Oswego County Business, #191: April - May 2024 by Oswego County Business Magazine

April-May 2024

$6.00

www.cnybusinessmag.com

VINNY LOBDELL, JR. Say Hello to CNY’s New Philanthropist, Investor Since he sold his HealthWay in Pulaski, he has invested in about 30 businesses and made several donations, including a $1 million to improve mental health services in Oswego County.

ALSO INSIDE

Real Estate More million dollar homes in the market. Healthcare Why is homecare hard to find? Agribusiness CNY farming: What’s left?

CNY’s Business Magazine

Weight Loss Surgery It’s about more than just weight loss. It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day. Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way.

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Celebrating 60 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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APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

CONTENTS

APRIL / MAY 2024

ISSUE 191

SAY HELLO TO CNY’S NEW PHILANTHROPIST, INVESTOR Vinny Lobdell Jr.has embarked on a life of investing in businesses and giving money to charity after he sold his HealthWay in Pulaski.

FEATURES

REAL ESTATE

The state of real estate | Is the ‘Commission War’ over? | Million dollar homes becoming more common in CNY.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

AGRIBUSINESS

What type of farming remains in CNY? | Sorbello and Sons farm enters second century | NY Bold: Oswego’s Dunsmoor Farms | Farmers markets: Great venue to sell produce. APRIL / MAY 2024

HEALTH

The rise of advanced medical providers | New hybrid CNA class expedites training | ConnextCare’s Tricia PeterClark recognized for leadership.

MORE CONTENT

Features 38 Destination

Outdoor writers come to Oswego

42 More People Working Private sector jobs increase 44 Working from Home

More employers requiring people to work from the office

56 Million Dollar Homes

Expensive homes becoming more commonplace in CNY

74 CNY Drones

Entrepreneur started business out of boredom. It now operates in several states

74 Immigrants

Meet seven immigrants who have made a difference in Central New York

MILLION DOLLAR HOMES BECOMING MORE COMMON IN CNY

100 Success Story

Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery turns 40

Departments 8 Publisher’s Note 12 Dining Out

Jake’s Grub & Grog, Central Square

18 How I Got Started

Bill Greene Sr. talks about the Oswego Sub Shop

20 Profile

Kristin M. LaBarge, Oswego County Opportunities

22 Newsmakers / Biz Update 40 Guest Columnist

From CEO to average Joe By Jeff Weld

62 Tim’s Notes

A unique music venue away in the woods By Tim Nekritz

72 Economic Development

Events to promote industry, small businesses By Austin Wheelock

106 Last Page Q&A

Author Ann Callaghan Allen

MORE PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN CNY APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

30 Years Promoting Tourism

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

1995

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com EE

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com

e’re celebrating a big milestone: the publication of our 30th annual Summer Guide—The Best of Upstate New York. When I started publishing the guide in 1995 I had no idea it would last so long. Heck, I didn’t even expect to be here 30 years later. It’s been a long journey since we published the first issue as Vacation Guide. Aside from the color cover, everything else was black and white. That first issue and several of the following issues were printed on newsprint. Attractive at the time but not that much, when we look back. The focus then was exclusively Oswego County. The magazine was renamed Summer Guide — Best of Upstate New York in 2001 and has remained an important piece that promotes tourism in Upstate New York, especially in Central New York and the Finger Lakes region. The magazine has proven to be an effective way to reach the general public and visitors. The guide has an estimated readership of over 250,000 readers and its website — www. cnysummer.com — usually gets about 10,000 unique visits per month during the summer months. Local businesses have had good results from advertising in the publication — and we’re glad they do advertise. Many do so year after year. Advertisers are the ones who fund the magazine and allow us to print 40,000 copies and distribute them all over the region at no charge. They get the exposure from the print advertisement plus the exposure from the website. We upload a copy of the guide to www.cnysummer.com and hyperlink all the ads. It means that as viewers skim through the publication online, they can click on any ad and go directly to the advertiser’s website. I love that feature. One of the reasons the guide has remained popular over three decades is that readers love it, and that drives businesses’ interest in advertising. Travelers — and locals — do pick up copies of the guide every time. We

WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Stefan Yablonski Aaron Gifford, Mary Beth Roach Tom and Jerry Caraccioli, Margaret McCormick Jeff Weld, Joanne Cleaver COLUMNISTS Austin Wheelock, Tim Nekritz Christopher Malone

2023

FIND THE LARGEST YARD SALES IN UPSTATE NY P.14

ADVERTISING Peggy Kain | p3ggyk@gmail.com Rob Elia | roblocalnews@gmail.com STAY IN A TREEHOUSE THIS SUMMER P.18

WINE & FOOD ALONG LAKE ONTARIO P.22

COUNTY FAIR, ANYONE? NYS HAS 45 OF THEM P.32

replenish our drop off locations two, sometimes three times a month. If visitors are like me, the first thing they do is to look for some literature with local content, highlighting things to see and do. That still works in the digital era. Aside from its sleek design and glossy stock, the Summer Guide brings great content: tons of interesting feature stories and a comprehensive, easy-to-read calendar of events. Advertising in the publication makes sense: advertisers place one ad and they get results all season long. The Summer Guide later in August is distributed as Fall Guide. A big thank you goes to the staff who every year work diligently to sell advertisements, write stories and compile a 10,000-word calendar of events; of course, we owe our advertisers a big deal — their advertising dollars enable us to do it all.

WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine. APRIL / MAY 2024

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 $30 a year; $40 for two years. Single-copy price is $4.50. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725. © 2024 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

More confidence. Less discomfort. At St. Joseph’s Health, more experience means less pain, less scarring and less risk of complications. As the leading provider of robotic general surgery in Central New York,* our expertise means less recovery time and more time enjoying life.

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ADVERTISING INDEX 31 Sheds...................................23 A-Plus Tax Services..................25 Advanced Dental Arts................29 Allanson-GlanvilleTappan Funeral Home.........19 ALPS Professional Services......25 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler)....................11 Armstrong Appraisals LLC.........11 BarclayDamon...........................59 Best Copy Now..........................19 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law..................10 Brennan Beach..........................16 Brookfield Renewable Power....74 Builder’s FirstSource.................26 Burke’s Home Center................26 C & S Companies......................43 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting ....................25, 26 Canalview Travel.......................16 Century 21 - Galloway Realty....33 City of Oswego..........................27 CNY Arts....................................29 Colonial Financial Group...........19 Compass Credit Union..............57 ConnextCare.............................37

Crouse Hospital...........................2 E J USA.......................................4 Elemental Management Group .83 Evergreen Hills Golf Course......17 Excellus - BlueCross BlueShield..........................108 Felix Schoeller North America.....5 Finger Lakes Garage Doors......26 Fitzgibbons Agency...................25 Foster Funeral Home.................84 Fulton Oswego Motor Express..77 Fulton Savings Bank..................39 Fulton Taxi.................................15 Fulton Tool Co...........................77 Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation...........................29 Gartner Equipment....................11 Greater Oswego Fulton Chamber of Commerce........55 Green Planet Grocery................16 H. Lee White Museum...............17 Harborfest..................................33 Helio Health...............................81 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY...............81 Howard Hanna Real Estate.......57 Johnston Gas............................23

JTS Remodeling........................23 Lamb’s Handyman Service........25 Laser Transit..............................77 Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery.............................15 Local 43 (NECA EBEW)............31 Longley Brothers.......................39 LW Emporium Co-Op................16 Menter Ambulance....................84 Mimi’s Drive Inn.........................14 Mirabito Financial Group...........57 NET Die Inc...............................74 Novelis.........................................3 NYS Office of Parks...................71 Ontario Orchards.......................17 Operation Oswego County......107 Oswego County Federal Credit Union.........................69 Oswego County Mutual Insurance.............................55 Oswego County Opportunities (OCO)............79 Oswego Speedway....................16 Oswego Sub Shop.....................14 Patterson Warehousing.............77 Peter Realty ..............................79 Plumley Engineering..................74

Port of Oswego Authority...........31 RiverHouse Restaurant.............14 Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In...........14 Safe Haven Museum.................17 Scriba Electric............................23 SOS — Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists.........79 Speedway Printing.....................69 St. Joseph’s Health......................9 SUNY Upstate...........................85 SUNY Upstate Cardiology.........53 Sweet-Woods Memorial............26 TDO...........................................15 Trimble Services........................25 United Wire Technology............75 Valti Graphics............................59 Vashaw’s Collision.....................26 Walker’s Dry Cleaners & Tuxedo Rentals.................23 Watertown International Airport...................................41 Whelan & Curry Construction.........................31 White’s Lumber & Building Supply....................23 WRVO.....................................104

Bond understands the unique needs and opportunities of Oswego County businesses and we are committed to a thriving future for our clients and the communities in which we live. Want to learn more? Visit bsk.com or contact Rick Weber at rweber@bsk.com.

One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202 • 315.218.8000 • BSK.COM 10

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

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The Fireball gnocchi burger: The half-pound burger came with the standard lettuce, onion and tomato. It also boasted bacon, three lightly fried cheese-stuffed gnocchi, homemade pepper jack cheese and Fireball sauce.

DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE By Christopher Malone

BETTER THAN ‘JAKE’ Central Square pub banks on comfort

ake’s Grub & Grog, the Oneida River-adjacent establishment in Central Square, has been serving Central New Yorkers with entertainment, food and beer for more than a decade at this point. To kick off a recent meal at the restaurant, I ordered a crock of French onion soup ($8.84). I’ve said it before: I could eat soup every day regardless of the time of year. It’s also great that French onion soup can vary from place to place. Where some are made with a rich and dark broth, Jake’s is lighter in color. 12

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Some call for melted Swiss cheese, some with Provolone (this is what Jake’s uses) and some come with a blend for that signature cheesy blanket. I didn’t find any faults. It wasn’t too salty. The onion and croutons were plentiful, making this a filling soup. Out of personal preference, I added a generous amount of ground pepper. Let’s talk about the burger of the week at the time of this review and lead into it saying I like to see bar-restaurants try something funky — in the good, let’s-take-a-risk sense. The Fireball gnocchi burger ($15.60) APRIL / MAY 2024

caught my eye for sure. The half-pound burger came with the standard lettuce, onion and tomato. It also boasted bacon, three lightly fried cheese-stuffed gnocchi, homemade pepper jack cheese and Fireball sauce. If Jake’s offered this burger before, my bad; it’s my first time here. Still, I haven’t seen a gnocchi burger in my travels just yet. Yes, the hot sauce was made with Fireball cinnamon whisky. The only hesitation upon ordering the burger was the sauce itself. I find Fireball gross. Despite the label saying natural flavors,

TOP: The Cajun haddock tacos: seasoned and broiled fish is served with julienne vegetable coleslaw and cheddar-jack cheese in lightly grilled flour tortillas. BOTTOM: Crock of French onion soup at Jake’s Grub & Grog. The onion and croutons were plentiful, making this a filling soup.

it tastes artificial and I don’t consider it a whisky. The good news, the sauce did not have an overpowering cinnamon taste or smell. It had a nice kick to it, for sure. Despite being told it was brazen and spicy by another customer, I didn’t flinch with it. It added a great flavor and served its purpose as a hot sauce. With the meat being cooked to a perfect medium rare, this stacked burger stood tall literally and in the grand scheme of its food niche. The Cajun haddock tacos (three

for $15.60) are something to take note. The description of the special says the seasoned and broiled fish is served with julienne vegetable coleslaw and cheddar-jack cheese in lightly grilled flour tortillas. The tortillas were grilled perfectly so there was still flexibility with holding and squeezing each taco just so the ingredients didn’t fall out. The buttery cajun sauce of the plentiful broiled haddock blended well with the melted cheese. The coleslaw hidden beneath the fish added a bright sweetness due

to the vegetables’ freshness. Instead of fries, the side was upgraded to macaroni and cheese ($2.08). The creamy and oh-so-cheesy American staple was just right as is. Jake’s has a build-your-own macaroni and cheese entree. There’s the base dinner option and patrons can make it Buffalo-style; plus, protein and veggie add-ons that vary in price. It’s also not the only build-yourown option the menu boasts. The build-your-own rice bowl comes with base of rice pilaf with a choice of meat, vegetable and sauce. I chose shrimp, mushrooms, roasted red peppers added on and sweet chili sauce ($15.08). The plentiful bowl is filling and comes with a guarantee of leftovers, which also keep after a couple of days. The flavor of the large, butterflied shrimp tasted fresh and proved to be an ideal choice for the bowl. The rice was perfectly cooked and the vegetables weren’t mushy. The sweet chili sauce leaned toward the sweeter side with maybe a smidge of spice. What was most abundant was salt. Yes, the seemingly unavoidable additive does enhance the flavor, yet balance is important. Add in two domestic beers ($8.84), the total before tip came to $71.32. Jake’s offers a discount when paying with cash. Jake’s Grub & Grog lives up to its name. It certainly has grog and serves up grub. The year-round bar and restaurant has a lot to offer. Patrons can always anticipate weekly tunes from local musicians. When then weather gets warmer, it will cater to more people with its outdoor space.

Jake’s Grub & Grog 7 East River Road, Central Square 315-668-3905 bistro197.com jakesgrubandgrog.com facebook.com//JakesGrubandGrog instagram.com/jakesgng Sunday: noon - 8 p.m. Monday: Closed Tuesday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. (Kitchen closes an hour earlier)

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Dining Out Whether you’re looking for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, these eateries are available to conquer your cravings! SUBS • SALADS • DELIS • WRAPS • PANINIS • WINGS

Oswego

Sub Shop

106 W. Bridge Street, Oswego, NY 13126 | 315-343-1233

www.oswegosubshop.com

Serving 7 days a Week - Fast Service Fresh Coffee - Plenty of Parking

Mimi’s

Drive In

Website:

www.riverhouserestaurant.net 4818 Salina St, Pulaski, NY 13142

GREAT FOOD!

FISH • BURGERS • HOTS Spring Hours: Wed - Sunday: 11a to 8p 78 Ct. Rt. 89 Oswego

315-343-2671

Like us on RudysLakesideDrive-In Order Online at

Rt. 481 North, Fulton

593-7400

OPEN Tues-Sat 7am - 8pm Sun-Mon 7am - 3pm

WWW.RUDYSLAKESIDE.COM

OUR READERS ARE HUNGRY

CALL 315-342-8020 TO ADVERTISE YOUR BEST DISHES. REACH BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE PLUS LOCAL RESIDENTS.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

(315) 509-4281

Lakeside Drive-In

Our Family Feeding Yours Since 1946

SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

Telephone:

APRIL / MAY 2024

Lunch and Dinner Service Monday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm Business Meetings | Seminars Parties | Receptions Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches, Pastas, Seafood, Beef, Chicken, Pork

Oswego County FCU Launches ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Product

swego County Federal Credit Union (OCFCU), a credit union serving over 13,000 members in Oswego County, announced that it has added “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) to its suite of online banking products. OCFCU has partnered with equipifi, a BNPL platform tailored for debit card issuers, to enhance its offerings. Through OCFCU’s BNPL solution, members will receive personalized offers tailored to their financial well-being on eligible debit card transactions. Members can swiftly view and accept these offers within seconds. Eligible purchases, defined as debit card transactions of at least $100 made within the last 60 days, excluding cash or cash-equivalent transactions (such as ATM withdrawals, money orders, or cash advances), qualify for the BNPL program. “BNPL is a payment preference that our members not only increasingly use but also expect as part of their financial experience,” said Bill Carhart, CEO of Oswego County Federal Credit Union. “Equipifi’s BNPL platform allows us to embed this intuitive solution within our existing banking experience to meet our members where they are.” To utilize the BNPL product, members can make purchases with their debit card and check “buy now, pay later” in their online banking to view available BNPL offers on eligible purchases. They can then decide which purchases to split over time, select the appropriate installment plan, and receive their purchase amount deposited back into their account within 24 hours. “BNPL is a payment method that grew from next-gen engagement and is now seeing adoption across all demographics,” shared Bryce Deeney, CEO and co-founder of equipifi. “Consumers prefer receiving it from their trusted financial institution, and Oswego County FCU is rolling out BNPL as a long-term commitment to their members and their evolving payment preferences.” For more information about OCFCU’s buy now, pay later product, visit www.oswegofcu.org/member-programs/buy-now-pay-later.

Celebrating 40 Years in Business

Oswego County’s Largest Nursery Plant Materials Grown On-Site

Family Owned & Operated

Annuals • Hanging Baskets • Perennials • Vegetable Plants Herbs Shrubs & Trees • Fruit Trees • Berry Bushes • Mulch, Stone & Soils Lawn & Garden Supplies • House Plants • Gift Certificates • Social Events

Full Service Landscape Design and Construction Recipient of Hardscape Hero Award (Belgard 2021)

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www.lasnickilandscaping.com Helping CNY Companies Increase Revenue, Reduce Costs, & Increase Productivity Here to help your company reach its full potential!

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APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Specializing in Organic & All-Natural Products

& Skin Care Products • Thousands of Grocery items • Highest Quality Supplements, Multi-Vitamins • Vegetarian/Vegan & Sports Nutrition Items Food Selections • BIGGEST Selection • Gluten-Free/ of pay-by-weight bulk Dairy-Free Foods foods, herbs & spices • Shampoos, Soaps, Lotions,

We help build memories one vacation at a time. 67 S. 2nd St, Fulton, NY 1-800-462-2627 | 315-598-8300 www.canalviewtravel.com

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HILLSIDE COMMONS, OSWEGO, NY 250 West Seneca Street | 315-207-0016 Mon.–Sat., 9am–7pm | Sun., 11am–7pm

LW EMPORIUM CO-OP Gifts, Antiques & Home Decor

The Feathered Nest Gift Shop

WhistleStop Antique Center

10a.m.–5p.m. Tues. thru Sun. • Closed Mon. 6355 Knickerbocker Road • off Rte. 104 in Ontario

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CELEBATING 30 YEARS OF

Summer Guide

MAKE YOUR ADVERTISING DOLLARS WORK HARDER FOR YOU. ONE AD IN THE SUMMER GUIDE WILL COVER THE ENTIRE SEASON Contact: editor@cnysummer.com 16

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

OSWEGOSPEEDWAY.COM

Safe Haven

Tues.-Thurs. 11-4:30pm

22 Barbara Donahue Dr, Oswego NY

Located in Oswego, New York, Evergreen Hills is a 9-hole course that is great for golfers from ALL walks of life. we are located a few short miles from the campus of SUNY Oswego and downtown Oswego.

Summer Hours:

7 days a week, 8am till close

285 County Route 20, Oswego, NY 13126

(315)-216-4629

Open DAILY 1-5 PM

Lake Ontario Festival SAT. MAY 18TH, 10-5PM

SPRING HOURS MON- FRIDAY, 1-5PM WEEKENDS BY APPOINTMENT

Check for expanded summer hours hlwmm.org

Visit our website to find out more about The Maritime Museum

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We Are One of New York State’s Largest and Most Complete “Farm Markets” OPEN DAILY, 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR

Vegetables - Fruits - Cider From Our Farm & Local Farmers

7735 State Rt. 104 4 miles west of Oswego, NY

“ Visit Our In House Bakery”

www.OntarioOrchards.com | 315-343-6328

E X P L O R E THE BEST OF UPSTATE NY

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

HOW I GOT STARTED By Stefan Yablonski

BILL GREENE SR.

Bill Greene Sr. talks about the Oswego Sub Shop, which is celebrating 55 years this year. Shop averages about 3,500 to 4,000 subs a week

he Oswego Sub Shop is a family affair, stretching back three generations. Bill Greene Sr.’s father – affectionately called “Pops” by his staff – ran a sub shop in Brockport for a few years before opening Oswego Sub Shop in 1969. Bill Sr. ran the place

for more than 30 years before making way for his son, Bill Jr. We sat down with Bill Sr. recently and he shared the shop’s tale. Q: How did it all start? A: My father’s first sub shop was in

Brockport. So when I came home from Vietnam in ’68, I worked nights and weekends making subs, delivering subs. And I worked at Lincoln Rochester in the city of Rochester. I was working days at the bank and working nights and weekends for my father. Q: Sounds like you were very busy A: Yes. Then I got married and I had to quit one of them. So I quit my father. When I left he said he didn’t want to do it any more. My sister and her husband lived in Greece; they wanted to get into the sub business. Q: How did the Oswego shop come to be? A: My uncle, who ran the Syracuse-Oswego bus lines, told my father this place was coming up for sale even though it wasn’t on the market yet. It was an insurance agency. My father bought this place — remodeled it. My sister and my brother-in-law came in with him. That was in September of 1969. By December my father decided he didn’t want to be in Oswego. So I said I’d buy half. So I bought him out and moved here in May of ’70. By that November, I bought my brother-in-law out. I owned it by myself for the next 34 years. Q: And then you sold it to your son, Bill Jr.? A: That’s when I sold out to my oldest son. Bill Jr. took over the shop in 2002 but he had been involved in management since 1994. He worked here as a teenager cleaning on weekends, then delivering and working the counter as he got older. He opened Greene’s Ale House across the street, which he owned and operated until 2002. Q: Do you know about how much you’ve invested here?

