December December2023 2023/ /January January2024 2024
www.cnybusinessmag.com
CNY’S BIG MAC KING Paul Ross, largest operator of McDonald’s in CNY, celebrates 50 years of selling burgers, fries
$6.50 $4.50
CNY’s Business Magazine
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Anaheim, California 1260 N Lakeview Ave Anaheim, CA, 92807-1831
CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2023 – JANUARY 2024
ISSUE 189
50
50 YEARS SELLING BURGERS AND FRIES Paul Ross invested about $200,000 to open his first McDonald’s store in Nedrow. Now, 50 years later, he owns and operates 15 stores, including five in Oswego County. County.
FEATURES
59
REAL ESTATE
65
HEALTHCARE
The problem with commissions paid to agents • Dramatic decline in inventory affects real estate industry
6
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Where have all independent doctors gone? • Violence against healthcare workers • Events help hospitals raise money
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
76
WINTERTIME
Forecasting weather in CNY: A challenging job • Toggenburg has become a slippery slope • Greek Peak’s 65th season
More Contents 26 Texas Roadhouse
What happens to other restaurants when a big chain store comes to town
MEET THE NEW MAYORS
37 Oneida Lake Chamber
Group turns 70, updates its name
45 Homelessness
Problem is getting worse in Oswego County
56 Tim’s Notes
20
Rueby Wood: Flourishing in show business By Tim Nekritz
64 Economic Development
The line between brick and mortar stores and e-commerce is now blurry By Austin Wheelock
DRAMATIC SURGE IN HOMELESSNESS IN OSWEGO COUNTY
73 Nonprofit
How have CNY’s top nonprofits been doing since the pandemic?
Departments 8 Publisher’s Note 16 On the Job
How does your company celebrate the season?
44
18 How I Got Started
Steve Chirello, owner of Chireloo Advertising
20 Profiles
Mayor Robert Corradino, Mayor Jim Rice
24 Dining Out
Bistro 197, Oswego
28 Biz Update / Newsmakers 84 Success Story
Highland Animal Hospital: From kitchen counter to reality
90 Last Page
SUNY Oswego gets $2 million donation from former student
BUYER’S CHOICE —Check our new product placement page. P. 15
84 DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
7
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Homelessness in Oswego County EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com
T
here is something new in Oswego County — homelessness. Once thought to a be a problem affecting only large urban areas, we are now starting to see it just about everywhere, including in mostly rural areas like Oswego County. We see homeless people all around us, especially in Oswego and Fulton. We see them pushing grocery store carts with their belongings or sleeping in tents during warm weather. There are also those we don’t see, those who couch surf — sleep here and there as they go along. Writer Stefan Yablonski spoke with Megan Stuart, director of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY for a story published in this issue of Oswego County Business (page 44). Things don’t look good and the problem is getting much worse now, Stuart says. Oswego County saw a 79% increase in homeless people in the last year, according to Stuart. “The number of homeless people in Oswego County jumped from 76 in 2022 to 136 in 2023,” she says. “Using 2019 as a benchmark, this number has increased by 161%.” Stuart coordinates and implements the homelessness services response system for Onondaga, Cayuga and Oswego counties. She says a new survey scheduled to take place in January by her group — in conjunction with Oswego County Opportunities — will likely show the problem got much worse. “Anecdotally, I can say that we’re seeing increases. I think we’re going to surpass that number. We’ll be higher when we conduct our count in 2024. It’s not good,” she says. And Oswego County is not alone. A 2020 poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that one-third of rural Americans say homelessness is a problem in their community. In Oswego County, 10% of the homeless population is under age 25. Among problems causing home8
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone, Stefan Yablonski Aaron Gifford, Mary Beth Roach
Megan Stuart, director of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY: “The number of homeless people in Oswego County jumped from 76 in 2022 to 136 in 2023. Using 2019 as a benchmark, this number has increased by 161%.”
lessness, according to Stuart, are: People evicted from their homes, lack of jobs, or affordable housing, and mental health. The consequences of homelessness can be devastating, both for individuals and for communities. People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of health problems, mental health issues and victimization. They also face significant challenges finding employment and achieving stable housing. The challenge for local government and nonprofit agencies that deal with homelessness is to address the problem before it gets out of hand. I visited Seattle in 2022 and was shocked to see how bad the situation was. I recall nearly tripping over people sleeping on the streets as I walked in downtown Seattle. We don’t want to see that happening here.
WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
COLUMNISTS Austin Wheelock Tim Nekritz ADVERTISING Peggy Kain
p3ggyk@gmail.com Rob Elia roblocalnews@gmail.com SECRETARY Alisson Lockwood localnewsoffice@gmail.com LAYOUT & DESIGN Angel Campos Toro COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright
OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM 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) and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults in 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. © 2023 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. HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776 editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com
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ADVERTISING INDEX Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.........................34 ALPS Professional Services.........32 Associated Dental Arts.................75 BarclayDamon..............................55 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law.....................70 Brennan Beach.............................13 Builder’s FirstSource....................29 Burke’s Home Center...................32 C & S Companies.........................40 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting.........................29,32 Century 21 - Galloway Realty.......33 Colonial Financial Group..............17 Compass Credit Union.................81 ConnextCare..................................3 Constelation..................................89 Crouse Hospital..............................2 E J USA..........................................9
Elemental Management Group ......4 Felix Schoeller North America........5 Finger Lakes Garage Doors.........33 Fitzgibbons Agency......................72 Foster Funeral Home....................87 Freedom Real Estate....................63 Fulton Family Psychiatry..............72 Fulton Savings Bank.....................19 Fulton Taxi....................................81 Fulton Tool Co..............................63 Gartner Equipment.......................14 Greater Oswego Fulton Chamber of Commerce...........17 Green Planet Grocery...................12 H. Lee White Museum..................12 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY..................75 J P Jewelers..................12Johnston Gas.........................................33 JTS Remodeling...........................31
Lamb’s Handyman Service...........29 Laser Transit.................................63 Longley Brothers..........................49 LW Emporium Co-Op...................12 MACNY.........................................89 Menter Ambulance.......................75 Mimi’s Drive Inn............................35 Mitchell Speedway Printing..........81 Murdoch’s Bike.............................13 NET Die Inc..................................14 Novelis..........................................90 Operation Oswego County...........87 Oswego County Federal Credit Union............................49 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................................34 Oswego County Opportunities OCO........................................72 Oswego Music Hall.......................13 Oswego Quality Carpet................33
Pathfinder Bank............................10 Picture Connection.......................12 Plumley Engineering.....................14 Port of Oswego Authority..............11 RiverHouse Restaurant................35 Scriba Electric...............................33 Sweet-Woods Memorial...............32 TDO..............................................55 The Rental Warehouse.................31 Tri County Heating Solution..........32 Trimble Services...........................29 United Wire Technology...............87 Valti Graphics...............................63 Vashaw’s Collision........................81 Walker’s Cleaners........................19 Whelan & Curry Construction.......40 White’s Lumber & Building Supply.......................31 WRVO..........................................88
Charting a Course to Success.
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10 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
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12 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
W. 1st St. Pier Oswego, NY
Visit our website to find out more about The Maritime Museum 315.342.0480
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February 24 VANCE GILBERT
CAM CARUSO OPENS
March 9 FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN March 23
WOMEN IN MUSIC SERIES
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April 13 BIG SKY QUARTET April 27 LIVINGSTON TAYLOR May 11 SEASON FINALE SAM ROBBINS
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DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
13
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Buyer’s Choice Giftable goodies from our advertisers.
Green Planet Grocery
At Green Planet Grocery we strive to bring you only the highest quality organic & all natural foods and supplements. “Gaia” is one of several herbal brands we carry which can help bring more balance and health into your life. Come chat with the experts at Green Planet Grocery! Located at 250 West Seneca St., Oswego, next to Fajita Grill. 315-207-0016 | Facebook/Instagram: GreenPlanetGroceryOswego
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Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports
177 West 1st Street Oswego, NY 13126 Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday Closed 315.342.6848 murdockssports.com
H. Lee White Museum
Whether your interest is in the pre-colonial period, or shipwrecks, or lighthouses; we have it all! See a glimpse of what we have to offer in our online gallery. www.hlwmm.org EXHIBITS The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego manages and exhibits a collection of thousands of artifacts, images, archival records, and original artworks telling over 400 years of regional maritime history. Call or Visit 315-342-0480 1 West First St. Oswego NY 13126
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
15
ON THE JOB
How Does Your Company Celebrate the Season? Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
I
t’s time to enjoy festive frolics during the holidays. We recently asked area business leaders what their organizations are doing to celebrate. “We’re going to have a Christmas party at the Bistro 197 in Oswego. This is the first time we’ve had it there.” Bridget Baldwin Bookkeeper, R.J. Caruso Tax & Accounting, Oswego
“We have a Christmas dinner for residents and family members as well as the residents and staff working that day. We’re open 365 days a year, 24/7. We have a party for our staff. People can come and go instead of trying to go to a restaurant and so many can attend. We want to celebrate the holiday, no matter the religion. It’s for everyone.” Mary Anne Hankins Executive director Francis House, Syracuse
“There’s two of us. We order in, so that’s our celebration. We’ll spend some time together and take a break, but nothing major. If we had more people we’d have a big party.” GREG MILLS, Owner, Murdock’s Bicycles and Sports, Oswego
“We will probably do a luncheon. Traditionally, we try to go out somewhere, like The Coppertop, a restaurant two doors down.” Bill Newman Owner Northeast Decorating, Syracuse “We’re going to be going out to dinner together. We’ve done it every six or seven years. The staff and employees get together to enjoy a nice evening together.” Edward Elsner Librarian at Oswego Public Library
“We do a dinner out. This year it’s GS Steamers Bar and Grill. They’re in our area and they have a hotel in case there’s anyone from out of town.” TAMMY EASTMAN, Administrator of human resources and finance, Oswego Valley Insurance Agencies, Fulton
“There’s only three of us here, so every day is a kind of celebration, but usually, we do a nice dinner.” Jill Flack Manager, Riverview Wellness Center, Oswego
can tell about their quilting projects. We have parties within the groups, too.” Robin Hall Owner of The Robin’s Nest, Fulton
“We haven’t thought about it much yet. Generally, we have an informal gathering in the office. We have eight employees, so we get together right here.” ELIZABETH CLARK, Secretary-treasurer of Sanford & Burtis Fire Equipment, Inc., Fulton
“We do a Christmas party with just the staff. We play games and have lunch. We do also exchange gifts.” Jackie McLaughlin Office manager, Robert Berkley Physical Therapy, PC, Oswego
“We will go out to dinner as a group, celebrate our accomplishments, appreciate how many lives we have positively impacted, laugh at funny incidents and think about the upcoming year.” David Mirabito Senior financial services executive, Mirabito Financial Group, Fulton
“I don’t have employees, but I do have students and with my students, I do a big Christmas party. I have a whole bunch of games, prizes and because it’s a quilt shop, we do a ‘Sew and Tell’ so they
“We usually take all the employees here out to dinner, along with their spouses to a nice restaurant to treat them. We celebrate the holidays that way. We also do a Christmas meal here
16 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
at work. The pressure is tough this time of year. We are getting ready for the shutdown season. We have more time off with the crew then.” Ray Dubois Terminal manager, WT Terminal, LLC, Oswego
“We’re doing a Christmas event at Home Team Pub in Liverpool. We want to let our employees know how thankful we are for them and spend time when we’re not talking about business. It’s important.” COREY LAWSON, Associate broker and office manager, Realty USA
“Our office is having a ‘Christmas Shop’ for our clients. The clients are given special ‘Mentor Dollars’ that they can use to purchase toys for their infants or toddlers and then we will have another room set up that will be household goods, clothing, et cetera. Then they can also purchase some items for their mom, dad, grandma, aunt, significant other, et cetera. We are also having a Christmas party in a couple of weeks at Bridie Manor that will include staff, volunteers and board members as well as their spouses. We will each bring a dish to pass and a white elephant gift to be given through a fun game.” Theresa Wilkins Executive director, The Family Resource Center, Oswego “We actually just booked today our combined holiday party at Bistro 197 in January so all our employees and tenants can go. It’s a more relaxed time just past the hustle-bustle.” Tony Pauldine Owner of Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractor, Inc. and other businesses, Oswego “We’re having a little Christmas dinner here at the shop. It keeps ‘em happy. They want wings—a whole bunch of wings.” Justin Taber Owner Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Here at Felix Schoeller our most important asset is our employees.
During the holidays, we like to take a moment to reflect upon the hard work and the people that are on our team. This year we are taking time to celebrate a dedicated workforce, growing customer base, new product line, as well as continued success for almost 60 years. Holiday celebrations can do more than just improve morale in the workplace. By having annual holiday traditions here, we can increase employee motivation and shape a positive culture. In addition, it is an opportunity for us to slow down and show how much we truly appreciate our employees and all that they contribute to the success of our organization!” Jessica Kolenda Human resource manager, Felix Schoeller North America, Inc., Pulaski “We hold a Christmas lunch right here. It’s catered locally. The caterer varies year by year. We like to spread it around. We want to show our employees our appreciation.” Ashley Bevacqua Office manager, Universal Metal Works, Fulton “We have a party planned. It’s important to have something like this to show our appreciation. We want to have everyone together outside the work environment.” Frank Donaldson Parts clerk, Vashaw’s Collision Service, Oswego
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“We usually do a luncheon and then we normally get a Christmas bonus. We’re here every day with each other. It’s like being a family. We work hard all year so it’s nice to be recognized for that.” Lynn Kistner Travel agent, Canalview Travel Service, Inc, Fulton “I usually give a huge bonus, and the day off, of course. Depending on when the day falls, I give the day before and after off, too — with pay. I’ve done that for the last 44 years. Before COVID, we did a get-together. But since then, it seems like they don’t want to do it. We’re also a small office and we have one employee who works in South Carolina remotely.” Rick Tesoriero Owner Tesoriero Chiropractic, PC, Oswego
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DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
17
HOW I GOT STARTED By Stefan Yablonski
developing great marketing solutions.
STEVE CHIRELLO
Q: Anything in particular stick out from
Owner of Chirello Advertising segues from journalist to professional marketer
that internship?
A: I remember writing my first radio commercial for Northern Ready Mix featuring an Eskimo spokesperson [Nanook of Northern]. I also have fond memories of public relations projects for Fulton Savings Bank, a client I still have today, and newspaper ads for Streeter & VanSanford Insurance [which has since become OVIA]. Q: But you still had ties to journalism? A: While interning at the agency, I was also working as a reporter for The Post-Standard, The Fulton Patriot and The Valley News. I decided after my summers of interning at both the agency and writing for newspapers, that I wanted to pursue a career in marketing. Q: You’ve had a pretty broad working experience. Tell us about that.
A: I have been a professional marketer communicator for more than 40 years. I have worked for two Central New York ad agencies —one in Syracuse, one in Fulton — as a chief advertising writer for Carrier Corporation, as public relations manager for The Miller Brewing Company and also director of community relations or Syracuse University. In addition, I have taught as an adjunct faculty member in communication studies at SUNY Oswego. Q: So, when did you start your own agency?
F
ormed in 1996, Chirello Advertising agency is a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in media planning, market research, video production and graphic design. Owner Steve Chirello has been a professional marketer and communicator for more than 40 years.
Q: How did you get started? A: I grew up in Fulton; the oldest of five children. In my senior year of high school, I decided that I was either going to pursue a career in teaching music or as a newspaper reporter. Q: And you somehow segued into mar-
keting?
A: I received a degree in journalism from SUNY Morrisville and a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY Oswego. While in college, I was a summer intern at Ed Vayner & Associates in Fulton. Q: And that is what started you on this career path?
A: Yes. Working as an intern at EV&A really opened my eyes about what I really wanted to pursue as a career. Ed Vayner gave me an entry to the world of advertising and marketing that was absolutely thrilling. It was there that I learned to write ad copy and was introduced to the creative process for
18 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
A: Formed in 1996, our award-winning agency keeps overhead low while partnering with the best creative designers and production talent in the region. We are a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in media planning, market research, video production and graphic design. We’ve been blessed to be able to work with great clients for whom we’ve delivered outstanding results. Q: Who helped you get going? A: My wife, Cathy’s moral support, and the ability to be covered under her health insurance, was a huge help in starting my own business. Q: What kind of service do you offer? A: The agency handles complete production, from creative design and photography to final format, for direct mail, newspaper-magazine ads, brochures, point-of-sale, television commercials, streaming web video, educational
video, billboards, news releases and website design. We also partner with a national market research firm, conduct media research and buying, produce custom signage, trade show displays and more. Q: Do you have any sort of staff? A: Until this year, I have had an administrative assistant for the past 24 years. I now outsource my invoicing and bookkeeping. I have specialized partners with whom I work for graphic design, media research, market research, video production, social media marketing, streaming TV, digital advertising, Google search campaigns, cable advertising and more.
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PULASKIPULASKI UNIQUE MEXICO CAMDEN OSWEGO PULASKI MEXICO CAMDEN OSWEGO WALKER’S BASKETS &MEXICO GIFTS COUNTRY CLEANCAMDEN SEAMS SO RIGHT OSWEGO PULASKICLEANERS MEXICO CAMDEN OSWEGO WALKER’S CLEANERS UNIQUE BASKETS & BASKETS GIFTSCOUNTRY COUNTRY CLEAN SEAMS SO RIGHT PULASKI MEXICO OSWEGO PULASKI MEXICO CAMDEN OSWEGO 33 BROAD ST 3270 MAIN 9573 HARDEN BLVD 139 EAST BRIDGE WALKER’S CLEANERS WALKER’S UNIQUE CLEANERS BASKETS UNIQUE & ST GIFTS &CAMDEN GIFTS CLEAN COUNTRYSEAMS CLEAN SO RIGHT SEAMS SO RIGHT WALKER’S CLEANERS UNIQUE BASKETS & GIFTS COUNTRY CLEAN SEAMS SO RIGHT 33 BROAD ST 3270 MAIN ST 9573 HARDEN BLVD 139 EAST BRIDGE 315-298-2634 315-297-4045 315-245-1840 315-561-0107 WALKER’S CLEANERS UNIQUE BASKETS & COUNTRY CLEAN SO RIGHT WALKER’S CLEANERS UNIQUE BASKETS &GIFTS GIFTS COUNTRY CLEAN SEAMS SO RIGHT 33 BROAD ST 3270 MAIN ST ST3270 MAIN 9573 ST HARDEN BLVD 9573 139SEAMS BLVD EAST BRIDGE 139 EAST BRIDGE 33 BROAD ST 33 BROAD ST 3270 MAIN 9573 HARDEN BLVDHARDEN 139 EAST BRIDGE 315-298-2634
working?
A: I have served five times as a judge for the State University of New York Council for University Advancement Award of Excellence Category for Website Design and for Effective, Efficient and Elegant Publications. I am a past board member of the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the Literacy Coalition of Oswego County and the United Way of Greater Oswego County. And, I’m president of the Fulton Music Association and serve on the boards of Catholic Charities of Oswego County and Friends of Oswego County Hospice. I have performed as a trombonist and vocalist with the Oswego County Summer Jazz Band since the mid-1980s. Q: Do you like performing music? A: Yes. I have also been a staple playing trombone in the pit orchestra for G. Ray Bodley High School musicals for more than 30 years. I had my own small professional jazz ensemble and always enjoy the opportunity to perform with local groups, like the Cortini Brothers. Q: Any thoughts of slowing down or even retiring?
A: Yes. I am planning to retire someday — but there is nothing firm at this time.
