranging from grade school children, to adults, to senior citizens.

There’s an additional emphasis on reaching out to military veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ and folks who are not comfortable attending any meetings or awareness events in person, Ahart said.

“We are working to reduce the stigma of mental health,” he said. “With that, we have to create the presence everywhere that there is support. That includes making people feel comfortable and supported in this virtual world.”

Outdoor events to raise awareness about suicide took place in both counties earlier this fall. Both counties also have grief support groups for those who lost a loved one to suicide. Human services agencies are working with schools, churches and even various types of business to get the word out that help is available to anyone who may be thinking about taking their own life.

“We’ve even reached out to income tax preparers who come into contact with people who have financial concerns,” Campanie said. “We want to empower others to offer support and help people get upstream from this.”

New York: 18th Happiest State

D

espite an unfavorable suicide rate, New York fared much better in WalletHub’s “Happiest States in America” rankings.

The list, which was published earlier this year and is based on WalletHub’s analysis of existing date from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and various other agencies, places the Empire State at No. 18 in the nation.

New York scored 57.19 (out of 100) in a measurement of three categories – emotional and physical well being, work environment and community and environment.

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HEALTH SPECIAL

Anna Kanaley, D.O.

30% of Adults in Upstate New York Skip Visits to Dentist

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hirty percent of Upstate New York adults did not visit a dentist within the past year, according to the results of a survey commissioned by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. And that’s troubling because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 42% of all adults (and 60% of adults age 65 years and older) have some form of gum disease.

Kids are also negatively impacted by a lack of routine dental care. By age 8, more than half (52%) have had a cavity in their baby teeth, and low-income children are twice as likely to have cavities as higher-income children.

“Regular preventive dental care is not only essential for good oral health, but also general health,” says physician Anna Kanaley, medical director at Excellus BCBS. “Many diseases that affect the entire body often first become apparent as mouth lesions or other oral problems.” More than 90% of all systemic diseases produce oral signs and symptoms, reports the Academy of General Dentistry.

Routine dental care identifies issues early when they may be easier to treat.

The following health conditions may be identified by a dentist during a routine oral exam: • Diabetes • GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) • Cancers of the head, neck, mouth and throat • Osteoporosis • AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) • Autoimmune diseases, including Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus • Celiac disease • Anemia • Chronic kidney disease Untreated oral disease has a large impact on quality of life and productivity for both children and adults. On average, 34 million school hours are lost each year because of emergency dental care. In the workplace, more than $45 billion is lost in productivity in the United States each year because

90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

of untreated oral disease. Poor dental care even impacts employment, with nearly 18% of all working-age adults, and 29% of those with lower incomes, reporting that the appearance of their mouth and teeth affects their ability to interview for a job.

“Adults, and especially parents, should view routine dental care the same way they do other routine medical care, such as wellness visits, standard immunizations, and screenings,” says Kanaley. “You shouldn’t think of dental care as just cleanings, and you shouldn’t just go to the dentist when you think something’s wrong.”

The American Dental Association recommends that everyone visit their dentist for an exam and cleaning at least once a year, and preferably once every six months.

“For help finding a dentist who meets your needs, visit your health insurer’s website,” advises Kanaley.

“Even if you don’t have dental coverage, your health insurer may be able to connect you with dental health resources.”

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Health News BRIEFS Excellus BCBS Raises Minimum Wage to $18 an Hour Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has raised the minimum wage for all employees at its company to $18 an hour. Previously, the minimum wage was $15 an hour.

“I’m excited to share that our organization has a new $18 an hour minimum wage,” said Jim Reed, CEO and president of Excellus BCBS. “We hope an increase in the minimum wage will have a meaningful impact on employees and their families and help us remain competitive when attracting and retaining top talent.”

Increasing the minimum wage to $18 an hour will result in salary increases for 639 employees across upstate New York, or about 15 percent of the Health Plan’s total workforce.