A: Oh, my goodness, with what my son put in to here, it’s a lot of money I’ll tell you that. It’s been more than 20 years, so I would say back then it was probably $150,000 — but in today’s market you’d have to at least double that. Q: How many employees do you have? A: We have 36 employees. It’s been pretty solid. We have a problem with turnover; the young kids don’t want to work. We have two girls that have been here 35 years or more each. It’s hard to find people like that today, really hard. Q: How busy are you on an average week? A: We average about 3,500 to 4,000 subs a week.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

Q: So, what’s the most popular sub? A: Turkey. Turkey has always been our No. 1 seller, always. No matter what year, what time of day — 95% of the time it’s turkey. Cheeseburger is our second best. We go through a lot of hamburg; probably about 400 pounds in a week. Q: The shop has been enlarged? A: Yes. We added a bakery and storage space in 2008. We only had three tables back when we started. Then we had only 10 subs on the menu. My son expanded the menu big time. We sell a lot of salads and we sell a lot of wings, too. When I sold out to my son, [the place] needed fresh blood and I’m happy with the way things have gone. My son brought in new ideas and expanded; it definitely needed an upgrade. Q: So you bake your own bread? A: We bake our own bread and baked goods. We shop for meats — wherever we can get the best price — we always buy the best product. We cook our own roast beef here every day, which nobody else does. It is trimmed before we get it, so there is hardly any waste. We cook our own meatballs from scratch. We get our onions from Dunsmoors. We buy other onions too, but the jumbo red is what we use mostly on the subs. I mix our own oil. I have been doing that since 1970. Make my own oil — my own recipe. Nobody else has that but us. It’s a secret. We guard that pretty good. Nobody is around when I mix it up. I mix 18 gallons on average every week. We do a lot of our own stuff. We don’t scrimp — that’s what makes us different from everybody else. Q: Is the college a big part of your business? A: The college, of course, is big for us when it is in session. But in the summer we get a lot of transient people who have moved away and they come back. We have had people in here from Texas, Boston — all over the country. People come back to Oswego and one of the first things they do is come over to the sub shop. They say, “We’ve been thinking about this a long time. We miss it.” It’s a testimonial. It’s incredible. Q: Are you doing anything special to celebrate 55 years?

A: We are in our 55th year. We had a 50th anniversary. Back in the old days, when I had my 15-year and 20-year, I rolled the prices back to what it was when we first opened and we had people lined up all the way down the street. When we first opened up a whole sub was $1.10

and a half was 69 cents. Q: Are you still working? A: I work three days a week here, around 24 hours. What kills me [laughs] I’m collecting Social Security and paying into Social Security at the same time. Something wrong with that picture, ya know? Q: This is a family business, fathers and sons.

A: I also have two daughters. They both worked here when they were growing up, but they didn’t stick around. I didn’t think I’d be here this long, either. When I took over for my dad I thought about going someplace else — but once I started having kids, my roots kept getting deeper and deeper. When I retired a few years ago I moved to where I grew up down in the Southern Tier. Then my grandkids started playing hockey and we’d come back to see them on weekends. It’s a three-hour drive one way. That got pretty old, so we sold out and we moved back here. Q: Are the grandkids the next generation at the shop?

A: My youngest grandson is sophomore in high school. He just got his driver’s license. He works a little bit now and then. But he’s not sure if he will take over. If he doesn’t, I’m not sure what will happen after that.

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Q: Someone once said “If you bought a sub in 1969 and you bought one today, it’s the same thing.”

A: [Smiles] That would be me. Everything’s the same. We buy top shelf, we buy the best. And every sub made — my motto is you make every sub as if you are going to sit down and eat it. If you bought a sub in 1969, you can get the exact same sub today — the recipe is the same and it is still made with fresh ingredients. We slice the meats daily, dice and chop vegetables daily. We feel that’s what keeps us ahead of our competitors. Q: The sign outside used to display a caricature of your father in a sub roll. What ever became of it?

A: I can’t tell you how many hundreds of people over the years stopped to take pictures of that sign. It was unique. When I sold out to my son, he changed the logo and everything. Q: So what happened to the sign? A: I’ve got half of it in my garage and my son has the other half in his garage.

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APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

PROFILE By Stefan Yablonski

KRISTIN M. LABARGE

Helping those who help those in need: new director of operations at OCO has been with the nonprofit for 26 years

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

ristin LaBarge grew up in the Fulton-Hannibal area. She went to college at SUNY Potsdam, graduating in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minor in health science. “I have been with Oswego County Opportunities since May of 1998 — it will be 26 years this May,” she said. “May the fourth — because (laughs) ‘may the fourth be with you!’” She started at the nonprofit right out of college, at 22, at an entry level position. She was promoted to director of operations in August 2023. In the beginning, 1998, she worked with the youth population as a caseworker, working with pregnant and parenting youth. She became a middle manager at the end of 1998 — working with the same population — and then into crisis work. “I oversaw our crisis hotline and homeless services. That was very busy,” she said. “Then I went to coordinator level and that is like kind of right under the director of the programs,” she continued. “So at the coordinator level you oversee multiple programs, probably five or six different ones, all dealing with at-risk youth and families.” In 2009 through fall of 2023, she became the agency’s planning coordinator. “I planned, coordinated and developed agency’s strategic plan; developed and implemented universal service delivery practices, methods and standards; developed and implemented the agency’s first universal database — where all programs input data into, in order to get unduplicated counts and reports of services across the agency in a consistent and cohesive manner,” she explained. “I also developed standards for universal agency reporting and alignment with agency vision, mission and guiding principles. “That is about gathering data, implementing a universal data base and really being in charge of all of our outcomes — having the data to back up how we tell our story. That’s really what that was about,” she added. “That was about 14 years. “And now I am in this position. I am in charge of the operations of the agency. Our facilities, our sites — not the programming,” she said. “I am in charge of our information technology department, all of our networking and all of our ‘front desk’ kind of stuff. [Oswego OCO executive director] Diane Cooper-Currier has three people, director levels, that work under her and I am one of those. A lot of what I do is

putting policy and procedure into place, creating solutions — efficient solutions so that people can get through their day and deal with their issues.” “It was very tough going through COVID. We had to think of a different way to get things done and perform in a different way,” she added. “It was definitely a learning experience. But I think some good things came out of it. We opened our eyes to different ways of doing business, virtual like telehealth.” “OCO is pleased to have Kristin as its new director of operations. She has been with OCO for 26 years in a variety of program and administrative positions. This provides her with a well-rounded understanding of the agency and its operations,” Cooper-Currier said. “Kristin has a keen eye for detail, building positive relationships with internal and external customers, assuring quality and having

Lifelines Name: Kristin LaBarge Position: Director of operations at Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. Birth Place: Oswego Residence: Hannibal Education: SUNY Potsdam, BA in psychology, Minor in health science Certifications: CCAP (Certified Community Action Professional); NCRI — Nationally Certified ROMA Implementer (Results Oriented Management Accountability) Affiliations: Zonta Club of Oswego, vice president and membership chair woman; Farnham Family Services board, second vice president Personal/family: “Most of my family is in the Fulton area; Been with my significant other, Matthew, for more than 13 years. He has two adult children, the younger will be graduating from college a year from now. We are empty nesters, so we have been fixing up our new house for three years now, since we moved in and I am happy to say that most of the big projects will be done by year end! We have also started gardening recently and are continuing a family tradition on my side, by growing a garlic crop that dates back 50 years to Italy! I am excited to keep this alive! We are creating our own traditions now as well, by dabbling in the bee/honey business. We will see how that goes!” Hobbies: Traveling, reading, spending time with friends and family, and DIY projects.

“There is something new going on every single day — that makes it exciting and like a new ‘problem’ to solve.” fun in all she does.” In 2015 she was honored with the agency’s prestigious Amelia Whelahan Leadership Award during OCO’s annual meeting. The award is given annually to a staff member who has made outstanding contributions to OCO and the human services profession. She was also one of Oswego County Business Magazine’s “Forty under 40” in 2006. But LaBarge said she isn’t resting on her laurels.

Always something new “I’d say that there is something new going on every single day — that makes it exciting and like a new ‘problem’ to solve. I like that. Things come to me ‘we need this fixed’ ‘how are we going to get through this issue?’ We are helping our programs to operate and so of course you are going to get things that have got to be done, taken care of. There is always something new going on,” she said. “When I can help our employees to run their programs, then I am helping the people that we serve. It’s all about helping and I think that is why people love OCO. You come here to help people because that is really what you want to do.” She currently lives in the Granby-Hannibal area with her significant other (Matt) and “two adorable cats, Smokey and Moji.” Outside of OCO, she is a member of the Zonta Club of Oswego. “I am a member and the vice president of the board and the membership chair,” she said. “I’ve been in Zonta Club since 2015.” She is also the second vice president of the Farnham Family Services board. “I love to travel and love to read — I am in a book club,” she said. “I like to spend time with friends and family, that kind of thing. I don’t have a lot of free time; I am on a lot of committees.” A private, nonprofit agency, OCO’s programs touch the lives of over 30,000 Oswego County residents each year. One of county’s largest employers, OCO employs more than 500 people and boasts a volunteer force of 1,200.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

NEWSMAKERS

NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE Brian Anderson Joins Davis-Standard as CPO

Davis-Standard, LLC, a global leader in the design and manufacturing of extrusion and converting technology with a plant in Fulton, has appointed Brian Anderson as its new chief procurement officer (CPO). In his new Brian Anderson role, Anderson will assume global responsibility for Davis-Standard’s procurement and supply chain operations. He will oversee all aspects of supplier management, sourcing strategies, and cost optimization initiatives. Prior to Davis-Standard, Anderson amassed 30 years of extensive experience in procurement and supply chain management, holding key procurement leadership roles with Duracell Inc, Robert Bosch, and the Marmon Group, among others. Anderson also teaches courses at Elmhurst University in supply chain in greater Chicago. He holds a BA in business and education from Illinois State University and an MS degree in supply chain from Elmhurst University. With a proven track record of optimizing procurement strategies and driving operational efficiency, Anderson will play a vital role in Davis-Standard’s ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional value to its customers and stakeholders, according to a news release. “We are thrilled to welcome Brian to our team,” said Giovanni Spitale, CEO of Davis-Standard. “His expertise and vision will be instrumental in enhancing our procurement practices and ensuring that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers while driving sustainable growth.”

New HR director appointed at Crouse

Crouse Health has announced that Rebecca Houde has been appointed director of human resources. She most recently served as chief human resources officer for Helio Health (formerly Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare). Rebecca Houde Prior to that she was human resources director for SBH and also served in various HR roles for Empire Vision Centers in Syracuse. In her new role at Crouse she will oversee all HR functions, including strategic direction, planning coordination, workforce development, talent acquisition and management, compensation and benefits and leadership and staff development. A Syracuse native, Houde holds a master’s degree in business administration from SUNY Oswego.

FOCUS Welcomes New Board Members

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Syracuse whose mission is to tap citizen c re a t i v i t y t o bring about change in Central New York, has recently announced new board members. They are: • Lisa A. Hart, public health analyst Lisa Hart and grants manager at Syracuse Housing Authority. She holds a master’s degree in

community and public health education from SUNY Brockport and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from SUNY Polytechnic Institute, national certifications as a certified case manager and certified health education specialist, and a license as a professional registered nurse from New York state. She moved into the city of Syracuse in 2015 and along with her husband, is restoring an older home to its former glory. • Michael Stanton is a retired work er from National Grid. A former producer of public affairs and documentary television programs, he has a bachel o r ’ s d e g re e from Gonzaga University and a master’s and Michael Stanton Ph.D. degrees from the University of Washington. He has also been an outspoken neighborhood advocate as the longtime leader of the Southeast University Neighborhood Association. As a board nember for PACNY (Preservation Association of Central New York), he has developed the Syracuse Then and Now website, which won a historic preservation award in 2004 from the Central New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 2010, he prepared nomination materials leading to the National Grid (Niagara Mohawk) Building being added to the National Register of Historic Places. • Rev. Lynnessa H. Joyner-Robinson, is a community navigator with Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. Joyner-Robinson has held various leadership positions throughout her career, including minister of pastoral care, executive assistant to the pasRobin Joyner

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

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tor, corresponding secretary, treasurer to local moderators, and administrative leadership team member to state Convention Presidents of NY. She has also created and directed choirs nationwide and internationally and has been a keynote speaker and preacher for countless conferences for decades. In 2023, she became a black woman small business owner, when she soft launched her Christian-based development ministry GIFT’M (Grace is for the Messy).

Dober Appointed Director of Labor Sales at Excellus

Andy Dober

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has appointed Andrew Dober director of labor sales. Dober began his career at Excellus BCBS in 1992 and has held a variety of sales positions in areas

including commercial sales and the government programs division. Since 2000, he has been dedicated to serving, retaining and growing the health insurer’s labor book of business across its 31-county service area. With this new appointment, Dober will also serve as the health plan’s corporate designee to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Labor Office (NLO). Dober, a 2013 graduate of Leadership Greater Syracuse, is NYS-licensed in life, accident and health, and earned an Associate in Science degree with honors in labor studies from Onondaga Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in business and human resources management from SUNY Brockport, and an Advanced Labor Studies certificate from the BCBSA’s National Labor Office at Rutgers University. He currently serves on the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) board and volunteers with various organizations.

Dannible & Mckee, LLP Expands Accounting, Advisory Services

Dannible & McKee, LLP, a certified public accounting and consulting firm, announced the hiring of Angelina M. Carroccio. Carroccio has joined the firm as a staff accountant with the accounting and advisory Angelina Carroccio services department. She brings three years of experience within her field and has earned her QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Online certification since joining Dannible & McKee. Carroccio graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Liberty University in 2023. She resides in Baldwinsville and is based in the Syracuse office.

Watertown Airport: New Approach Lighting System Improves Safety, Access

he Federal Aviation Administration flight inspection team from Atlantic City, New Jersey, recently certified the Watertown International Airport’s newly minted navigation aid designed to assist pilots landing in poor visibility conditions. The team, flying in a Beechcraft Super King Air, performed both a daytime and a nighttime inspection at different approach paths and angles of the new navigation aid to Runway 28 at the Watertown International Airport. The navigation aid, known as a medium intensity approach lighting

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

system with runway alignment indicators (MALSR), will be operated and maintained by the airport. The system is one of a very small number of brandnew approach lighting systems being installed in the nation. The new associated instrument approach procedure, which pilots will use to approach a landing at the airport, is published and available to pilots for immediate use. “The project has been a lengthy planning, programing and certification process, and we are thankful for our federal partners for assisting us in getting this project completed,” said Grant W. Sussey, director of aviation APRIL / MAY 2024

at the Watertown International Airport. “A special thank you to the FAA New York Airports District Office and the FAA Tech Ops team in Syracuse for providing the guidance for this system and continued support in keeping the runway 7 approach lighting system in service.” Chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators William Johnson said, “This project is an important one for our airport and I am glad to see it lighted up and this will go a long way in improving safety and access to our airport.”

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IDA Awards $2.787 M for Novelis Oswego Rail Project

ov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (IDA) was the recipient of a $2.787 million grant from the NYS Department of Transportation Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program (PFRAP). The funding will be used to make rail improvements onsite at the Novelis plant in Scriba, including realigning the curvature of the existing track and turnouts onsite to accommodate longer railcars as well as reactivating a section of dormant track so workers can move railcars more efficiently. Novelis will also replace two high-emission railcar movers with newer more efficient ones. The $3.5 million total project cost will allow Novelis O S W Eto G reduce O N Y.O RG the number of tractor-trailer loads of aluminum, mostly coming from Canada, by about 5,000 loads a year. The project is expected to create four new jobs and support the retention of over 1,200 manufacturing jobs at the AN K YOU Oswego HE FOLLOWING FOR area plant. OF PHOTOS IN THIS “This project will provide NovCHURE: theOffice funding to invest in critical wego Countyelis Tourism on-site infrastructure to keep more aluminum production domestic and ultimately help their sustainability and economic competitiveness here in Oswego County and as a company,” said Austin Wheelock, CEO of the IDA. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C—Pulaski) stated, “Securing nearly $2.8 million in state funding for the Novelis Rail Enhancement Project provides a tremendous boost for the region’s infrastructure and economy. With roughly 1,200 employees at its Oswego facility, Novelis has been a great partner in our local community. This major investment will help expand production to keep highly skilled, high-paying jobs here at home. I was proud to lend my support in the effort to obtain state funding, and I want to congratulate all those involved in this important project.”

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The Oswego area bolsters a wide vareity of events yearround from festivals, world-class fishing, movie theater & a drive-in theater, several music and performing arts groups, races and derbies, museums and historical sites, bustling night life and accommodations available in walking distance to attractions. There is something for every individual and family to choose from.

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Oswego, New York is a waterfront community located on the Southeastern shore of Lake Ontario and along the Oswego River. The city is embarking on a transformation to build upon its strengths to embrace our rich history, natural assets, and promotes the development and restoration of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods surrounding Oswego’s downtown.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE Kestas Bendinskas, a distinguished service professor of SUNY Oswego’s chemistry faculty, is the owner of Stress Bionalytics, LLC.

Oswego Startup Boasts Nationwide Clients

Business started in 2022 in Oswego incubator now operating in the black By Stefan Yablonski

rom fish to rodents — and a whole lot more — Stress Bionalytics, LLC. has exploded. Kestas Bendinskas, a distinguished service professor of SUNY Oswego’s chemistry faculty, set up shop at the Business Expansion Center in Oswego in the summer of 2022. He started with an impressive client list: University of Denver, a veterinarian from Long Island, Colorado State, a doctor from Puerto Rico, Harvard and others. He recently got a contract with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. His business was hired to analyze the stress levels of animals of the zoo, “A big contract,” he said. 28

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

He is also working with an organization to test the stress levels of the population in sections of Ukraine. Last year, he got additional contracts — more than 200. That’s from a handful a year before. He was able to pay off all the equipment he bought to get his business started, as well as some other items. He put the price tag “in the range of $ 30,000.” In one year — all investments are covered, “we are not in red any longer,” he said. “The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago — the oldest zoo in the country — contacted me. They found out about me from the Smithsonian Zoo. I was like, ‘how do they know about me?’ It’s a APRIL / MAY 2024

mystery. That remains a secret. I don’t know how it came to be.” He said he was curious as to what samples they were going to send him. “They were raccoons and weasels and rats from Chicago city. They are assuming animals in the city are all under stress,” he explained. “Mammals and rodents — rodents are very different from the rest of the mammals, their stress amounts are different, actually. When we look at animal samples we always have to be careful that we analyze cortisol for most of them; but for birds and rodents we analyze corticosterone, it’s like a cousin of cortisol,” he added.

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Victoria Bulson is the manager at the Stress Bionalytics’ lab.

Gone fishing That’s one unexpected project that came his way. “Another very unexpected project comes from Lake Ontario — fish. How and why would you want to measure stress in fish, right?” he said. The bloater reintroduction project is conducted by USGS Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, Cortland. Bloater is a herring-like fish. They are releasing fish into the lake. “In the last two years they have had pretty bad luck with the fish,” Bendinskas said. “They thought big fish ate the small fish. But last year, around 50% of the fish died — immediately!” They assume it might have been caused by stress from being transported and they asked Bendinskas to check. “We tried fish saliva and it didn’t work, we failed. Then they sent us blood samples and testing was successful,” he said. “Now we’re going to expand to probably 2,000 samples in which they will study the variety of conditions for transportation — different temperatures and other parameters — to make sure that all the fish when released survive.” They can see how cortisol increases …stress one hour into the trip, two hours into the trip and so on. “Now they can see how they can change transportation conditions so stocking is twice as successful,” he added. “Another interesting project that I want to share, that we are very proud 30

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

to be a part of, comes from Duke University. They want to see how air-raid sirens are related to stress. As far as I understand, people in five cities in Ukraine will be assessed for physiological and psychological stress. The variables studied will include the number of air-raid sirens and actual bombings, among many,” he said. “We are very happy and proud to be a small part of this project; if there is anything we can do to help, we will.” Victoria Bulson is the manager at the lab. They have three interns working “flexible hours,” Bendinskas said. “Victoria was a student at Oswego. She applied to three med schools, got accepted to two,” he said. “But until then, I am really lucky to have her. She is very responsible. If you fail any of these steps you have to spend days recouping.”