315-245-1840
315-561-0107
Home Mortgage Loans with Personal Service
Q: How has the agency been recognized? A: The agency and its work have earned awards from The Syracuse Ad Club, excellence awards from the Northeast Economic Developers Association, the New York State Bar Association, Oswego County Press Club and Professional Journalists and Communicators of Oswego County. Chirello Advertising was the 2010 Small Business of the Year for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Q: What do you do when you’re not
315-297-4045
33 3270 9573 HARDEN 139 EAST 315-298-2634 315-245-1840 315-245-1840 315-561-0107 315-561-0107 33BROAD BROADST ST315-298-2634 315-297-4045 3270MAIN MAINST ST315-297-4045 9573 HARDENBLVD BLVD 139 EASTBRIDGE BRIDGE 315-298-2634 315-297-4045 315-245-1840 315-561-0107 315-298-2634 315-297-4045 315-245-1840 315-561-0107 315-298-2634 315-297-4045 315-245-1840 315-561-0107
LOCAL BANK LOCAL PEOPLE LOCAL SERVICE • Low Interest Rates • Local Credit Decisions • Local Servicing
• Purchase or Refinance • Remodeling Loans • Home Equity Lines of Credit
Robert Chetney 315-592-8332 rchetney@fultonsavings.com NMLS #2016669
• Second/Seasonal Home Loans • Vacant Land Purchases • New Construction
Jennifer Whalen 315-402-1018 jwhalen@fultonsavings.com NMLS #2401788
www.fultonsavings.com NMLS #415840
Member FDIC
75 S. First St. Fulton, NY, 13069
• Canal Landing, Fulton - (315) 592-4201 • Village Green, Baldwinsville - (315) 638-0293 • Three Rivers Shopping Plaza, Phoenix - (315) 695-7214 Route 49 & Green Acres Drive, Central Square - (315) 676-2065 • Brewerton Centre, Brewerton - (315) 668-7903 • Redfield St., Constania - (315) 623-9447
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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PROFILE By Stefan Yablonski “WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MICRON PLANT BEING BUILT ABOUT 35 MINUTES FROM OUR DOWNTOWN, OSWEGO IS IN A GREAT POSITION TO CAPTURE NEW RESIDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE AMENITIES THAT OUR CITY HAS TO OFFER”
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ROBERT CORRADINO Port City’s new mayor looks to build on predecessor’s foundation
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he Port City has a new mayor with the same old goal — keep on improving. “I was born in Oswego and grew up on the corner of West Utica and Dublin streets,” Oswego’s new mayor, Robert Corradino, said. Corradino graduated from SUNY Oswego with a business degree. He married Eva McCarthy, also a native Oswegonian. The couple has two children —Lauren, who lives in Denver, Colorado, and Joe, who resides in Oswego. They have no grandchildren. His sister, Ida Fox, and her husband, Tom Fox, live in Oswego. His brother, Joe, lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife, Vicki. “I’m retired now, but worked in the printing industry as a factory rep selling printing,” Corradino said. “I also own several residential and commercial rental properties.” Growing up he said he wanted to be in business. “Both my father and grandfather owned and operated a grocery store. So, it was in my DNA to be in some kind of business,” he explained. In March of 2015, he received a call from a friend who asked him if he wanted to run for the city of Oswego Common Council 7th Ward seat. “I had a meeting with him and asked a lot of questions. When he couldn’t answer all my questions, I asked to meet with a current councilor for the answers,” he said. “He introduced me to Billy Barlow, the 5th Ward councilor at the time, who answered all my questions.” (Barlow’s term as mayor ends on Dec. 31. Corradino was elected mayor; he takes office Jan. 1, 2024). “One of the best principles I learned from my parents is to treat everyone like I would like to be treated. This philosophy is what I have used in politics, business and in life,” he said. “When I was approached to run
for the council, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to give back to a community that has treated my family — going back about a 100 years — very well. My grandfather, Dominic Corradino, started a small grocery store in the early 1900s that provided for his family and helped feed the neighborhood,” he continued. “My father continued that mission when he took over the business. My mom, Emma Corradino, was one of the longest serving volunteers at the Oswego Hospital, which also inspired me.” The best part of being a councilor is helping people who contact him for an issue or problem in the city that is important to them, he said. “The toughest part is the time it takes away from my wife and family,” he added. “I golf for ‘fun.’ But sometimes it isn’t,” he quipped. “I enjoy watching professional baseball and football games. Italian food and a good steak are my favorite foods.”
Looking ahead The future looks very bright and the possibilities are endless, Corradino said of the Port City’s future. “Because of all the work that has been accomplished over the last eight years by Mayor Barlow and the common council to improve our community, we offer a great little city to visit and live. We have invested and updated many current parks as well as created new ones like Lakeside. We have paved more than $8 million worth of streets and upgraded our water and sewer infrastructure to prevent discharges into our lake and river during heavy rain storms. New apartment buildings are providing modern and safe places to live for our residents,” he said. “With the announcement of the Micron plant being built about 35 minutes from our downtown, Oswego is in a great position to capture new residents who are looking for the amenities that our city
has to offer. New businesses will take a look at our city and will consider moving here because of the positive direction the city is going in. The next five to 10 years do indeed look good for Oswego!” “There is no doubt that mayor Barlow will be a tough act to follow. But because of all his hard work improving the foundation for our community, the next mayor should be able to use that to continue the progress we have had during the last few years,” he said. “The $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative that the city won in 2016 certainly was helpful to the renaissance that we are in now — but other grant opportunities are out there and we should always look for those so we may continue to improve.”
Lifelines Name: Robert A. Corradino Position: Mayor of Oswego Birth Date: Nov. 6, 1955 Birth Place: Oswego Residence: Oswego Education: Oswego elementary and high schools. Graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BS degree in business Affiliations: Member of Oswego County Historical Society, H. Lee White Maritime Museum, Safe Haven Museum, Oswego Lakers Blueline Club, Oswego County Micron Strategy SteeringCommittee,MaryWalkerTown of Oswego Celebratory Committee, City of Oswego Republican Committee Personal/family: Married to Eva McCarthy Corradino with two adult children, Lauren and Joseph. Brother Joseph (Vicki) Corradino of Las Vegas and sister Ida (Tom) Fox of Oswego. Hobbies: Golf
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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“I THINK FULTON SOMETIMES IS PERCEIVED AS A PASS-THROUGH COMMUNITY. WE’VE GOT TO TRY TO GET OURSELVES ON THE MAP — WE NEED TO JUMP UP AND DOWN AND SAY, ‘HEY WE ARE HERE, TOO!”
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PROFILE By Stefan Yablonski
JIM RICE
New Fulton mayor about to fulfill a long-held dream
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fter getting a taste of politics at an early age, James Rice set his sights on a higher office. “I ran for class president in the fifth or sixth grade and I always had a vision of wanting to become mayor some day,” he said. Mission accomplished. In November he was elected mayor of Fulton. Rice spent his career working at Tops for 43 years, including 25 as the meat department manager. He will retire at the end of 2023 — “Yes,” he confirmed. “I will be retiring; my date is Dec. 30. Paperwork is in — 43 3/4 years.” From 1992 to 1993, and 2003 to 2005 he served as the Second Ward councilor and spent several years as the Fulton City Democratic committee chairman. A Fulton native, he graduated from G. Ray Bodley High School in 1982. He married Cathy LiVoti; they’ve been married 30 years. “She was actually a councilor, too, like I was for the Second Ward,” he said. “I served in 1992-93; got out for 94-95 because with my job [at Tops] it looked like I might be moving around; so I didn’t know if I could fulfill the responsibilities of a second term.” Jim Teramiggi served 1994-95. Then he chose to run for mayor in ‘95 against Don Bullard. “The Republicans actually came to my house and they said, ‘Jim we know you are still interested, we’d like you to consider running for council again.’ And I said ‘I can’t, the Democrats already have a candidate.’ They wanted me to change parties and I wouldn’t. I said ‘maybe I have the next best thing for you, maybe my wife would run, she’s a Republican.’ She did and she won. So that’s how that came to be.” Rice has three grown children: Brian, 37, is the oldest, Amanda, 26, and Sarah, 24. All three kids are doing well, he said, adding: “Amanda actually served as my campaign manager during my campaign. As an adult, when you can do something like that with your adult
kids — it’s pretty gratifying!”
An early loss When he purchased a home in the Second Ward, he had his sights set on running for council. “I thought that might be the best area [to get elected] even though I grew up over here in the First Ward. I felt the best opportunity to win a council seat was in the Second Ward,” he said. But the first time he ran, in 1987, he lost. “By 48 votes. But I didn’t lose by so much that it made you want to give up. I left the option open to run again somewhere down the road. I was pretty young at the time; I was like 24 years old, kind of like getting started in life,” he said. At that time, Muriel Allerton became mayor and she wanted to keep Rice around. She put him on the recreation committee and also on the Lake Neatahwanta reclamation committee. “I served more than 20 years on that, both as a citizen and as an elected official,” he said. “Part of my campaign dealt with dredging the lake. [State] Senator Patty Ritchie helped us get a dredge and currently it sits behind the DPW garage not being used,” he said. “It’s a springfed lake so, in my opinion, you have to continue to try to dredge.” The lake isn’t a drinking water source, so it’s harder to get funding to help fix it, he said. “If it were Skaneateles Lake or maybe Owasco Lake, they’d be here to work on it and fix it pretty quick. But ours is mostly recreational, it doesn’t really generate a mechanism to generate state and federal funding to help us,” he added.
High poverty rate “There is a homeless problem in Fulton. There are four shelters in the county — all in Oswego,” he said. “I think it’s bigger than the average person knows about. I definitely want to work
with agencies to see if we can get something going in Fulton to alleviate that problem because right now everything exists in Oswego.” “Our poverty rate is high. We need to address that — 21% of our population lives in poverty,” he said. “Where poverty exists, so does crime. Our crime rate is high. Quality of life, you can’t relate that just to codes. I think you can’t raise the quality of life until you can raise the standard of living.” “We can go in and do an inspection in a rental unit and everything’s good, right? The windows are good, doors are good, the heat works — everything checks out. But dishes might be piled from the floor to the ceiling, kids don’t have adequate clothes, the grass is too high outside and the garbage pail is over flowing,” he continued. “You’re going to have absentee landlords, but I don’t think taking a bus and trying to run over them is the right thing to do. Until you raise the standard of living, it’s going to be very difficult to raise the quality of life. I think the goal should be working from the back end, let’s try to raise the standard of living to improve the quality of life.” There are many programs and services available for people — but they might just not know them. Rice said he encourages community volunteerism. Join a service club or any type of community-based organization that helps facilitate things in the community, he urged. “My idea is to reach out to the nonprofits and see maybe what I can help facilitate. And, if at the end of four years I can say that I helped facilitate something that helps this city, it would be something that I’d be proud of,” he said.
Lifelines Name: Jim Rice Position: Mayor City of Fulton Birth Date: Dec. 24, 1963 Birth Place: Fulton Residence: 77 Patrick Circle, Fulton Education: G. Ray Bodley High School, 1982 Affiliations: Democrat Personal/family: Wife, Catherine LiVoti-Rice 30 years; son, Brian; daughters Amanda and Sarah Hobbies: Watching spectator sports, walking, cooking and reading.
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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1
DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE
By Christopher Malone
BISTRO 197 UPS THE DINING EXPERIENCE IN A CASUAL ATMOSPHERE Oswego restaurant offers feel-good food for every season’
B
istro 197 has your number. It knows you’re hungry. It knows what you want and will serve it to you. Well, not really. The brains behind the operation aren’t mind readers. They’re taking the time to intricately craft all their menus, so the patron has the difficult task of making the decisions. From craft beer to craft cocktails and appealing appetizers to enticing entrees, there’s a lot the downtown Oswego eatery has to offer. The restaurant has a clean, open atmosphere boasting rustic and industrial characteristics. The music isn’t overwhelming. There’s a darkened, mood-lit barroom area and a brighter section to the restaurant; both offer great
streetside views. Plus, some nights, Bistro 197 does offer live music, usually regional singer-songwriters playing originals and covers. I started with the Bistro’s fire gin and tonic ($12), an exciting take on the standard cocktail with Bombay, chiles and Luxardo Cherry. The beautifully subtle heat doesn’t overpower the refreshing aspect of the gin and Fever-Tree tonic. My 1-year-old dinner date enjoyed some water. It was clearly lip-smacking refreshing to her. So was the apple cheddar galette ($13). The appetizer falls under Bistro 197’s “To share or not to share” section. For many reasons, my daughter chose the latter; she ate most of the
24 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
sweet, dessert-like crusty cake. The thought of fresh, crisp apples with the cheese and a honey-thyme crumble sold itself. The Oswego restaurant flexed its mussels special ($16) with a Thai-inspired batch of the shellfish. The perfectly shareable and appropriately priced crock boasted a subtle curry sauce coating the non-gritty mussels. The toddler kept asking for more despite my taking the majority of them. Seeing and saying “pumpkin purses” ($24) is just too fun to say and not getting them sounds even sillier. The pumpkin pasta-wrapped cheese sat in a bed of maple sausage, pieces of pumpkin and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). It’s one of the most autumn dishes served
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3
1. Apple cheddar galette: fresh, crisp apples with the cheese and a honey-thyme crumble. 2. Thai-inspired batch of the shellfish. 3. The pumpkin pasta-wrapped cheese sat in a bed of maple sausage, pieces of pumpkin and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). 5. Bistro 197’s fire gin and tonic ($12), an exciting take on the standard cocktail with Bombay, chiles and Luxardo Cherry.
with a sense of comfort and satisfaction. Where people crave “pumpkin spice” whatever, maple and pumpkin actually exist and have been around for years. The subtle sweetness comes right out and pairs well with the seasonal squash. The sausage was absolutely fresh, too. Simply taking a bite and noticing the flavor really said it all. The maple, also pairing well with the meat, boasted a melt-in-your-mouth quality; it’s something to savor, not devour. Another special of the day was the bass ($32). Going along with the theme of the water dwellers and meat we’ve enjoyed this meal, it’s fresh. Bass is typically not a fishy-fish. The mild aroma and flavor isn’t going to cause anyone to recoil. The seared and seasoned bass didn’t take much to fall right apart when cutting into it. It fell into a bed of sweet potato gnocchi and parsnips. The fish dish, also dressed in season, didn’t give patrons an excuse to accuse the kitchen staff of foodie treason. To top the experience off: crème brûlée ($10). The easily shareable (if you really want to) dessert’s crust cracked perfectly at the slight touch of the spoon. It gave way for an incredibly rich and
creamy custard beneath. Before tip, the bill came to $115.56. Bistro 197 was nothing short of accommodating and showcasing its culinary and hospitality abilities. They even gave my toddler paper and crayons, which we both partook in. There is also a children’s menu but Avery really enjoyed the “adult” food we shared. Well, the kid kind of shared.
4
Bistro 197 197 W. First St. Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-2930 bistro197.com facebook.com/bistro197oswego/ instagram.com/bistro.197 Lunch Wednesday - Saturday: noon - 3 p.m. Dinner Tuesday - Saturday: 5 - 9 p.m. Bar Tuesday - Saturday: noon - close
Closed Sunday and Monday.
5
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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When Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Comes to Town How will a highly successful chain restaurant affect smaller, local restaurants in Oswego? By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
T
exas Roadhouse Restaurant is now open in Oswego Plaza, near the former JC Penney off Route 104. It’s the first location in Oswego County. Other nearby locations are in Clay, Syracuse and Watertown. Founded in 1993 in Indiana, Texas Roadhouse has become a popular restaurant chain nationwide. It has received top accolades for a decade from the likes of Forbes, Newsweek, and Fortune for things like best employer, customer satisfaction and diversity in hiring. But what happens to locally-owned eateries when an 8,000-sq.-ft. restaurant
like this comes to town—and hires 200 people? “I’m sure it will affect everyone’s business,” said Larry Lombardo, longtime owner of Lombardo’s Bridie Manor at 1830 Bridie Square in Oswego. “With something like that coming, who knows what will happen?” A new business always generates initial excitement among diners. But Lombardo isn’t worried. “We’re a family restaurant,” he said. “We have regulars and families who come in.” Operating in Oswego for 36 years, Lombardo feels confident that he won’t
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experience staffing issues either. “We keep our staff very small and they’re happy; there’s no reason [for them] to go someplace else,” he said. Vivi Jiang, manager of Kiyomi Hibachi Steakhouse at 311 W. Seneca St. in Oswego, said that staffing is already challenging; however, the hardest role for her to fill is a hibachi chef who can perform for diners, not waitstaff or general kitchen staff. The new restaurant “gives local people an opportunity to work,” she added. She views Texas Roadhouse as affecting her business’ traffic a little
Oswego is small and has few places to go. I’m happy to see a new, big brand coming. It’s good to have more choices.” Vivi Jiang, manager of Kiyomi Hibachi Steakhouse in Oswego at first. “I’m happy Oswego has this coming. That means we have more places to go out. Oswego is small and has few places to go. I’m happy to see a new, big brand coming. It’s good to have more choices.” She even made plans to attend the opening. Adding another restaurant to the area may mean more excitement about dining out and after the novelty of Texas Roadhouse fades, diners will drift back to their old favorites to enjoy the various aspects to which they’re accustomed. Jiang may be onto something. Unlike buying a cordless drill at a retailer like Lowe’s, dining out is more than just getting food. It’s the experience: the break in the customer’s routine, the restaurant’s ambiance, the server’s attention, and the diner’s history there, according to Yiru Wang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing in the department of marketing and management at SUNY Oswego. “It’s a more complex system,” Wang said. “Therefore, the competition may not be similar to the retailing industry, which focuses more on item diversity, supply chain and consumer service.” Wang thinks about Oswego’s dining scene in categories based upon price level and type, such as local and franchise. “Differentiation is the key to this competition,” Wang said. “For example, Texas Roadhouse could be more on the franchise and expensive section, KFC could be more on the franchise and cheap section, Bistro 197 is more on the local expensive section, et cetera. “My understanding is that as long as there are differentiation points from the local restaurants, they are more likely to win and resist the competition. Texas Roadhouse, to my understanding, is more for ‘meat lovers.’ To differentiate, the local restaurants could come up with cuisines such as cauliflower pizza or plant-based protein dishes to satisfy
vegetarian appetites. Or, keeping what you are known for.” Wang views competition among restaurants as generally beneficial, especially if it creates a more diverse landscape of options for diners. She noted Canale’s with its authentic Italian cuisine and ambiance and Kiyomi’s serving Asian fusion cuisine as examples of restaurants not directly competitive with Texas Roadhouse. “We need to embrace the ‘newcomers’ because it’s already there and advance ourselves as the local restaurants,” she added. She thinks that Texas Roadhouse “actually brings a good steak destination for meat lovers” and a closer dining option for those who don’t want to drive to Syracuse, Liverpool or Watertown for steak, which keeps diners’ dollars local. Stefan Yablonski contributed to this article.
Yiru Wang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at SUNY Oswego. She views competition among restaurants as generally beneficial.
Larry Lombardo, longtime owner of Lombardo’s Bridie Manor at 1830 Bridie Square in Oswego. “I’m sure [Texas Roadhouse] will affect everyone’s business,” he says. DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE
Laurie Smith Named HR, Marketing VP at Fulton Savings
Laurie A. Smith has been named vice president of human resources and marketing of Fulton Savings Bank. She succeeds Annette Cotton, who will retire in January after a 29-year career with the bank. Smith joined the bank Oct. 30. Laurie Smith Smith has served as human resources manager for the city of Fulton, as a human resources specialist at Huhtamaki Inc., and an employee benefits senior account manager with USI Insurance Services in Syracuse. In addition, she also worked as a customer service representative at a local bank. “We are delighted to welcome Laurie to this position with the diverse experience and skill set she brings in both recruitment and retention of talent,” said Pamela Caraccioli, the bank’s president and chief executive officer. “We know her contributions will aid in serving our customers throughout Oswego and Onondaga counties.” Smith has studied human development, psychology and counseling at SUNY Oswego as well as liberal arts and social sciences at Cayuga Community College. Smith is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and a former member of the New York State Association of Personnel/Civil Service Officers, Empire State Safety Association, and the board of Catholic Charities of Oswego County. She is also a licensed broker in life, health and accident insurance. Smith and her husband Charles, along with their two children, are lifelong residents of the city of Fulton. Fulton Savings Bank is the city’s
oldest, locally owned, longest-standing business, according to The Friends of History in Fulton, Inc., celebrating its 152nd anniversary in 2023. The bank has offices in Fulton, Baldwinsville, Phoenix, Central Square, Brewerton, and Constantia, with assets totaling more than $454 million and deposits totaling more than $303 million.