Employees receiving raises include about 389 making below $18 an hour and 250 making just above that amount.

Many of these employees work in customer service, member enrollment, claims processing, clinical support,

provider network credentialing or in the print and mail room.

“As one of upstate New York’s largest nonprofit employers, we’re committed to investing in our employees while also serving as a great place to work,” Reed said. “Pay is important, but we’re also proud of our comprehensive employee benefits, flexible work environment, our strong culture and mission.”

Excellus BCBS employs about 4,000 employees across 39 counties of upstate New York.

Wage Agreement: NPs at Samaritan Health Earn $82,500 Samaritan Health has recently reached an agreement with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to raise wages for its unionized registered nurses (RNs) by 14%.

As a result of this agreement, Samaritan has increased its starting RN wage from $30.41 to $34.67 an hour. The average full-time Samaritan RN earns

approximately $82,500 per year.

Samaritan completed a significant market-rate adjustment for its employees in August that impacted many positions and led to adopting a new $15 per hour minimum wage rate for all entry-level positions. Approximately 1,200 staff received a pay increase at that time.

RN wages did not increase in August due to Samaritan’s assessment that its wages remained market-competitive at that time. However, RNs did receive a 1% lump-sum payment for their continued dedicated work.

According to a news release issued

by Samaritan, local and regional market RN wages have increased dramatically since August. The agreement with NYSNA was ratified by a vote of RNs on Nov. 22 and it will be retroactive to Aug.1, 2021. The change will impact 408 RNs at the medical center.

“As the nationwide shortage of registered nurses continues to impact hospital systems throughout the country, this increase will supplement Samaritan’s continued efforts to recruit and retain nurses,” read a hospital press release. “We strive to hire and retain the highest-quality nurses through strong wage offers, a comprehensive benefits package, and sign-on bonuses.”

120 East 1st. St., Oswego • 315-343-2020 • www.HarborEyeAssociates.com 92 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Success Story

By Steve Yablonski Eric Bresee, executive director, with Shonna Brodhead (left), opioid treatment program senior therapist and Merceded Giacaz, counselor. Photo courtesy of John DeRousie, Custom Marketing Solutions

Farnham Family Services Oswego-based nonprofit celebrating 50 years of helping people conquer addiction

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arnham Family Services is a NYS licensed, private, nonprofit organization. It helps people with substance use and behavioral health disorders, providing high quality, recovery-oriented outpatient treatment and prevention services that are available to all residents of Oswego and surrounding counties.

The executive director aims to continue to build upon the success of his predecessor.

“I came over in 2015, took over for Jean Unger. She was an absolute amazing leader,” Eric Bresee said. “It will be six years on Nov. 30. I was actually on the Farnham board for two years. As (Unger) was getting ready to leave, she said that I should consider applying

for this position. I considered myself an OCO lifer; I loved working at OCO [Oswego County Opportunities]. It’s a great company. I had a lot of great opportunities there. I didn’t think I was ever going to leave. But I started thinking about this opportunity and coming over here. I ended up getting offered the job and ultimately taking it.”

For more than a half century, Farnham has provided Oswego County with solutions to the problems created by substance abuse.

Since its inception as a crisis center in an abandoned dormitory on the eastern edge of the SUNY Oswego campus, Farnham has evolved by adding and adapting services to meet

the ever-changing needs of those in Oswego County.

Services such as individualized and group counseling, continuing care, parenting education, medication assisted treatment, jail-based services, additional vocational supports and evidence-based programs are helping hundreds of individuals.

Opioid crisis “When I came over, we were in the throes of the opioid epidemic. Starting to ramp up where the treatment agency was starting to see more folks presenting with opioid use disorder than alcohol use disorder for the first time ever,” Bresee said.

It’s still a problem, he said, adding, there are still a lot of overdoses.