Maximum concentration There is no background music playing. Not a phone in sight. “We need to focus on what we are doing. I started officially working in May [2023], but I was training a few months prior. So it’s probably about a year,” Bulson said. “I took bio chem. 1 and 2.” “It is probably one of the most challenging college classes,” Bendinskas said. The testing processes can take three or four days. “You do the same thing over and over again. It’s kind of mindless — but then you get consistent with it and you APRIL / MAY 2024

are always careful, you don’t want to ruin someone’s sample and have to start all over again. It’s about being consistent so that you put out more consistent results,” she added. “Getting into a groove, doing the same thing all the time works in your favor. Being consistent, getting good, accurate results is important.” If you’re thinking about something else, mistakes can happen, Bendinskas said. “People spend months and sometimes years collecting those samples. We want to make sure we do things right. We can not afford to make a mistake,” he said. “We prepare twice as much sample as needed, just in case the analysis fails, we have the second half to review it. We have learned the pitfalls and now hopefully we avoid them and don’t make any mistakes. We are more busy than I would have expected. This past year and a half we processed more than 4,000 samples.”

Cortisol Cortisol increases dramatically in concentration when one experiences short-term or chronic stress. The immediate response can be assessed by measuring in saliva, long-term in hair. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-orflight situation. It is nature’s “built-in alarm system” — your body’s main stress hormone; working with certain parts of your brain to control your mood, motivation and fear. Your adrenal glands — triangle-shaped organs at the top of your kidneys — make cortisol. It is extracted from milled hair and measured using a technique called ELISA. “The extraction procedure takes three days because we have to extract it twice — overnight. But we can process up to 40 samples per day and also stagger samples; our current capacity is about 6,000 samples annually (with one manager and three interns),” Bendinskas explained. The data is used by medical, sport and psychology specialists who often prefer getting a physiological measure of stress, instead of an opinion about one’s stress.

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APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE

Pathfinder has recently signed an agreement to acquire a branch of Berkshire Bank, located at 6611 Manlius Center Road in East Syracuse.

Pathfinder Bank Cashes in on Unexpected Opportunity By Stefan Yablonski

athfinder Bank has recently announced it has signed paperwork to acquire the East Syracuse branch of Berkshire Bank, located at 6611 Manlius Center Road. When the deal goes through later this year, as it’s expected, it will be the first branch office Pathfinder acquires; it usually builds its branches from scratch. Is that a change in strategy on the part of Pathfinder Bank? It tuns out it was an unanticipated opportunity that came up and Pathfinder Bank cashed in on it. “We got a phone call from Berkshire’s partners and they asked if we’d be interested in looking at potential branch sales from Berkshire,” explained James Dowd, president and chief executive officer of Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc., and Pathfinder Bank. “And we are very interested in acquiring deposits in the Syracuse market. So we decided to jump into the process.” Berkshire was selling off 10 of its branches, he said. Pathfinder is buying just the East Syracuse branch of Berkshire Bank. 32

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Dowd said he wasn’t looking to add another branch — but Berkshire’s offer was too good to pass up. About a year and a half ago, Pathfinder renovated a 4,748 square foot, single family home at 506 W. Onondaga St., Syracuse, into a branch office and community meeting rooms. “Typically, if that opportunity [Berkshire] had not come up, we would have given the West Onondaga branch a little bit of time to get to a profitability section before we moved on to try to build another one,” Dowd said. The West Onondaga location was an underserved area of Syracuse. “We intentionally entered that underserved area to make sure that we were providing our banking services to the full population of the Syracuse market,” Dowd explained. “It’s been successful for us. We’ve had a lot of support from a number of different organizations who were appreciative of our efforts. So — so far, so good. “We wanted to come in there with a full-service organization; do the best we could to provide that market with APRIL / MAY 2024

the opportunities and capital that they need.” Pathfinder expects to close on the Berkshire purchase and sale by the end of the third quarter of this year. This would be their fifth site in Onondaga County. “We have Clay and Cicero, one downtown and we just opened 506 W. Onondaga about a year and a half ago,” Dowd said. At this point in time, Pathfinder is going to continue to look for opportunities to expand in Onondaga, “absolutely,” he said. “Right now the focus is on Onondaga — especially with the Micron announcement as well as the watershed of activities that are coming after that,” he added. Pathfinder Bank traces its local roots back to 1859 and currently employs more than 175 with 11 locations in Oswego and Onondaga counties, including two along Route 31 in Cicero and Clay, two in the city of Syracuse and an additional loan production office in Utica.

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APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE

TAKING RESTAURANTS TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL By Margaret McCormick

hat would Danielle Mercuri do if she wasn’t a successful restaurant owner? The answer comes easily to her: artist or fashion designer. And when you consider Mercuri’s portfolio of restaurants, that makes perfect sense. First, there’s Rise N Shine, the wildly popular diner on Westcott Street in Syracuse that takes the most important meal of the day to a whole other level: fun, creative and indulgent. Then there’s Loded, a burger joint on steroids known for its towering smash burgers, “loaded’’ chicken nuggets and French fries and specialty milkshakes. Loded relocated to Westcott Street in February. And there’s Lalalu Ristorante, near Carrier Circle. It’s a modern Italian and glitzy Las Vegas-style restaurant rolled into one, with showy menu items prepared tableside. “I figured out how to bring food into the world of art,’’ explained Mercuri, 45. “In a nice, cool way. Quirky and fun. Not stuffy.’’ To say that Mercuri has artistic flair and an eye for detail is an understatement. Creativity is her brand, her special sauce. Every plate that’s set before customers is designed to be eye-catching (and Instagram friendly) and please the palate — in that order. “I’m very visual. I approach food in a visual way,’’ Mercuri said. “You eat with your eyes first. You want it to look appetizing. Taste is secondary. What takes us to the next level is things that no one else does. That’s what sets us apart from the rest.’’ Mercuri is a native of Rome who grew up in the restaurant business but didn’t plan to make a career of it. Her first job was at the former 34

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Grimaldi’s Chop House, where her mother worked. She got pregnant at 16, dropped out of school, got married and had two more children. She would later earn her GED and “do the college thing’’ briefly to study fashion design. But the restaurant business had plans for her. Mercuri inherited the original Rise N Shine Diner from the restaurant’s owner. Peter Hennessey owned several restaurants, taverns and clubs in Central New York, according to

Food Meets Art at the Everson Museum in Syracuse Danielle Mercuri, owner of Rise N Shine, Lalalu Ristorante and Loded and chief executive officer of the Dremer Restaurant Group, has been quietly working on an artistic collaboration with the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. The Dremer Group will operate Louise, a new cafe at the museum that’s scheduled to open in late spring. Louise takes its name from museum trustee Louise Rosenfield, who donated the thousands of functional ceramic pieces in the museum’s Rosenfield Collection. Many of the pieces will be used in the cafe, where diners can learn more about them and the artists who created them as part of their dining experiences. For more information, visit the museum at https://everson.org

APRIL / MAY 2024

his obituary, the last one being a small diner tucked behind an oil change business on Thompson Road in DeWitt. Desperate to make money to support herself and her family after being fired from an office job, Mercuri joined the diner as a server in 2009 and was eventually promoted to manager. Hennessey taught her how to cook and saw her potential to lead others and run a business. As he battled leukemia, he took steps to leave the restaurant to Mercuri. He died in 2013. Over time, Mercuri began to add her own personal stamp to the classic diner. She made changes to the space and started offering her spin on typical breakfast fare with photogenic menu items like the Big Daddy (scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage, bacon and cheddar cheese, all rolled up in a pancake), a special created for Father’s Day that’s now a Rise N Shine menu fixture. She started taking photos of her stylized creations and sharing them on social media. “Social media is what put us on the map back when people didn’t know it as a marketing tool,’’ Mercuri said. “We dug into it good and social media gave us a huge platform.’’ She also began to dig deep into the business side of restaurant ownership: purchasing food, hiring and training staff, taking care of payroll. Before long there was a constant line out the door at the tiny diner and Mercuri began looking for bigger digs. She found what she was looking for on Westcott Street and in 2019 launched what has become a foodie destination for students, locals and visitors to Syracuse, including celebrities like “Cake Boss’’ Buddy Valastro, who dined there (and at Lalalu) in the fall.

Danielle Mercuri, 45, is the owner of Rise N Shine and other eateries in Syracuse. “I’m very visual. I approach food in a visual way,’’ she says. “You eat with your eyes first. You want it to look appetizing. Taste is secondary.” Photo courtesy of Dremer Restaurant Group.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Pasta flight with sauces at LaLaLu Ristorante, near Carrier Circle. Photo courtesy of Dremer Restaurant Group. Danielle Mercuri at her Loded restaurant in Syracuse. Photo courtesy of Dremer Restaurant Group.

Owning one restaurant is a challenging job. So how does Mercuri balance the demands of three restaurants? (Her fourth restaurant, Lobster Babe, across the street from Rise N Shine, is on hiatus for now and being used as a pop-up dining space.) As her restaurant projects expanded, Mercuri formed the Dremer Restaurant Group and added partners, including her fiancé, Alan Diamond, himself a business owner. Dremer is spelled that way intentionally, Mercuri said, because she’s a dreamer who does things differently. Mercuri structures her week to give time and attention to each restaurant: a day or more at Rise N Shine, a day or more at Loded, a couple evenings at Lalalu, plus quiet time for things like menu development, photography and marketing and social media strategy — something she loves and is very involved with. She can’t be in three places at once and Mercuri said she doesn’t need to be — that’s what managers are for. The key to operating multiple restaurants, she said, is to build a strong team who understands your vision and supports your goals — and to delegate work and responsibilities accordingly. “You need a hands-on person all the time, yes,’’ Mercuri said. “Does the owner need to be there? No. You have to have core people you trust, who appreciate what you do and can kind of be your eyes and ears.’’ Mercuri declined to disclose financial particulars for her restaurants, but describes Rise N Shine as a “welloiled machine,’’ the engine that drives her plans for further growth. If you go there on a weekend, you might have to wait 90 minutes to sit down for your pancake “sushi,” breakfast fried rice or basic eggs, bacon and toast. She has high hopes for Loded in its new location and for Lalalu, which marked its first anniversary in late December. There’s no shortage of diners in Central New York. And there are many places to grab a burger and sit down for an Italian American feast. So Mercuri will stick with what has become her niche, her signature style, in the crowded restaurant space. “Running a restaurant isn’t about just food. It’s about people: What will attract them and make them want to come here?” she said. “It’s always about the experience. I love the interaction of food with people.’’ Margaret McCormick is a food writer based in Syracuse.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

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Retired outdoors writer for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and vice presidents of NYSOWA, Dave Figura shows off a chinook salmon he caught in the waters of Lake Ontario. Photo provided

The Port City Hosts NYS Outdoor Writers Association

Thirty of the top outdoor communicators in NYS to visit Oswego County, sample what the area has to offer By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

ince 1967 the New York State Outdoor Writers Association has been working at calling attention to the wonders of the outdoors in the Empire State. The NYSOWA is a professional organization of writers, editors, wildlife artists, photographers, broadcasters, lecturers and others dedicated to increasing public awareness, understand-

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ing and appreciation of the outdoors. On May 30 to June 2, the NYSOWA and its members will gather in Oswego for the organization’s annual spring conference. The conference will be headquartered at the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront in Oswego and welcome 25 to 35 NYSOWA guests to the Port City from all reaches of the state, including APRIL / MAY 2024

Western New York, Central New York, the Southern Tier, Catskill and Capitol District regions, Downstate/Long Island and North Country. Working with Dan Breitweg, Oswego County deputy director of community development, tourism and planning, NYSOWA’s annual conference will not only feature discussions on the current status of the outdoor industry in New York state. The gathering also affords opportunities to network, learn from and become friends with top outdoor communicators and industry professionals, as well as share in outdoor activities and experiences germane to the local area of Oswego and the county. Plans also include securing guides and experienced locals to take the attendees fishing on Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake and the Salmon River; turkey hunting for the last day of the spring turkey hunting season (May 31); kayaking and hiking; visiting local Department of Environmental Conservation fish hatcheries in Altmar and Constantia; a boat ride tour of the Oswego Harbor lighthouse, along with visiting other local museums and attractions. The NYSOWA is comprised of 97 full-time members and 37 supporting members. The organization advocates the use and enjoyment of natural resources, with the primary purpose of improving knowledge, skill and communication among its members to better tell the many stories of outdoor lifestyle opportunities in New York state. “Our ranks feature the top outdoor communicators in the state,” said Dave Figura, retired outdoors writer for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and vice presidents of NYSOWA. “Our members stay on top of outdoor highlights and trends in articles, columns, blogs, photographs and other media platforms in newspapers, magazines and online outlets.” In addition, along with outdoor activities, the annual conference offers

craft improvement workshops, as well as seminars in such areas as writing, photography and social media. Other plans for the conference include a panel discussion with a state DEC representative and Joe Heath, the corporation council for the Onondaga Indian Nation on the topic of “Native American hunting and fishing rights;” an update and overview of the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary and a presentation by the Oneida Lake Association about waterway issues and concerns. “During my 14 years as outdoors writer for The Post-Standard/Syracuse. com and NYup.com, I had the opportunity to report on the impressive and wide variety of the year-round, outdoor activities in Oswego County — from Salmon River, to Lake Ontario to Oneida Lake, to Winona Forest to Derby Hill to Tug Hill,” Figura said. “I organized a NYSOWA Spring Safari for the writers in 2018, during which they got a sampling of the county’s offerings. The feedback I got from members afterward was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing a desire to return.” The annual festivities are highlighted with a banquet that includes the presentation of the NYSOWA Excellence in Craft awards and the recognition of other organization members and sponsors with annual and lifetime achievement awards. The banquet also includes naming the recipient of the NYSOWA Bob McNitt Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 to an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a course of study related to journalism, outdoors or the environment. The Melody Tennity Becoming an Outdoors Woman Scholarship also will be awarded. This $350 scholarship is given annually to a female member of the NYSOWA, a spouse or a female family member. Finally, the NYSOWA awards two $350 scholarships each year to deserving teens for a week-long, DEC-hosted summer camp. Currently, there are four DEC summer camps across the state. Becoming a member of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association requires a $50 annual fee for active participants, $25 per year for apprentice members and $15 per year for student memberships. Minimum professional criteria require receiving compensation for work prepared and published for newspapers, magazines, lectures, photography, books, radio, television, editing or other accepted media formats.

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Jeff Weld, Ph.D. jeffweldllc.org

From CEO to Average Joe Navigating retirement change

I ‘From incessant texts asking favors or appointments, today’s messages are from the pharmacy — pick-up reminders. Phone calls are typically political campaign robo-dials.’

retired seven weeks ago. Despite great anticipation and meticulous planning for a smooth segue, it was a shock. Still is. Up until the first Tuesday of last month I was a high-octane executive in overdrive. That Wednesday I was merely Jeff. The rollercoaster braked for disembarkment. One day my email inbox dinged like a slot machine; the next day was ding withdrawal, salved only by occasional LinkedIn connection requests. From incessant texts asking favors or appointments, today’s messages are from the pharmacy — pick-up reminders. Phone calls are typically political campaign robo-dials. The downshift was so swift I got a bit of retirement whiplash. Is this common to executives, I wonder, or a Jeff thing? I asked Google. The search engine’s artificial intelligence assumed I was asking for the organi-

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zation. “When a CEO retires” netted lots of advice on when and how a company should swap out CEOs (12 years is the magic time apparently). Exit while on top, said one blogger. I did, but the jolt is higher volt than staying on past prime when the fan base drifts. Scrolling further, links began to focus more on preparing executives to retire. Have a plan, yes. Serve on boards, sure. Pursue hobbies, check. Stay fit, of course. Travel. Take or teach a class. Keep a routine. All good advice I had long since factored in. The bones of a fourth book await my fleshing out. A couple of executives seek my mentoring. Various trips are concretizing on the calendar. Two vintage motorcycles await restoration in my shop. And I relish becoming a gym rat. But Google did not scratch the itch for me. Where are the empathetic counselors coaching me on the loss and loneliness of sudden exit from leadership? So, I sharpened the query to “What is it like for a

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CEO to retire?” Better results, in my ballpark if not strikes. “Giving up their jobs feels like stepping off a cliff” wrote Bill George for The CEO’s Guide to Retirement in the Harvard Business Review, December of 2019. OK so maybe the early funk is a common rite of passage. His solution though, is a familiar prescription of hobbies, gigs, and books, all of which are fine and right, just months or even years down the road. What about the early days and weeks when falling from that cliff? I scrolled down a dozen more of the 184 million hits in the search bar. A post from the executive consulting firm Vistage sounded promising, The CEO’s Guide to Success in Retirement. “Some have described the move from work to retirement as jarring and upsetting, akin to falling into a black hole. Others say they felt grief, fear or aimlessness after losing their identity, schedule and sense of normalcy.” That’s it on the nose. Now, how about the fix? That’s where all the retirement advisories fell short. They default to coaching us to pick up a side hustle, to keep learning, stay active on social media and stay on schedule. Gracious advice to be sure, just leap-frogging the near-term effects of stepping down. What about the hours and days immediately following the standing ovation, the decorated cake, the selfies with staff, all the toasts and high-fives? From the royal send-off into an ephemeral period of grief and identity loss, eventually rebounding to write and teach and grow on a new schedule. I could not find any advice about weathering the early transition. So here’s mine.

Assessing your lot and plotting next moves from a beachside hammock is a potent reset button.

1 — Cushion the landing

6 — Now, about that book, that hobby…

In the weeks leading up to retirement, calendar a couple of conferences or events of the industry that follow immediately on the heels of separation. I scheduled two speaking engagements of national trade groups for my first week of freedom. They helped to ease the off-boarding shock while fueling my consulting service. I’d pre-printed business cards of my new identity for just such events.

2 — Get out of town I retired twice from organizational leadership roles – one a federal post and recently a state directorship. In both instances, my spouse arranged a dropeverything-and-go tropical getaway.

3 — Embrace your shrunken world. After years of delicately balancing work and family time, sometimes erring toward work, come home, literally and figuratively. Those few weeks of adjustment will soon enough yield to new jobs, hobbies and commitments. In the meantime, revel in folding laundry, doing dishes, movies with family, double dates, reading novels, nature hikes, all the while journaling to focus your thoughts.

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4 — Hone your underlying identity From CEO to average Joe, our constant has always been and will always be family. Those of us fortunate to still have our parents are most certainly due for visits. Same for grandkids if lucky enough to have them. As for siblings and grown children, handwritten letters and phone calls serve both the sender and recipients well.

5 — Spend time Especially in those black hole moments, remind yourself to cherish the privilege. You have earned the resources and the time ahead to be freer than ever before in life. What might have been a waste of your precious time in the past — a nap, a TV show, shopping, a home repair — is now life’s joy. Ratchet back spend away.

If you Googled “executive retirement” in search of solace and comfort when your world shrinks and irrelevance hangs over head, I hope this article pops up and helps.

Jeff Weld recently retired as chief executive of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council as well as serving as chief innovation officer at the Iowa Department of Education. In 2018-19 he was White House senior policy adviser in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is now an emeritus professor at the University of Northern Iowa and operates an executive consulting firm jeffweldllc.org. APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

More People Employed in CNY Business services and leisure and hospitality lead the way among sectors that have added more workers recently By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he New York Department of Labor states that “private sector jobs in the Syracuse metro area rose over the year by 3,700, or 1.5%, to 253,300 in February 2024 as the economy continues to expand. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, private educational and health services, trade, transportation and utilities and financial activities. Job losses occurred in manufacturing, information, and mining, logging and construction. The government job count rose over the year (+1,900), with growth concentrated in local government education.”

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Elvis Mehmedovic, franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals in Syracuse, views the trend as bearing both positive and negative effects. “It’s positive on the workforce for higher demand and higher positions being available,” he said. “Some are more technical, but there’s general supervisory role expansions. It’s good for the workforce as higher paying jobs are available.” But for employers, it’s hard finding workers with the right skills unless they’re willing to pay high enough rates and offer good benefits. With inflation already stretching company budgets, paying more is tough. APRIL / MAY 2024

Mehmedovic added that employers who treat their workers right will find they have few problems with both attracting and keeping talent, as workers want to work for companies that provide good work-life balance. As Micron prepares to expand to CNY, many skilled laborer jobs are expected to open as the site will require extensive infrastructure. “Entry level hiring is probably the most difficult fill at the moment,” he said. “General labor and entry-level jobs definitely have been harder to find. There are still people who aren’t working who don’t seem to be looking.” Technology has made inroads in

filling roles such as automated customer service phone lines replacing live operators and robots performing tasks like delivering supplies in hospitals. But Mehmedovic thinks that retail employers will eventually eschew automation — the self-checkout stands — as theft has soured retailers’ visions of lower payroll. Hiring in nearly all roles continues to represent a major struggle to healthcare employers. Deb Turner, co-owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Deansboro, said that her business model is especially challenging as her company attracts retirees to serve as home companions to older adults. “We always are looking for kind, compassionate seniors,” Turner said. “Our model always was, look for someone with the heart of a volunteer, although they do get compensated for their time.” Though it can be difficult to find workers, Turner said that her company’s turnover is very low, except that as in many segments of healthcare, her employees age out. In some cases, they

become clients, which she calls “the best recommendation.” Any kind of employment that involves travel is tough to fill, as many job seekers want remote work. But some hands-on work includes more travel than typical, such as home health.