Nira Irby Joins MACNY as Workforce Development Specialist
MACNY, The Manufacturers As sociation,recently welcomed Nira Irby as a workforce development specialist. She will represent MACNY and Partners for Education and Business, Inc. (PEB) as an educational proNira Irby grams liaison to engage employers and community partners. She will work closely with key partners to bridge the gap between education and workforce needs. As part of career exploration for students, Irby will work alongside the rest of the talent development team to coordinate youth and pre-apprenticeship activities in schools and alongside employers. Most recently, Irby was the associate director of community engagement at Syracuse University, where she worked to develop, implement, and manage multiple projects for the office of community engagement in the Central New York community. Before that, she led the Central New York and global diversity and inclusion education community initiatives at Microsoft for eight years and served as the communications director and program manager for education, diversity and inclusion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Buffalo State University as well as several academic and profes-
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sional accolades. Most recently, she was awarded the 2021 OnPoint for College Alumna Star and she was the recipient of YWCA Spirit of American Emerging Professional Women award in 2019. Irby is also an active community member, who served on numerous boards and volunteering for many local causes, to include OnPoint for College, YWCA Girls Inc., and Geddes Westvale Knights.
CPA Promoted to Partner Grossman St. Amour
Grossman St. Amour CPAs re c e n t l y a n nounced the promotion of Jaimie P. Galante, CPA, to the position of partner. Her career at Grossman St. Amour began in 2011 when she joined as an audit intern. Galante Jaimie Galante holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in accounting, both earned at Le Moyne College. As a partner at Grossman St. Amour CPAs, Galante specializes in audit and attestation services within the audit services group. Her diverse clientele includes public school districts, nonprofit organizations, low- income housing tax credit projects and other various industries. Beyond her client-focused work, Galante plays a vital role in the firm’s coaching program where she shares her knowledge and experience to nurture the professional growth of colleagues. She is also involved in on-campus recruiting efforts, actively seeking and mentoring future accounting talents. As a certified peer reviewer, she assists on peer reviews of other CPA firms as well as the firm’s quality control and internal inspection process, ensuring adherence to rigorous industry
standards. She currently serves as the treasurer of the Food Bank of Central New York and is a member of the CNY Ronald McDonald Many Hearts One Home Gala Committee. She is a past Forty Under 40 award winner. She is a resident of Baldwinsville with her husband Chris, and two children, Noah and Luca.
MOST Announces New Hires, Promotions The Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) recently welcomed two new staff and announced the promotion of two current staff. • Courtney Armbruster joined the museum as the director of marketing and communications. She oversees all of the organizat i o n ’ s d i re c t communications and outreach with visitors and the community. She has nearly 25 Courtney Armbruster years of experience with marketing, design and writing in the engineering, architecture, and healthcare industries. She most recently served as the director of marketing for a local nonprofit healthcare provider. Armbruster has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Cornell University. She resides in Cicero. • Sierra Messina-Yauchzy joined as the inclusions program coordinator for the can your canbe beeduyour museum’s complete complete cation department. She cooraccounting department! d i n a t e s p ro n n grams related to n Payroll Payroll n Bookkeeping Bookkeeping inclusion, divern Payable n n Accounts Accounts Payable n Invoicing Invoicing sity and accessin n n Tax Tax Preparation Preparation n Sales Sales Tax Tax bility, with the goal of expanding the reach of Sierra Messina-Yauchzy the MOST to reach additional groups within the CNY 234 East East Albany Albany St, St, Oswego Oswego NY NY 13126 13126 234 community who have been historically (315) 343-4456 (315) 343-4456 underrepresented www.ciasvcs.com within STEM fields. www.ciasvcs.com She previously worked with a nonprofit where she taught fourth to eighth grade classes focused on coding, robot-
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ics, engineering and music. Sierra is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied engineering and educational psychology. She lives in Syracuse. • Evelyn Fabian Crast was promoted to assistant director of finance, where she manages accounts payable, revenue recording and human resources responsibilities. She has worked at the MOST for 19 years, with the Evelyn Fabian Crast last six years in the finance department. She resides in Syracuse. • Samera Chapman was promoted to assistant director of education. She helps lead the design, development and execution of educational programs for learners of all ages who visit the museum. Her role inSamera Chapman
cludes hands-on educational opportunities for tens of thousands of local school children who participate in diverse activities at the museum annually. She has been at the MOST since 2022. She resides in Liverpool.
Shue Appointed Assistant Director Fulton CDA
Caroline Shue was recently hired as the assistant director of the Fulton Community Development Agency (CDA). “Caroline, a lifelong Fulton resident, brings a rich background of experience in project manageCaroline Shue ment and real estate, and she has been a key leader as chairperson of the Fulton Special Events Committee,” said Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels. Shue most recently worked as a project coordinator for VIP Structures, providing preconstruction and estimating services with daily support in the
In recognition of its contributions to economic development in Central New York, the Port of Oswego Authority was named a CenterState CEO Economic Champion at a Nov. 16 celebration luncheon. William Scriber, left, the port’s CEO and executive director, and Thomas Schneider, port’s board member, accepted the award.
Port of Oswego Recognized as ‘Economic Champion’
I
n recognition of its contributions to economic development in Central New York, the Port of Oswego Au-
thority (POA) was named a CenterState CEO Economic Champion at a Nov. 16 celebration luncheon. The port was sin-
30 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
areas of subcontract administration, prequalification and construction documentations. She would often work alongside the business development team to ensure client satisfaction in project expectations. Projects in Shue’s portfolio include Salt City Market, True North Daycare, J.W. Didado Electric, Kris-Tech Wire expansion and, most recently, the Food Bank of CNY expansion. She is also a licensed real estate salesperson. In her role with a local nonprofit with the vision to reestablish a vibrant community where all are welcome to visit, live and enjoy Fulton, she has helped bring Big Truck Day, the Fulton Fall Festival, Community Market, and Fulton Christmas Tree Lighting as annual events in Fulton. A major part of her role as assistant director for the CDA will be assisting with the economic development of the city, including oversight of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) projects and other economic development/housing grants. Shue lives in Fulton with her husband and their two children.
gled out for winning the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter award for the fourth time in the past five years for its increases in international tonnage shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as its $15 million investment in its New York State Grain Export Center. “We are gratified for this recognition,” said William Scriber, POA CEO and executive director. “It further reinforces our resurgence as a positive economic generator for Oswego County and for our region. “Since 2017, we’ve grown to be one of the top five ports on the Great Lakes and built more than a half a billion dollars in economic development. A U.S.- Canadian research study showed that the port made a $513 million impact on the local and regional economy, generated $201.2 million in wages and salaries, and jobs supported by marine cargo activity rose from 209 in 2018 to 2,229 in 2023—a 996.5% increase. In addition, Oswego is the only Great Lakes port to be designated as a U. S. Department of Transportation Marine Highway.”
Eric Morris Joins Compass as First COO
Compass Federal Credit Union has appointed Eric Morris as its first chief operations officer. M o r r i s comes to Compass FCU after previously serving as the director of human resources at Oswego Industries, Inc. Eric Morris “I truly feel welcome here at Compass and am excited to continue to cultivate relationships with employees, members, the board of directors and the Oswego County community,” said Morris. “In my short time with the credit union, I have observed top notch customer service, a team cohesive environment and staff who are dedicated to supporting the membership, community and each other.” A native of Oswego and a graduate of Oswego High School, Morris received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, with a focus on industrial and oganizational psychology. Prior to being the director of human resources at Oswego Industries, Morris spent time in the finance department at Oswego Hospital as a patient access supervisor. Michael Pisa, president of Compass FCU’s board of directors, says the continued growth of the credit union led to the expansion of the credit union’s management team. “As Compass continues to grow to now more than 7,800 members, we are happy to expand our team as well,” said Pisa. “Coming to Compass as our first chief operations officer, Eric possesses a diverse professional background with particular expertise in human resources. We look forward to working with Eric and working together toward our overall organizational goals.”
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Local Author Bekkah Frisch Purchases iHeart Oswego iHeart Oswego, Oswego’s only comprehensive local news and events website, is under new ownership. Bekkah Frisch has purchased the business from founders Victoria and Phil Gailinas, who have recently Bekkah Frisch retired and left the Oswego area. Launched in 2012, iHeart Oswego promotes and provides business, local government and event coverage with a staff of dedicated volunteer photographers and journalists. The company publishes on both the iHeartOswego. com website and its widely-viewed social media pages. “I am honored to be carrying Victoria’s legacy forward,” said Bekkah Frisch. “The positive momentum and the incredible team of volunteers she has built at iHeart Oswego are assets not only to the city of Oswego, but to the entire region.” Frisch has worked extensively in marketing and advertising for both national and regional companies. She currently resides in the Fulton area with her husband and daughter, and has recently published her first novel, “The Great Quiet.” A magna cum laude graduate of Wells College, she currently serves on the board of Oswego Industries, Inc. Frisch says that she is pleased with the path iHeart Oswego is on, and hopes to broaden the scope of the site to provide coverage to other parts of Oswego County. “We plan to look for additional volunteer photographers in Mexico, Hannibal, Central Square and other towns,” she said.
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swego Health once again is the largest private employer in Oswego County, according to figures included in the just published 2024 CNY Business Guide. According to figures provided by the companies in October and November 2023, the 2024 CNY Business Guide reports Oswego Health’s numbers (1,318) edged out Constellation, 1,300, and Novelis, 1,167. Advertisers and subscribers to Oswego County Business Magazine have recently received the annual guide, which is partially co-sponsored by Operation Oswego County. It’s for sale at river’s end bookstore in Oswego. It’s free for subscribers of this magazine. “It’s an honor to be the largest private employer in Oswego County,” said Michael C. Backus, the hospital’s president and CEO. “It is a responsibility that we take seriously advocating regularly for further investment in healthcare and our regional economy as a whole. “With so much development on the horizon, Oswego Health is well-positioned to continue growing its footprint as an employer of choice not only in Oswego County, but all of Central New
34 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
York,” Backus added. Marq Brown, VP of human resources and chief people officer, said, “Over the last few years, Oswego Health has become a leader in the healthcare space for talent development by building successful talent pipelines that had a direct impact on our ability to attract and retain healthcare workers during the largest healthcare worker shortage of our lifetime. Thanks to strong partnerships between Oswego Health and local educational facilities, these pipelines will continue to produce amazing healthcare talent, paving the way for us to provide high-quality care to our friends, neighbors and family members for many years to come.” “It is a great honor to be the largest private employer in Oswego County,” said Chief Nursing Officer Katie Pagliaroli. “Investing in people has allowed us to meet our mission of providing accessible, quality care and improving the health of the residents in our community. ‘We care’ is a mantra we use — and that extends to our workforce and patients alike.”
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swego Mayor-elect Robert Corradino and several Oswego city councilors met recently with representatives of the Port of Oswego Authority (POA), to initiate an ongoing dialogue on plans that affect both business at the port and the Oswego community. “This new initiative for the Port of Oswego Authority and the city of Oswego to meet and discuss upcoming plans that affect our community is a good way to keep the lines of communication open as we work collaboratively in the best interest of our residents,” Corradino said. “Thank you to Executive Director Bill Scriber, Port Board President Fran Enwright and the entire board for creating this opportunity and for councilors Tim Plunkett and Shawn Burridge for participating.” “I formed this ad hoc advisory committee with the city to be very transparent and up-front about what projects the port is undertaking,” Enwright said. “This has never been done before and it’s really an historic moment. We’ll meet quarterly, or more frequently if necessary. I thank Robert Corradino and councilors Plunkett and Burridge for their participation, along with members of our POA planning committee, who include Kathleen Macey and Connie Cosemento. In addition, I asked Tom Doran to be part of this committee based on his broad international waterfront experience as a sailor. Kicking this off at the start of a new year and a new administration is the perfect time for this initiative.” “We welcome the joint communication as the port has made great strides to develop our facilities and business over the last several years,” Scriber said. “A closer relationship will only make our community stronger by working together.” It’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people.
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BUSINESS UPDATE
Barry Trimble
A crane acquired by Trimble Services will enable the company to bid on more and larger jobs in Upstate New York. It was a $4.2 million investment just before Thanksgiving, according to owner Barry Trimble.
Trimble Services Expanding in Fulton
The crane and rigging business investing $2.5 million in the business
B
arry Trimble has worked in the heavy equipment field for many years, but recent years have been ones of growth. His Fulton-based company has invested $2.5 million in the industry since December 2021. This is one of his biggest investments yet, including a $1.4 million purchase of a new crane in mid-November. Trimble, LLC, dba Trimble Services, was founded in 2010; however, Trimble said he decided to greatly expand the company in 2021 by his sizable investments, facilitated by Pathfinder Bank and his family’s personal assets. The recent purchase of a crane is further growing the business’s capacity. Providing crane, rigging, machinery-moving, large-scale hauling and millwrighting services in Central and Western New York requires very large—and very expensive equipment. Trimble said that he wanted to expand his firm as a family business with his sons Josh and Dustin. Debbie, his wife, keeps the books. He selected 864 Hannibal St. in
Fulton in December 2021 as his main headquarters because of its proximity to other Upstate New York cities. “We previously owned the Eis House in Mexico,” he said. “We heard about this building. We all live up here and it’s close to Rochester and Syracuse, so we have access to two markets.” One of his crane projects was moving two HVAC units onto the roof for Huhtamaki. Other typical jobs include moving equipment to the top of cellphone towers with the crane, as well as setting drainage structures and bridge components. “On the millwrighting side, we have done production line installations,” Trimble said. “We set machine tools for various tool and die companies. Some weight 30,000 to 40,000 lbs.” Including family members, Trimble employs the equivalent of eight full-timers. Part of the reason for his success is the narrow niche of crane rigging and millwrighting. “There aren’t a lot of people doing this,” he said.
36 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
He plans to stay competitive with low overhead. Employing only eight helps with that. October’s revenue was $210,000—a good month for Trimble. His 2022 revenue was $1 million. While the remuneration for this kind of work is profitable, the cost of equipment and the demand for work makes it challenging. One job can pay very well; however, the time lapses between jobs can be tough, especially for retaining workers. “We do have some ability to expand and contract through the trade unions,” Trimble said. “We’re a union contractor.” He has seen the markets recover with bigger manufacturers expanding and adding production. “Or they’re taking old equipment out and putting newer technology in,” he added. Both of these scenarios bring business his way as his company moves the equipment. Trimble hopes to increase his business by 35% in 2024 and to open a satellite office to be closer to more businesses. “Entry into new markets is always a challenge,” Trimble said. “But we have a full-time person who concentrates on that. He does a very good job at penetrating markets, so we’re banking on that. “The upfront capital cost of tooling another office is significant. We just bought a crane the day before Thanksgiving.” He has high hopes for further investment and development in Fulton, where he sees plenty of potential for those with the vision to make it happen.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant.
Anniversary meeting Nov. 14 at The Pier in Central Square — attended by about 60 people.
GREATER ONEIDA LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TURNS 70 Formerly known as Ft. Brewerton Chamber of Commerce, group changes name to reflect its inclusive policy — adds 20 new members within year By Stefan Yablonski “Hello … is this the museum, the fort?”
C
alls such as this were the impetus for a chamber of commerce to change its name recently. “The paperwork was filed [in June] and we are just kind of waiting on that. We changed the name to be more inclusive — for a couple of reasons. Number one, because it was called the Fort Brewerton Chamber, we were always confused with the historical society. People would call and ask, ‘Is this the museum … the fort?’ And we’d say no it’s not, this is the chamber of
commerce,” according to Debbie Bilello, administrator, Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce. “And, two — we also found that sometimes we weren’t engaged with businesses on the north shore. Our region covers the entire Central Square School District. We have multiple towns, two counties and the entire Central Square school district … Brewerton, Central Square, Hastings, Mallory, Caughdenoy, West Monroe, Cleveland, Constantia and Bernhards Bay. The towns and villages located on the west and north shore of Oneida Lake.
So it’s a real large area that we cover!” she added. Many of the north shore businesses saw it as ‘the Brewerton’ chamber. “I guess identity crisis may be a good way to put it into perspective; the North Shore didn’t feel included. That’s the last we want is to exclude any business in our region. We are here to support all businesses,” Bilello said. “We wanted to make it more inclusive. So calling it the Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce makes it a better choice — a more inclusive kind of name. We’re not just the Brewerton chamber.”
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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The chamber now has 142 members. “That’s a nice increase,” Bilello said. “In the last year, we have welcomed 22 new chamber members since our last annual meeting in November 2022.” At the annual meetings they elect officers and do any official business that needs to be done. At November 2023 meeting, they adopted some changes to bylaws, adding a new membership level. “We have some members of the community that don’t own a business, but want to be involved in the chamber in some way. So we added a social member level,” Bilello explained. “Someone can come in and enjoy the chamber and be involved in the social events. It’s important for people to be able to socialize with other members of the community and with other businesses.” The new member level doesn’t have voting rights, she noted. “We had a member who went out of business, but still wanted to be involved in the chamber. But we had no place for him. Now we do; so that was important that we added the social membership level,” she said. The chamber does a free holiday social for members, scheduled for Dec. 19, at Central Square American Legion. And new in 2023, they held a small business season contest. “For five weeks on our Facebook page and by email, I’ll send out a graphic encouraging people to go into one of our members or any local business. It’s a buy local campaign — we want them to take a selfie with their receipt and show us the member or business that they visited and how much money was spent at that business,” Bilello said. “They will get two entries into a drawing if they visit a member and one entry if they visit a non-member but bought something. And then at the end of the week, we will draw a name and they will win a gift card to one of our members.” The contest is a way to encourage people to visit the chamber’s members (and other local businesses). Also, it will allow them to track how much money is being spent locally during the holiday season. “We’ve never done this before. I’ve had multiple businesses donate gift cards that we can award as prizes,” Bilello said. “ We have a good solid foundation of really good people.”
MEMBERS OF GREATER ONEIDA LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RECOGNIZED Chamber President Mike Piraino, left, with Dee, Sarah and Ryan Luca of Restore CNY / The Hub.
Mike Piraino and Debbie Bilello, chamber adminstrator and owner of Virtual Office Solutions.
38 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
Mike Piraino and Pearl Wilson, former chamber secretary.
Awards During the 70th anniversary meeting Nov. 14 at The Pier in Central Square — attended by about 60 people —several members were recognized. They are: • Community Service Award was given to Pandora’s Barn and its owners Tom and Victoria McFall; • Rookie Business Award: Brewerton Ace Hardware, owned by Jeff Parzych; • Economic Development: Restore CNY / The Hub, Sarah and Ryan Lucas; • President’s Award: Debbie Bilello, Virtual Office Solutions and chamber administrator; • Board Award: Jason Bronner, Rosie’s Corner; Lifetime dedication awards were given to the following businesses who have been members and have supported and contributed to the growth of the Greater Oneida Lake Chamber. • Alice Peron, Embroidery House; • Nadine Walsh, Central Square Family Chiropractic; • Chiropractor Dan Walsh, Central Square Family Chiropractic; • Bob Walczyk, attorney; • Nick Chervinsky, Brewerton Pharmacy & Village Pharmacy; • Pearl Wilson , former chamber secretary; • Nancy House, Reymore Chevrolet. For more information about Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce, contact Debbie Bilello at 315-668-3408 or visit www.oneidalakechamber.com. Mike Piraino and Nadine Walsh of Central Sqaure Family Chiropractic.
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Burritt Motors, Oswego
40 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
BUSINESS UPDATE
Ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 15 at Felix Schoeller North America. From left, Andrew Fish of CenterState CEO, Felix Schoeller’s CEO Michael Szidat, Felix Schoeller group CEO Chris Gallenkamp, Austin Wherlock of Operation Oswego County, Randy Wolken of MACNY and Andy Clements, vice president of operations at Felix Schoeller North America.
Felix Schoeller Inaugurates New Coating Operation
Company invests $20 million in its Pulaski plant
F
elix Schoeller North America recently unveiled the new silicone coating operation at its Pulaski facility. The $20 million project has come to fruition after two years on the planning board. The new operation expands Felix Schoeller’s global manufacturing footprint for so-called release liners: products mainly for the adhesive coating industries, such as self-adhesive graphics, tapes or healthcare products. According to officials, this represents a new strategic orientation since
its founding 60 years ago. Originally a papermill that produced photographic papers, in the 2000’s the site transitioned to become the largest converting and distribution hub for the digital printing market in North America. The added manufacturing of silicone coated papers and films is a strategic expansion into this growth market and represents a new direction for the company, outside of imaging products. “This expansion in a very competitive environment would not have been
View of new equipment at Felix Schoeller North America in Pulaski. It’s part of a new operation that expands Felix Schoeller’s global manufacturing footprint for so-called release liners: products mainly for the adhesive coating industries, such as self-adhesive graphics, tapes or healthcare products.
possible without the support of Oswego County and the state of New York,” said Michael Szidat, Felix Schoeller North America CEO. “But most of all, thanks go to our great team at Felix Schoeller. From the commitment of our group CEO Chris Gallenkamp to the local teams that have worked tirelessly for two years and sacrificed so much to make it happen. The dedication and passion of our employees is really what made this project a success.”