“Overdoses are up in ‘20, ’21. Opi-

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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above Eric Bresee took over as executive

director of Farnham in 2015. Farnham owes much of its success to continuing to adapt to meet the needs of Oswego County. farnham’s expanded presence in oswego county

Farnham Family Services currently serves 697 individuals and operates three clinics: 283 W. 2nd St., Ste. 200, in Oswego, 315-342-4489; 14 Crossroads Park Dr. in Fulton, 315-593-0796; and 111 Hamilton St., in Mexico (pictured, left), 315-963-0777.

oids are still an issue,” he said. “We realized that we really had to do something different to help; reach and serve this population of people who were struggling with opioid addiction. So, we set out to do the opioid treatment program.

It’s a federally approved clinic that is able to offer all three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorders.”

The three medications for treating opioid substance abuse disorder are methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone.

It’s not a one size fits all, Bresee explained. “You have to try a lot of different things with people to see what works.”

They have been expanding prevention services, school-based and community-based prevention, adding staff and buildings and school districts, education-based prevention as well as started offering peer support services, he said.

More services “We are now offering services in Mexico and Pulaski at the former Harbor Lights Chemical Dependency Services locations,” Bresee said. “The

addition of those sites allows for easier access to our services and increases our presence in the county.”

The boards of directors of Farnham and the County of Oswego Council on Alcoholism and Addictions (COCOAA) joined forces to form a more efficient and stronger organization to prevent and treat local substance abuse.

This effort was supported by a grant awarded from the Central New York Community Foundation and the Shineman Foundation. The New York Council on Nonprofits was engaged to provide professional facilitation, due diligence and legal support services to a joint Strategic Partnership Task Force of the boards.

“The treatment and prevention of substance use disorder in Oswego County continues to be a high priority. COCOAA and Farnham will bring the strengths of the two organizations together and unite to build one organization that has the capacity and resources to meet the needs of Oswego County,” Bresee said.

Bresee remained in his position.

Penny Greene, executive director of COCOAA, is the associate executive director of the newly unified organization.

94 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

As it has been since the beginning, outpatient treatment peer support continues to be Farnham’s most in-demand service. It’s a combination of mentorship, crisis support, education, in-home and community-based services, and connecting patients to formal recovery supports.

“I don’t know if we’ve seen a huge trend in younger people [with addictions]. I feel like that’s been relatively stable; there is a need there. Here at Farnham, we primarily serve 24-44, that’s the big age range,” Bresee said.

“A lot of those folks started having trouble when they were younger, but it didn’t emerge to be a big issue until they got older.”

Prevention is the smart investment, he said.

“If you can help people never get to the point where their (substance) use is impacting their day-to-day life, that’s great; you’ll have a healthier society, community,” he said.

Seeking help “I would say, right now, for the first time ever, we have just about as many self-referrals as we do criminal justice

referrals. If you go back several years, most the folks coming in our doors were coming in because the probation office, the parole office or a judge, their CPS worker … someone was basically saying, ‘You need to seek treatment’ in order to deal with whatever they had going on,” he added.

That started to shift a couple years ago.

“We started seeing more and more people coming in of their own volition.

More and more folks are recognizing that they need help and are willing to come in and get help,” he said. “That’s a great trend. Hopefully that means the stigma is starting to reduce. We still have a lot of stigma, though. And you have a lot of folks who don’t see their use as a problem, even though they are having a lot of using issues associated with their life. If, for example, you ask a wife, she’d say he has a problem, but if you ask him, he’d say, it’s not a problem for me. You get a little bit of that. There is certainly some of that denial.”

Farnham needs to continue to evolve, to meet people where they’re at, the director noted.

“Telehealth. One good thing that COVID-19 gave us was a need to get to telehealth as soon as possible,” he said. “That’s working out well for a lot of folks who wouldn’t or couldn’t come into to the clinic.”

With addiction, there is no one kind of treatment and telehealth is the newest tool.

“It takes a toolbox full of strategies.