“I serve a very big territory, all of Oswego, Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, and Oneida counties,” Turner said. “We’ve got to have caregivers in as many little pockets as we can. We try to keep them within five to 10 miles of their home. It’s always that challenge.”

Job Gains by Sector, February 2023 to February 2024 Sector Employees Business Services +1,800 Leisure and Hospitality +1,700 Private Educational and Health Services +700 Trade, Transportation and Utilities +400

Job Losses by Sector, February 2023 to February 2024 Sector Employees Manufacturing -500 Information -300 Mining, Logging and Construction -200 The government job count rose over the year (+1,900), with growth concentrated in local government education.”

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Working from Home Not as Popular A carryover from the pandemic, WFH has become a way of life for a small number of employees in CNY. But employers aren’t as willing to go WFH By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f course, hands-on employment requires employees to show up in person at the worksite. But the pandemic helped underscore the ability of many employers to allow data- and technology-driven roles to be filled by employees working from home. In fact, work-from-home has become a filter criterion for job seekers. But that does not mean that WFH is as popular with employers. The most recent US Census Bureau data states that “in 2022, 13.1% of Onondaga County’s working population aged 16 and older stated ‘worked from home’ as their means of transportation to work.” said Karen Knapik-Scalzo, analyst with the New York State Department of Labor Division of Research 44

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& Statistics in Syracuse. That’s not very many. Joanne Rauch, president of CR Fletcher, said that more onsite and hybrid roles are available versus completely WFH, depending on the industry. “The industries we see most flexible are professional services, including public accounting, financial services, advertising agencies, insurance, technology and some law firms,” Rauch said. “The least flexible are manufacturing, construction, nonprofit and healthcare.” Suzanne Benderski, chief of staff at CTS in Liverpool, has seen more employers requiring employees to return to working on site. However, roles such as customer service and call APRIL / MAY 2024

center staff “are sometimes available as work-from-home roles,” she said. “Candidates that are looking for work are still showing a strong preference for remote opportunities.” Stephanie Vavonese, founder and executive recruiter with SMV Recruiting, LLC in Syracuse, believes that many companies feel that fully remote work has caused them to lose their company culture. “A number of manufacturers and companies in Syracuse are doing some hybrid roles, but we have seen a clear shift back to in-person positions,” she said. “However, this has proved challenging for employers, because it has significantly limited their pool of candidates because the mind shift of

Tim Lippincott, Excellus BCBS.

Joanne Rauch is president of CR Fletcher.

Stephanie Vavonese of SMV Recruiting.

candidates has not shifted and now hiring managers are only able to pull from local talent or be forced to pay relocation. “Being in person, most companies feel is most important for recent graduates so they can be mentored and learn from being around other like-minded established professionals.” The increase in WFH popularity has also spurred more employers to provide hybrid opportunities, which allow workers to spend some of their working time at home and some in the office. “There are definitely plenty of people looking for work-from-home and hybrid,” said Elvis Mehmedovic, franchise owner of Express Employment in Syracuse. “In Central New York, it’s a little bit of a battle. Some are just looking for flexibility, which has always been around for family and childcare. But now we call it ‘work-from-home’ and ‘hybrid.’ During the pandemic, people got a taste of it and liked it.” He said that employers in the tech sector widely offer WFH and hybrid arrangements and many small busi-

nesses accommodate them. Whether an employer chooses to provide WFH as an option boils down to trust. WFH has become so popular at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield that it’s become part of the company culture, according to Tim Lippincott, vice president of talent management, a department at Excellus. He said that although during the pandemic, pivoting to WFH

managers to ensure they can be in the office as needed. Excellus also provides optional events for networking, such as a tailgating party celebrating the Super Bowl, food truck rodeos and more. “We do these pop-up events because employees need to connect,” Lippincott said. “That employee connection is important to our culture.” Excellus has also invested in MS Teams and Zoom to help enable connectivity among workf ro m - h o m e a n d hybrid employees. Lippincott said that the learning curve for this technology was pretty easy. “Through our different communication channels, we let them know what collaboration needs to look like in the home, office or asynchronous learning environment,” Lippincott said. “We’re still able to connect.” Employee surveys relate that many rate Excellus highly in the category of “I have significant higher wellbeing because of my employer” and Lippincott believes that the hybrid and work-fromhome arrangements play a vital role in this rating.

More employers requiring employees to return to working on site.

was mandatory, since 2021, Excellus has decided to offer a hybrid work option where possible. “We centered our decision on that we trust our employees on working where they see fit and what works best for them,” Lippincott said. About 90% of employees able to work in a hybrid arrangement for Excellus do so. Lippincott said that they work out their schedule with their

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

COVER

VINNY LOBDELL JR. THE REAL MEANING OF SUCCESS By Stefan Yablonski

t first glance, Vincent “Vinny” Lobdell Jr. is the epitome of success. But, really, what is success? A lot of money, a big house, fancy cars? For Lobdell — and his family — success is the ability to live as you wish — and helping others. “I always say, you know in my mind success is not a monetary number. Success comes down to being able to spend more time as one wishes,” he said. “If you are a stay-at-home mom and you have the ability to stay at home and take care of your children and live the lifestyle that you want — you have success. If success is being a social worker and supporting people with mental health needs if you can do that — that is success. “But I truly believe that success really is individual. It comes down to being able to spend your time as you wish. If you can do that free of stress, with peace of mind that is true success.” Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Lobdell’s story begins with his father, Vince, and his mother, Nancy, who instilled in him the values of kindness, hard work, perseverance and the importance of giving back. “Growing up, I was surrounded by a community of peers who challenged me, inspired me and helped shape the person I am today,” he said. “My wife, Suzie, and our family have been my rock.” He studied marketing and economics for four years at SUNY Oswego. Later on, he received an entrepreneurial master’s degree in partnership with the entrepreneurs association at MIT. Now 43, Lobdell and his wife have four children “and one on the way.” “My oldest son is Noah. My oldest daughter is Lainey. My middle son is Liam and my youngest daughter, Rory, she is 3. We have a boy on the way — due in May,” he said. He was born and raised in Pulaski.

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“Back when I was growing up I had a passion; I really loved sports and I always wanted to be a sportscaster. I wanted to be a hockey player — I would have loved to have realized my dream of playing in the NHL, but that didn’t happen. Outside of playing a professional sport, I really would have loved to be a sportscaster,” he said. One of the top sportscasters out there, Dick Vitale, is a close friend, he added. “For me, I like commercial real estate. I like the entrepreneurial side. I like buying and seeing real estate come to life,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure back then what I wanted to do. I had always worked with my father for summers.” His early career was rooted in air quality, a field that opened doors to international experiences and deepened his understanding of global health issues and global business, he explained. In 2003, they began by building air-cleaning equipment for other companies. Direct sales and marketing companies would rely on Lobdell and his father to design a product with a certain airflow velocity and a certain efficiency. Then they would manufacture it for them. Vince Lobdell had been in the air cleaning space and in manufacturing since the mid-1980s. “My father made a shift to thinking about air filtration, an undervalued and underserved market at the time and essentially was a pioneer in the air cleaning and filtration market,” his son said. said.

HealthWay Lobdell and his father and his father founded HealthWay Family of Brands in 2003. The Pulaski-based company makes air purifiers. It grew exponentially during the pandemic. APRIL / MAY 2024

Tens of thousands of HealthWay purification systems have been placed in the New York City School District, the largest school system in the country, in the Chicago Public Schools and hospitals around the country, including Upstate Medical University, Crouse and Oswego in Central New York, according to reports in early 2021. As they evolved the business, they served many markets and strategies which included dealers, direct to consumer, distribution and others. “Most importantly, we spent a lot of time creating and marketing products that actually made a difference improving indoor air quality and having an impact on people in homes, hospitals and everywhere in between,” he added. Along the way they knew how important it would be to build brand value. So over the 20-year journey, they built three very strong global market facing brands. 1. HealthWay: their platform brand which served the business-to-business dealer and distributor market 2. Pure Wellness: primarily a hospitality, licensed service brand that provided a turnkey wellness solution for hotels and office spaces. 3. Intellipure: in 2017 Lobdell launched Intellipure to focus more on the business to consumer market. The product line quickly became the fastest growing sector of their business. HealthWay was a small but fast-growing business manufacturing medical-grade air purifiers. During the pandemic it experienced soaring growth as demand for its products skyrocketed. “It’s been intense,” said Lobdell, HealthWay’s president at the time. “It’s been just such a substantial demand.” In 2020, they made a decision to sell the company. “It was my time to find new ways to serve this world,” he said.

Vinny Lobdell Jr. photographed March 19 at The Lobdell Center for Mental Health & Wellness at Lakeview in Oswego. Photo by Chuck Wainwright.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Sister Amy McLaughlin of Pulaski, Vince Lobdell and his wife, Nancy, of Florida, and brother Vinny Lobdell Jr. of Skaneateles. The family recently donated $1 million to improve mental health care in Oswego County. Photo provided

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APRIL / MAY 2024

“

At the heart of our philanthropic endeavors is a deep-seated belief in the power of empathy and action. We understand that each of us has a role to play in making the world a better place and we are committed to doing our part. One focus we have is on mental health, a cause that has touched our family personally and profoundly. We believe in the power of awareness, education, and support to change lives and break the stigma surrounding mental health - Vinny Lobdell Jr.

At the time Healthway and its sister companies were providing solutions to the largest corporations, governments and schools around the world. Some of the contracts included providing filtration to NYC schools, JP Morgan, several health ministries around the world and even being the first to provide commercial solutions on the ground in Wuhan, China where the pandemic began. They went through a minority sale in 2020. It was sold to a private equity firm for an undisclosed amount of money. The family maintained a minority stake in the company. “We sold the majority in 2021 to a larger company,” he said. “We are no longer involved in the company.” These days, he said, he leverages his diverse experiences to guide others on their entrepreneurial journeys. “I strive to create value in every interaction, whether it’s helping a startup refine their business strategy or connecting like-minded individuals to foster collaboration,” he added. “My passion lies in empowering others to realize their potential and make a positive impact on the world. “I’m heavily invested. I have around 30 different investments right now — from commercial real estate to hospitality to mental health software and a bunch of small startups in real estate, software and others.” “People reach out to us through vinnylobdell.com and we get many different ideas on a weekly basis. We always look at things from a pretty simple preface,” he said. Vinny’s criteria: one, do we like the people; two, is the business something that we are interested in, does it align

with our values; and three, can we add value to this investment group? he explained. “And if all three boxes are checked, we decide if it’s something we want to invest in,” he said. “It really comes down to: is the investment something that we really believe in from a cultural perspective — something that will make the community better, add value, do the people have similar values to us, do they like to invest in the community and can we add value to it, does our experience add value to the business and help it grow quicker?”

Philanthropic endeavors Lobdell’s older brother, Rusty, died by suicide in 1995 when he was 19; he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. “For me and our family, philanthropy is more than just a word. It’s a deeply personal commitment to making a positive difference in the world. What it comes down to — the passing of my brother 29 years ago, on March 3 — was something that really touched and changed our lives,” he said. “Mental health is something we are very, very committed to as a family. We really believe that no family should ever have to go through what we endured and we are trying to take what we went through and help others.” Mental health is really important for the Lobdell family. “I could tell that my mother thought people were starting to forget my brother and as a father now I can never imagine going through what my mother went through.

In her mind she said she could never save him and the reality is —no one could have saved him. For us, our goal now is to make sure my brother’s memory is never lost.” And that’s one of the reasons that, in 2022, the Lobdell family donated $1 million to the Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness in memory of Rusty. It’s the largest the Oswego Health system has ever received and among the largest donations to a mental health facility in Upstate New York. Michael Backus, president and CEO at Oswego Health, said that the Lobdell family’s decision to not just donate money but also speak out about their son’s struggle will help reduce the stigma of mental illness in the rural community. “To have a local family that’s not only been extraordinarily successful from a business perspective but has been directly touched through Rusty ... will really go a long way towards reinforcing the importance of what we do every day,” Backus said in 2022. “Most of that money will go to programming. We want people to receive training in suicide risk and prevention — school administrators and teachers, bus drivers and custodial staff. They touch our kids so often. We want to get those people trained and educated properly. Programs like that really go deep within a community,” Lobdell said. “The gift from the Lobdell family naming our 42,000 square foot mental health and wellness facility in honor of Rusty was just one component of the impact this family wanted to achieve. Naming the facility gives it a local tie to a philanthropic family who cares

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Vince Lobdell and his wife, Nancy, in front of a plaque honoring their late son, Rusty, who died by suicide in 1995, when he was 19. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Photo provided deeply about the work done inside its walls,” Backus said in February. “It also demonstrates to the community the We Care mantra that Oswego Health perpetuates every day as we are working with the family on initiatives to build awareness around mental health and wellness, especially within our local schools. To have our brand tied together with the Lobdell family and their generosity speaks to the confidence Central New York has in our caregivers and the level of care we’re developing to aid our community when it needs it the most.”

Friends and family support “I have a great group of friends. I have a family that is so supportive of my goals and desires. So I spend a lot of time with my friends traveling. We love to travel,” Vinny said. “There is nothing better to be a success — to serve those who are less fortunate. It’s a belief that my friends have picked up and gone with.” He said he loves to work out and loves to cook. “I’m an avid chef, I love to cook and entertain for people. My kids are 50

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all very active with sports. I love to partake in those. I’m a Syracuse University basketball fan,” he said. He spends a lot of time with his family. “Also, one of my passions is helping others achieve their drams and goals,” he said. “I spend a lot of time working with other businesses and seeing how I can help other people realize their dream. “I love to fish, but haven’t been able to much lately; my travels keep me busy. My childhood best friend, (Tony Gugino), he has a fishing guide service. He is the one who taught me. I do fish all over the world, been fishing for the last 30 years,” Where is the best fishing in the world? “I definitely lean toward Pulaski, New York,” he said with a smile. “I truly believe that Pulaski is a hidden gem. When I was in business there I’d bring people from all over the world and they couldn’t believe that world-class fishing was right here in Pulaski, New York! “I brought [former SU men’s basketball head coach] Jim Boeheim and we had a real blast, an amazing time. Jim APRIL / MAY 2024

is a very close personal friend. We’re actually going to the Final 4 together this year. We’ll be together at the ACC tournament, too. He’s someone I look up to and admire and really respect. We’re big supporters of his foundation.” The key to a successful business is really focus and discipline, he explained. “The key to everything in life if you want to succeed is discipline; if you want to grow a business big or small or in between, you have to be disciplined and stay focused on your goal,” he said. “The biggest problem I see with entrepreneurs is a lot of them have these great goals great plans but they don’t have the discipline to get where they need to be. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is hard work works!” His father “is as busy as he’s ever been.” He now lives in Florida and “does a tremendous amount of real estate and also does a lot of investing with me. He’s my business partner and best friend. My mom and dad are still very happily married. My sister has four kids and they live in Pulaski.”

Helping to Remove the Stigma About Mental Health Issues

lthough mental illnesses are recognized as an urgent health challenge, they are often severely neglected and those affected are reluctant to talk about their trouble. In late 2022, Vinny Lobdell’s family donated $1 million to Oswego Health for its Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness. His older brother, Rusty, was diagnosed with schizophrenia — and nearly 30 years ago, took his own life at the age of 19. “We wished that Lakeview was here when our brother was still with us,” Vinny said. Even today many people still don’t seek help for their mental health issues. “Unfortunately, I think there is still a lot of stigma attached,” said. Julienee Capria, a psychiatrist with the Mental Health & Wellness team at Oswego Health. “People are still somewhat reluctant to reaching out for help. They think they’ll be judged not well … there is something wrong with me,” “What I’d really like people to understand about themselves and their

By Stefan Yablonski loved ones is that there is no such thing as a person with perfect mental health — there just isn’t,” Capria added. Everyone has thoughts about making improvements in their lives. But, don’t compare; be the best version of yourself, she encouraged. Oftentimes, warning signs about someone’s mental health can be difficult to see. People don’t want to talk about it. It’s hard sometimes for them to put these feelings into words, Capria said. “Are they not going out as much? Is it hard to get a hold of them? Are they disappearing from social media, not responding to messages from people trying to get a hold of them? Are they staying in their room more? Are they talking about feeling trapped?” she asked. “It’s very hard to put these things into words sometimes. People feeling down or depressed think it will go away, they will feel better in a while.” Lakeview Center has a variety of services that it offers people, different levels of mental health care, in-patient and out-patient. On top of that, there’s community

support — OCO and others offer housing support, transportation and more, Capria said. It’s not unusual for a doctor to see dozens of patients. “At Oswego Health, we understand the importance of mental health and wellness in overall health and well-being. Every single day, we’re here fighting to reduce stigma and improve overall quality of life for the people in our community, whether they’re struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, addiction or any other mental health condition,” Capria said. “In 2023, our Mental Health and Wellness team helped 2,677 patients with the services they need to live a healthy lifestyle in an outpatient setting; they also worked collaboratively with 574 inpatients. We do our best.” Oswego Health’s Mental Health and Wellness team was cited among 36 “Hospitals and health systems with great psychiatry and mental health programs” by Becker’s Hospital Review.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Vinny Lobdell Jr. and Kayla McKeon, Down syndrome advocate and creator of the first Down syndrome Barbie doll. Photo provided

Lobdell: Philanthropy is More than Just a Word

or Vincent Lobdell Jr. and his family, philanthropy is a deeply personal commitment to making a positive difference in the world. “It’s about using our resources, time and influence to support causes that resonate with our core values and beliefs,” Lobdell said, adding that through the family’s philanthropic endeavors, he hopes to inspire others to join in “creating a world where compassion leads to action and action leads to change.” In November 2022 Lobdell received a lot of media attention for announcing his family’s gift of a $1 million donation to be put toward The Lakeview Center for Mental Health & Wellness in Oswego. However, he has done more than that. In 2020, the pandemic wiped

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out the last three months of school — proms and graduation. Lobdell, a Pulaski Academy and Central School graduate, presented a graduation gift of $250 to each member of the PACS 2020 senior class. He said he just wanted to back to the seniors who haven’t had much to smile about that year. The family is also supporters of many areas of need and other pressing issues in the community. They are committed to using their resources “to make a meaningful difference and inspire others to do the same,” Lobdell said. Some of their current and past partners include: • The V Foundation (Victory over Cancer) • Syracuse University — the Jim and Julie Boeheim Foundation

APRIL / MAY 2024

• The Carrier Park “Field of Dreams,” a fully handicap accessible sports complex facility in DeWitt. • JDRF — Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “I’ve always been driven by a sense of responsibility to my hometown and the wider community. That’s why I continue to invest in initiatives that uplift those around me,”Lobdell said. In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Lobdell has been busy investing in a variety of businesses — about 30, according to him. An example is Adam Weitsman’s Hidden Fish restaurant in Skaneateles. Weitsman partnered with Jeff Knauss, Vinny Lobdell and Vinny’s son, Noah. They opened the restaurant in March.

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REAL ESTATE

The Real Estate ‘Commission War’ Is Over Now, prepare to fight your own commission battle By Joanne Cleaver www.nextavenue.org

n March 15, the National Association of Realtors announced that it had reached a $418 million settlement with litigants who had won a huge lawsuit that determined the traditional real estate commission structure to be illegal. Historically, American home-selling transactions pivoted on a convoluted commission structure: the home seller paid 5% to 6% of the sale price to the agent that listed their house, who then split that commission with the agent who represented the buyer. As of July, agents will not be allowed to dictate commissions through listings on the powerful and universally used multiple listing services (MLS). At the same time, home buyers who want agents to represent them will have to put that representation agreement in writing. 54

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In short: if you’re selling, you don’t have to pay the buyer’s agent anything, and you can negotiate how much you pay the agent who lists your house on the MLS. If you’re buying, you’ll have to decide how and how much to pay an agent to represent you — if you decide that working with an agent is worth anything at all.

Unprecedented Power Sellers and buyers have been handed unprecedented power. Now, they have to figure out how to make the most of it. It’ll be a steep learning curve. Until now, there hasn’t been much wiggle room at all — which was the entire point of a huge lawsuit that the real estate industry lost back in October. APRIL / MAY 2024

Even if you’ve bought and sold houses in the past, you might not be up to speed on how commissions work — not surprising, given that the industry has hidden behind its convoluted system. American home-selling transactions has been based on the same commission structure for years: the home seller paid 5% to 6% of the sale price to the agent that listed their house and the agent, in turn, splits that commission with the agent who represented the buyer.

The MLS as Leverage Technically, that commission has always been negotiable. In practice, not so much, for two reasons. First, dictates by real estate associations required listing agents to comply with

the commission structure as a condition of putting any house in the powerful and universally used multiple listing databases. Meanwhile, agents agreed among themselves that they would resist lower commissions anyway. I’ve dealt with this for over 40 years as a home buyer, seller and as the former real estate editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. My own experience, as recently as December, is that agents count on sellers to fall in line with the commission structure. As my husband and I started exploring the process of selling our suburban house in Charlotte, North Carolina, I interviewed several agents. When I began negotiating the commission for listing our house and paying the agent for the eventual buyer, they laughed. All of them. Right there at my kitchen table.