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BUSINESS UPDATE
In Vogue Salon & Spa Turns 25, Expands Into Property Next Door Business is investing $500,000 in new project, which will include hydrapool, solarium, Vichy shower treatments, steam room, saunas, relaxation room and other amenities Tonia Reed plies her trade in her salon as the ever-present Boston terrier, Marv, wanders about greeting the customers. Reed was born and raised in Oswego; graduating from Oswego High School and Oswego County BOCES. “I graduated in 1992 with my cosmetology license. At the age of 17, I
started my career doing what I love — doing hair,” she said. She moved to Syracuse for a few years “perfecting my skill and learning from many talented stylists.” Eventually, she moved back to the Port City and worked at JCPenney hair salon.
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On her own “In February 1999, I opened my very first salon; this was the start of In Vogue Salon & Spa. It was a very modest two-station salon,” she said. “I worked with other stylists who rented a booth from me. When I first opened in 2004, start-up costs were about $175,000 building and fixtures and renovations.” She received a micro loan for $15,000from the Oswego Community Development Office. “They offered classes then and I took a class; they held it once a week for like six weeks I believe,” she said. “So long ago I can’t remember exactly how long the class was. I remember it being at night. So I would go to the class after working.” Her business was growing. A friend mentioned that the house [where the business is located now — 62 W Bridge St.] was for sale and that it would make a great place for a salon. “That’s all it took and I was making big plans to open up my new salon in a new location,” she said. “So in August of 2004 I opened In Vogue Salon & Spa. This location is 20 years; but I’ve been in business for 25.” They started with five stylist stations plus one manicure and one pedicure chair, a facial room and one massage room. One of her original stylists is still with her today. “Stacy Smith started as our receptionist, but had expressed a desire to go to cosmetology school and within a year she was working as a stylist,” Reed explained. “Twenty years later and she is a huge asset and helps manage the business. She has stuck by me through thick and thin.”
Expansion Moving into the West Bridge Street site allowed Reed “to offer the city of Oswego a place to get all beauty and spa services all in one location.” Twenty years ago, “In Vogue was the only place like this in our town,” she said. “After several years, we expanded our manicure and pedicure room by enclosing the side porch and making a beautiful spa room.” In 2022, they needed to expand their stylist area. By adding two more stations and an extra shampoo chair and color bar, they could accommodate their ever-growing clientele, she added. “Currently, we have nine employees including myself. Our salon and spa offers new stylists the opportunity
TOP: Manicure and pedicure room at In Vogue. BOTTOM: Washing and color mix area at In Vogue.
Façade of Vogue Salon & Spa at 62 W Bridge St. in Oswego.
to get started and grow their clientele,” she said. “Most salons in Oswego are booth rentals, so we offer a way for them to get started without a lot of risk or cost to them to get started and a place to have a career.”
More expansion After 20 of years of growing, they have outgrown the space, Reed said. “What I’m doing now, it’s not exactly expanding — I’m purchasing the building next door. That building is going to be our day spa area,” she said. “So coming in 2024 we have purchased the building next door — formerly known as Mother Earth Baby — and will be having all our day spa treatments in this location.” The expansion will be the first of its kind in Oswego, according to Reed. “In the back we’re going to build an addition and put in a hydrapool. It’s going to be pretty cool. The new facility
will offer state-of-the-art treatments that will include a solarium (with the hydrapool) for guests and Vichy shower treatments will be on the service menu that can be added to any massage or body treatment. The Vichy showers actually give you a massage and help to rinse off your products from body treatments and stuff like that,” she explained. “Our couples treatment room will be perfect for a peaceful getaway or a romantic retreat for two,” she added. Other amenities will include: steam room, saunas, relaxation room, showers with complimentary toiletries, lockers, robes and sandals. The refreshments menu will include: fruit-infused water, coffee, teas, fruit, nuts and much more. The new expansion will be possible with the assistance of funding provided by Fulton Savings Bank to purchase the property and Operation Oswego County, Inc. to aide with the renovation
costs, she said. The upstairs will be converted into an Airbnb for clients who may be getting married and would like to stay the night with their bridesmaids or a girls’ getaway weekend or a romantic getaway. They will offer a discount to any guest who stays in the Airbnb and day passes to come and enjoy In Vogue’s amenities. The new project will cost roughly $500,000 — building, renovations, equipment and supplies, funded by loans from Fulton Savings Bank, Operation Oswego County and personal funds, she said. “I should have the house by the end of December and then the contractors will come in and go to work. We’ll have side-by-side Victorians,” she said. “Our opening is slated for summer 2024 and will mark our 25 years in business.”
By Stefan Yablonski
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SPECIAL REPORT
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DRAMATIC SURGE IN HOMELESSNESS IN OSWEGO COUNTY
County, which is mostly rural, sees a 79% increase in homeless people in the last year. Experts expect problem to get worse By Stefan Yablonski
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omelessness in Oswego County has been increasing in recent years — and it is expected to increase even more next year. Oswego County is part of a homelessness response system called the continuum of care, which coordinates and implements the homelessness services response system for Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oswego counties. The Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY is a community collaborative, acting as the continuum of care for homelessness services. Its mission is to assess community needs and develop a community strategy and coordinated network of services to reduce, prevent and ultimately end homelessness and housing vulnerability in Central New York. “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home,” according to Megan Stuart, director of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY. Oswego County saw a 79% increase in homeless people in the last year, Stuart said. “The number of homeless people in Oswego County jumped from 76 in 2022 to 136 in 2023,” she said, adding, “Using 2019 as a benchmark, this number has increased by 161%.” It’s a reflection of the ever-growing crisis that is facing the state and nation. But Oswego County is not as bad off as many locales around the country, she said.
More than no shelter Tackling homelessness “is a complex, systemic issue that takes all members of the community to solve,” according to Stuart. Homelessness isn’t just the absence of shelter, she
added. There are myriad factors such as job loss, low wages and a high cost of living, which can force people into a homelessness situation. “Homelessness, in general, is a societal problem,” she said. “Across the country there are systemic challenges facing people seeking and obtaining permanent housing. There is a lot that contributes to it. Calling it a societal challenge is very fitting.” Things were exasperated during COVID-19. People weren’t being evicted; there were rental clauses where people didn’t have to pay rent. But people were losing their jobs and people were medically impacted by COVID-19, she pointed out. “It’s resulted in an increase now in homelessness — it created a perfect storm,” she said.
Point In Time The coalition is responsible for a Point In Time survey every January. The above data is from January 2023. “Anecdotally, I can say that we’re seeing increases. I think we’re going to surpass that number. We’ll be higher when we conduct our count in 2024. It’s not good,” she said. Stuart pointed to some challenges: the cost of housing has gone up, the amount of housing is less, people sold houses and took them off the market and some places are old and condemned. “So we are definitely expecting more people to be homeless in our next survey, on that night when we conduct that count,” she said. “We have to conduct it. It is a HUD requirement — we have to do it within the last 10 days of January. We partner with OCO to get volunteers to help us — we cover three
counties with the coalition — Onondaga, Cayuga and Oswego — so we partner with them to help get the count.” The population, living on the streets in tents or cardboard boxes is really the minority, she said. “Only 5% of people [on the last Point In Time night] were what we consider chronically homeless, which means they have experienced homelessness four times in the past three years,” she explained. “Couch surfing — yes, we see that a lot with youth. When we post our numbers, we are talking specifically about people who are outside or in an emergency shelter paid for by DSS or an organization like OCO,” she added. “That couch-surfing number is rising, too. It’s not something we capture good data on because it’s kind of a hidden population.” Stuart said 10% of Oswego County’s homeless population is younger than 25. There are a lot of issues that go into youth homelessness — disagreements with family members, not having a support structure in place, people coming out of foster care and not having places to go. “It’s hard for youth who have never had an apartment to try to navigate that in the first place — where do you go, how do you talk to a landlord how do you fill out a rental application,” she said. “The rent can be unaffordable for a lot of people, especially young people these days.”
Rural vs. urban Homelessness in rural areas, such as Oswego County, can be difficult to see because of how “hidden” it is,
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according to Stuart. “In larger urban areas, you’ll see homeless people out on the streets. In rural areas, homeless people tend to stay in private areas. It is common for homeless people in rural areas to, like you said, ‘couch surf.’ They live in other people’s homes when they can because they do not have a place of their own,” she said. “You hit the nail on the head, mentioning the difference between rural and urban. I think there are challenges for the rural community trying to end homelessness because it’s really hard to get a good scope of what the issue is,” she added. “There is a lot of geographic area; there are a lot of places people can tuck away and not get connected with services. In a more urban community, it’s pretty obvious. You can find people; they are usually congregating in certain places. “Especially in Oswego County — it’s geographically large — there’s a lot of ground to cover for services providers to make sure that they are available for folks from one end of the county to the other.” Members of the coalition try to find those that are sleeping outside and try to get them inside because that is the most important thing, according to Stuart. “We’re heading into winter and our biggest focus is making sure people are inside and safe,” she said. “I think for us at the coalition, I think our solution is always going to be more housing, housing that is affordable. With proj-
ects in Oswego County that have been completed, like Champlain Commons, they are just so successful in getting people into safe, stable apartments that they can afford and that is what’s really going to move the needle. “We are really appreciative that the state has made some investment into housing development; especially in our region because we do have a lot of aging housing stock. We are losing houses to nothing other than age and not being taken care of. We need new housing to really come in and be affordable — we need options for working families, people who get public benefits, so they can be able to afford a place to live. Otherwise, this issue is just going to keep growing.” The state has put a lot of investment into development; there are some federal programs as well. “It’s a lot for a local government to take on. It really has to come from the state and federal levels,” Stuart said. “What we hope at the local level is that people support it and recognize that these projects ultimately help our neighbors. They aren’t helping people who are not deserving; they are not helping people coming from other communities — these are people from our neighborhoods our communities.” They collect people’s zip codes when they come into shelter and “we can prove these are people who live in your neighborhood — whether they are in a nice apartment or not and isn’t it better if they are in a nice apartment? There is a lot of education that needs
to get out there. The amount of people using illegal substances is really low — it is less than 10% of people. Most people find themselves homeless because of their economic circumstances,” Stuart said. “I think we have a really good collaborative community, which is very nice. We have a lot of good things going for us. This is encouraging.”
Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY Homelessness in Oswego County at a Glance • 60% of people in emergency shelters stay less than 30 days • Approximately 50% of people experiencing homelessness report having a disabling condition • Less than 10% of people experiencing homelessness report misusing substances like alcohol or drugs • 23% of households experiencing homelessness have at least one child • In 2022, only 3% of people experiencing homelessness were sleeping outside • Veterans make up approximately 1% of the homeless population • 5% of the homeless population is chronically homeless • 10% of the homeless population is youth younger than the age of 25
PIT SURVEY IDENTIFIES NEEDS OF COUNTY’S HOMELESS POPULATION In January 2023 Oswego County Opportunities in conjunction with the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York conducted its annual Point In Time count. Point In Time is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night during the last 10 days of January. “Point In Time canvassing gives us much more than a count of homeless individuals, it’s an excellent opportunity for outreach,” said OCO Homeless Services Coordinator Jill Brzuszkiewicz. “During our canvassing we were able
to speak with business owners and community partners and share with them information about homelessness in Oswego County and how they can help by letting them know about the services that are available to those that are homeless and how they may connect someone that is in need to those services.” Volunteers from a number of OCO partners including the Oswego County/City Youth Bureau, Farnham Family Services, DSS, SUNY Upstate Medical University, the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New
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York, Densens House, the City of Fulton Police Department, OCO board members, community members and other OCO staff canvassedareas throughout the county. Traveling in pairs, volunteers search for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and help those individuals find shelter for the night and connect them with homeless services that may help find more permanent housing. For more information on OCO’s Homeless Services call 315- 342-7618 or visit oco.org.
SPECIAL REPORT
Mary Curcio is the executive director of Victory Transformation. “Our mission is a hand-up, not a handout,” she says.
Sign on the Victory Transformation’s façade in Oswego. It’s the only statecertified facility for men for emergency housing in Oswego County. Homeless people can stay at the shelter up to 60 days or longer if needed.”
Victory Transformation: A Stepping Stone to Self Sufficiency The temporary emergency shelter helps men find employment and permanent housing By Stefan Yablonski
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rom the outside, the cold stone façade resembles a church or even a castle. However, on the inside, a dozen men call it home. Victory Transformation provides temporary emergency sheltering for men. It was incorporated in 2014. It is located at 24 E. Oneida St. — “but we are a county facility,” Mary Curcio, executive director, said. “We provide emergency housing for men in Oswego County. We are the only state certified facility for men for emergency housing in the county.” She said there is a need in Fulton — “That’s why I am reaching out to the new mayor. We want to work together to alleviate the problem there.” Victory also provides the warming shelter for Oswego County. “The warming center is a separate facility, but it is under our umbrella,” Curcio said. “We are the only one for the county.”
Right now, they have one full-time paid staff and four part-time paid staff. “There are various credentials to work here — prior experience as an advocate, training as a peer-advocate, counselor or job experience,” Curcio explained. “We train in-house on job expectations and more.” They were at 94 E. Oneida St. “We were in a house over there. This facility was a former adult home. It came up for auction and we were able to move in here. Right now, we can house 12 men,” she said. The men’s bedrooms are upstairs; the staff offices, café and meeting rooms are on the main floor. “This is the men’s shelter; this is where we manage every thing. [Men] have to go to Department of Social Services and they have to prove that they are homeless. Then, DSS calls us. When they call us, we verify that we have a
bed open,” Curcio explained. “This is a sober living facility; so if they aren’t sober we won’t take them. We provide 24-hour supervision.” Victory Transformation also hosts bible studies and other support activities that help the men become employable and self-reliant, she added.
Space is an issue “If we don’t have enough beds, we have had to turn people away. We always try to let DSS know how many beds we have [available] — so they are pretty careful not to ask us if we’re full,” she said. “There was a time awhile ago — there were only two beds available and three possible men. So they know; they check with us first. I know that we can use more beds.” If Victory Transformation can’t take them, they go back to DSS and they try
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Corina Canfield, who is an advocate for the homeless at Victory Transformation, talks with a man who is a guest.
to find other solutions. Since May 2023, they’ve had 41 men at the site. “I’d say since January, we’ve probably had 70 men,” Curcio added. “We are looking to add more beds. We need more beds.” Before COVID-19, the original time to stay was around 40 days. “Since COVID-19, housing has become very difficult,” she said. “It is taking much longer for our participants to find housing. Now they are staying up to 60 days or longer if needed.”
Not a handout “Our mission is a hand-up, not a handout,” Curcio stressed. “We want them to be successful on their own.” “We help the men get housing, get jobs,” she continued. “For substance abuse, we work with Farnham. We work with Catholic Charities — we partner with all the agencies that we can. It takes a whole team, right? If it takes a village to raise a child — it takes a whole community to help someone be successful. Our program helps support men trying to find housing and employment. We work with other agencies such as DSS, Bridge to Hope, Lakeview, Farnham, Catholic Charities, Second Chances
and OCO.” “Hopefully, we measure success by if they have gotten a job and kept that job and got an apartment and they stay sober,” she said. “If they can do all that and live on their own we count that as a success.” It is pretty obvious that COVID-19, the opioid crisis and mental health issues have all exacerbated homelessness in the county, she added. “I will say that housing is a big problem,” she said. “Some guys have gone in together on an apartment. Getting an apartment can be the toughest part — some places want references and a lot of the time, the men don’t have references.” “Some of [the men] aren’t always successful,” she said. “There are guidelines, there has to be or else you have chaos,” she said. “If they violate the substance abuse policy, they can get sanctioned by DSS. Sanction times from housing here come from DSS; they vary depending on the situation. That means they get no support for a certain number of days. So we work very hard with them to not do that. We help the men do whatever it takes to be successful,” she said. They can come back after the
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sanction. “We’ve taken men back. We’ve taken them back a couple of times because you want to give people a chance, a second chance to be successful. If we can, we let them come back. Some times they learn from a mistake — it’s not a bad thing,” she said. “One of the guys came to us (the other day) and said, ‘Thank you so much for all you have done for me,’” “We are a community — the men help take care of the facility,” Curcio continued. “The guys help clean, they’ll help in the café, they do yard work. They take care of each other and learn to become good neighbors to the neighborhood.” Costs vary to run Victory, the executive director said. “We have bills like most agencies, staff, heat, lights, mortgage and insurance. Funding to house the men here comes from DSS,” she said. “We also receive donations from individuals, churches and other agencies. We do fundraising — had an auction recently to generate funds. Fundraising is a large part of raising funds to keep the shelter open.”
Habitat for Humanity Completes Work on Fulton Home
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he Oswego County Habitat for Humanity (OCHFH) chapter recently announced the completion of another home in Oswego County. With the help of volunteers, local companies and unions, and the sweat equity of the future homeowners, OCHFH was able to provide a beautifully remodeled home at 565 West First St. in Fulton at an affordable price for a local family. Over the course of several months, countless dedicated individuals came together to transform this old house into a home that holds the promise of a brighter future, said Samuel Raponi, OCHFH executive director. The extensive renovations included updated electrical service provided by EM Electric, plumbing and heating upgrades serviced by Yager’s Plumbing & Heating, Cloverleaf Garage Door, Inc. added a new look for the owners garage, Beach Construction rebuilt kitchen cabinets and finished trim work throughout the project. The All-Around Paint and Wash Co. of Fulton volunteered their time by putting the finishing touches on the front porch with new handrails. With some help from the City of Fulton Fire Department, a new front porch deck was built and they installed smoke detectors throughout the house. The City of Fulton Code Enforcement team ensured a safe environment prior to completion for our newest Oswego County Habitat for Humanity Family Partners. “The recipient of this Habitat for Humanity home is Sarah Hayden, a resilient member of our community who has shown extraordinary dedication to improving the circumstances of her family,” Raponi said. “Sarah and her partner, Tim Richmond, and their family, and our entire community celebrated this momentous occasion during an open house celebration held Nov. 1 at the new home’s location.” Habitat for Humanity has a long-standing history of empowering individuals and building communities across the nation, Raponi said. With this completed home, they have not only delivered a safe and affordable place to live but also the gift of empowerment and the tools for a brighter future.
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DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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COVER
Paul Ross at his Central Square McDonald’s store on Oct. 30. Photo by Chuck Wainwright
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50 YEARS SELLING BURGERS AND FRIES
Paul Ross invested about $200,000 to open his first McDonald’s store in Nedrow. Now, 50 years later, he owns and operates 15 stores in CNY, including in Pulaski, Mexico, Brewerton, Fulton and Central Square By Stefan Yablonski
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local McDonald’s owner operator is celebrating 50 years providing food and support in his community. Paul Ross, 78, has done more than flipping burgers during his more than 50 years with McDonald’s — he has been instrumental in creating and sustaining the Ronald McDonald House program. “While I originally grew up in Boston and went to school there, I consider Syracuse my home. I was in the military for six years until 1973 and I landed in Syracuse. I’ve been here ever since!” he said. He recently bought a home in Arizona to be closer to his children and grandchildren, he added. “I was ready to get out of the military and had a wife and two kids. It was time for me to get a job and McDonald’s was a young company at the time looking to expand its franchise,” he explained. “I started the program to become an owner-operator and had my first store in November of 1973 and we grew from there one store at a time. I started when I was 28 years old and I was one of the youngest owner-operators in the system at the time.” “I actually started my business in 1973; I looked into getting a McDonald’s restaurant in 1972,” he added. “You don’t just walk up to the front door of a McDonald’s and say, ‘OK I got the money, here ya go. I’m ready to start tomorrow.’” There’s a significant amount of training that they have for franchisees so that took about a year to get through, he said. “Yeah, it’s like going back to school — and like going to school, you don’t get paid, either,” he quipped. “It is
what it is.” “Back in 1973, when I opened my first restaurant, the cost to get into business — when I tell ya what the number was, you’ll probably go ‘that’s not bad’ — but when you compare it to the value of money in 2023… So it’s not dissimilar to when I was 28, when I started the business, the cost of a gallon of gas was like 45 or 50 cents; people made 60 cents an hour. You have to look at those numbers in terms of what the value of a dollar was then,” he said. The cost to get started in 1973 was “about $200,000.” “That’s what the franchisee, meaning me, had to put up to pay for all of the equipment, décor, to train my first crew, to buy all my supplies,” he said. “In terms of what the economy was as compared to today 200,000 dollars was a lot of money.” That being the case, today, the approximate cost to start a new McDonald’s restaurant exceeds $2 million, he added. McDonald’s had a requirement that you had to have at least 25% of that 200,000 in funds that were unencumbered. While the numbers are bigger today, the concept is still the same — between 25% and 30% in unencumbered funds.