Education, recovery, faith-based support, clinical intervention, medication, peer support,” Bresee said. “There are a lot of strategies and you have to have all the tools in your toolbox to be able to individualize the plan.

Stigma lingers “There’s still a stigma. A lot of times I think people see it as a moral failing, they just don’t have the self control, don’t have the discipline. It’s misunderstood; it makes some people not seek help. There’s a lot of judgment out there, especially with addiction.”

Farnham currently serves 697 individuals and operates three clinics. It has 90 employees.

Are they overworked?

“Yeah, especially now. A lot of jobs are hard to fill right now. It’s been challenging. For clients, we do a hybrid model in-person and virtual meetings.

We’re doing some in-person groups, but they’re primarily virtual these days,”

Farnham’s presence has grown with the acquisition of Harbor Lights Chemical Dependency Services and the merger with the County of Oswego Council on Alcoholism and Addictions (COCOAA). It serves 697 individuals and operates three clinics. It has 90 employees.

The Need for Farnham’s Services Remains Great

F

arnham has always had an important role in serving Oswego County regarding substance use and prevention, according to two of the agency’s clinical leaders.

“In the last few years, the need for these services has grown due to the increased numbers in people struggling with opiate use disorder and the COVID pandemic,” said Shonna Brodhead. “People are experiencing disconnection and grief and loss at higher rates in the last 18 months. People have lost jobs, have been unable to be with family/friends and social/religious communities due to quarantine or isolation and have lost medical

services and childcare. Most people have experienced this disconnect and loss on some level in the last few years.”

Michael Labarbera agreed.

“Farnham’s importance to the community cannot be overstated.

Farnham providing services to the substance use disorder population is saving lives every day,” he said.

“Farnham continuing to expand in its programming from the outpatient and opioid treatment program to prevention services and home and community based services is helping the community by connecting with the community and letting them know we are here for them.”

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Opioids ‘A Significant Concern’

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he opioid epidemic remains “a significant concern for our community,” according to Eric Bresee, executive director of Farnham Family Services.

According to data, overdoses in Oswego County continue to increase with 130 non-fatal and 22 fatal overdoses plus 104 Narcan saves reported from Jan. 1 through Aug. 12, according to Shane LaVigne, high intensity drug trafficking area officer, at the Oswego County Prevention Coalition meetings.

Farnham Family Services opened Oswego County’s first opioid treatment program (OPT) to combat what has been termed the “heroin epidemic.” It is now serving a census of more than 250 individuals, Bresee said.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Heroin-related overdose deaths have more than quadrupled since 2010” and Oswego County has not been immune.

“The problem is multifaceted, no one source to blame,” Bresee said. “To combat the epidemic, providers are making life-saving medication more available. Emergency responders, health and human service professionals, community members, family members and even those struggling with addiction are being trained in opioid overdose reversal interventions (Narcan).”

The statistics on fatalities are sobering. Addiction to opiates also has negative effects on physical and mental health, family, work, school, criminal behavior, overall functioning and society.

Farnham’s OTP provides residents of Oswego and neighboring counties a potentially life-saving opportunity and has a positive impact on the greater Oswego community.

“We are working to reduce stigma and break down other barriers to accessing help,” Bresee said. “There are strict laws

and monitoring systems for prescription as well.”

There are myriad contributing factors when it comes to addiction. Many people who have been prescribed pain medication don’t suffer from substance use disorder. For those who need help, Farnham’s OTP offers medication-assisted recovery services to individuals with opioid substance use disorder.

Farnham is now offering Suboxone in the outpatient clinic.

Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone.

Buprenorphine is an opioid medication, sometimes called a narcotic. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioid medication, including pain relief or feelings of well-being that can lead to opioid abuse.

Clients must be admitted in to the outpatient clinic to receive services.

Farnham provides recovery oriented, strengths-based treatment services. Its person-centered philosophy provides the individualized approach identified as a best practice in addiction treatment.