Your Choice: Us or No One Proving the point of the lawsuits, the agents told me point-blank that if we offered anything but the traditional 2.5% to buyers’ agents, those agents would direct clients away from our house, using any conjured-up pretext — school district, traffic, noise, a crack in the sidewalk — to push buyers to pursue any house but ours. I doubt they’re still laughing. According to the NAR’s announcement, in July, the two new rules go into effect for agents using the multiple listing services (that also feed listings to Zillow, Trulia and other online sites): • Agents cannot dictate broker compensation through MLS listings; • Agents representing buyers must have written agreements with those buyers. Whether you’re selling or buying, you’ll have to find your negotiating voice. (Because this is such a confusing and hot topic, I created a Facebook page where buyers and sellers can share negotiating tactics.)

Here’s Where to Start If You’re Selling • Make sure you understand all the costs of putting your house on the market and how the listing commission affects your net from the sale. If, like many baby boomers, you’ve been living in your house for a long time, you might have to pay long-term capital gains taxes on your house. And, you might have to seriously declutter to make sure the house presents and photographs well

for those all-important online listings. Be sure you have a complete financial picture so you can understand how the listing commission further reduces the bottom line of your sale. • If I were opening conversations now with agents about listing, instead of a few months ago, I’d state my commission expectations up front, so as to not waste time with agents who insist that the rule changes don’t apply to them. • Ask a listing agent for a detailed breakout of the tasks they’ll complete so you can see exactly what you’re getting for the commission. • If the listing agent insists that you offer a buyer’s commission for any buyer’s agent to take your house seriously, ask them to require every buyer’s agent to disclose the terms of their contract with their buyer, up front. If the buyer’s agent is being paid separately by their buyer, you should know that, so you can scale down or eliminate the buyer’s agent commission.

If You’re Buying • Brace for an onslaught of contracts that you’ve never seen before. • Ask early for the buyer’s agent agreement so you can understand exactly how the agent will be paid. Within the real estate industry, agents have been increasingly requiring buyers to sign buyers’ contracts, so any agent should have one at the ready. • If the agent representing you, the buyer, insists their services are “free” because the seller will pay the commission in full, in the traditional mode, that means the agent will represent the seller’s best interests — not yours. If you don’t have to sell or buy for a while, take time to see how the industry resets. It will take a while for contracts and communication to realign with the new rules. Use the time to clarify what’s important to you so you can negotiate from a position of strength, and use your new power to get what you most want.

Joanne Cleaver is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She covers women’s issues, travel, entrepreneurship, financial planning and retirement readiness. This article ran previously in www. nextavenue.org.

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Million Dollar Homes Becoming More Common in CNY By Aaron Gifford

n Skaneateles, a four-bedroom waterfront home is priced at $5.9 million. In Cazenovia, a sale contract for $1.19 million is pending on a six-bedroom Greek-revival style house surrounded by eight acres of rolling hills with views of Cazenovia Lake. Both properties, though listed by local real estate agents, can also be viewed on the website for Sotheby’s International luxury real estate and homes, along with a number of homes from the Manlius and DeWitt areas that are priced between $500,000 and $1 million. While it’s no surprise that the more expensive listings can be found in the

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most traditionally affluent Central New York communities in the four-county area, homes from many other communities of the region recently made it past Sotheby’s velvet rope. In Auburn, for example, a nine-bedroom house in the city’s historic district is listed on the site for $584,900. In the city of Syracuse, two homes noted on the site are priced at more than $1 million. And in Scriba, Oswego County, a somewhat modest three-bedroom home on a .39-acre plot at the shore of Lake Ontario was recently listed for $999,999. “Some have sold for even more than that, for over $1 million,” said William Galloway of Galloway Century 21 in APRIL / MAY 2024

Oswego. “In Scriba, it’s shocking at how beautiful and expensive waterfront homes can be.” Mark Re, vice president and regional manager for Howard Hanna Real Estate’ Services’ Central and Northern New York region, said “there’s never been a better time to be in real estate in Central New York than right now. In five to 10 years, the Syracuse-Central New York area will be bigger than any other Upstate New York city.” Re said a number of state clients recently looked at million-dollar homes in Clay and other suburbs north of Syracuse. Some of these folks don’t have any connections to this area, but they

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know this area is family-friendly with excellent schools and it’s a safe investment considering the growth Micron Technologies is expected to spur after it sets up shop here in the coming months. “Three years ago, I would’ve said that’s [buying a $1 million home in Clay] risky,” Re said. “But now it’s not risky at all. All homes in that area are going to appreciate. I see this type of growth as a current-day Erie Canal. People are jazzed about moving to Central New York.” Added Galloway, “We’ll have a lot of activity here when Micron gets rolling.” Re said there has also been strong interest in subdivisions in both Southern Oswego County and the Oswego city outskirts. Homes on or near any waterways, especially Lake Ontario, always sell quickly. He also expects to see big sales in the more rural areas of Cayuga, Madison and Oswego counties from affluent hobby farmers and outdoor

Mark Re, vice president and regional manager for Howard Hanna Real Estate’ Services’ Central and Northern New York region.

William Galloway of Galloway Century 21 in Oswego.

enthusiasts or families that prefer the main street feel of small towns. In Hamilton, located on the far southeastern corner of Madison County just a few hundred yards where the 607-area code begins, a six-bedroom village home priced at $999,000 is noted on Sotheby’s, along with two new listings in that community, at $775,000 and $650,000. Re said undeveloped land zoned for residential use is also a hot commodity right now. In Cicero, municipal planners are redesigning land use regu-

lations such as lot sizes in anticipation of 10,000 news homes. Patio homes, multi-family apartment buildings and “skinny homes” that are narrow but still long and spacious are all in the town’s future. “Skinny homes are very popular in other parts of the country that have seen rapid growth,” Re said. “You can have good-sized homes on smaller lots. [realtors and municipal planners] are taking these ideas very seriously and home builders are very optimistic right now.”

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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According to the CNY Realtor website, the average sale price for a single-family home in the region during the month of February was $229,041. There were 3,042 active listings during that month (1,095 of them were new listings) and the average home sold during that month spent 35.5 days on the market. A search of listings on CNY Realtor by county on March 17 indicated that there are 37 properties in Oswego County priced at more than $500,000. Of those zoned for residential use, the list included a 3,455-square foot home in Mexico priced at $1.77 million, a 3,600-square foot home in Parish for $1.59 million and 47 acres of land containing a three-bedroom house in Pulaski priced at $1.39 million. There are 58

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several listings of more than $500,000 in every corner of Oswego County, including Cleveland, Central Square, Altmar and Fulton. For Cayuga County, the highest-priced listed properties are mostly for commercial or industrial use, but there are several single-family homes in the $600,000 to $900,000 range throughout that county, with listings in Auburn, Aurora, Owasco, Moravia and Port Byron. For Madison County, the most expensive single-family home listed on CNY Realtor.com isn’t in Cazenovia, but Chittenango. The seven-bedroom house, priced at $1.25 million, was built in 2003 and includes 6.32 acres of land. There are also a number of homes priced at more than $500,000 in every APRIL / MAY 2024

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corner of this county, with listings in Canastota, Bridgeport, Morrisville and Hubbardsville. And in Onondaga County, the most expensive single-family home listed on CNY Realtor.com is on Brewerton Road in Cicero. This property, priced at $5.99 million, contains a three-bedroom home built in 1957, but it comes with 13.32 acres of land. The highest-priced listing overall, 37.63 acres on Henry Clay Boulevard in the town of Clay for $7 million, also contains a small house, but that parcel is zoned for residential, farming and seasonal camps. It’s located one mile from the planned Micron site. According to the monthly report for February published by the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, the median sales price for the Central New

York area increased by 13.1% compared to the same period in 2023. And even though the number of homes listed during the second month of this year was up 37.3% compared to the previous February, “demand is exceeding supply,” the GSAR report said. The report, which lists comparisons for every town in Onondaga County, noted that while single-family home prices greatly exceed those in all other towns, the average sale price there decreased from $1.06 million in March of 2023 to $888,700 so far in March of this year. The vast majority of communities across that county saw increased median sale prices in the past year, including the city of Syracuse, from $149,300 to $154,300. At the county level, the average sales price for homes in Oswego County increased from $171,100 in March of 2023 to $185,900 for the first 12 days of March this year. In Onondaga County for the same time period, the price went up from $261,200 to $275,900, while Cayuga County saw an upward change from $220,600 to $249,000 and Madison County’s increased from $241,100 to $255,200, according to GSAR. “Improving home inventory levels and some moderation in mortgage rates will encourage additional sellers to come off the sidelines in search of homes to meet their changing life needs, which have been considerations many placed on hold during last year,” Lynnore Fetyko, GSAR CEO, said in a news release. “We anticipate our region’s economic growth through projects such as Micron will also have a positive effect on our housing market in the coming year.”

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REAL ESTATE

The State of Real Estate

As flowers and ‘For Sale’ signs appear in yards across CNY, how will the real estate sales season shape up? By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he housing market has been on the upswing for sellers, and Bill Galloway, owner and licensed real estate broker at Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego, doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. “The market is still very active for very limited inventory,” Galloway said. “We have multiple buyers in the market. It’s very active residentially.”

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In Fulton, Leah Haggerty noted that inventory is also low. “Compared with spring season last year, inventory this spring season is down about 13% in Oswego County and down about 8% in Onondaga County,” Haggerty said. She is a licensed real estate broker and owner of Century 21 Leah’s Signature with offices in Fulton and LiverAPRIL / MAY 2024

pool. “If interest rates drop, that should open up the market this spring. Lower interest rates open the marketplace to a wider range of potential buyers and increases seller confidence to list their homes in search of another home for themselves.” The trend of low inventory holds true elsewhere in CNY. Gwenn McDonald, owner and

licensed real estate broker at Around Syracuse Realty in Baldwinsville, said that in the Oswego, Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga, Oneida and Sullivan County areas, “it’s still a very strong seller’s market. Even properties that are distressed are selling. Maybe it will take longer, like 10 days versus three. It’s a very strong market.” She added that the median price for the area for a residential home is $215,000, up 10.3% from 2023. Houses average six days on the market compared with two to three weeks on the market normally. But McDonald said that overpriced properties will take longer to sell. Although higher interest rates may seem a deterrent to homeownership, McDonald said that to most, “owning a home outweighs the increased interest rates — and they’re really not that bad.” McDonald estimates that the CNY housing market currently has a 1.4-month supply of homes, what she calls “no inventory.” This is problematic in that for people who can easily sell their house will now need a new home and have no place to go. “Unless it’s new construction or they’re moving out of the market, there’s hesitation on selling,” McDonald said. “If they sell, they’ll get more than they thought, but when they buy, they’ll be in a predicament. But at least they’ll have more equity to move from one to the next.” McDonald thinks that the low inventory has been caused in part by the time it takes for new construction to be ready for buyers, along with inflation increasing the cost for new homes. Anytime the housing market across a region experiences substantial growth, a bust typically follows as home values plummet and buying slows. McDonald doesn’t see that happening in CNY anytime soon, thanks in part to the boom in local jobs such as those generated by the planned Micron’s new CNY facility. “We call it ‘The Micron Effect,’” she said. “We have a shield over CNY right now. Say the national market is going to burst. We’re going to have a shield over us. CNY historically has been behind with the national market. We never had the appreciation of housing. We had Carrier, Chrysler and others leave. With Micron, we have good jobs coming in and they’re solid jobs. Amazon has helped. Jobs are good for the housing market.”

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STERLING STAGE A Unique Music Venue Away in the Woods Sterling Stage’s season schedule to date includes the latest incarnation of its Memorial Day Weekend gathering in the Sterling Stage Folkfest from May 23 to 26 and the Happy Sterling Festival from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

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

o say one of the most distinctive musical venues in the region is off the beaten path is an understatement. Nestled in the woods off rural Kent Road, just west of the Oswego County line, one can find Sterling Stage, with a unique vibe, friendly atmosphere and devoted following. How did a draw for musicians and music fans grow deep in the woods in the town of Sterling? It started with a friendship and a shared love for music, said Eric McElveen, who has run Sterling Stage operations for nearly three decades. “Tommy Ryan, the venue owner, and I, held our first event Memorial Day Weekend 1995,” McElveen recalled. “He had been working it as a Christmas tree farm and was exploring creative alternatives for his land. I was looking for a place in the area to start a music festival; we are both Deadheads,” or fans of the music of the Grateful Dead, McElveen explained. “A mutual friend of ours, Terry Finch, got us together and it took off from there.” True to the DNA of something established by Deadheads, Sterling Stage is where you find bands that like to jam, a community that feels like family and a very laid-back atmosphere. “I handle all the customer service for the events I produce personally, which is likely not happening too many places, and of course the thing that could actually be called unique is the vibe,” McElveen noted. “That may sound cliched, but thousands that have experienced it will testify to what I’m describing. Known as ‘Happy Sterling’ to the participants, this ethereal energy abounds and is like the magic roux of the whole gumbo.” Despite spending so much time in the Sterling area, I somehow had never visited Sterling Stage until a friend invited me to check out its String Fling in July 2023. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but

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it lived up to its billing as a welcoming, friendly and chill venue. The musical acts were all very good with a nice variety. The people were kind and welcoming. Taking a walk around the grounds, we would pass by a campsite and complete strangers would be happy to chat and offer food or beverages. The vendors throughout the grounds and especially in the Artist Village, loved to talk about what they sold and created and enjoyed conversations of any length. The secluded wooded nature, with trees throughout the property and a very back-to-nature feel, underscores its charm. Tickets are general admission and the ability to camp overnight in a festival-style space on the ample grounds is available with every ticket. You don’t head to TicketMaster to get those passes either; people are more likely to buy from local business partners or sometimes even the bands performing. Many fans make a long weekend out of the experience. According to the Sterling Stage website, gates open at 9 a.m. Thursdays with attendees checking out by 11 a.m. on Monday. The number of people who stay on site and make connections is part of what makes it special. Mutual respect is as well, with quiet hours in effect from 11:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. during festivals. McElveen is certainly no stranger to running large events, as the week of this interview he was in the process of announcing the lineup for the 2024 New York State Blues Festival, for which he serves as festival director and booker. Sterling Stage’s season schedule to date includes the latest incarnation of its Memorial Day Weekend gathering in the Sterling Stage Folkfest from May 23 to 26 and the Happy Sterling Festival from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. While the NYS Blues Festival will have headliners known nationwide to music fans — like Little Feat this year and Buddy Guy in 2023 — Sterling Stage will have

Tim’s Notes

APRIL / MAY 2024

‘Sterling Stage is where you find bands that like to jam, a community that feels like family and a very laidback atmosphere.’

Sicard Hollow perform a headlining set on the main stage at the 2023 String Fling at Sterling Stage. The band will return to headline the venue’s first show of the year, the Sterling Stage Folkfest May 23 to 26.

indie and under-the-radar acts that are popular within the venue’s fanbase, or who will become favorites when fans see these acts. Sicard Hollow, who was headlining the main stage on the night I visited the String Fling and who will return for this year’s Folkfest, is the kind of act many would associate with Sterling Stage. One could categorize them as a jam band, playing long songs featuring soloing and improvisation. The musicians were all pretty much virtuosos, soloing and playing on to the delight of an energized crowd. Despite the main stage moniker, its setup is nothing like the large stages you would see at the New York State Fairgrounds or Oswego Harborfest. It’s a modest edifice where fans are up close dancing, twirling hula hoops or generally enjoying themselves. Many attendees are longtime friends, but

always have room for others to join the circle. The bands are accessible to chat before and after their shows. Strolling up the hill to the side stage, known as the Sinatra Stage, that evening showed the kind of intriguing folk or bluegrass bands one can also see. The excellently named Dishonest Fiddlers were a trio who played in a semicircle around an antique mic. They would lean in to play a vocal point or to share vocal harmonies. Their onstage energy and sense of camaraderie also reflected the “Happy Sterling” vibe that McElveen promotes. “The Sinatra Lounge area is quite possibly one of the coolest spots to dig music and hang out in the entire world,” McElveen said. Working on touches large and small to ensure Sterling Stage maintains its vibe and quality takes plenty of effort but also seems like a labor of love to

McElveen. “For me, it’s a continuous ongoing process throughout the whole year,” McElveen said, noting that any individual event “is hundreds of pieces coming together” and “definitely is one of those ‘it takes a village’ type of things.” “We have a wonderful community of people each doing their part,” McElveen said. As to the future of Sterling Stage, McElveen and that community have a big milestone on the horizon. “Next year is the 30th anniversary year so I’m hoping we’ll be doing what we do enjoying great music in a beautiful setting with kind people!” McElveen said. For more information on Sterling Stage or upcoming events, visit SterlingStage.com.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

AGRIBUSINESS

CNY FARMING: WHAT’S LEFT?

As the dairy industry struggles, what type of farming remains? By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

n the surface, it appears that agriculture is booming in CNY — and in some ways, it is. “Central New York is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the state. It is especially known for its dairy, fruit and vegetable production, along with significant row crop production, horse farms and much more,” said Steve Ammerman, spokesman for New York Farm Bureau. “The Central New York region has more than 2,500 farms among Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Madison counties.” He tallied the market value of the farms in this area at nearly $1 billion. “That is a significant contribution to the local economy,” Ammerman said. “Besides producing local food, farms provide jobs, support their local businesses and tax base and contribute to the overall quality of life to the region.” But agriculture as a whole — and including CNY — has changed dramatically in the past two generations and not always in ways that are beneficial to the environment and to farm viability. A farm used to be an operation run by a family raising a little of everything on their homestead for their own use and selling the surplus to the community. As modern inventions enabled streamlining farming, the efficiency and high cost of inputs led agriculture into specialization: raising a great quantity of only a few goods or even one type of agricultural commodity. As dairying has become especially challenging, it’s little surprise that many farms have adopted a “go large or go home” strategy. Government-mandated pricing has left farmers receiving 1980s pric-

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

es (around $13 per hundredweight) for decades while farmers paid for ever-rising farm expenses. Many small farms have transitioned into raising beef or another commodity. In 2022, the state milk price was $26.56 per hundredweight. For many farms, it was too little too late after years of languishing prices. The number of dairies in CNY rose from 70 in 1981 to 373 in 2023, according to Cornell and USDA, respectively. The number of cows per farm increased from 107 to 373, according to USDA. The data reflects figures for Cortland, Oswego, Onondaga, Madison and Cayuga counties. Current-day farms tend to be larger, which supports greater efficiency and profitability. In addition to increasing in size, increasing in variety of revenue streams helps the modern farm survive. Beak & Skiff Apple Farms, Inc. in Lafayette offers a good example. When founded in 1911 by George Skiff and Andrew Beak, the farm only grew apples for the retail and eventually wholesale market, a business plan that carried the farm through the Great Depression and two World Wars. But in 1975, the farm opened to the public what is now its Apple Hill Campus and currently includes a farm store, bakery, cindery, distillery, café, U-pick opportunities, events venue, tasting room, tavern and lodging. The sprawling farm perches above a picturesque valley, an ideal venue for hosting summer concerts and fall programming for children. Making its own value-added products has also added to Beak & Skiff’s revenue stream. Growing hemp and cannabis represent recent additions to the farm. “Innovation is key,” said Megan

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Corona, marketing manager for Beak & Skiff. “The more we are able to show our customers our daily behind-the-scenes operation, the more people appreciate that facet of our business. They want to see what we do in all areas where we operate. To continue growing at the pace we like, we always have to innovate and think what’s next.” Identifying a solid market for farm goods is also essential for farm success. That’s especially true for the highly perishable segment of fresh fruits and vegetables, which must get to market promptly. David von Holtz, owner of EMMI Farms in Baldwinsville, farms more than 400 acres of produce. “It’s one thing to grow everything and another to bring it to market,” von Holtz said. “You can be the best farmer in the world, but if you have no market for it, it’s not good.” Von Holtz operates the Baldwinsville Farmers Market and sells at another farm stand in Liverpool. The pandemic has benefited his farm and others in that many people have become more in touch with the source of their food and desire more local goods. Some corporations have not tapped into this trend. “People are tired of seeing their food coming from overseas,” von Holtz said. He noted that the bagged apple slices at Subway restaurants come from China. “We’re the greatest apple growing nation in the world,” von Holtz said. “From Niagara Falls to the Rochester area, it’s all apples. Why would Subway get their apples from China?” He wants more farmers to work at marketing their goods to American companies, as that will help ensure their survival.

AGRIBUSINESS Extended Sorbello family celebrating 100 years of Sorbello and Sons last year.