Tough times and a lucky break “In 1974, I came so close to going bankrupt. Part of the reason was the first restaurant I opened didn’t meet the sales expectations that McDonald’s had set for us. Then, remember, we had a gas crisis. There were long, long lines. You
could only buy gas on every other day (it was). There were huge lines at gas stations and so people’s lives changed — business wasn’t as good as it was expected it to be. “But I was very fortunate. In 1975, McDonald’s had a restaurant in Fulton, New York, that was extremely low volume. McDonald’s made me an offer — I could have that store, they had something that was called a BFL (a business facilities lease) where you had to put up the money for the store and you pay them a higher than normal rent. That restaurant was probably one of the lowest volume restaurants in the United States at the time.” Over the next year and a half, it became one of the highest volume restaurants in the Central New York area. “Some things were my control, some things were just the way life works out,” he said. “Miller Brewery came to town, Huhtamaki expanded. Hopefully I changed the culture in that McDonald’s restaurant from what it was to what it became. It was like all the right ingredients went into the job … and poof!” Ross started making money then, which was good “because my first restaurant was still under-achieving at that time,” he said. “My first restaurant, I still own it, I really didn’t become really prosperous on that restaurant until probably the mid-1990s. It was almost 20 years later. Made enough money to pay the bills and pay the bank; but there wasn’t much left over, not much at all that’s for sure.” Everybody thinks that because it is a McDonald’s restaurant that you have
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A leader – and a mentor “He is wonderful. I started working for Paul in 1989, 34 years now,” Cindy Tyrell, office manager, said. Ross is “a definite leader and also a mentor.” She said she’s learned “an incredible amount” from him over the years working for him. “I could go on and on — he’s great. He’s a great boss. I would never go anywhere else and I will be with him until he retires,” she added. “He has taught me so much over the years.” Tyrell tells people all the time one of the greatest things he has taught her is that there is always two sides to every story. “You have to make sure you get all your facts and get everything together before you make a decision,” she said. He has changed over the years, too, she added. “But he’s always been baseline Paul. He cares about his people, he’s a good leader, he makes work fun which is tough. Fast food is a stressful industry; things happen quickly — no two days are the same.” He makes things fun for his people and he likes to do things for his people — he appreciates his people, she said. “He has supported Ronald McDonald House Charities for years; both personally and I’m sure you know about the Roundup campaign. We raised $1.5 million over the last couple of years, just for our organization, that is pretty good,” Tyrell said. “He has our people invested in it, too. And, he educates them as to what the house is for. We have stores taking turns preparing dinners for the house. One of our store managers believes very strongly in that and organizes that for us. Once a month a different store would be responsible for providing a meal.” It’s all because of the example Paul sets for his people, according to Tyrell.
Top: Paul Ross in July 1996 during the grand opening of his Mexico store in Oswego County. Bottom: McDonald’s store on Route 481 in Fulton. When Paul Ross acquired it in 1975, it was one of the lowest volume restaurants in the state. Years later it became one of the highest volume stores.
trucks backing up every night to take away all the cash, he added. “Business is not easy and a successful business is even harder. You’re always trying to do better than you did before,” he said.
Arizona heat Ross said he isn’t trying to start a new McDonald’s in Arizona even though he spends some of his time there. He has two children, Gregory and Nicole. “No, no, no. My daughter moved out here about eight years ago with my grandchildren. They used to live in Cazenovia. We used to see them just
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about every day,” he explained. “We came out to visit them here just to see what it was like — we fell in love with Arizona. It’s a beautiful place.” They would come to visit every three months or so for like a week. They maintained a great relationship with their grandchildren and children. “And then about three years ago, I said to my wife, Lois, ‘you know, I think it’s time we bought a house in Arizona.’ We wound up buying a home here. Feel very fortunate to be able to do something like that and Arizona is just a beautiful place — despite the heat. I can work on golf game 12 months out of the year!” He still has a smattering of the
Giving Back
P
aul Ross has supported Ronald McDonald’s House in Syracuse from the early beginnings
‘It’s What I love’
Boston accent. When he goes back to Boston, he can’t believe the accent that they have. “And then when we leave, it’s like it is super-charged our accent to what it was when we were young,” he said. “That lasts, you know, about a month or so. Then it starts to fall off again. But everybody picks up on the accent.” His first restaurant was in Nedrow (6105 S. Salina St., in Syracuse). “I still have that restaurant to this day! We last expanded five and a half years ago when I had the opportunity to purchase six McDonald’s in North Country,” “I’m not looking to add any more; but rather enjoy the fruits of my labor and think about retirement.”
Paul Ross is an original founder of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York, which has provided a home away from home for families with sick children receiving treatment in local hospitals. “The Ronald McDonald House Charities is an organization that is near and dear to me. Growing up, my little brother was partially paralyzed and I told myself that when I got older, if I had the opportunity to give back to those that couldn’t do for themselves that I would,” he said. “I was part of the building committee for the first Ronald McDonald House in Central New York in 1982 and have continued to stay involved with the organization ever since.” “Paul Ross’ involvement with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York dates back to our inception. Deeply rooted in our community, Paul was a founder of the original CNY Ronald McDonald House and has been a champion of children and families for more than 40 years,” said Beth Trunfio, executive director, Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY. “I raise funds both on a personal level and through my restaurants with the Round-Up Campaign. The campaign allows customers to round up their change or otherwise donate a dollar amount to RMHC when they cash out,” he said. “While it was a slow process in the beginning, I’ve been able to incentivize and motivate my crew to make the campaign a priority over the last few years and it has seen some great results.” Collectively, his 15 restaurants (including restaurants in Pulaski, Mexico, Brewerton, Fulton and
Central Square) recently passed generating $1.5 million for RoundUp to support RMHC of Central New York. Over the last three years, in total, McDonald’s owner-operators throughout Central, Northern New York and Northern Pennsylvania have raised $2.2 million for the program. “Customers really appreciate when we ask if they’d like to round up for RMHC and my employees have also gotten more involved volunteering at the house because of it as well,” he said. “I do this because it’s what I love. Watching my employees grow while giving back to my community has made my career one of the greatest joys of my life,” he said. “I feel fulfilled having been able to make a difference in my community through RMHC and in my restaurants seeing success in people and how their lives have evolved.” There are so many amazing parts of his day every day, he added. “What resonates with me the most is being part of change in my community and supporting the people I work with. I’ve had my hand in being part of people living good lives and that is most meaningful to me,” he said. “Of course, every job comes with learning opportunities. Making tough business decisions when needed can be difficult, although I can confidently say the positives have outweighed the negatives.” “Paul always encourages people to dream big, which in our case, has led to the founding of several large fundraising events, as well as the building of our new house more than 10 years ago,” Trunfio said. “We are now embarking on an expansion of our current house to allow us to serve even more families in need and continue Paul’s legacy of improving the lives of children and their families in this community!”
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In 1968, the Big Mac was released nationwide. A look at Some McDonald’s Items — Then & Now • The very first McDonald’s menu was large. However, in 1948, the McDonald brothers reduced the restaurant’s offerings down to just nine items. • Ray Kroc opened his first franchise in 1955. • The first new item to be added to the national menu was the Filet-O-Fish sandwich in 1965. • In 1968, the Big Mac was released nationwide. • Today, an estimated 900 million Big Macs are sold each year around the world. • Chicken McNuggets were added to menus in 1983. • McDonald’s debuted the McChicken in 1980, and it was a disappointment at first. • Happy Meals came out in 1979. • The McRib sandwich first appeared on McDonald’s menus in 1981. • In 2004, Mcdonald’s released its “Real Life Choices” menu with “healthier” options. • In 1972, Herb Peterson of Santa Barbara, California, pitched his latest creation to McDonald’s owner Ray Croc — it was what we now know as the Egg McMuffin. • The chain also sells coffee — in 1993, McDonald’s opened the first McCafé in Melbourne, Australia. • McDonald’s restaurants in Hawaii began serving Spam, eggs and rice for breakfast in 2002. SOURCE: Business Insider
Top: Paul Ross with Ronald McDonald Baldwinsville, circa 1982. Bottom: Paul Ross (second from left) with Lois Ross and Thomas Sardino, former Syracuse police chief, at the grand opening of South Geddes Street restaurant April 1978.
Paul Ross McDonald’s Locations 1. North Syracuse 2. Fulton 3. Potsdam 4. Nedrow 5. Ogdensburg 6. Pulaski 7. Gouverneur 8. Brewerton
54 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
9. Cicero2 (Route 31) 10. Mexico 11. Adams 12. Central Square 13. Baldwinsville 14. Cicero1 (Route 11) 15. Canton
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Harborfest Seeks Vendors for 2024 Festival
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pplications are now available for vendors to exhibit and sell their products at the 2024 edition of Harborfest. The festival, Oswego County’s largest summer event and one of the largest in the region, seeks vendors in the categories of arts and crafts, food and drink, commercial products and farmer’s market vendors. All applications are available on the Harborfest website — www. oswegoharborfest.com. Potential food vendors should also take note of the additional applications needed for the use of tents and propane. “Most of our vendors come back year after year because of the terrific crowds we draw, but there’s always room for fresh ideas, more diversity in food and beverages as well as new and interesting products,” said Dan Harrington, Harborfest executive director. “I encourage any vendor thinking about making their first visit to Harborfest to give us a call to get your questions answered and become a part of the Harborfest family.” Potential vendors with questions can call vendor coordinator Marilyn McMillen at 315-343-6858 or send questions through www.oswegoharborfest. com/vendor-coordinator. Harborfest returns July 25-28m with the food, music, fun and fireworks that has drawn families and friends together along the Lake Ontario to make unforgettable memories. The free-to-attend festival’s signature event is its spectacular fireworks show over the lake while its stages feature top national and regional performers. The annual Harborfest Children’s Parade is one of many family-friendly events for young people to enjoy with their parents. Great food, exciting rides and games and interesting artwork, crafts and products round out a festival that has been a destination since 1988.
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Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com
Flourishing in Show Business
From local theater roots to Emmy nomination, Rueby Wood is proof that talent, hard work and passion pay off Rueby Wood started in community theater in Oswego. He is now an Emmynominated star. Whatever roles are ahead for him, for now he is having plenty of fun living out his dreams.
TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.
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rom community theater in Oswego County to becoming the Emmy-nominated star in the Disney+ movie “Better Nate Than Ever,” Rueby Wood is showing how talent, hard work and passion can branch out into show business. His mother, Gina Holsopple — a singer-songwriter, teacher and proprietor of Gina Marie Music Studios in Oswego — is well-known in the community for nurturing musical gifts. Charity, in this case, began at home. “My mom threw me into community theater when I was 6 years old, so she obviously saw I was a dramatic kid,” Wood said. Rueby’s first performances came with the Oswego Players and in Fulton at the CNY Arts Center. Soon his talents took to stages at Red House Theatre in Syracuse as well as Syracuse Stage — with the latter providing his first big break. He was playing the role of Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins” at Syracuse Stage, and an agent for one of the leads, a touring professional, was in town. That agent happened to meet his mother and sister at a restaurant across the street and they talked him up. After the show, things fell into place with the agent. “I started auditioning professionally when I was 9,” Rueby said. “Getting an agent led to auditioning in New York City for shows, then film and TV.” His first big role soon followed. “I got cast in the first national Broadway Tour of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’” Rueby recalled. “I got to tour the country for about a year and a half performing. It was an experience I will never forget, truly one of the best times of my life.” It meant a lot of adjusting, but he credits his family and friends for supporting
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him in everything. “My mom is just incredible; she was just always there to say yes to every little idea. Everything I ever wanted to do, she’s always had my back,” Rueby said. “When I decided to go into the professional world, it would have been so easy for her to say no. Instead she said, ‘we’re going to make this work no matter what.’” Then everything came to a halt, courtesy of the 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which “stopped everything hard,” Rueby recalled. “It’s been a wild ride, doing a lot, doing nothing and then doing a lot again.”
Tim’s Notes
Getting past the ‘no’ A huge highlight of that “a lot” is the momentous experience of playing the lead role in the Disney+ movie “Better Nate Than Ever.” The film mirrors every theater kid’s dream of going to Broadway and having an unbelievable experience. But the road to this fairy tale experience for the performer was far from easy. “Before you can get a ‘yes’ in the audition world, you have to get so many ‘no’s, and I’ve had more than I can count,” Rueby said. But the role of Nate “instantly felt right,” he said. “I read the script, I listened to some of the music and I loved it.” The initial audition “went really well” and was followed by “so many callbacks for about two months,” Rueby said. They had found the female lead playing Libby — Aria Brooks — really early and “tried out all the Nates,” Rueby said. On their Zoom together, the two had really good chemistry and Rueby was offered the lead role. Then the whirlwind began. “In a week they wanted me to pack
Rueby Wood at the Emmy ceremonies in 2022, age 16. DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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During the filming of Disney+ movie “Better Nate Than Ever,” age 14.
up and come to New York City to film,” Rueby said, the excitement still present in his voice. “It was so much fun being able to go to New York City and to go to all these places and film this amazing movie.” In a glowing review for RogerEbert. com, Nell Minow offered high praise, noting “becoming a Rueby Wood fan right now will make sure you will not miss a moment from a performer who is already a master of comedy, drama, singing and dancing. Someday, when he wins a Tony, you will want to be able to say, ‘I saw him in his first movie.’” And while that Tony might still be on the horizon, Wood did receive a nomination from the Children’s and Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Performance.
‘Incredible times’ Rueby speaks by phone between rehearsals for “Cats” at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where
he is a junior musical theater major. “The rehearsal process for that has been so much fun,” Rueby said. “Everything is so high quality. This has truly been one of the most incredible times of my life and I’ve made some of the closest friends I’ve ever had.” In the production, which ran in early November, he played Bustopher Jones, a rather hedonist cat who mainly thinks about food and other pleasures and Alonzo, more of an ensemble cat that involves a lot of singing and dancing. It’s one more way he’s learning to stretch himself and showcase versatility. But wherever he goes and whatever he does, Rueby doesn’t forget about his community theater roots. “Everyone has to start somewhere and I loved doing community theater because you develop such a family there,” Rueby said. “I don’t think I’d be here today without that start and giving me my love for theater.” For those with artistic aspirations of any level, Rueby advises not to let
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fear get in the way. “If you have a love for theater or for art or anything creative — if you have a love for that and that’s what you want to do, you have to go forward,” Rueby said. “It will be hard and there will be ups and downs, but if you love something enough, that love will get you through.” What the pandemic and the many other problems of the world have shown is that the need for art and for beauty and things people can enjoy are perhaps more important than ever. “Art is something that is a universal language,” Rueby said. “We need more artists, we need more theater performers. It’s something the world needs more to not descend into complete chaos.” Whatever roles are ahead for him, for now Rueby is having plenty of fun living out his dreams. “I get to wake up every day and do what I love,” he said. “It’s so amazing.”
REAL ESTATE
The Problem with Commissions Paid to Agents Potential changes in the way real estate agents get paid raise concerns from professionals By Aaron Gifford
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n the real estate market, buyer beware was once universal advice. But in the wake of a federal court case that may change the way how U.S. homes are bought and sold, the disclaimer for Central New Yorkers looking to make a deal could become “buyer, seller and agent beware.” Earlier this fall, a federal court in Missouri awarded a $1.8 billion verdict after ruling that large real estate brokerage firms and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) conspired to keep home prices artificially high in the interest of paying brokers on both side of the transaction. The court’s opinion was that the existing commission structure is not
in the interest of fair negotiations between the actual customers, according to court documents and published reports. Moreover, the plaintiffs argued that the existing arrangement is outdated considering how technology has increasingly allowed perspective buyers to browse and even tour properties online. NAR argued that the commission structure helps first-time and lower-income buyers who may not have the means to pay commission fees. It plans to appeal the decision. In a typical home sale, agents representing the buyer and the seller split the commission, typically between 5% and 6%. In the sale of a $200,000 home for example, which is about the median
home price in Central New York, the $10,000 commission paid entirely by the person selling the house would be split two ways. In the case of a sale by owner, an agent representing the buyer would still expect to be paid that commission. A report from real estate industry experts, which was analyzed in the Wall Street Journal, predicted that the lawsuit, if the court decision is not reversed, will take a huge bite out of the estimated $100 billion paid to 1.6 million U.S. real estate agents and may greatly reduce the number of men and women who make a living in the property sale profession. No new regulations have been handed down to real estate companies
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If a recent court decision is not reversed one possible change in the real estate market could be that agents representing buyers charge an hourly rate in lieu of commissions. Or more homebuyers will simply elect to shop on their own without the help of an agent. Bill Galloway of Century 21 Galloway Realty: “We don’t know how it’s all going to play out. It could take years before it’s settled.”
yet. But if the court decision is not reversed one possible change could be that agents representing buyers charge an hourly rate in lieu of commissions. Or more homebuyers will simply elect to shop on their own without the help of an agent. Several realtors throughout the
Central New York region were contacted; most indicated they would prefer to withhold comment until a final decision becomes official. Bill Galloway of Century 21 Galloway Realty said until new regulations are handed down from the court, “it remains business as usual.”
“We don’t know how it’s all going to play out,” he said. “It could take years before it’s settled.” Galloway could not estimate what percentage of potential homebuyers in the Central New York real estate market hire agents to help them find a house and negotiate with the seller. But he did
Region
Homes Sold Jan-Sept. 2022
Homes Sold Jan-Sept. 2023
Oswego County Onondaga County Cayuga County Oneida County Madison County
949 3,897 369 1,663 515
759 3,061 265 1,216 394
Source: Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors. 60 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
Mark Re, president of the Central New York Information Service: “With fewer buyers able to afford the costs of homeownership, existing home sales declined 0.7% month over month and were down 15.3% year over year.”
say it’s reasonable to think that, if and when the large Micron chip plant sets up shop in Clay, buyer’s agents will be in demand to help folks from other states find a place to live. In the meantime, he encourages agents to disclose all commission structures up front. “It’s what we’ve always done with customers and I would hope with this lawsuit, all agents are aware of the importance of being up front,” he said. “That’s the nature of the real estate business. It seems like something changes every year.” If the court decision is upheld, changes to the way buyers’ agents are paid, coupled with high mortgage rates, could come at an already volatile time in the Central New York real estate market. The prices here may be the highest they’ve ever been, but the
market is starting to cool off, according to statistics from the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors (GSAR). The median sale price in Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga and Oneida counties are up more than 7%, from $187,000 to $201,000 through the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same period last year. And the average home price in the region so far this year is even higher, at $242,223. But the number of sales for the same period decreased 22.4%, from 6,987 to 5,429, according to GSAR. In Oswego County, 759 homes were sold during the first nine months of this year compared to 949 during the same period in 2022, but the average price increased from $169,500 to $180,300. In Onondaga County, sales decreased from 3,897 to 3,061, but the sale price average went up from $255,800 to $271,600. In Cayuga County, the number decreased from 369 to 265, with the average price going to from $218,600 to $230,300. In Oneida County, sales went down from 1,663 homes to 1,216 as average sale price increased only slightly, from $204,200 to $209,600. Madison County was the only county in the region to report a decrease in average sale price, from $245,600 last year to $244,200, while the number of houses sold also declined, from 515 to 394, according to GSAR. “Central New Yorkers continue to close on homes that meet their changing life circumstances, but many of those who would typically be looking for a larger home or to downsize have pressed pause due to mortgage rates rising above 7% and strong competition for the reduced number of homes being listed for sale,” Mark Re, president of the Central New York Information Service, said in GSAR’s monthly report. “Today’s mortgage rate and low
inventory conditions are keeping much of this important pool of sellers on the sidelines, further reducing potential inventory. Rates reaching a level that will bring them back to the market will have the greatest impact on the housing market going forward.” The national real estate market, where the number of sales of existing homes recently dropped to a seven-month low, somewhat reflects what’s going on locally, according to the monthly report from NAR. “With fewer buyers able to afford the costs of homeownership, existing home sales declined 0.7% month-overmonth and were down 15.3% year over year,” the report said, also noting that, nationally, the median home price is now up to $407,100. While Central New York homes appear to be worth less than half of that, the affordability index for buying a house here is still quite favorable compared to other markets. That figure pinpoints what percentage of the median household income is necessary to qualify for financing for a median-priced home under the prevailing interest rates. A higher percentage means greater affordability. For Central New York, that number was 252 in 2021; 172 in 2022; and 145 so far this year, as both market values and interest rates increased. Still, that indicates homes around here are far more affordable than in Denver, which had a rate of 79.9 (last year), El Paso, Texas (109.1) or Pittsfield, Massachusetts (114.7), according to NAR. Locally, there’s a lot of homes for sale for the time being — 7,389 as of earlier this fall, according GSAR’s most recent report. The Central New York market, despite ups and downs in the past two years, has remained relatively healthy. Whether that remains the case amid federal litigation that threatens to change the way realtors get paid remains to be seen.