Available services include, but not limited to: intensive and non-intensive outpatient services, group treatment counseling, dual diagnosis (substance use mental illness), adolescent services, family and couples counseling, services for any individual affected by another’s chemical use and recovery groups.

Farnham started conducting walk-in access for the Opioid Treatment Program.

“The best times to walk in for connection to the Opioid Treatment Programs are Monday-Thursday, in the morning.

If people need help they should not wait; call or come in anytime during our regular business hours,” Bresee said.

96 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

he explained. “There are a lot of people getting help [for substance abuse] but it’s not improving as much as we’d like.

We have our opioid treatment program with more than 260 people. That’s a lot of people.”

The first in the county, Farnham’s opioid treatment program was established to combat what has been termed the “heroin epidemic.”

There are other problems facing the area. Alcohol use (on the rise due to COVID-19), opioid use, synthetics.

“Those are scary because folks don’t quite know what they’re getting into.

They are trying a drug, thinking it’s one thing and it’s something different.

They’re ending up with psychosis from using these drugs,” he said. “Or maybe there’s fentanyl in it or cocaine. It’s scary when you don’t know what’s in it.”

It can be hard to understand why people turn to drugs or alcohol.

“It’s complicated. Oftentimes it is connected with mental health, depression, anxiety, not wanting to be in their current reality and needing to be someone else,” Bresee said. “They are trying to find ways to deal with trauma mental pain. Some people had surgery and were given pain pills and got addicted; there are a lot of those stories. Their doctor won’t write them prescriptions any more, so they turn to street drugs.”

For more information on Farnham Family Services visit: farnhaminc.org

Roots at SUNY Oswego In December 1970, Carl Davis of the Psychological and Consultation Center of SUNY Oswego received a state education grant ($13,000) to train a core group of (20) counselors in drugs, counseling, first aid and legalities to assist with the drug problem on campus.

Beginning as a crisis center in the abandoned dormitory, Farnham Hall was owned by the college. Due to location, college administration exerted strong influence over operations. In June of 1971 the grant ended and Farnham Hall was closed.

A small group of people incorporated as “Farnham Youth Development Center,” making them eligible for funding from county, state and federal sources.

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, Houseworksfulton.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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Mike Pollock Fulton Savings Bank CEO to Retire, Plans to Remain in Area

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ike Pollock who has led Fulton Savings Banks as president and chief executive officer for several decades will retired Dec. 31.

“It is hard to imagine Fulton Savings Bank without Mike Pollock as president and CEO. His impact at the bank and on the community has been far reaching for so long that his name is synonymous with Fulton Savings Bank,” said Brian Caswell, chairman of the bank’s board of trustees.

After serving in various senior level positions at the bank from 1981 through 1993, Pollock was named president and CEO in 1994. He will be, at

the time of his retirement, the longest serving president & CEO in the 150-year history of Fulton Savings Bank. Under his leadership, the bank has grown its operations dramatically. Today, the bank has 75 employees and six offices.

The bank’s assets have grown to $450 million with a net worth of $120 million and it remains a mutual savings bank with no shareholders.

Pollock, a Fulton native, has been a fixture on business and community boards for four decades. From the United Way to Fulton Pop Warner Football, he has served on more than a dozen boards and commissions that

98 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

touched virtually every aspect of life in the community. He was instrumental in developing and administering the bank’s financial giving program. Fulton Savings Bank donates over $100,000 annually to local nonprofits whose operations help make the community a better place to live. In addition, the bank awards over $30,000 each year to students from the local area who attend SUNY Oswego or Cayuga Community College.

“Serving as president and CEO of Fulton Savings Bank has been the honor of my life,” Pollock said. ”It was a privilege to work with so many wonderful people at the bank, in the community, and in the banking industry. What we accomplished at the bank and in the community is a credit to the organization I was privileged to lead.”

In his retirement, Pollock will remain on the Fulton Savings Bank board as a trustee and he and his wife, Joanne, will continue to reside in the city of Fulton.

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