Sorbello Farm Enters Second Century The farm has been run by the Sorbello family since 1923 By Stefan Yablonski

ariano Sorbello planted more than just seeds in Fulton 101 years ago. And even a devastating fire in 2013 couldn’t uproot his legacy. Today Sorbello and Sons is a true family farm — 4.5 generations strong — embarking on its second hundred years. Mariano grew hardy, pungent, northern yellow onions that could store all winter. In 1971, he handed the business to his son, Morris. Together with his twin sons, David and Dana, Morris increased the farm to approximately 70 acres. Morris left the farm in 1980, retiring a few years ago. His sons bought him out and the third generation took over. Dana is president and David is the vice president.

In 1988, they formed Sorbello and Sons, Inc. It has expanded to include both owners’ wives, David’s sons, Dylan and Rane, who tend to the daily operations of the growing and processing end of the farm, while Dana’s son, Noah, is a key component to supporting the operation’s financial success. “Currently, we have four owners: David and Dana, Dylan and Rane,” Alexandra Sorbello said. “They’ve helped their fathers and uncles advance technologically to meet industry high standards.”

Centennial In August 2023, Sorbello and Sons

Farms celebrated its 100th year of farming. What has made them so successful for more than 100 years? “A lot of hard work,” David said. “And determination — and family,” Dylan added. “We’re a family business, a family farm 100% no doubt.” “There has always been a generation that has been interested in and fully devoted to the farm — that’s how a family farm goes from one generation to the next. There’s never been a gap. We started at a very young age on the farm,” Dana said. “I’ve been on the farm since 2007; that doesn’t really encapsulate how long we’ve been involved,” Dylan said. “Now my 4-year-old son wants to push tractors around — he wants to be here. In a couple more years, he’s going to start doing tasks. That’s how Rane and I started, and then started moving our way up all through high school.” “It’s different from a regular 9-5. If you marry someone that’s not understanding about farming, it can be challenging,” David said. “You probably won’t be married long and if you are, it’s going to be miserable. “We have had fights — but the fight

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Onions from Sorbello and Sons ready to be shipped. Provided.

we’ve never had is my wife has never complained about my schedule. That is huge. And how many times can you go to work and bring your kids with you and enjoy having them there? There is not too many people that can say that.” “My father and uncle have always been very good leaders and it isn’t easy to have a young kid or new idea come into the farm,” Dylan said. “We’ve always been respected. Their leadership ability has been setting the example and have passed it on to us and we hope to be able to pass that on to another generation. In my opinion that is the biggest reason why I wanted to come back to the farm.” “It’s not just these guys,” David said. “Everybody works together. They are all a part of the farm.” “I have a daughter who worked on the farm when she was younger,” David added. “She is a school teacher and behavior interventionist now. She still has that farm work ethic. She is a hard-working lady; it doesn’t leave, you know.”

Eight locations Sorbello and Sons has expanded 66

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to 65,000 square feet of onion storage and packing facility to handle 362 acres of onions. All onions are stored in 20-bushel wooden boxes and are available from Sept. 1 through April 15. In addition, 400 acres of corn and soybeans are grown as well as a little garlic. They use a lot of corn on the muck in rotation, to break the cycle. They farm a large swath from county Route 14 in Granby all the way to North Hannibal, town of Hannibal, town of Oswego. “We have approximately eight locations in between Granby and north Hannibal. So, we do a lot of traveling,” Rane said. “We grow onions, so we have to go to all these different locations, little pockets called muck “ Muck is the soil left behind from receding waters that formed Lake Ontario after the Ice Age. “Onions are super sensitive,” Dylan said. “They don’t want to be interrupted during their growing season. They are high maintenance.” Onions are called a high value crop. “High value doesn’t always mean what you are getting,” David said. “It’s very expensive.” APRIL / MAY 2024

“It’s not how much you can sell that bag of onions for, it’s what it cost you to grow that bag — then everything after that is yours,” David explained. “But if you are not efficient … costs are always rising and you have to be ahead of it “ “It is like a football game; there are four quarters, it’s all team. You have got to do all four quarters as a team and at the end you hold the trophy up, most of the time. If not, it’s not for lack of effort,” David said. Dylan and his family have invested much time increasing transparency between farmers and consumers with their YouTube channel “Off the Muck” — furthering their goal to help consumers understand a farmer’s effort in food safety practices as an integral part of food production in America. “People go to the store and see the price and say, ‘Wow, you must be knocking it out of the park.’[Do] you think that is what we are actually getting? It’s 260% to 300% mark up — produce is the biggest money maker in the chain store business,” David said. Food safety is important for the family. They were just inspected last November by New York Ag and Markets. “They have things you have to

follow, you don’t just get away with it,” David said. Of New York’s produce is imported and only 2% of it goes through the same food safety protocol that we have to follow.” “In the chain stores, it’s just onions on the shelf. You’re not always sure of what you are getting. It doesn’t say New York grown or whatever. They put their generic label on it,” David said. “If I go in a store I can tell it’s our onions, but it’s got the store label,” Dana added. “I’d say 75% of our onions go to Orange County, New York. Repackers then deliver them up and down the East Coast.” All the increases, overtime and everything — they don’t add that to a bag of onions and pass it on to the consumer. “We have to figure out how to make things work for us. We don’t pass it on to the consumer,” David said. On average they have 10 full-time and 24 part-time workers. During the growing season they employ approximately 25 people. For harvest season approximately 38 people are employed. And during packing season it’s approximately 20 people. “Our growing season starts from approximately April 15 and we’re starting to harvest around the first week of September. It’s a 120-day crop, so we are harvesting until first week of October and then we have to cure outside that’s a couple week process and by the first of November hopefully we have everything under our roof,” Dana explained. At the end of the day we are all family. It’s sounds kind of corny but it’s the truth, you know,” Dana said.

Principals at Sorbello and Sons farm in Fulton: Rane, David, Dana and Dylan in front of the onion crates.

Fire About 125 firefighters from 35 fire departments responded to a barn fire Dec. 3, 2013, at the Sorbello property. There were no reports of any injuries and no one was inside the barn at the time. The barn, filled with onion processing equipment and around 6,000 crates of onions, was destroyed. All told the fire destroyed three connected barns and machinery. The family came together and rebuilt.

Sorbello and Sons’ Recent Investments This year’s major investments: • New processing machinery that will help improve harvest efficiency and end product • New tillage equipment will augment growing conditions and fortify muck soil health making crop rotation possible • There’s 350 acres planted in cover-crop rotation to sequester carbon, nitrogen and mitigate erosion • Technological installations on tractors and equipment that will provide valuable analytics, reduce the farm’s carbon footprint, inputs and wasteful overlaps. APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

AGRIBUSINESS

Judy and Queale-Dunsmoor and her husband John Dunsmoor.

America’s Cooking Onion Oswego’s Dunsmoor Farms have added flavor to cooking for over eight decades By Tom & Jerry Caraccioli

ften, when superfoods with antioxidant properties are discussed in diet and health conversations, popular foods like dark chocolate, blueberries, kale, beets and spinach are at the top of the shopping list. Rich in properties that help quell and combat high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis inflammation and some forms of cancer, superfoods high in antioxidants are high on people’s daily menus. One superfood that has been often overlooked but deserves recognition has been growing in the muck-rich, black soils of Oswego-for decades by local farmers John Dunsmoor and Judy Queale-Dunsmoor and their family — New York Bold onions. What started with two acres and a roadside stand selling potatoes and onions more than 80 years ago has today 68

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expanded into multiple family farms growing some of the most-pungent and best cooking onions in the world. The name Dunsmoor and farming have been connected to Oswego and the surrounding area since 1941 when patriarch Ross started sharecropping two acres of onions while still in high school. Those two acres eventually grew to 60, and more through the years before he turned over the farm to his second oldest son, Danny, in 1982. As business grew, so did Dunsmoor Farms to 250 acres. In 1988, Danny was joined by his youngest brother, John. That same year John married his St. Lawrence University sweetheart, Judy. Two years later Judy and John purchased their first farm, 35 acres, from Rose Tesoriero in New Haven. Like his father, John and APRIL / MAY 2024

Judy also started with a small roadside stand selling onions and potatoes before growing their first full crop in 1992. In 1999, Judy and John bought their second farm from Ruth Cerklavitch and expanded their business and farmland to 360 acres. Over the years, they acquired rental properties along with the purchase of some of the farms. Known as “America’s cooking onion,” Dunsmoor Farms specialty — yellow and red New York Bold onions — are part of this superfood category that is under-appreciated when it comes to culinary benefits and healthy living. One of the most appealing attributes of the locally grown onions are their superior cooking characteristics. Taking advantage of being grown in the rich, thick, black, organic “muck soils” that were formed by the glaciers, New York Bold onions are some of the finest cooking onions in the world and have excellent health benefits. The onion produces an enzyme that contains a very high level of antioxidants which research shows helps fight cancer and promotes coronary health. According to reviews published in the “Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry” and studies performed at Cornell University, red and yellow onions are richer in antioxidants and possess disease-fighting qualities not found in other white and sweeter-tasting onions. Along with their health benefits, they taste good. The onions which are pungent when eaten raw, become “sweet in the heat” and are the perfect choice for chefs and at-home culinary enthusiasts. The low water content and cold Oswego winters also make for an onion with superior shelf life. While onions had long been sold as a commodity vegetable, the Dunsmoors recognized a marketing opportunity to brand their premium crop. In 2001, in collaboration with the other Oswego County onion growers, they created the New York Bold brand with the tag line, “Onions with attitude.” Replacing the historic mesh bags with no identity, New York Bold onions were launched on the shelves of Tops Friendly Markets, Ontario Orchards and Paul’ Big M with a revolutionary-designed carry fresh package that included consumer information about the origin and attributes of the premium cooking onion. “Branding and marketing our onions have allowed us to educate consumers about their superior cooking characteristics in a way that wasn’t

d e e N igns S

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speedwaypress.com New York Bold onions grown at Dunsmoor Farms.

being done and distinguish them from the so-called sweet onions like Vidalia,” Queale-Dunsmoor explained. “We utilize our packaging to feature recipes that highlight the delicious flavor of the onions and have done a lot of grassroots marketing like sampling at the New York State Fair and cooking demos. It has been very rewarding to see how much consumers love our onions when they cook with them, as well as their appreciation for the whole process of bringing them to the market.” One of New York State’s most important vegetable crops, onions account for annual sales of $52 million and 97 percent of the onion production in the northeast United States. This ranks the Empire State as sixth in the nation in onion production. The Dunsmoors, who became the sole owners of the brand in 2012, also have continued to market the brand in a myriad of ways over the years even creating a cooking trailer and mascot for store openings. While John concentrates on the growing, harvesting, packing and selling to the wholesale customers, Judy concentrates on the marketing, office management and selling to retail customers. Though it hasn’t always been easy, the Dunsmoors wouldn’t have it any other way. “Onion farming is not for the faint of heart,” John says. “It requires a huge investment, high risk and a lot of volatility depending on the market prices and, of course, Mother Nature. As the weather gets more volatile the challenges get larger. Still, farming has been a great life for us and our family business.”

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AGRIBUSINESS

WHY DIRECT FARM SALES MATTER By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

egmans, Price Chopper, Aldi, Tops Friendly and lots of locally-owned grocery stores provide fresh produce for sale. But farmers selling directly to the public through farmers’ markets, farm stands, farm stores and other direct means fill key roles in the food system. “One of the biggest lessons that we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance of having a strong, flexible and streamlined local food supply chain and one of the greatest tools we have for getting farm-fresh food directly into our communities are our farmers markets,” said Julia Mason, public information specialist with New York State Department of Agriculture. Selling directly to the public offers many benefits to consumers. Typically, direct sales means fresher produce, which offers a longer shelf life and better value. The appeal and flavor are also generally better than produce that has traveled great distances. Although supermarkets sometimes sell local produce and larger farm stores and farmers markets may import off-season or out-of-region goods like bananas, the farm-to-consumer model usually means lower prices. “The department administers several programs that help low-income families, seniors and veterans access fresh, healthy food at participating markets, including the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the FreshConnect Checks Program,” Mason said. “At the end of the day, farmers markets help our agricultural community reach more consumers in new, innovative ways, build greater bonds between farmers and their customers and get more local New York foods onto tables across the state.” Farmers selling directly also provide a good marketing tool for farmers. Since few people farm or even garden, farmers can better relate to consumers if they sell to them without a middleman. “As consumers become more 70

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Stand of produce at Fulton Market. The farmers market in Fulton will run Saturdays from June 8 through Oct. 12. In Oswego, the market runs Thursday evenings from June 13 through Oct. 10.

interested in where their food comes from, farm markets help bridge that connection between a farmer and their customer,” said Steve Ammerman, director of communications for New York Farm Bureau. “Plus, it’s a value-added product, allowing farms to direct market to their customers.” Farmers receive closer to retail prices, not the lower wholesale prices. Beak & Skiff Apple Farms, Inc. in Lafayette opened its retail operation in 1975 and now operates numerous on-farm, consumer-oriented revenue streams that are open to the public. “They’re able to see all aspects of everything we do, whether apple, alcohol, backed goods and Ayrloom, our new brand,” said Megan Corona, marketing manager at Beak & Skiff. Opening a farm store, distillery and other agritourism attractions has helped a small, family-owned farm thrive while scores of others folded. David von Holtz, owner of EMMI Farms in Baldwinsville, also operates APRIL / MAY 2024

the Baldwinsville Farmers’ Market. Growing 400 acres of produce means getting the goods to market quickly is essential. That’s why von Holtz sells at farmers markets in both Liverpool and Baldwinsville. He believes that customers like a shorter supply chain. “I’ve seen times where we harvested produce at noon and the market starts at 3 p.m. and people were home eating it at 5:30 p.m.,” he said. Only homegrown produce could be fresher. He likes interacting with customers and encourages them to meal-plan instead of just buying enough produce for supper. Providing recipes also helps customers know how to use produce such as eggplant, which some have not tried before or old favorites like peppers. “What I like is when they come back next week and say, ‘I really like it,’” von Holtz said. “It brings more people in the market. The more people who come in, the better.”

Direct to the Public Farmers have a variety of ways of selling directly to the public: • Farm store or farm market: a retail store typically operated on the farm’s site that sells the farm’s goods and possibly local farms’ goods. Some farm stores or markets also sell imported items, gifts, crafts, lawn and gardens supplies and home décor. • Farmers market: a daily or weekly community market that may operate seasonally or yearround to provide area farmers a space to sell their goods from a table or booth. Some farmers markets include general vendors, entertainment and ready-to-eat food. • Farm stand: a small structure on a farm or at a high-traffic area that sells a small selection in-season produce or even one type of produce. Sometimes farm stands include value-added products like cut flowers, jelly and baked goods as well. • Community supported agriculture: a membership program in which customers pay for their farm goods in advance. The farm offers “shares” that last for a certain number of months and entitle members to a specified amount of farm goods, usually distributed each week. For example, a farm may offer a six-month share with an average of 15 pounds of produce each week. Some CSAs operate year-round, focusing on things like root crops, micro greens and herbs in the winter months. Some CSA farms require or invite members to share in the labor. Some provide delivery, convenient pick-up points or only farm pick-ups.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Austin Wheelock ooc@oswegocounty.org

Events to Promote Industry, Small Business Operation Oswego County hosts manufacturing and small business summits, state grants workshop and annual economic development awards

Operation Oswego County, Inc. has added two new informational events to its countywide business outreach activities so decision makers can hear directly from economic development and workforce partners about the programs and services available in the region.

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.

n the economic dety in collaboration with velopment world, economic developbusiness outreach ment and workforce and communication is more important development partners, will host “The than ever. Summit: Oswego County Manufacturing With so much information available at 2024.” our fingertips via the internet and much of it The event will take place from 11:30 conflicting, it can be confusing for business a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Riverside Banquet leaders and entrepreneurs to understand Room at Steamers in the city of Oswego the various and will explore programs and programs and services availservices tailored able to local to elevate the businesses. current and fuTo help cut ture manufacthrough the turing business noise, Operaecosystem in tion Oswego Oswego County. County, Inc. Wi t h t h e has added two aim of fostering new informacollaboration tional events and innovation, to its countythis summit will wide business An informational workshop on New York state grant serve as a straoutreach ac- and other incentive programs for businesses tegic platform tivities so deto address chalcision makers lenges faced by can hear directly from economic develop- the industry while identifying opportuniment and workforce partners about the ties for growth and sustainability. programs and services that are available Participants can expect to hear about and so businesses have a forum to talk to the latest financing, incentives and worklocal and state leaders about their oppor- force programs available to their mantunities and challenges. ufacturing business. Attendees will be These events build on existing Oper- able to hear from more than 10 economic ation Oswego County business outreach development and business service partners and promotion initiatives in 2024, in- at the event including Operation Oswego cluding co-hosting an annual state grant County, Oswego County Workforce NY, informational workshop for Oswego Train, Develop, Optimize (TDO), the CounCounty businesses, organizations and ty of Oswego Industrial Development municipalities through the Consolidated Agency, Empire State Development, the Funding Application as well as presenting Small Business Administration, National the 2024 Economic Development Awards Grid, CenterState CEO, Manufacturers Asat the OOC Annual Meeting. sociation of Central New York (MACNY), Workforce Development Institute and the Onondaga Small Business Development Manufacturing Summit Center. Attendees must RSVP in order to atOn April 17, Operation Oswego Coun-

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Economic Trends

APRIL / MAY 2024

Operation Oswego County’s annual meeting last year. The new event is scheduled for June 13 at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego.

tend, as seating is limited. Individuals, employers and companies interested in participating can register online at https://bit.ly/thesummitmanufacturing or contact Alex Fitzpatrick at Operation Oswego County.

State CFA grant & tax credit informational workshop An informational workshop on New York state grant and other incentive programs for businesses, organizations and municipalities will be held in Oswego County from 3 – 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 5. The location will be announced soon. Daniel Kolinski, regional director at Empire State Development in Central New York and his expert staff will provide an overview of the hundreds of millions of dollars in economic and community development funding opportunities available in this year’s Round XIV Consolidated Funding Application. In addition to discussing the ESD Grant and Tax Credit programs that make funds accessible to eligible new and expanding businesses, Kolinski will also provide information on some of the other grant funding initiatives in this year’s state budget including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward programs, community development and quality

of place enhancement grants through various state departments. Following the presentation, he and his staff will provide time to answer questions from the attendees.

Small business summit OOC is also planning an Oswego County Small Business Summit this fall, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 9 at Tailwater Lodge in Albion. This event will explore the various financing and incentive programs available to small businesses as well as introduce many experts presenting best practices for marketing, accounting and sales. The Small Business Summit will be open to all Oswego County small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, business service professionals and community leaders. For more information or interest in being a presenter, reach out to Operation Oswego County.

OOC annual economic development awards At OOC’s Annual Meeting on June 13 at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego, the 2024 Economic Development Awards will be presented to Oswego County businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs

and individuals that made a significant contribution or impact on economic development in Oswego County. Previous winners from 2023 included Felix Schoeller North America, St. Luke Health Services, SUNY Oswego, Brendan Backus, Kevin Dates and Stephen Dates of Lock 1 Distillery and Thomas Greco. The event will also celebrate economic development projects and initiatives from the past year and will provide attendees and the media a preview of current and future projects happening around Oswego County including the partners and programs that are helping them to grow and expand. More information on the 2024 OOC Annual Meeting and Economic Development Awards will be available in the near future and posted at www. oswegocounty.org Operation Oswego County continues to develop new events and initiatives to get information to business leaders and owners about the programs that are available within their industry. If you’re a business decision maker and need to speak to someone about financing, incentives, sites, workforce or other challenges facing your company, please reach out to OOC by phone at 315-343-1545 or by email at ooc@ oswegocounty.org

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

CNY Drones By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

rom ag to invasive species management, drones get the job done. Several years ago, Rick Jordan launched CNY Drone Services in Clinton that has expanded to two states

(two more are pending) and several types of service. So, what was the catalyst for Jordan to launch his drone enterprise? Boredom.

He grew tired of working in IT doing the same thing repeatedly and began to think about starting a business. He stumbled across drones and wanted to find something he could do with his unmanned aerial craft other than flying it as a hobbyist at a friend’s farm. The farmer asked if he could use the drone to map the farm for a corn

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maze. This caused Jordan to consider other agricultural uses, like crop reports, weed detection and runoff scouting. He also realized that a larger drone would enable him to spray crops. Of course, farmers can use portable crop sprayers in small areas. For large areas, airplane spraying can be costly and raises risk of the spray drifting to other areas. Pilots find it challenging to target some fields surrounded by hedgerows. Initially, helicopter and airplane applicators viewed him as competition. However, once they realized that he could perform jobs they can’t — and vice versa — they refer jobs to him, and he sends business their way as well. Tractor-drawn sprayers work well for large fields, except that the weight of the equipment passing over the field causes soil compaction. This can hamper soil health because it makes it more difficult for the soil to absorb water and nutrients. Within a year, Jordan had begun CNY Drone Services. About 20% of what he does is agricultural work. The

rest is invasive species management. He performs insecticide spraying, applies aquatic herbicides and helps with invasive species control. Mosquito abatement is a new area for CNY Drone Services.