The median sale price in Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga and Oneida counties are up more than 7%, from $187,000 to $201,000 through the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same period last year.
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REAL ESTATE
Dramatic Decline in Inventory Affects Real Estate Industry
Fewer homes on the market, high interest rates and cold weather contribute to a tough end of year By Mary Beth Roach
T
he real market in Central New York is being impacted by low inventory, bidding wars and, to some degree, high interest rates and the approaching Central New York winter. While the inventory in some areas is increasing, real estate agents in Oswego and Onondaga counties aren’t seeing that. John Adolfi of Adolfi Real Estate in Phoenix said that in the city of Oswego, as of mid-November, there were about 22 single-family properties for sale, when it’s usually 100 properties available. In Fulton, where there are usually 60 to 90 properties for sale, there were 12. The numbers are more surprising when one looks at the larger area. According to rockethomes.com, the Onondaga County real estate market had 1,480 homes for sale in October, compared 1,698 homes in September
— a 12.8% decrease in inventory. In Oswego County, those numbers were 401 in September and 351 in October, showing a 12.5% decrease in houses on the market. Melissa White of the Hodgkins Homes Team at Hunt Real Estate in Onondaga County said that one reason for the low inventory is that no one wants to move. “They don’t want to get a mortgage with a higher interest rate, so right now, realtors are figuring out strategies to overcome that and help the buyers have more options,” she explained. According to Freddie Mac, interest rates finished September at 7.31% on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, an increase from 7.07% average in August. This is the highest level since the year 2000, the New York State Association of Realtors noted on its website.
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But not all real estate salespeople are experiencing a lot of pushback from buyers regarding interest rates. “If there is any negativity toward the interest rates, people don’t seem to be complaining too loudly,” Adolfi said. “I’m surprised, but they haven’t.” The difference between what buyers can get at a 3% mortgage rate compared to a 7% rate, is “profound,” Adolfi added. Higher interest rates are only slightly affecting the market and mainly impacting first-time homebuyers, according to Liverpool real estate agent Chatarina “Trine” Etoll, of eXp Realty. Etoll said that it is unlikely that the rates will go back to 3%. She suggested that some buyers may opt to consider a creative loan, like a 10-year adjustable-rate mortgage and refinance later. Low inventory is driving up home
prices. It’s a sellers’ market in both Oswego and Onondaga counties, with houses going for far more than the asking price. Again, citing statistics from rockethomes.com, more than 64% of the homes sold in Onondaga County went for more than the asking price in October and when compared to October 2022, the median price per home was up 9.1%. In Oswego County, a little more than 52% of the homes were sold above the asking price and the median sold price in October was up 4.8% over the same month last year. Some extreme examples: Etoll told of one buyer who put in an offer of $90,000 over asking price with no inspections and still lost out. White of Hodgkins Homes Team at Hunt Real Estate said that she had an offer declined that was more $104,000 over asking price. White also said that with the bidding wars, there are more escalation offers being used. They have “become part of the culture,” she added. With escalation clauses, potential buyers can raise their offer in increments to a certain amount if the seller gets a better offer. However, if the seller does not get a better offer, then the buyer’s original bid stands. Many of White’s clients are investors and often they’re being outbid because it doesn’t make sense for them to pay so much money on an investment property.
Moving Fast While the days that houses are sitting on the market may be increasing slightly — from about 21 to 23 days as Etoll noted — most are selling in less than one month’s time. Rockethomes. com’s stats show that of the 395 homes sold in Onondaga County in October, 340 were sold in less than 30 days. In Oswego County 79% of the 101 homes sold in October went in less than 30 months. And while many Central New Yorkers don’t like moving in the snow and cold of the winter, one area real estate company expects their business to pick up after the holidays. At the Salmon River Realty in Pulaski, Caroline Oeschger, a licensed salesperson there, said their company specializes in land, camps and farms, capitalizing on its location near Lake Ontario, the Salmon River and the Tug Hill Plateau and the opportunities in that area for outdoor recreational activities.
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Austin Wheelock ooc@oswegocounty.org
‘Tis The Season For.... Small Business
J ‘Operation Oswego County in 2024 will provide additional resources, workshops and seminars to assist small businesses in navigating retail success in what has become a nontraditional retail market.’
AUSTIN M. WHEELOCK, Certified economic developer (CEcD), is the executive director of Operation Oswego County, Inc. For more information, call 315-343-1545 or visit www. oswegocounty.org.
ust as hybrid ofpurchasing a retailer’s fice-remote work most popular prodarrangements have ucts without visiting a become more common, retail business has physical location and capturing that spur become increasingly complex in an econoof the moment sale. my rapidly changing through technology. Brick-and-mortar stores continue to The line between brick-and-mortar have one huge advantage over e-comstores and e-commerce is now blurry and, merce-only businesses and they should as the retail environment evolves, many capitalize on it: the ability to have a highly business owners are wondering what is personalized, enhanced, shopping experithe best way to position their small busience and associated services. The advent of nesses for a prosperous new year. personal shopping services include online In 2019, e-commerce sales accounted preorder and pickup, along with having for 10.5% of overall sales in the U.S. at highly trained staff who walk customers $569.9 billion. Due to the COVID-19 panthrough the retail space and much more. demic, the rate at which business owners Personalized shopping services don’t opened e-commerce shops and consumers just enhance the customer experience; shifted shopping habits to online increased they create opportunities to cross-sell and dramatically, upsell customalmost douers to drive $ Billions in U.S. E-Commerce Sales bling over the increased rev1200 last four years enue. to $1.14 trilF i n a l l y, 1000 lion in online social media 800 sales projected is not going by the end of away anytime 600 2023. soon and Face400 In the book is not the most recent only game in 200 quarter of sales town. Using 0 tracked by the outlets such 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 U.S Census, as Tik Tok, Ine-c om m erc e stagram, and now accounts for 15.6% of all sales in the YouTube offers excellent opportunities U.S, an almost 50% increase in market to engage potential customers in very penetration from 2019. dynamic ways. Shopping tends to be social While future online sales growth and retailers should look to incorporate may slow from its recent scorching hot social media to its maximum extent. Live trajectory, it will not stop and emerging events, videos and the use of influencers technology and market demand will concan both be an effective means to reach a tinue to force businesses to adapt. Now larger audience. more than ever, brick-and-mortar retailers As we move into 2024, Operation should have some semblance of an e-comOswego County will look to provide merce presence and not necessarily think additional resources, workshops and of e-commerce as competition. seminars to assist small businesses in navMany consumers now prefer to shop igating retail success in what has become from the comfort of their own home for a non-traditional retail market. spur of the moment purchases or when Look out for forthcoming information an immediate need arises. A brick-andon our upcoming programs. mortar store that currently does not offer The staff at Operation Oswego Counan e-commerce shop can start with a ty, Inc. would like to wish you all a very small offering with only their bestselling happy holiday season and to stay warm items, allowing customers the option of and safe this winter!
64 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
Economic Trends
HEALTHCARE SPECIAL INSIDE n Where Have All Independent Doctors Gone? n Cracking Down on Violence Against Healthcare Workers n Special Events Help Hospital Raise Money n Nonprofits Post-COVID
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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HEALTHCARE
Where Have All Independent Doctors Gone?
More than half of all practicing physicians are now employed outside of a small, independent practice By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
I
f the billing from your primary care provider is now coming from one of the area’s healthcare systems instead of the office where you see the doctor, it’s likely the physician’s office is part of a growing trend. Health systems are buying up the practices of solo providers and smaller health offices.
Finances The organization’s budget represents a big reason why physicians in small practices are shuttering or selling. According to George W. Chapman, owner of GW Chapman Consulting in Syracuse, more than half of all practicing physicians are now employed outside of a small, independent practice, such as by a health system, hospital or health corporation.
He further said: • Physician payments from Medicare may go down by 3.36% in 2024, in addition to the 2% decrease this year. • The American Medical Association estimates that over the past 20 years, Medicare and commercial insurance reimbursement has decreased by about 25% when figured for inflation. • In addition, physician overhead grows by 3% annually. “For small groups of two or three, the cost of running a practice is exorbitant,” Chapman said.
Work-life balance Of course, most physicians of various specialties have on-call hours. But for the small practice, fewer physicians are available to take those on-call hours. Chapman said many work long hours
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with little vacation time, compared with their colleagues in a health system. “The generation difference matters between baby boomers retiring who worked 60 hours a week and this generation of doctors, who want lifestyle balance. They’re more than happy to work for a health system and know their schedule is 32 to 40 hours a week and that they’ll have five weeks’ vacation. Things are changing in a lot of professions and many aren’t willing to work 60 to 70 hours a week.”
Patient care time Another of the reasons that fewer new doctors seek independent practice is the administrative headaches that reduce their time for spending time with patients. Many doctors want to practice medicine to help people, not
to fill out forms and jump through regulatory hoops. Chapman said that he can’t remember the last time a physician asked him to consult on setting up a solo practice. “It’s just really hard with all the alternative reimbursement models and the paperwork,” he said. “It’s frustrating even for the larger groups. It seems as if Medicare is driving solo doctors into the health systems. I don’t know if that’s their intention, but it seems like they’re telling doctors, ‘Don’t bother with solo practice.’” In the rare case of solo practice, some doctors opt for concierge offices, which operate outside of insurance reimbursement. However, this prices out patients who cannot afford their higher rates for services.
Staffing woes Well before the pandemic, staffing had been challenging in the medical field. But since the pandemic ended, it’s become even tougher. The main way to attract nurses has been to increase wages. However, small medical practices struggle to do so. “Many times, the large systems will price people out of the market,” said Fred Letourneau, CEO at CNY Family Care in East Syracuse. “When a nurse gets a $30,000 bonus to work at a hospital, a private practice can’t do that. The hospitals go to the state to get more money. They drive the rate up for private practices to get more staff.” He said that his group can’t compete with a rate such as $40 per hour for an LPN because CNY Family Care doesn’t receive funding from the government like hospitals do. “New York state is supposed to be a state of no corporate practice of medicine, but it kind of is with hospitals purchasing the practices,” he said. “During COVID-19, our office stayed open. A lot of hospitals furloughed workers. The state said they’d reward nurses with a $1,500 bonus if you showed the employees were there. No one in private practice got that bonus. Hospitals are big lobbying arm.”
Future of healthcare Letourneau thinks that although physicians are not as happy working at hospitals because of the lack of autonomy, “private practice will become a thing of the past, but you could see a resurgence once some of the doctors who controlled the practices are off
the scene,” Letourneau said. “Maybe some younger doctors will want to be on their own.” It is possible that the entrepreneurial spirit of Gen Z could mean more will want to hang out a shingle as an MD. Letourneau also sees regulations and requirements such as electronic medical records as obstacles. However, as technology advances, that may mitigate these effects. And as more Gen Z doctors enter practicing, their lifelong use of technology will only help them adapt — but this may decrease the patient experience. “Electronic medical records are arduous because they’re not built with the doctor’s workflow in mind,” Letourneau said. “They’re built by IT guys and so the hospital can garner certain information. We want doctors to be able to talk with the patients. If you build it around a doctor trying click thousands of times, it doesn’t help. You have to build certain things into an EMR and the quality metrics.” If doctors don’t enter all of the metrics required, they don’t receive reimbursement for the visit, a process Letourneau calls “voluminous.” He said, “I think AI will have a positive impact on this in two or three years.” Future refinements in the EMRs requirements may also save doctors time. In the meantime, he views the shortage of physicians as a crisis “worse than it’s ever been,” he said. “We’ve been in a crisis for around 30 years. No one is advocating for the 75-year-old general medical patient who ends up not getting care and they die before they get to the hospital. No one advocates for those
who can’t see a primary care provider because there’s no one around.” He wants to see more flexibility as to who can provide simpler aspects of care, such as lower-level staff providing injections under medical supervision. Letourneau also wants to see more opportunities for healthcare professionals to receive education, as too few educators are available and too few healthcare organizations provide residency slots.
The effect on patients Chapman believes that patient benefit when physicians are part of a larger healthcare system, as the accessibility and access to information improves. “Specialists across the health system are looking at the same health record and you get to know who you’re referring to a lot better,” he said. “The system is managed so the patient gets better management among specialties. It puts all these doctors on the same page.” He said that most large health systems keep satellite offices open, which helps people in rural areas access care. Some of these offices have specialists keep office hours on certain days of the week so that patients do not have to drive so far. Large health systems also have greater ability to provide virtual healthcare, which also helps rural patients. Although the absorption into a large healthcare system may mean taking on more patients, Chapman believes that the providers usually get more staff such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants to help them.
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HEALTHCARE
Recruiting in Healthcare How area firms fill these tough positions By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
T
he pandemic certainly exacerbated the healthcare hiring crisis. The effects are keenly felt today as most healthcare organizations have not recovered from their staffing struggles, leaving them few options but to laden more work onto existing employees as they scramble to find more staff to fill vacant roles. The negative cycle leads to more burnout and additional openings to fill. “Recruiting is challenging in this industry for a number of reasons,” said Suzanne Benderski, operations project manager for CPS Recruitment in Liverpool. “We’ve seen a large number of professionals leave the field burned out from the pandemic situation. Additionally, there are simply more positions open in healthcare than there are employees to fill the roles. Industrywide there has been an increase in healthcare professionals choosing to work in the private sector as well, as candidates are drawn towards the more stable and traditional hours and hybrid or remote opportunities.” CPS Recruitment uses a few different tools to recruit workers for healthcare roles, including its applicant tracking systems, numerous job boards, community involvement and relationships, industry networking, referrals, job fairs and dedicated sourcing. Of course, healthcare organizations themselves can use some of these tools. However, Benderski said that using a recruitment company helps because they have access to recruitment tools that would otherwise be cost prohibitive
for a human resources department to use. A recruitment firm can also save time since they specialize in recruiting. The process includes reviewing the resumes, screening, verifying credentials and qualifications and communicating with applicants to ensure a positive experience, even for those not hired. ProValidus Medical Staffing in Syracuse began operations in 2020, serving only the healthcare industry with employment services. Ashley Hall, chief of human resources, said that the company’s online resources, as well as relationships with organizations help connect the dots between job seekers and companies hiring in healthcare. “That helps us know how well people would work in that facility and the applicants applying with us,” Hall said. “We try to make it as personalized as possible.” Keeping communication as simple as possible helps applicants fill roles quickly. Hall said that employers partnering with them can call, text or email to make ProValidus aware of an opening. The company also strives to approve applicants with an easy means of pairing vetted, pre-approved applicants with openings that need filling. “If employers have to call someone, it’s direct,” Hall said. “I have availability 24/7 and handle everything.” She said that this personal attention and direct access make it easier for companies used to dealing with the multiple steps required by traveling health companies. “Working with someone local, you
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Ashley Hall is the chief of human resources at ProValidus Medical Staffing in Syracuse.
tend to know the area more and there’s a background with the company culture,” Hall added. “We try to personalize it as much as possible. It’s easier to work with someone who’s relatable. With a travel agency, you get a different person every time you talk with them.” ProValidus uses online resources like Indeed, the local unemployment office and word-of-mouth advertising. “We also reach out to military installations to get our company out there,” Hall said. “The spouses of military service members will need jobs. Also, some military members may pick up a few hours during the holidays and other times. We reach out to college for people who need hours on break.”
HEALTHCARE
Hospitals Cracking Down on Violence Against Healthcare Workers Some patients will yell, swear and in some cases threaten healthcare providers — a recent legislation would create stiffer penalties for offenders By Stefan Yablonski
A
hospital should be a place of healing, health and hope. However, there have been increasing reports of violence — targeting the healthcare workers and other staff. In October, representatives from several Central New York hospitals held a joint news conference to announce a crackdown on violent acts — by patients or visitors — in their facilities. Hospitals leaders vowed to remove anyone who acted violently toward a worker. And they will seek criminal charges where appropriate. Health care workers have been physically assaulted and received death threats. “Yes, we have certainly seen an increase in threatening behavior both in the office as well as over the phone,” said
Tricia Peter-Clark, CEO of ConnextCare. “This has been felt at all levels from the front desk to myself as I tend to speak to patients when they do not like the response my other leaders have given.” “Nationwide, we see changes in courtesy and behavior that affect many services, including healthcare,” agreed Michael Backus, CEO of Oswego Health. “For our vital workforce in Central New York — who are dedicated to keeping people safe and healthy — this is especially concerning. It is heartbreaking that some of the most valued and needed jobs are undermined and even harmed by the actions, truly, of the few.” Oswego Health is coming together with other CNY regional hospitals and clinical organizations to increase support for the respect and safety for all
members of the healthcare workforce, Backus added. “Together, we are committed to reducing the negative effect of those who do not show respect — and even endanger our hospitals and health systems staff. This initiative is called ‘Respect and Heal.’” Some patients will yell, swear and in some cases threaten the staff, making them increasingly concerned for their personal and family safety, Peter-Clark said. “We have modified some of our internal protocols to increase the staff’s sense of security and awareness,” she added. The entire leadership team at Oswego Health is committed to shining a light on this behavior and to making
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continued improvements, Backus said. “We stand alongside our 1300-plus employees as we have zero tolerance for workplace violence or a threat of any kind,” he said. “Together we are united for a shared purpose of healing. We are also united for a shared purpose of respect and safety.” “There has been a lot of information and sharing at the state and national level about workplace violence in healthcare, in particular to patient and visitor aggression towards healthcare workers,” said Leslie DiStefano, director of communication and public relations at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown. Samaritan is actively engaged and is now formally tracking these types of incidents “so that we contribute and make necessary changes to protect our staff, patients and visitors,” DiStefano said. Iroquois Healthcare Association is asking for this data so that healthcare entities in New York state can work together to determine trends and tactics to help address the concerns, she added. There is no federal law that protects health care workers. That could soon
change. In September, senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Marco Rubio R-Fla., introduced the bipartisan Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act. The legislation would give health care workers similar protections against assault to those that flight crews and airport workers have by criminalizing such behavior under federal law. The SAVE Act would protect healthcare workers from violence by creating new criminal penalties for acts of intentional assault. The Senate bill is similar to H.R. 2584, which was introduced by Reps. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., and Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., in April. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of injuries from violent attacks against medical professionals grew by 63% from 2011 to 2018, while hospital safety directors say that aggression against staff has escalated since COVID-19 intensified in 2020. In the second quarter of 2022, more than two nursing personnel were assaulted every hour, equating to 57 assaults per day, 1,739 assaults per month and 5,217 assaults per quarter.
#HAVhope A national day of awareness to end violence — June 7, 2024 — #HAVhope Friday. #HAVhope is a national day of awareness to highlight how America’s hospitals and health systems combat violence in their workplaces and communities. On June 7, the eighth annual Hospitals Against Violence #HAVhope Friday, hospitals and health systems continue working toward partnerships, innovations and creative thinking to foster peace and make a safer environment for workers and patients. The public is invited to share using #HAVhope what your hospital or health system is doing in this effort.
Operating in a Health Care Environment HEALTH CARE LAWYERS Health care is among the most heavily regulated industries in the nation. At Bond, we have a statewide practice with the leverage, integration and depth needed to navigate this ever-changing field. Contact Rick Weber at rweber@bsk.com or Sunny Tice at stice@bsk.com.
One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202 • 315.218.8000 • BSK.COM 70 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
HEALTHCARE
The 4th Annual Oswego Health Foundation Gala held in November at Colloca Estate Winery raised over $149,000 to support local healthcare and the newly created Oswego Health Foundation Endowment Fund.
Special Events Help Hospital Raise Money
Golf tournaments, gala dinners, auctions — all help hospitals raise additional money for equipment, projects By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
H
ealthcare is an expensive service. Along with grants, area hospitals rely upon fundraisers to meet their costs. These have been affected by pandemic shutdowns and financial cutbacks. Vincent Kuss, vice president of St. Joseph’s Health Foundation, said that the organization’s two major annual fundraising events, the Annual Gala Dinner Dance and Golf Classic, attract between 800 and 900 attendees. The golf tournament shifted to an outdoors-only event for the past two years with plenty of hand sanitizer available after a COVID-19 hiatus. This
year’s Golf Classic was in September at Turning Stone Resort, using each of its three golf courses. The gala, a dinner-dance, began in 1992. Since then, the gala has raised more than $5.9 million to benefit St. Joseph’s. “We hold more hybrid events where it’s in person and we stream it live on Facebook,” Kuss said. “We also have Lighting the Way event at St. Joseph’s Health. One hundred attended in person. They can also view it virtually.” The organization also hosts hybrid auctions and text-to-give campaigns. “We do have individuals who at-
tend these events virtually, but we’re getting back to pre-COVID-19 numbers for in-person events. We’re hoping people become more comfortable with in-person and we think that’s the case. We’re trying to get back on par with where we were before. As far as dollars raised, we’ve increased the dollars coming in and we’re trying to get back to that as well.” Oswego Health’s fourth annual gala proved successful in raising more than $149,000. Nearly 300 guests attended the event hosted by Colloca Estate Winery in November to support the Oswego Health Foundation Endowment Fund. Established in 2021, the fund keeps donors’ investments in Oswego Health intact while using the investment income to support future healthcare investments. In addition to providing healthcare to patients through its 17 locations, Oswego Health’s system employs 1,318 as the county’s largest private employer. Oswego Health operates the 32-bed community Oswego Hospital; a 32bed psychiatric acute-care facility with multiple outpatient behavioral health service locations; The Manor at Seneca Hill, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility;
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and Springside at Seneca Hill, an independent retirement community. Oswego Health Home Care also supports patients. Oswego Health also operates Fulton Medical Center, Central Square Medical Center, Physician Care, PC. In addition to fundraisers, donations from organizations also play a large role in covering expenses and in providing better healthcare services. As a recent example, the Hadley J. Falk Breast Health Center at Crouse Hospital benefited from gifts from Saint Agatha Foundation and JMA Wireless totaling $800,000. The funding enabled the organization to purchase 3D mammography equipment in October to help detect early breast cancers and improve patient outcomes. The Saint Agatha Foundation donated $406,000 to purchase a new digital tomosynthesis unit and a matching grant from JMA Wireless enabled the purchase of a second machine. “These machines are a testament to the legacy of my sister, Laurie, who was a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness and founded Saint Agatha during her own battle with the disease,” John Mezzalingua, JMA Wireless CEO, said in a statement. “Laurie’s message to our family was clear: Early detection saves lives. We have taken her words to heart and are continuing her fight on behalf of breast cancer patients. We are proud to be able to carry on Laurie’s important work by investing in the most high-tech 3D mammography machines available to make early detection possible for more Central New Yorkers.” While undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Laurie Mezzalingua founded the Saint Agatha Foundation in 2004 to provide financial assistance to individuals fighting the disease in Central New York. Laurie’s mother, Kathleen Mezzalingua, has led the organization as board chair since Laurie’s death in 2009. Saint Agatha Foundation has provided more than $17 million to 10,032 people. “Saint Agatha Foundation is proud to assist Crouse Hospital with the purchase of new tomosynthesis technology, providing the most advanced screening available and aiding in the earliest detection possible for those who may have breast cancer,” Kathleen Mezzalingua said. Oftentimes, a personal connection like this provides a catalyst for givers to donate — and, as Mezzalingua has, take up the mantle to lead fundraising causes.
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Nonprofits Post-COVID
How CNY’s top nonprofits have been doing since the pandemic? By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
LORETTO HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTER
Kimberly Townsend, president and CEO
COVID-19, but it is getting better. But that’s also due to our own investment in our paid training programs and our focus on developing career pathways to continue to develop Loretto team members. For example, in 2023 our certified home health aide training program has added 173 employees to our Loretto workforce and our certified nurse aide training program has resulted in 110 people joining Loretto as licensed CNAs. We have also had 34 Loretto employees graduate from the licensed practical nurse program, which allows them to grow their career while at Loretto. OCBM:Arepeoplereturningtovolunteering since COVID-19? How has that affected your operations?
Oswego County Business Magazine: Are you finding staff readily?
KT: Staffing was a challenge prior to
ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH
Vincent Kuss, vice president of St. Joseph’s Health Foundation
KT: Volunteers are returning, albeit slowly. This could be due to hesitancy post-COVID-19, but people are delaying retirement, so fewer people are available to volunteer. We also haven’t been as focused on proactively recruiting volunteers as much as we’d like to be as we navigate our other staffing priorities. We continue to welcome volunteers and OCBM: Are you finding staff readily?
VK: From a fundraising perspective, as with any hospital in the country we have a nurse shortage. We have implemented a campaign on behalf of the college of nursing that just celebrated its 125th anniversary. The campaign is looking to recruit prospective students for the College of Nursing. We raised $1.25 million to support the future of nursing, including $800,000 in four months. These dollars will bolster full and partial scholarship support. OCBM: Are people returning to volunteering since COVID-19? How has that affected your operations?
VK: As a result of the pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in the donors who volunteer. It’s made people more aware of issues related to illness. We’ve seen
N
onprofit organizations rely on donations, grants and volunteers to operate. We recently spoke with three of the area’s leading nonprofit organizations to see how things have been going since the pandemic.
have opportunities across our system for anyone interested. OCBM: Are you at the funding level you need to be?
KT: Our industry continues to be woefully behind in funding for programs such as Medicaid and we’ve continued to advocate for significant change to the reimbursement rates to raise them to cover the critical costs of care. As a nonprofit provider that is predominantly 70% Medicaid funded, this has to change to continue to be viable and I believe we will start to see providers closing if this doesn’t improve. OCBM: What has changed about your mission?
KT: If anything, our focus on mission is stronger than ever. Our mission is to be a family of exceptional people caring for and about each other, and each day we aspire to be the best place to live with purpose, wholeness and dignity. It’s what grounded us and kept us going during some of the toughest times we’ve ever experienced.
our St. Joseph’s Health volunteers more. It’s nice to see people more comfortable at in-person events. OCBM: Are you at the funding level you need to be?
VK: Our revenue has increased since the pandemic. Donors have remained committed to philanthropy and most have maintained or increased donations. Many who gave consistently over the years gave more during the pandemic. A lot of the individuals were made aware of community needs. Donors were very empathetic to healthcare providers and even now, with the shortage of nurses. During the pandemic we saw PPE, food and monetary donations. We did a campaign where we renovated several breakrooms. We have massage chairs and resources for staff who were
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overwhelmed from working so much. Donors were certainly sympathetic. With the colleague emergency assistance fund, we’re able to provide them with a grant so that they can move on. If a spouse lost a job during the pandemic or they have an unexpected death,
these funds can help. A lot of donors are sympathetic to those needs as well.
NASCENTIA HEALTH
recovered on that. It was family issues, they found jobs in other industries or they wanted to stay home. That job title was impacted the most. We’re trying to get folks in as home health aides on their journey through whatever healthcare profession they’re pursuing like nursing. We’ve partnered with other organizations trying to increase awareness. We’re doing tons of recruiting, trying to have events where we do on-the-spot interviews.
June Castle, CFO of Nascentia Health
OCBM: What has changed about your mission?
VK: What we did is go back to our mission. We always maintained the
OCBM: Are people returning to volunteering since COVID-19? How has that affected your operations?
OCBM: Are you finding staff readily?
JC: With two local agencies closing, we were able to “capture” some of those clinicians. Home health aides were a limited resource. It was unfortunate that these agencies closed, but we can increase our staff overall. We’re still short of home health aides and nurses. We lost 50% of our home health aides during the pandemic and we haven’t
JC: We’re in the process branching into a different area with hospice. That’s where volunteerism is important, as 5% of the hours must be filled by a volunteer. We’ve had volunteers through the years, but as we’re building up to get ready to venture into this new area, we’ll really rely upon them. You don’t see volunteering among young people as much anymore; unless it’s an organization or college that’s service based. The majority of the people who do the volunteering are retirees.
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mission, but we’re stressing more what St. Joseph’s is all about. We’re keeping with our values in all that we do. It’s something we bring up at all of our events: try to take care of the greater Central New York community which is our mission and will continue to be so. OCBM: Are you at the funding level you need to be?
JC: My experience has been that people during COVID-19 and directly post-COVID-19 were more generous because of the challenges faced during that time as a nonprofit agency offering care. We write grants as the day is long to try to support the things we do. Our foundation takes donations and turns them into a better life for our patients. OCBM: What has changed about your mission?
JC: Nascentia Health as a nonprofit organization, we’re always working with our community partners so no matter what our programs, it’s to help our community and better the healthcare resources available. Homecare is to help the capacity of the hospitals. We can help patients who are in the hospital to receive care at home as appropriate. We support our other community partners. If the hospital is full, the patients are in the hallway or have to be transferred somewhere else. We view our role as a community partner with other providers and community-based organizations.
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WINTERTIME
“Storm Team” at NewsChannel 9 and CNYCentral’s “Weather Authority: From left: Jim Teske, Carson Metcalf and John DePasquale.
Forecasting Weather in CNY: A Challenging Job By Mary Beth Roach
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ocal television meteorologists know Central New York winters. The staffs of “Storm Team” at NewsChannel 9 and CNYCentral’s “Weather Authority,” represent well more than 125 years of weather forecasting experience, with most of those meteorologists having spent years at broadcast outlets in Upstate New York and the Southern Tier. Storm Team’s Chief Meteorologist Jim Teske, John DiPasquale, Kate Thornton, and Carson Metcalf, along with CNYCentral’s Josh Kozlowski
were interviewed on their thoughts on covering weather in this area. Forecasting for the Central New York area can present its challenges, considering the large amount of information and weather models they look at daily; the diverse geography of the stations’ viewing area; and the temperature changes that can occur — sometimes all in one day or over the course of just a few days. Take, for example this past November, when it snowed the morning of Nov. 1, but several days later, the
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highs were in the 50s and people were wearing shorts. “You're not going to get yourself meteorologically into a rut for very long because things are going to change,” Teske said. The weather here is impacted by many variables on a daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal basis, according to Kozlowski. He sees our area as the “epicenter of different microclimates” with moisture from the Great Lakes, mild moisture to the east from the Atlantic Ocean, warm and moist from the Gulf of Mexico, and cold air from Canada. “It’s just a matter of how those are working together, and it depends on the tracks of storms,” he said. That variability can be seen in areas that are just short distances apart from each other. Consider that on some winter day, lake effect might dump feet of snow on Oswego, the Tug Hill and other points north, while Syracuse might get just a few flakes. Adding to the challenge are the changes to area patterns. The cold weather does not last long and snowfall hasn’t been as significant in the past few years. According to extremeweatherwatch.com, Syracuse’s snowfall was a little more than 82 inches in 2022; and less than 75 inches in both 2021 and 2020, and localsyr.com (NewsChannel9’s website) has reported that through the end of this October, “Syracuse was on pace to be the third warmest year in recorded history. Only 2012 and 2021 were warmer through the first 10 months than this year.” “Our warmer winters have really made it even more challenging because now we're not having the expectations,” Thornton said. Making it through a few CNY winters is a point of pride for area residents. “It is a badge of honor,” Metcalf said. He tells his friends downstate that they don’t know what winter is “until you’ve lived upstate. We know how to deal with it.” When people in other locales ask Central New Yorkers how the winter weather is, Teske said that “we feel proud to say we’ve got a foot of snow.” He recalled a winter about 20 years ago when this area came within one-tenth or two-tenths of breaking the record for snowfall. “You got a sense from people that they were a little disappointed. We felt collectively, as a region, let down, cheated,” he said. Regardless of the challenges the
Meteorologist Kate Thornton of “Storm Team” at NewsChannel 9.
weather can bring, this area’s meteorologists can handle them. The ones who took part in this story have grown up in Upstate New York. Teske grew up in the Syracuse area and worked in Burlington, Vermont and Maine before coming to NewsChannel 9 in 1995. Thornton was raised in Saugerties, graduated from SUNY Albany and worked in Binghamton. She joined the local station in January of 2014. DiPasquale was born in Syracuse and grew up in Seneca Falls and has been at NewsChannel 9 for 6 1/2 years. Metcalf was born in Oswego and raised in Fulton, and came to the station this past spring. Moreover, Teske, DiPasquale, Metcalf and Kozlowski all attended SUNY Oswego. Teske would go on to graduate from Penn State. With SUNY Oswego situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, the producer of all that lake effect, it was like having a weather lab in the backyard, DiPasquale said. Teske not only reports the winter weather; he also likes to get out in it, putting on a pair of cross-country skis and heading out to spots in the area. “It’s beautiful being out on a nice sunny, crisp, 30-degree day in the middle of winter when you’ve got fresh snow,” he said. DiPasquale calls himself “a snow nut.” Ever since he was a young boy growing up in Seneca Falls, he said he was fascinated with the snow and seeing
CNYCentral’s Josh Kozlowski.
how it decorated the trees. Metcalf said that growing up in Oswego County instilled in him the fascination of how lake effect snow forms and he has enjoyed translating that interest into to his chosen career. Thornton not only finds winter to be beautiful, but she enjoys spending time outside with her husband and their three daughters. Kozlowski grew up in Westvale, a suburb of Syracuse and was significant-
ly impacted by the Labor Day Storm of and the Blizzard of 1993. Although he was only in his teens at the time, he said he called thinking that he had witnessed two extreme kinds of weather events and was asking how and why these happen. He wondered, too, if he were to go on to study this field, could he be able to report on these weather events, give people warnings, and possibly save lives.
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WINTERTIME
Toggenburg, located in Fabius just off Route 80, ceased operations in August 2021. It remains closed.
Toggenburg Has Become a Slippery Slope The effort to re open the once thriving Toggenburg downhill ski area has been an uphill battle for three years now By Aaron Gifford
W
ith the snow just starting to fall for the winter season, the closest commercial ski property to most Oswego County and metro Syracuse area residents remains closed. Toggenburg, located in Fabius just off Route 80, ceased operations in August 2021. It was purchased by Intermountain Management, which owns Song Mountain in Tully and Labrador Mountain in Truxton. The three properties are located within a 12-mile radius of each other and Togg was in direct competition with Intermountain Management before it closed. In October of last year, New York State Attorney General Leticia James
filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Intermountain, alleging that the company purchased Togg for $2.25 million with the intent to keep it closed and move its customer base to the other two ski centers. The litigation asks Onondaga County Supreme Court to order Intermountain to restore competition by selling one of its three mountains, according to court documents. Peter Harris, Intermountain’s president, said the Togg property is still available for $1,995,000. That includes the land, buildings and equipment. Other than a few “tire kickers,” Harris said, there hasn’t been any serious inquiries about the property since it
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went up for sale. There is no for sale sign on the property visible from its front entrance, but it is listed with Canaan Realty in Manlius. It does not appear the ski center has been maintained since it closed and the lawsuit alleges Intermountain is not making much of an effort to find a buyer. “Each year Toggenburg remains closed,” the complaint says, “Intermountain profits at consumers’ expense.” According to the Fabius assessor’s office, the 62.64-acre property is assessed at $465,000 and its market value is $665,000. The property is zoned for agricultural use. Its zoning variance that allowed for a commercial ski center expired because the business has been closed for more than a year, said Mike Decker, Fabius code enforcement and zoning officer. Togg was especially popular with families from nearby Cazenovia and Manlius. In January of 2022, loyal customers from those two communities and other neighboring towns began a “Reopen Togg” movement, distributing thousands of bumper stickers and inviting like-minded local fans to post on their Facebook page. “All we should ask is that he [Harris] sell it at market price with
Slope at Toggenburg. The ski destination was especially popular with families from nearby Cazenovia and Manlius.
zero restrictions and let someone else decide to invest and manage it as they see fit,” Scott Phillips, the Reopen Togg Facebook page administrator, posted on the site. The state’s case against Intermountain appears to be headed for trial. Intermountain was expected to file its list of witnesses and all supporting documentation earlier this fall and the attorney general’s office was ordered to file its certificate of readiness to proceed to trial by Dec. 1. Presumably the court would need to discern if the new owners never had any intention to re open Togg or if they could not re open it due to financial and staffing problems following the pandemic. Another question is, can the region continue to support three commercial ski centers in such close proximity in addition to the Greek Peak resort, which is less than 30 minutes away. By contrast, there are two major facilities in the Rochester area (Swain and Bristol) and two large ski resorts in the Buffalo area (Holliday Valley and Kissing Bridge). Both metro areas have significantly larger populations than Central New York. Smaller family-owned ski centers in the same proximity as Togg closed in the past four decades, including Mystic Mountain in New Woodstock and Ironwood Ridge in Pompey. But there is still a handful of much smaller downhill ski areas scattered throughout
the region, including the Cazenovia Ski Club, Four Seasons in Fayetteville or the Camillus Ski Hill. In a 2021 report, the Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast noted that in 1980 there were 75 ski areas across New York state. Thirty-eight of them have since closed. “That New York has to compete against Vermont is hard enough,” the report said. “But most independent operators are also competing against New York itself.” Paul Maroun, who served as a Franklin County legislator for decades before becoming Tupper’s Lake’s mayor, has experienced the challenges of trying to re open a popular commercial ski center. Big Tupper, located in the Adirondack high peaks, sustained major damage during the ice storm of 1998 and officially ceased operations the following year. At one point the 300-acre facility re opened as a community-run facility, but that effort only lasted about two seasons due to lack of money and employees, Maroun explained. A developer then proposed to expand the ski center into a luxury resort with a golf course and condos, but the plan fizzled. Franklin County expects to acquire the property next year due to unpaid taxes and then it would be sold at public auction. Before those unfortunate events, Big Tupper was already at a major
financial disadvantage because it’s main competitors; the nearby Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain and Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort are all state owned. “As popular as those places are,” Maroun said, “they don’t make money. If it wasn’t for taxes, I’m not sure all of them would still be open.” Maroun said the costs to re-open existing ski centers are astronomical. Better water lines are typically needed to power the latest generation of snowmaking equipment. With the high price of lift tickets in a state with so many downhill facilities, serious skiers and families alike expect the highest-quality powder, ample parking, a competent ski patrol, more comfortable lodges and better food. “You need all that just to be in the ballgame,” he said. “Expectations are so high now.” He also said condos or villas, whether they are managed by the ski center or sold to wealthier customers, seem to be a big draw these days. A ski center owner has about as much chance of getting a bank loan as a farmer does, Maroun said, but plans for luxury real estate can catch investor’s eyes. Maroun, who has experience with economic development projects, said deep pockets in the Central New York region like the Oneida Indian Nation or Micron, can provide a glimmer of hope that there are local investors available to re open Togg, “but you have to have someone with enough money to float the thing out for a few years.” Still, downhill skiing has a major economic impact on New York state, according to research from the Ski Areas of New York (SANY) organization. SANY expects to release an updated report by the end of this year. Its prior analysis, which was published before the pandemic and Tog’s closing, says New York State leads the nation in number of operating ski areas, and it usually ranks fourth or fifth in the country in downhill snow sports visits, at 3.3 million to 4 million annually to the tune of more than $400 million. Fifty-one downhill ski areas were listed in the report, but that includes a few member-only ski clubs that own property. “There is a ski area within 90 minutes of nearly every major metro area,” the report said. “This distribution makes skiing and snowboarding an important contributor to employment and quality of life for residents all over New York state.”