During the busy season, Jordan employs four full-time workers, serving New York and Pennsylvania. The company’s season begins in April with fungicide for tree farms and some work spraying pre-emergent herbicide on farms. Occasionally,

CNY Drone sprays to control thistles in pastures. In May and June, the team works on invasive species such as the spongy moth (formerly “gypsy moth”) and in July, they shift to aquatic spraying for water chestnut, hydrilla, and harmful algae bloom monitoring. “The problem with using an airboat they’re displacing the water underneath, which pushes plants downwards,” Jordan said. “The herbicide isn’t getting on them. You find big, long streaks where the airboats drove. With the drone, we don’t have that problem. It’s 100% coverage.” From August to mid-September, farmers want the company to start applying fungicide, granular fertilizer and seeding cover crops. Also in early fall, CNY Drone works on controlling phragmite, the common reed. “Looks like cattails,” Jordan said. “It’s often in ditches and by the highway. Most instances of that, it’s an invasive species. There are native variants but they’re not as prevalent as invasive. They out compete all native growth. It’s a monoculture ecosystem that removes

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About 20% of the work CNY Drone Services does is agriculture-related: Insecticide spraying, aquatic herbicides and invasive species control, among other services.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

APRIL / MAY 2024

food sources for ducks, mice and other wildlife. It can have devastating effects on the entire area.” A regional wildlife refuge has tapped his company to assemble a plan to combat common reed. By November, CNY Drones’ season jobs end for the year and it’s time for Jordan and his employees to work on their equipment and their education, which maintains their licenses. In addition to New York and Pennsylvania, Jordan would like to work in Vermont and New Hampshire. Drone licensing is nationwide. However, pesticide licensing is state-by-state. Currently, New Hampshire requires a 90-day advanced notice, including the time before applying any spray — an impractical rule for work that requires specific weather conditions. “I’ve met with legislators about how drones operate and they’re working on legislation that will change how this works,” Jordan said. “A lot of our jobs come through one day and they need it done by the end of next week. We look at weather patterns and I say, we have to come tomorrow or it won’t get done.” The New Hampshire laws also require public notification within a 10mile radius for drone spraying work, even though the equipment flies 15 feet above the top of the crop, an altitude that nearly eliminates risk of spray drift. Finding labor has been challenging for Jordan. He must find people with an aptitude and license to fly 800-pluspound drones and with New York state pesticide licensing. Operators can begin as a tech and work under an applicator for a year until upgrading to applicator status. “Most people who are interested in drones have no licensing for pesticide use, so they start from scratch,” Jordan said. “They have to be licensed and understand how to fly these drones, which isn’t easy. They have to be of a mind as to how to safely handle hazardous materials, especially aerials. Normal applicators who drive a tractor across a field, it’s very basic. And the candidate has to be able to travel for weeks at a time doing all that spraying.” Legally, he cannot use 1099 contractors. One challenge that Jordan doesn’t have is finding work. He never advertises and still turns down jobs because he’s so busy. And that’s a great “problem” to encounter.

MACNY Announces Manufacturers Wall of Fame Inductee and Innovator of the Year Award Recipient

he president and chief operating officer of Byrne Diary Inc. and a director of engineering at Feldmeier Equipment, Inc. are the recipient of two annual awards given by MACNY, The Manufacturers Association. Carl Byrne of Byrne Dairy was selected as the recipient of MACNY’s 2024 Manufacturers Wall of Fame while Tyler Robillard of Feldmeier Equipment, Inc., received this year’s Innovator of the Year Award. They will be honored by MACNY members and community leaders at MACNY’s 111th Annual Celebration of Manufacturing on May 23 at the SRC Arena & Events Center in Syracuse.

gineer role into a project engineering position. After successfully managing some of Feldmeier’s largest pharmaceutical projects, he was promoted to engineering manager, then most recently serving as director of engineering. Tyler is entrusted with leading a team of 16 engineers that continuously develop innovative components and products for Feldmeier’s customers. His name has been applied and attributed to patent filings beginning in 2018 and he is the co-inventor on two additional

patent pending designs. These components are revolutionizing the cleanability of Feldmeier’s custom tanks and pressure vessels, specifically supplied to their pharmaceutical customers who require the most hygienic equipment and processes developing lifesaving treatments. These innovations have helped Feldmeier become recognized as the best and only company in the Western Hemisphere to specialize in this level of sanitation processing.

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Tyler Robillard has been with Feldmeier Equipment, Inc. for 15 years, joining the company in 2009 after graduating from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Within a few short years, Tyler grew the design en-

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HEALTH

The Rise of Advanced Medical Providers

Advanced medical providers extend physicians’ reach, patients’ access to health By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

hen you last saw a medical provider, it may not have been a medical doctor. According to Harvard Medical School, the number of US healthcare visits delivered by physician extenders rose from 14% to 26%. Physician extenders are advanced medical providers, which includes physician assistants and nurse practitioners. They can perform the role of primary care provider. Why they do so is clear to Marissa Vartak, family nurse practitioner, boardcertified in family medicine and owner of On Care Family Health in Cicero. “PCPs are in a major shortage,” Vartak said. “Nurse practitioners have 78

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become the heartbeat of primary care.” One reason is that more medical residents go into specialties more lucrative than primary care and family practice. Nearly all specialties pay better. Another, more recent reason is that 20% of all healthcare providers quit practicing during the pandemic. Factors such as the rate of retiring baby boomers has also taken more MDs out of practice. More than half of medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine are older than 55. Vartak said that the lack of available care providers has driven some patients to use an urgent care or emergency department to receive care. APRIL / MAY 2024

“It increases costs for insurance companies,” she said. “If insurance companies continue to pay that kind of money, the consumer will have a higher premium and deductible.” Seeking higher acuity care at the urgent care or ER also takes up providers’ time that should be directed to more acute cases. But Vartak understands patient frustration when a PCP visit can take a long time to book. Her office was booked out six months in advance until she recently hired another nurse practitioner. Now it’s “only” four months. The care that physician extenders provide is high quality. Vartak said that after becoming a registered nurse, the

graduate must earn a master’s degree in nursing and pass exams for a total of six years’ schooling to become a nurse practitioner. In addition, nurse practitioners collaborate with multiple providers as part of the patient’s healthcare team. Physician Micheal Stephens, associate chief medical officer at Primary Care Physician at Oswego Family Physicians at Oswego Health, said that the cost of student loan debt — around $250,000 — deters many from becoming a primary care provider and instead specialize. “They may not want to serve in a rural community,” Stephens added. Many physician extenders serve in these areas and some bounce between two rural towns all week so that more patients can be seen. According to the American Medical Association, the US is short 37,000 physicians. “Even though we’ve increased the number of positions available in medical school, the trend is most will bypass primary care and the estimate will be within the decade, we will be over 100,000 physicians short. It won’t help us in the next decade as it takes 12 years and sometimes 18 to 20 years a physician who can practice on their own.” Compared with the timeline of preparing to become a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, it’s clear that extenders will help bridge the gap. Stephens also cited physician burnout as another factor in the PCP shortage. Even before COVID-19, the onerous burden of paperwork and dealing with insurance companies was a struggle for providers who only entered practicing medicine because they wanted to care for patients. Taking home two or three hours’ worth of paperwork decreases work life balance. The introduction of the electronic medical record may have made information easier to access, but it also has magnified the administrative work physicians face. Earning a degree to become a nurse practitioner or physician assistant builds in flexibility into the student’s future career. Stephens said that should they discover they want to specialize, they can do so without a lot of academic backtracking. Stephens said that advanced practitioners are fully fledged members of the Oswego Health team and he counts them “essential” to the organization’s operation. “They improve access so patients can see providers and they do a wonderful job,” he said.

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Officials from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and Oswego Health show off signs during a recent event that marked a donation of $10,000 to Oswego Health.

Excellus BCBS Supports Access to Primary Care in Oswego County Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently awarded Oswego Health with a $10,000 Health and Wellness Award to support Primary Care at Lakeview. The Oswego Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Oswego Health, the largest nonprofit healthcare system in Oswego County, applied for funding to expand access to care and was thrilled to be notified that Excellus BlueCross BlueShield had selected the project. Primary Care at Lakeview is a safety net clinic located within the Lobdell Center for Mental Health and Wellness at Lakeview. The clinic accepts every patient that seeks care, especially those that are overlooked, marginalized and have severe, persistent mental illness. The clinic works with each patient to develop an individualized plan that 80

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is followed by all team members in an effort to provide the most comprehensive care and improve patient outcomes. “Our Health and Wellness Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to supporting local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Mark Muthumbi, regional president, Excellus BCBS. “These awards complement our existing grants and sponsorships with agencies that work to enhance quality of life, including health equity and health care access in upstate New York.” By regularly seeing a primary care provider, your health risk factors can be identified and controlled before they become problems. Your primary care provider encourages you to take charge of your health and is a trusted partner for that care. APRIL / MAY 2024

Oswego Health currently has six primary care locations and employs 19 primary care providers throughout Oswego County. Before applying for the award, Oswego Health analyzed the community’s need for healthcare services by conducting a community needs survey. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents reported that they travel outside the county for healthcare services. The access to health care indicator reports the percentage of adults aged 18 and older self-report that they do not have at least one person who they think of as their doctor or health care provider. This indicator is relevant because access to regular primary care is important to obtaining preventive healthcare and avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.

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HEALTH

New Hybrid CNA Class Expedites Training

Elemental’s program is bringing more workers into long-term care By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he shortage of certified nurse assistants has challenged nearly all long-term care facilities since even before the pandemic. These frontline workers provide essential services such as checking vital signs, helping move residents, assisting with grooming and other personal care and supporting nutrition. Elemental Management Group, headquartered in Oswego, has developed a 75-hour a hybrid nurse aide training program designed to help expedite CNA training, enabling students to complete the program in less than three weeks instead of 164 hours across four to six weeks. Elemental’s program has been available nearly a year and has introduced hundreds of new CNAs into the health care system who otherwise

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would have been unlikely to have completed a standard CNA program. “It’s our dream come true that we’re the first to get this up and going,” said Judy Harding-Staelens, registered nurse and licensed nursing home administrator and regional director of operations for Elemental. Elemental manages long-term care and assisted living facilities in locations throughout New York. Five of Elemental’s facilities operate the program. “The hybrid program has been exciting as we understand the generation seeking work now wants faster training and are more tech savvy,” Harding-Staelens said. Students may sign up and complete the classes on a phone or laptop and schedule in-person times for completing the more clinical, hands-on aspects of APRIL / MAY 2024

the training. Instructors can monitor students’ progress and are always available for questions and feedback via email or in real time via chat. The program’s flexibility makes it accessible to people who are already working and those who have families and other obligations on their time. “It helps focus on the social economic factors that our students face,” said Peg Reith, registered nurse, regional nurse educator and CNA educator for Elemental. “There are young women joining in the workforce or middle-aged women. They can work at home while juggling their families, whether as caregivers or parents. This program has been very successful for them.” It’s not that students of typical CNA programs lack the time to complete

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said Ryan Gilbartin, COO and licensed nursing home administrator at Elemental, which provides administrative support services to five nursing homes and two assisted living facilities. Harding-Staelens said that the hybrid CNA program has enabled Elemental and other organizations to easily cross-train staff such as housekeeping and laundry personnel so that they can also perform hands-on duties, such as feeding residents. “It puts more hands on your residents as they can get more one-on-one time,” Harding-Staelens said. “It helps for the CMS star rating for number of people per resident. It goes up as to how many direct staff you have if they’re functioning as a CNA.” Developed by the federal government, the CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System helps consumers compare longterm care options more easily. Legally, staff trained only as housekeeping or laundry workers are not permitted to provide any personal care to residents. Reith said that occasionally, some people who are not familiar with the Moodle platform — or technology in general — don’t readily embrace the program. However, with a little coach-

them. The big problem has been that the standard class times often conflict with students’ available time. Reith said that this timing and the length of the course caused many to drop out. Now Elemental runs a course every two weeks and can more quickly introduce CNAs into the workforce. The hybrid CNA program can accommodate up to 20 students, providing sufficient instructors are available for clinical time. Some industrious students complete the program in a week, but most take about three if they work at it for four to six hours on weekdays. Students unable to finish in the prescribed three weeks can jump into the next session without having to redo material previously covered. In addition to training its own CNAs, Elemental can offer outsourced training for other organizations, which offers Elemental another revenue stream beyond providing care. Elemental has two packages. One provides training for educators who want to teach the hybrid CNA classes at their own facility. The other package completely handles thehybrid CNA classes as a third-party entity. “We have a vested interest in this,”

There is a

ing, she has not encountered any insurmountable problems. The program was written on a sixth-grade reading level to make it more accessible to students. “I think it’s opened a door for us,” Harding-Staelens said. “Our goal is to get approval with the Department of Education to keep on going. The opportunities are endless.” The next goal is launching a program to teach more types of skilled programs in a hybrid, accelerated model. In addition to helping alleviate the CNA staffing crisis, Elemental’s program provides an additional revenue stream to the company, which helps in light of stagnant Medicaid reimbursement for the past 15 years in the face of soaring inflation. The initial start-up cost to train a facility’s educator is $7,500 and for each following month, $1,500. For organizations that want to outsource the entire program, it’s $1,200 per student. “It’s very exciting,” Harding-Staelens said. “It’s a huge collaboration. I get to see a lot of families affected as they can gain steady employment. There’s joy in the life-changing things we’ve done for them.”

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HEALTH

HOMECARE HARD TO FIND

In-home companion care or healthcare roles are tough to staff By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you or a loved one need homecare to recuperate or as ongoing support to age-in-place, you may be out of luck. Home health agencies, like all segments of healthcare, are struggling to find staff for home-based roles. “It is difficult,” said Cassie Clare, executive director of Peregrine Home Care Services in Syracuse. Part of it is the agency’s rigorous screening process — a must-do part of hiring for this type of work. Candidates must pass criminal background checks, Department of Health requirements and more. It also has to do with the demands of the job. “The demographic for this work skews toward the younger age group and it’s difficult for older people to do this work,” Clare said. Home health is generally divided into companion care and healthcare. The former includes workers who help clients with housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, transportation, personal care, medication reminders, wellbeing and companionship. They do not perform any medical tasks. They generally receive some type of employer-based training, but are not required to be certified or licensed. Home healthcare workers can perform the above tasks, but also can administer medication, provide therapy and take vital signs. They receive formal training and licensure. Because both types of home health providers could work in many other venues, it’s tough to recruit them to home health, which requires driving to private homes which are less predictable than a conventional workplace. Clare said that finding reliable people can challenge companies in her

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

industry. “Homecare is a one-to-one staff-topatient ratio,” she said. “The people at home are really counting on that person to show up. Reliability is a major factor.” The need for homecare also makes staffing tough. Clare said that her organization could be much larger if she could find more people to hire who meet her company’s standards. The number of baby boomers wanting care at home for themselves or elderly parents has only increased since the pandemic, as more people realize they do not want to receive care in a nursing home unless absolutely necessary. According to a 2024 article in Forbes, “92% of older adults surveyed prefer to live out their later years in their current home, while 8% said they would prefer to live in an assisted living facility.” Home care can help make that happen — if only companies could find enough staff. Despite paying competitive wages, Clare still struggles to attract as many qualified candidates as she would like to meet the growing need. Even though companion care services are seldom covered by insurance (only the long-term care variety at some companies) and is not covered by Medicare, agencies have much more demand for services than coverage to meet those needs and must turn away potential clients. APRIL / MAY 2024

Clare said that competing with retail and hospitality employers is tough, as some people would rather work in those predictable environments than providing personal care in clients’ homes. Deb Turner, co-owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Deansboro, serves Oswego, Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida and Madison counties. The organization seeks to target retirees who want to earn parttime income helping older adults with non-medical companion care. Turner views her services as a way to help older adults stay in their own homes as long as it’s safe “by giving them a little bit of help.” Her 65-plus workforce took a hit during the pandemic because many of them didn’t want to go into clients’ homes and risk exposure. Or, they were experiencing illness in their own household and could not endanger their clients. “Fifty percent of our business dropped.” Turner said “The seniors didn’t want people in their home. It was scary for everyone.” With careful precautions like frequent hand washing, masking and taking temperatures, clients and their families felt reassured and business slowly picked up again. Joe Murabito owns Elemental Management Group in Oswego, which owns, co-owns or operates eight nursing homes in Upstate New York, said that another reason that home care agencies struggle to staff is that families are picking up the slack and caring for their own older relatives. While this may seem an ideal solution in that having multiple generations living together can be both enriching

and money-saving, Murabito’s issue with the arrangement is that with Medicaid paying qualifying caregivers, the funds aren’t going to agencies trying to hire trained workers. “The program has exploded because why would anyone want to work in a home health company formally if they could get paid by Medicaid to take care of someone at home?” he asked. “What was a good idea and is still a good idea, was completely mismanaged by the state. They pushed billions of dollars into it and all you hear about being short on homecare workers is because of this program. The program spiraled out of control for a decade.” Patients qualify for the program if they fall under an income threshold and are enrolled in Medicaid. The Medicaid program “has its place but it’s consuming a great deal of resources that could be directed toward formal employers so they could pay better wages,” Murabito said. “It’s a mismanagement of dollars and oversight. The state needs a consistent standard for care. They have to pay attention to the components of the continuum of care.” Daughter-for-Hire in Clinton, owned by Denise Flihan, provides companion care. Flihan said that finding good candidates is challenging, especially to meet the needs of rural clients since that requires more driving time. “We are always hiring,” Flihan said. “There’s so much turnover in the industry. It’s tough because people are always job hopping. You may have employees who don’t care if they show up.” She said that she tries to keep the pay competitive and offers an employee referral program. Despite the challenges, Flihan views Daughter-For-Hire as providing a valuable service, not only for clients who get to remain in their homes, but also to the healthcare industry in general, as aides can help ensure their clients are eating right, staying hydrated and taking their medication on time. Companions also provide mental and social stimulation, which is vital for wellbeing for those living alone. “Our culture is to help seniors live a great life independently,” Flihan said. “If there’s something we can do for referrals, we suggest it. If their health and physical ability changes over the years we’re helping, we communicate with the family and refer to places we trust so the family isn’t left out there flailing.”

Excellus and Wellbe Senior Medical Collaborate to Bring In-home Care to Those in Need

xcellus BlueCross BlueShield has announced a new multiyear collaboration with Wellbe Senior Medical, an independent company that will bring care directly to the homes of some of their most vulnerable Medicare Advantage members. Members who are eligible for this program have many chronic medical conditions, are taking a dozen or more prescription medications, have frequent emergency department visits and hospital admissions, as well as a high prevalence of behavioral health needs. “This group represents some of our most at-risk members who are in need of comprehensive, coordinated, and convenient care,” explains Tony Vitagliano, Excellus BCBS SVP provider network engagement. “Approximately 30,000 of our members are eligible for this service.” As a geriatric care provider, WellBe specializes in caring for patients living with multiple chronic conditions and complex illnesses. Eligible members will benefit from personalized in-home care as needed, help managing prescription medications, and in-home urgent care services available 24/7.

“WellBe providers work directly and collaboratively with our members’ primary care providers and caregivers,” adds Vitagliano. In addition to medical providers, Wellbe offers an interdisciplinary team that includes social workers, geriatric behavioral health specialists, pharmacists and an aroundthe-clock mobile urgent care. “At WellBe, we believe that everyone should have access to comprehensive, personalized health care, and we’re thrilled that Excellus BCBS shares this vision,” states Dr. Jeffrey Kang, founder and CEO of WellBe Senior Medical. “WellBe’s in-home care can provide information and insights, including advance care planning, social support and behavioral health, and complex care management.” The goal of this collaboration is to improve outcomes and healthcare quality, reduce unnecessary medical costs, and provide an exceptional member experience. Vitagliano notes, “Adding WellBe to our provider network furthers our overall mission to help people in our communities live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care.”

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

HEALTH

ConnextCare leadership; from left: physician Patrick Carguello, chief medical officer and senior vice president; Kenneth Martin, director of information services; Stephanie Earle, director of human resources; Tracy Wimmer, chief financial officer and vice president; Tricia Peter-Clark, president and chief executive officer; Steven Gaffney, president of the board of directors; Patsy Spears, administrative coordinator; Nancy Deavers, senior vice president and chief nursing and quality officer; Caitlin Doran-Prior, corporate compliance officer.