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WINTERTIME
Greek Peak Readies for its 65th Ski Season By Stefan Yablonski
G
reek Peak Mountain Resort will celebrate its 65th anniversary year (2023-24) with more than $1 worth of upgrades. Building on the $1.3 million investment from last season, Greek Peak wrapped up another off-season with nearly another $1 million in ski-side improvement projects. “We just completed year three of a five-year snow-making upgrade and investment plan. Over the past two years, it’s been like $2.3 million that we have put into the infrastructure and the new snow-making equipment,” said Jon D. Spaulding, director of marketing. Spaulding was previously the publisher of The Palladium-Times in Oswego. The snow-making infrastructure
projects from this past year were key to delivering 114 ski days for the 2022-23 season versus 107 the previous year, he said. “Last year we started the Friday after Thanksgiving. We got 114 ski days in for the season; which is good — any time you can get more than 100, that’s what we shoot for, you’re doing good,” he added. Greek Peak has 55 trails; 44 are true ski slopes and the rest glade skiing (glade skiing, also known as glading, is alpine skiing through trees off-trail or on a defined woods trail). “We have some of the best glade skiing trails in Central New York. That’s sort of what Greek Peak is known for,” Spaulding said.
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In an uncharacteristically warm and low-snow accumulation year, ski guests marveled at how well Greek Peak was able to maintain its covered terrain, he added. “Last year, we could fill 16.5 football fields with a foot of snow deep in a 24hour period. With these latest upgrades that we have put in over the summer, it’s now 23 football fields,” he said. “Now imagine 23 football fields with a foot deep of snow — we can cover that in a 24-hour period as long as we have got the cold enough temperatures. That’s quite impressive. We don’t want to put the base out there just to have it melt, either. We’re looking at the extended forecast just to make sure once we get that base, it stays. You don’t want it
“Over the past two years, it’s been like $2.3 million that we have put into the infrastructure and the new snow-making equipment.”
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to melt.” In 2023-24, ski enthusiasts will enjoy new snow-making pipe and air line on Hercules along with 57 new HKD snow guns and new hydrants all around the mountain. The east mountain pump house got a new 450hp pump installed, which is able to pump 33% more water than the one it replaced. There’s a new valve hut at the top of Lower Zeus, to isolate water flow when needed to increase efficiency to run the new, high-efficiency snow guns, Spaulding explained. “I think the biggest thing that we’ve done in these first three years is the infrastructure. We have changed a lot of the piping underground from like six-inch to 12-inch diameter piping. It essentially doubles the water that you can get to different areas on the mountain. We have also increased the amount of air lines — the kind that carry air, not like commercial flights,” he said. A total of 57 new stick guns were delivered along with 12 HKD KLIK hydrants. In addition, Greek Peak received a new TT10 fan gun which will help produce a healthy base this season. “You need air and water and, obviously, cold temperature to make snow,” Spaulding said. “We’ve added KLIK hydrants all over the mountain. When you spread them out you’re able to take the snow gun, which are very portable now, and plug them in anywhere on the mountain to create snow. We’re really taking advantage of the technology that’s out there.” In addition to the snow-making upgrades, Chair 1 had a new variable drive installed, which was a big
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improvement, Spaulding said. It also received a fresh coat of paint in the off-season. Skiers and boarders will also enjoy upgraded trail lighting and a significant investment in new rental equipment featuring additional rental helmets, skis and snowboards. There are a lot of things that go into the maintenance and upgrades of chair lifts that people don’t really see, “but we get credit when we paint them; people think that’s just the best thing ever — but we probably spent a heck of a lot more time in the motors and things like that to keep it going,” he said. “It’s one thing to say, ‘hey we are open’ and people come here and we have 55 trails, but only 10 of them are open. That’s OK but it’s kind of a disappointment because when you come to Greek Peak you like to ski all
the different types of trails,” Spaulding said. “So our goal would be at the end of the five-year plan to have a higher percentage of our trails open and snow covered as well. That’s where we’re going to be. You’re probably going to see from opening day to the end of the season a much larger percentage of our trails would be skiable.” Greek Peak has a 952 foot vertical drop. “We have a brand of wine — Greek Peak wine — that we sell on site. It’s called 952,” Spaulding added. “I think our longest run is 1 1/2 miles and we have about 220 skiable acres on site,” he said. “A special price on our tubing mountain — for $48 you can tube all year long. Snow boarding is out on our main trails. We get a lot of snow boarders. Tubing is for the people who aren’t really into skiing or
82 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
boarding. “There are also snow-goes, which are actually bikes. They have one ski in the front and two skis in the back; so it’s like a tricycle, you steer it like a bike riding it down the hill. Ninety-eight percent of people know how to ride a bike — so it’s a way to get more people interested in snow sports and coming to the mountain to give snow a try.” A lot of the trails on the mountain are used by people mountain biking. They put their mountain bikes on the lifts, they get lifted right to the top and they can go down the trails on their mountain bike. A lot of those fat [tire] bikes are making it up here, he added. The original dedication ceremony was Jan. 11, 1958. Greek Peak is planning to have a special event on Jan. 11, 2024.
WINTERTIME
Snow or No?
Pros, area snowplowing companies offer their outlook for the plowing season By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
W
ill this represent an exceptional winter for Central New York? “This year, El Niño is in place heading into winter for the first time in four years, driving the outlook for warmer-than-average temperatures for the northern tier of the continental United States,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website. NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook was released in October by the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. If its outlook comes true, it looks like local snowplows and shovels may have less white stuff to move — and lower profits from the season. But the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts that “snowfall will be above normal across most snow-prone areas” for this winter. That likely will include
Central New York, providing plenty of “pennies from heaven” for plow trucks to move. “It’s about time!” said Anthony Pauldine, owner of Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractor in Oswego. “It’s been pretty light for quite a few years.” His company offers snow plowing services both for the properties he manages and other properties, “since we’re geared up for it,” he said. “We have a lot of properties and residential and commercial contract places that we snowplow. We clear snow per time and seasonally. If it’s not snowing, we’re busy working and if not, we’re plowing.” His company operates eight plows serving Oswego, Fulton and Scriba. Todd Abry, owner of AAA Quick Plows & Lawns Inc. in Clay, thinks that
the season will unfold slowly. In late November, he anticipated a warmer December, with snow increasing in January and February. “It may be more snow in March as well,” Abry added. “You never really know around here though. For the last three years it’s been easy. We’re expecting a heavy year to hit us. It might be. We’ll have plenty to do if it does, which gives us a lot to stay busy with.” Lake effect snowstorms can be challenging to predict, even for weather forecasters. Arby said that he usually turns to News Channel 9 for weather forecasts. “It seems to be the most accurate,” he said. “We live off the weather so that’s what we go by.” AAA Quick Plows & Lawns has six plow trucks that serve Cicero, North Syracuse, Clay, the city of Syracuse, East Syracuse, Liverpool and a few locations in Minoa and Fayetteville. According to Manta.com, the average cost for snowplowing services ranges between $30 and $90 per snowstorm, depending on the size of the driveway. Contractual services range between $200 and $600 per season. Snowplow companies using this pricing method charge the same amount regardless of the number of visits.
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SUCCESS STORY By Steve Yablonski
Veterinarian Ali Hawthorn (right) is the owner of Highland Animal Hospital in Central Square. On the left is associate Veterinarian Lindsey Chadwick. Photo provided
Highland Animal Hospital From the kitchen counter to reality: How Ali Hawthorn’s dream veterinary clinic was built By Stefan Yablonski Dear Father (in Heaven) hear and bless Thy beasts and singing birds And guard with tenderness Small things that have no words
A
li Hawthorn, 33, owner of Highland Animal Hospital in Central Square, knew she would be a veterinarian at a young age. “I was born and raised in Oswego. I left Central New York after high school to continue my education — but I am thrilled to be back home!” she said.
She had many animals over the years growing up — “probably many more than my parents wished!” she quipped. “I had hamsters, mice, lizards, cats, a bird and my golden retriever, Bo. Bo has since passed — but I owe a lot to her. She was my heart dog, one of my biggest motivations to get where I am today.” Hawthorn completed her undergraduate degrees from SUNY Delhi, where she received her veterinary
84 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
technician license and then went to Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. “I then went on to veterinary school at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine [in the Caribbean]. I completed my clinical year at Texas A&M University,” she said.
To Arizona and back to Oswego County “During my clinical year at Tex-
Central Sqaure animal hospital has 27 employess, including four doctors. as A&M, I treated some rather large animals — horses, cows and a zebra. During my undergraduate studies, I spent a few weeks in Africa shadowing a wildlife veterinarian,” she said. “Although I did not a personally treat the animals, I was able to assist with treatment of animals such as kudus, impalas, rhinos, cheetahs and a lion.” The lion’s paw was caught in a snare, she recalled. “He tried to chew himself out and subsequently needed dental work as well. When he woke up from surgery in his cage, his roar was so unbelievably loud — it rattled right through me. He gets the award for both the largest and the loudest!” she said. She started her veterinary career in Arizona, “but began to think about a move back home.” When she was approaching graduation from medical school, she began to look for her first job as an associate veterinarian in the northeastern part of the U.S. or Arizona “because I have family in both of these regions,” she said. “I accepted an offer of employment in Kingman, Arizona. I worked at a private veterinary practice named Low Cost Spay and Neuter clinic where I gained invaluable experience in a fast-paced, high-volume hospital. I will always have fond memories of the doctors and staff there.” “I had now been away for more than 10 years and I while met some amazing new friends and colleagues along the way, I missed being around family, old friends and the beauty of Upstate New York,” she explained. She discovered the original owner of Highland Animal Hospital in Central Square was ready to retire — and had listed the clinic for sale. The practice was originally established in 1995. “In August of 2019, I became the new owner of the practice and my journey with Highland Animal Hospital began,” she said. “Although I currently reside in Oswego, I spend so much time in Central Square with the wonderful people that work and reside here; I consider it my ‘second home.’”
Veterinarian Ali Hawthorn shown with a patient.
Over the next two years, the practice progressed and they simply outgrew the building, she explained. And at this point, she decided to build a new hospital. “Yes. I considered an expansion on the existing hospital. But opted to purchase an adjoining piece of land to construct a new modern building that I could design from scratch,” she said. “This was a long-awaited dream of mine. I still remember being about 13 years old; I was sitting at the kitchen counter with my mom where I drew out my dream veterinary clinic,” she added. “I was beyond thrilled to finally be able to make this a reality.” She worked with Rowlee Construction over the next year on technical drawings. The new building was “a significant investment in Oswego County and commenced during a time when the cost of construction was extremely inflated,” she said.
With the guidance and assistance of TD Bank, the SBA and the Oswego County IDA, she forged on and in July 2022 site construction began. The Rowlee team set about making the hospital design and layout that she envisioned a reality. “Between the cost of the practice itself, the existing building, land, the new building and new medical equipment, I have invested approximately $3 million in Highland Animal Hospital. TD Bank has been my financing bank since my initial purchase of the practice in 2019,” she said.
Award winner She was recognized in April 2023, winning the Small Business Association Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award. Hawthorn thanked everyone involved in making her dreams of ex-
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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rently have a limited number of urgent care appointments offered on a daily basis and I will continue to grow this division of the hospital as I add to the staff in the future.”
Fur family
Staff at the reception area, Highland Animal Hospital (left to right): Virginia Dupre, client care receptionist; Holly Schell, practice manager; Brianna Bush-Vashaw, client care receptionist; Audra Goly, client care receptionist; Jennifer Spohn, lead client care receptionist. Photo provided.
panded, cutting-edge vet care possible and her team of “dedicated workers who go above and beyond in making sure every animal receives the best care possible.” “I opened the doors to our first clients and patients on July 10 of 2023,” she said. The building is 7,200 square feet and has plenty of space for the staff to do the important work that they perform daily, she said. “We felt as though we were on top of each other in the previous building. So, we all take great joy in the ample space that the new building provides — a spacious treatment room with three treatment tables, a surgery suite with two surgery tables, a roomy dental suite, and separate dog and cat wards for hospitalized patients who also deserve the best in comfort while they are being treated,” she added. Medical equipment has come a long way over the years and the modern medical equipment in the new hospital — from life monitoring equipment, to exam room tables, to surgery tables
— allows them to continue to extend ‘gold care standard of service’ to their patients, she said. The reception area has a fun Adirondack feel and offers a private cat waiting area, she added. “It was also important to me to incorporate a private comfort room into the hospital design,” she explained. “This is a separate space with a private entry-exit for our clients who, sadly, are visiting us for end-of-life care.”
Looking ahead For now, she said she is focused on expanding services the clinic offers to its clients. Highland Animal Hospital currently offers well visits, urgent care visits and surgery — and it just opened a dental suite and has begun offering dental services. “We also recently added class IV laser therapy to aid in post-op recovery, healing wounds, easing arthritis and more. We plan on offering acupuncture in the near future,” she said. “We cur-
86 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
“I currently have two rescue dogs — Charlie, a long-haired Chihuahua mix, and a mixed breed named Walter,” she said. “I think there are a great number of veterinarians who always knew they wanted to be a vet and that was the case for me also.” As a child, she was obsessed with the show called ‘Animal Cops.’ “Watching the animals on the show be rescued and cared for most certainly played a role in my desire to become a veterinarian. I still have that passion for helping the animals that need it most and I bring that passion into the hospital by working closely with numerous shelters throughout Central New York. There are so many organizations right in our backyard, who tirelessly rescue, house and then adopt out abused, abandoned and stray cats and dogs,” she said. “I cannot emphasize enough, how important the work is that they do. I am humbled to be able to assist on the medical side of their mission by offering our services at a discount. For our doctors and staff — it is one of the great joys in our field — playing a role in the healing of these animals so they can go on to live their best life.” “Your readers can help, too. Look up local shelters and adopt!” she exclaimed.
‘Amazing staff’ “I have the most amazing and hard-working team! There are 27 of us — four doctors, licensed veterinary technicians [the equivalent to nurses in the human field], veterinary assistants, receptionists, hospital managers and building maintenance,” she said. “We spend a lot of time together and we are family! “Owning my own practice is often challenging and can be quite stressful. But to see so many good souls gathered together on a daily basis, doing such good things for our patients, is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of this job.” “At the end of day — and some of them are very, very long — the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that got us there is something that I am not sure I can successfully put into words,” she said.
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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.
Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & topsoil. Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.
Fulton Family Psychiatry. Your CNY 100% online psychiatric private practice. We see both children & adults! We use medications in addition to vitamins & supplements for the treatment of mental illnesses in a holistic approach. Call us at 315-887-1059 or visit us at FultonFamilyPsychiatry.org.
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE Port City Car Care — 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. , 315-207-0500, www.portcitycarcare.com
COACHING Leadership development and executive coaching, 126 N. Salina St. – suite 402, Syracuse, NY 13202. 315-635-6300 support@getemergent.com. www.getemergent.com.
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.johnfisherconstruction.com.
GLASS REPAIR Fulton Glass. Storefronts and Glass repair. Over 50 years serving Oswego County. FultonGlass.net 315593-7913.
HEALTH INSURANCE Senior Solutions ME. Specializing in serving seniors with health insurance in Oswego and Onondaga Counties. Reach out to us today for a free quote. Call 315416-9111 or email caustin@drsolutions.biz. Visit our website www.seniorsolutionsme.com.
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.
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Scriba Electric. Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services. 3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681.
Reed Law.Dedicated to helping families with their individualized Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Probate and Real Estate. Clear Legal Solutions, Impartial Compassionate Assistance & A Strong Helping Hand when you need it most. 218 Syracuse Ave., Oswego. 315-274-2040
ELECTRONIC REPAIR PC Masters Tech Repair is locally owned and operated. Specializing in cell phone, tablet, computer, and game console repairs. Serving Oswego, Watertown, and Syracuse areas. Call 315-326-1980 or visit 42 W. 9th St. Oswego, NY 13126 today.
LUMBER Whites Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski :3707 State Route 13 (315-298-6575); Watertown: 231 N. Rutland St. (315-788-6200); Clayon: 945 James St. (315-686-1892); Gouverneur: 71 Depot St.., (315-2871892).
OUTDOOR RECREATION Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports. New Bikes, TREK, FUJI, SALSA, SURLY & KINK. We repair all brands of Bikes. Keen Footwear and Darn tough socks available.
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.
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 to tarps, boat covers, and awnings. 215 Cayuga St., Fulton, NY 315-5938914.
SCRAP Flood Drive Properties. Wanted: All Household Appliances. Washers, Dryers, Stoves, Cars and Trucks. Top dollar paid. 315-592-4251 180 Flood Drive Fulton NY 13069. TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.
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Oswego County Business Magazine, P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126
DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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LAST PAGE By Stefan Yablonski
Frank ’58 and Gloria Maraviglia on their wedding day in 1961.
$2 Million Gift to SUNY Oswego SUNY Oswego has received a gift of $2 million from Frank L. Maraviglia, an alumnus from the class of 1958. Maraviglia’s gift is in recognition of the education he earned at the university that helped him lead a fulfilling life as an educator. The gift advances the university’s Vision 4040, a bold initiative launched this year by President Peter O. Nwosu to increase upward mobility and strengthen regional economic development in Central New York by doubling the number of graduates from the university to 40,000 per decade by the year 2040. The gift establishes the Maraviglia Education Enrichment Fund in the university’s School of Education, which will support scholarship and engagement opportunities for students as well as innovative academic programming from the faculty. In recognition of the gift, the School
of Education’s main entrance between Wilber and Park halls will be named the Maraviglia Atrium. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved the naming at its full board meeting on Dec. 5. Maraviglia of Jamesville is a 1984 recipient of the Oswego Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. An industrial arts graduate from 1958, he began his career as a high school teacher on Long Island, earning accolades and recognitions early on, including the Graphic Arts Teacher Summer Scholarship Award, one of only 13 teachers in the U.S. selected by the International Graphic Arts Education Association to receive the award in the early 1960s. He was selected in 1963 to attend the first International Congress on Printing Education in Montreal, Canada. He also earned a master’s degree from Hofstra University in 1963 and additional degrees from Syracuse
90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024
University and SUNY Buffalo. From 1964 to 1999, Maraviglia served as a professor of landscape architecture at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. A co-founder of the consulting firm Creativity Unlimited, he advised numerous global companies, such as IBM, AT&T, General Electric and Carrier Corp., on employing creative problem-solving to advance their businesses. He was honored by being named a Colleague of the Creative Education Foundation in Buffalo. He received the New York State United University Professionals Excellence Award in 1991. He retired from his teaching career as a professor emeritus from SUNY ESF in 1999. He and his wife, the late Gloria Jean (Procopio), were married for 62 years. His brother, Raymond, is a 1961 graduate of SUNY Oswego, as are several members of his wife’s family.
Create your future workforce by starting a Registered Apprenticeship program How can Registered Apprenticeship benefit your company? Skilled Workforce Create an in-house solution to the worker shortage by recruiting and developing a highly-skilled workforce. Improve Productivity Improve productivity and positively impact your bottom line. Customized Training Create flexible training options to ensure workers develop the right skills.
93% Employee Retention Percentage of apprentices that continued employment after completing a Registered Apprenticeship.
How do we help companies start Registered Apprenticeship programs? Manage relationships with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Ease the administrative burden of company registrations and ensure the success of the program. Manage programs by establishing internal processes and coordinating work-related classes with community colleges and outside approved education providers. Act as a group sponsor (MACNY obtained the first-in-the-state approval from the NYSDOL to become a group sponsor for advanced manufacturing). Help companies access funding streams to offset the cost of managing their program. Scan to learn more about starting a Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Interested in learning more about starting a Registered Apprenticeship Program? Get in touch with Amy Stage, Director of Apprenticeship & Workforce Development.
Generating safe, clean and reliable power, fueling the upstate economy and protecting the environment.
astage@macny.org 315-474-4201 ext. 58
Celebrating Over 50 Years in Central New York A proud member of the Central New York community, Novelis is the world’s premier producer of rolled aluminum and the global leader in aluminum recycling, producing more than a billion pounds of high-quality aluminum sheet each year. Novelis Oswego is an important part of a global network of aluminum recycling and rolling facilities, producing aluminum for products like Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks, beverage cans and architecture. We enable our customers to make their ideas real, and we help consumers to enjoy the products they want today while knowing they are contributing to a better world tomorrow.
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