ConnextCare’s Tricia Peter-Clark Recognized for Leadership

he ConnextCare board of directors presented the ConnextCare’s President and CEO Tricia Peter-Clark with a leadership award for her guidance, vision and advocacy for the organization. The event took place in at the organization’s headquarters in Pulaski, March 20. Peter-Clark started with ConnextCare, formerly NOCSHI, in 2013 as the chief operating officer and later became executive vice president under former President and CEO Dan Dey. Upon Dey’s retirement in June 2021, Peter-Clark was appointed president and CEO by the board of directors. Since Peter-Clark’s succession in 2021, ConnextCare has rapidly expanded its footprint, according a news release issued by the organization. Peter-Clark has led ConnextCare in the opening of a brand-new health center in Central Square, two new school-based health centers in the Mexico and Oswego school districts and a dental services office to the Manor at Seneca Hill. “The new landscape in the health-

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

care environment requires a dynamic leader at the head of an organization and Tricia possesses this unique quality,” said Ken Martin, director of information services at ConnextCare. “Her ability to evaluate and then apply the appropriate style of management to achieve the best possible result is what sets Tricia apart from her peers. ConnextCare’s success can be attributed to her being a coach, a visionary, a trendsetter, magisterial and a servant as each situation dictates.” Last summer, ConnextCare held the grand opening for the external respiratory center at the Pulaski office, an idea that Peter-Clark was inspired to achieve at the onset of the pandemic. The ERC exclusively provides respiratory services to patients that would not be available anywhere else in Oswego County. Later in 2023, Peter-Clark spearheaded a mission to bring acute care walk-in services back into the Pulaski office, which had been stalled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In September, ConnextCare was able to unveil a brand-new acute care suite APRIL / MAY 2024

which serves walk-in services to anyone in the community, regardless of whether or not they are a ConnextCare patient. Peter-Clark has also been an advocate for mental health access across Oswego County. She has rapidly expanded the ConnextCare psychiatry department as well as making mental health services available at seven school-based health centers in Oswego County. With the extraordinary growth of the ConnextCare footprint, the organization is now the eighth largest private employer in Oswego County, employing over 300 individuals when fully staffed. “Tricia is unlike any other president or CEO of a company that I have worked for,” said Karli Byrd, corporate relations manager at ConnextCare. “She is involved in every aspect of the company and jumps in whenever and wherever is needed. She is the best advocate we could have for providing comprehensive, affordable and premier health care and support services to this community.”

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APRIL / MAY 2024

SPECIAL REPORT

HIGHLIGHTING THE INTERNATIONAL FABRIC OF CNY By Mary Beth Roach

etween 12% and 13% of businesses in Central New York are owned by someone who was not born in the United States. This is data from the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau American Business Survey, made available by the CenterState CEO and based on business owners who reported. Dean Prabakar Kothandaraman of SUNY Oswego’s School of Business sees this percentage growing from here. He credited that growth, in part, to a “pretty vibrant support system in New York” and underscoring the new investments and the ability to get advice, resources and mentorship. However, behind these numbers are real people. We talked to several immi-

grants in Onondaga and Oswego counties who have arrived here — under various circumstances. Some are recent arrivals to this country; some have been here for decades. Some fled their homelands, oppressive rulers and civil wars and lived in refugee camps before arriving in the States. Some came in pursuit of higher education. They have learned how to open and run a business or work their way up in corporations to positions of leadership. Their businesses, like their histories, are varied. While some provide services, others celebrate their native cultures in food. And several have launched initiatives or become part of organizations as a means to give back to their communities.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Syrian-born Assad Majid displays his Syrian Nights treats. He owns Sinbad Sweets, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Syracuse’s Eastwood neighborhood.

ASSAD MAJID, SYRIA Owner of Sinbad Middle Eastern Restaurant, Eastwood, Syracuse

Entrepreneur is now taking his kofta kebabs to mass market

ust a few years ago, Syrian-born Assad Majid, his wife and their four children were fleeing their home

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

in Damascus, seeking safety in Jordan, away from a civil war that was tearing apart their country. APRIL / MAY 2024

Today, he is the owner of Sinbad Sweets, a Middle Eastern restaurant at 2727 James St., in Syracuse’s Eastwood neighborhood and is set to manufacture his award-winning lamb kofta kebabs for the mass market. Majid’s family has been in the food business for many years. His father owned a sweets shop in Damascus and his brothers owned several restaurants throughout the Middle East. Now Majid is carrying on his family tradition here. After earning a master’s degree in business, he was working in Dubai, splitting his time between his accounting job and a restaurant owned by one of his brothers. He said he started by mopping floors, but eventually became a chef there. He worked there for 10 years before heading to Damascus and starting a chocolate factory. Civil war broke out in 2011. His factory would be destroyed in a bombing and at the end of 2012, he and his family went to Jordan, where they stayed for about 3.5 years. They came to the U.S. as refugees. They settled in Syracuse a little more than seven years ago. He said he got a job in accounting, but after three months, he decided he wanted to start his own enterprise, which had always been his goal. He chose the former East Room bar site. Majid said he changed everything at the location, with funding from his brothers. He opened the business in 2019, bringing his specialties, based on family recipes, to Central New Yorkers. He said he chose to incorporate “Sinbad” into the name of the shop, because like the fictional sailor, he too has traveled extensively. His business survived COVID-19 and has won several awards — one of those awards would led him into a new venture. He received the Luxlife Magazine’s Restaurant and Bar Awards in 2023 for the best kofta kebab. “Why should I keep the kofta kebab only here in Syracuse?” he asked. He decided to make it available to the public in general, so he planned to manufacture it and sell it to large grocery stores, like Wegmans and Walmart. Where most kebabs consist of chunks of meat on a skewer, Majid explained that his consist of ground lamb on bamboo skewers. He faced some obstacles in getting his foot in the door, but he remained tenacious. He is in talks now and hopes to have the kebabs on the market within a few months. The kebabs will be sold frozen and available for consumers to put right on the grill or bake in the oven.

Hugo Acosta, a Venezuelan native, displays a recent cover of his CNY Latino newspaper.

HUGO ACOSTA, VENEZUELA Owner of CNY Latino Media, Syracuse

Starting from scratch, staying connected to Latino heritage

hen Hugo Acosta began the CNY Latino monthly newspaper 20 years ago. It was, in part, an effort for the Venezuelan native to reconnect with his Latino culture. That was two decades ago. Now, the enterprise, called CNY Latino Me-

dia, has grown and offers an array of services. Along with his business and life partner, Marisol Hernandez, who hails from Puerto Rico, they publish the newspaper. Despite the challenges that many print newspapers are experiencing, Acosta said his publication is

doing well — one reason being that it’s the only one of its kind in the CNY area. The couple also has a weekly radio program that airs on Wednesdays on WSIV 106.3FM/1540 AM and through the website www.wvoaradio.com. They also offer translation services for a variety of needs, such as medical and legal matters and video conferences. In addition, their company offers marketing and advertising services from and to the Latino market. Acosta’s path to becoming a media entrepreneur had some detours along the way. He came to the U.S. on a scholarship to attend college. He earned a degree in computer science, minoring in marketing and advertising, from the New York Institute of Technology. He met the mother of his daughters in 1989, who is from Central New York. They decided to relocate here to have a family. He owned a computer consulting business, but ended up shuttering it due to some personal issues. In an interview for the 55 Plus magazine several years ago, Acosta recounted how he had started the newspaper. Seeing a similar publication for the African-American community in Syracuse, he was inspired to create one for Latinos. He was disappointed with his first few issues, though, due to some errors and misspellings. Some readers criticized the publication and Acosta invited one of those critics to help him instead of panning the newspaper. That reader was Hernandez, who would go on to become his business and life partner. And he got a big confidence boost, too, from one-time Syracuse New Times owner, Art Zimmer. As Acosta described in the earlier interview, Zimmer had shown Acosta some of the awards his publication had won over the years — but he also showed him some of its earlier issues, which had a few mistakes. This encouraged Acosta to carry on. His efforts at reconnecting with his roots are not limited to business ventures. In addition to visiting other cultural events, Acosta and Hernandez like to involve themselves in Latino festivals in Geneva, Utica and Albany and help to promote domino tournaments, which is an especially important aspect of the Hispanic Caribbean culture. So, while Acosta has been able to reconnect with his culture through his entrepreneurship, he and Hernandez continue to help Latinos in Central New York stay linked to their heritage.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Jay Subedi next to a sign of his business on James Street in Syracuse. He lived in a refugee camp for many years until he came to the U.S. in 2008. His business has locations in Rochester, Buffalo, Utica and Albany and employs 50 administrative staff and approximately 700 caregivers.

JAY SUBEDI, BHUTAN Owner of TruCare Connections. Several locations in Upstate New York

Ensuring better healthcare for everyone

“

I’m a very fortunate immigrant. Everything is possible in this country.” Jay Subedi held onto that belief when he came to Syracuse in 2008 from Bhutan, via a refugee camp in Nepal. He worked diligently in the area for several years and in 2017 started a healthcare company with family that would impact the lives of other immigrants and new Americans. Through his years working for a local social services agency and a sandwich shop and owning two grocery stores, Subedi saw firsthand a need in the immigrant community for help in navigating the healthcare system here. To meet that need, he and his family founded TruCare Connections. Primarily, it provides personal care services and at-home care management under

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Medicaid and Medicare. It also partners with some local healthcare providers to offer health clinics and health and wellness in the community. Moreover, anyone who needs help with medical paperwork or bills or has healthcare questions is welcome to walk into their offices at 731 James St. and ask for assistance. Subedi is vice president and heads the Syracuse office, but it is headquartered in Rochester, with additional locations in Buffalo and Utica. They are planning a location in Albany. Prior to opening the business, Subedi had been working several jobs, including one at InterFaith Works, an organization in Syracuse which, among its programs, offers social services to refugees who arrive through federal APRIL / MAY 2024

refugee resettlement programs. It was here where Subedi said he really saw the barriers that immigrants and new Americans faced regarding healthcare, and his company works to meet that need. Currently, Subedi said that they have 50 administrative staff, approximately 700 caregivers and close to 1,300 clients across Upstate New York. Their international staff can provide assistance in 20-plus languages. Subedi and his family fled Bhutan — a small landlocked country located in southern Asia between Tibet and India — in 1990 due to its oppressive One Nation, One Culture policy adopted in 1985. Although he and generations of his family before him were born in the south of Bhutan, they were considered Nepali ethnically. For centuries, immigrants from Nepal came to Bhutan for work and settled in the southern part of that country. Bhutan’s Citizenship Acts in 1958 and 1985 made matters worse for those in this region. The government then began classifying citizens based on their birth years. Anyone born before 1958 was considered an illegal immigrant and faced exportation. This only served to divide families in a culture that was very family-oriented. One of Subedi’s uncles, born prior to 1958, was tortured and forced to sign a letter saying he would take his entire family and leave the country in 13 days or face a lifetime in jail. His family would end up living in a refugee camp in Nepal from 1992 to 2008. At this time, he said, he only dreamed of coming to the United States. Eventually, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Subedi and his family were allowed into the U.S. With his grandmother and an uncle already here in Syracuse, the family was able to reunite here. Through his work, especially at InterFaith Works, he was able to develop a strong network that was instrumental when he was ready to launch TruCare. He started the business in a small building on Syracuse’s north side and moved to its James Street location. But it is outgrowing its current space. Subedi is currently in talks to buy the building and move TruCare to another floor with a larger footprint. From the refugee camps of Nepal, Subedi has come to make a difference in the lives of fellow immigrants in the Upstate New York area and soon, in the real estate market as well.

Paloma Sarkar has been in Oswego for 14 years. She came to study at SUNY Oswego and decided to stay.

PALOMA SARKAR, INDIA First vice president, enterprise risk manager at Pathfinder Bank

Giving back to her community and beyond

ndian-born Paloma Sarkar has found such support among her co-workers at Pathfinder Bank in Oswego; she has been in the Port City for 14 years. While she said she never intended to stay in Oswego for as long as she has, she said she has received tremendous support. “I consider many people here at the bank as my family,” she said. “It’s

just been an amazing journey for me.” That journey began several years after she received her bachelor’s degree in technology and computer engineering in India in 2007. She had been a technical associate at a firm in India from 2007 to 2010 and her work developing coding and reports for the financial side of the company sparked her interest in the

field of finance. She decided to continue her education in the United States, since while growing up, her grandfather had instilled in her that an American education was “prestigious,” she said. Although she hadn’t applied to SUNY Oswego originally, she learned that the school had the program she was interested in and that it was being offered during the timeframe she was hoping. She would go on to earn a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from SUNY Oswego and while there, one of her professors was Tom Schneider, who at the time was also president of Pathfinder Bank. She inquired about internships with the bank and was brought in in 2010. Since then, she has served as a loan operations analyst and then worked in the credit and risk divisions of the bank. In 2020, she became first vice president, enterprise risk manager. She said that she could see the impact her work was having on the community and she wanted to do something on a personal level for “everything the community has given me,” she said. Currently, she is on the Oswego Health board of directors; the SUNY Oswego School of Business advisory board and the board of You Can’t Fail, Inc. She has also been a member of the Risk Management Association, an alumni adviser for the Financial Management Association at SUNY Oswego and treasurer of the Oswego Habitat for Humanity. But there are several other organizations that she’s involved with that truly resonate with her on a deep level. She is treasurer of both Friends of Fort Ontario and the Safe Haven Museum and Education Center and she serves on the board of Girls Scout of New York Penn Pathways in Syracuse. The Safe Haven Museum tells the story of the (mostly) Jewish refugees who were brought to and housed at Fort Ontario during World War II and while Sarkar sees the experiences of these refugees as different than hers, she feels a bond. “I can understand that and connect deeply with it,” Sarkar said. As for her involvement with the Girl Scouts, she appreciates how the young girls have more opportunities than she saw in India as she was growing up, she said. “I see the confidence that these young girls have and it’s just amazing to see,” she said.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Ralph Rotella arrived in the U.S. in 1970 from Calabria, Italy. His goal this year is to donate 250,000 pairs of shoes to the Rescue Mission.

RALPH ROTELLA, ITALY

Owner of Discount Shoe Repair, Syracuse

‘The Shoe Guy’ repairs shoes … improves lives By Mary Beth Roach

veryone knows Ralph Rotella, owner of the Discount Shoe Repair shop at 114 E. Washington St., in downtown Syracuse, as “The Shoe Guy.” And it’s a well-deserved moniker, since he has been involved in shoe repair in Syracuse since he first came to the area more than 50 years ago. At the age of 16, Rotella arrived in the U.S. on Oct. 1, 1970, from Calabria, Italy, with his mama, his papa and his sister, he said. His grandfather had come

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

to the country and settled in Syracuse in the 1960s. He started working with his uncle, Jim Battaglia. When Battaglia retired, Rotella took over the shop. In the ensuing 45-plus years, Rotella has repaired countless pairs of shoes. More significantly, he’s made a countless number of friends all across the Central New York area and beyond. The old expression — “he never met a stranger” — could easily apply to Rotella. APRIL / MAY 2024

Of his longevity at the business, Rotella said, “Something you like, I do it from the heart.” And he has really put his heart into an initiative he began more than a decade ago. A little more than a decade ago, Rotella said he saw a man walking past his shop on Washington Street on a cold, winter day, with a beat-up pair of shoes. He asked the man to come inside and gave him an extra pair of boots he had in the store. This event would be the start of an annual shoe collection drive. The first year Rotella did the project, he was able to donate 35 pairs of shoes. The effort has grown exponentially. With the help of friends, area companies and organizations, they have donated well more than 200,000 pairs of shoes to the Rescue Mission over the past 13 years. Some of the shoes are from customers who never came back to pick them up and some from people who drop off at the shop. Necessary repairs are made and volunteers help clean them up, he said. The Rescue Mission gives shoes to those in need at its organization; some are sold in the organization’s shops and some are shipped overseas, Rotella said. Rotella said his goal, this year, is to hit 250,000 pairs. And Rotella has had his brush with stardom. He once repaired the shoes of KISS guitarist Paul Stanley during the band’s visit to Syracuse and when Cher was in town years ago, touring with then-husband, Sonny Bono, Rotella fixed a zipper on one of her dresses. Of course, Rotella’s shop contains shoes and the machinery he uses to make repairs. But there’s so much more. Shoes line the shelves. Italian music fills the air and an antique sewing machine that Rotella still uses sits along one wall. Other machines are set up behind a short wall. Propped up on shelves and hanging on the walls are plaques and news clippings that further speak of the man who has made a difference in this community — among them, proclamations from Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, the NYS Assembly and a large plaque that celebrates his being chosen as Gael of the St. Patrick’s Parade in 2023. Friends will pop in on a regular basis to enjoy a cup of coffee and to chat. It’s the favorite part of the job, he said, quipping that he should change the name of the shop to the “Friendly Shoe Store.”

Sevgi Evren Familo worked hard to get the recipe of her macarons ready. Today, the treat is a main draw to her business in Oswego.

SEVGI EVREN FAMILO,

TURKEY

Owner of Tatlim Bakery, Oswego

Bringing a delicious Turkish taste to Oswego

clairs covered in chocolate. Macarons in flavors such as maple bacon, birthday cake, apple pie, strawberry, coffee and lemon blueberry. Parfaits, cream puffs and a variety of coffees — including Turkish. Is your mouth watering yet? These are just some of the treats created by Sevgi Evren Familo at her Tatlim Bakery at 37 E. First St., Oswego. The shop also offers Turkish grocery items, such as teas, cookies and nuts. It was love that brought her to Oswego and it was a love of food that she and her husband, John Familo, share

that led her to opening her shop. Sevgi, who turns 32 this year, met Oswegonian John Familo in an online video game. They were married in her native country 10 years ago. Three weeks later, they came to Oswego and were married here. She said that she spent her first two years acclimating to her new home and new culture. She explained that she didn’t know how to drive, she was very apprehensive on the phone and when she tried to find work, she had very little luck. “I struggled finding a job,” she said.

Although she had earned a college degree in political science in her homeland, she wanted to pursue higher education. It was one of her goals had she stayed in Turkey, she said. With John’s support, she got a master’s in strategic communications from SUNY Oswego. She was also an adjunct professor in public speaking and interpersonal communications at this time. But she came to realize that teaching wasn’t for her, she said. But she always loved food. She referred to her and John as “food tourists,” explaining that when they travel, they “go for food.” And she started baking items she wanted to eat, because, as she said, she found the sweets here a little too sweet. The couple would invite friends over to their home, and Sevgi would bake them desserts, picking recipes randomly from a cookbook. She said one of her earliest attempts at making macarons didn’t turn out right, but she refused to give up. She kept working on them — and working on them — until she got them right. She said she would record and time herself, so she could see when and where she made mistakes. It was John who suggested opening a bakery. “It felt like such an undertaking,” she said. John started poring over the rules, regulations and documents she would need to open this business. She began working with the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Oswego and credits John Halleron, who was a business adviser at the time, for providing the encouragement and business advice the couple needed. Within just a few months, she said, she and her husband found the space and renovated it. She opened the shop in 2022 and is pleased with how the business is progressing. Her husband came up with the name Tatlim. It’s Turkish for honey or sweet — a term of endearment — so it’s a little play on words, she explained. And eventually she hit on the macaron recipe she wanted. These treats are probably her specialty and while the customers are eating them up, she admitted she can’t eat them anymore. “I tasted too many” while working out the recipe, she said, laughing. Yet, her favorite is the éclair because it reminds her of the pastry that she loved so much from Zonguldak, a city in the Black Sea region of Turkey in which she was born.

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Tai Shaw, left, with key volunteers with his CNY Blessing Box: Sister Nicolette Vennaro and Joe Walker, in the food pantry’s store room.

TAI SHAW, VIETNAM Owner of CNY Uniforms Plus, Syracuse

For entrepreneur, the sky’s the limit

“

All you need is determination and time and persistence and dedication and the will to do and have the heart.” These are the qualities that Tai Shaw believes one needs to succeed and there is no doubt that this Vietnamese immigrant embodies those assets. Coming to this country as a 10-yearold, Shaw had escaped his homeland with his aunt; spent a year in a refugee camp in Thailand by himself, having become separated from his aunt, and then arrived in the United States where he was fostered and then adopted by

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

the Shaw family from Lockport. He came to Syracuse in 1996. He began in real estate in Syracuse in 2000 and was especially focused on helping fellow Vietnamese refugees find homes. In recalling those years, he said, “I’m helping my people own a part of America.” In 2009, when the real estate bubble burst, Shaw had to pivot. He bought the CNY Uniforms Plus business, then situated on Erie Boulevard East and in 2010, moved it to the former DeJulio’s store at 664 Burnet Ave., closer to downtown Syracuse and the city’s hospitals, whose APRIL / MAY 2024

staffs are many of his customers. The move also gave him the opportunity to be of more service, he said. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he feared that he was done, he said. But he prevailed. He reached out to the community of new Americans in town and hired those who weren’t working to make masks for his shop. They would sew the items in their homes and then Shaw would make them available at his store. At one point, he estimated he had tens of thousands of masks for sale. Once the pandemic had subsided, he returned to selling uniforms to medical personnel, as well as chefs and others. But the uniform shop is only one endeavor Shaw has going on in the building he rents. On Sunday afternoons, families can come to the parking lot to get food and personal hygiene items as part of his CNY Blessing Box Food Pantry. Shaw and a team of volunteers have sorted and stocked hundreds of items on shelves in a room off the main shop. Most recently, Shaw has converted the upstairs to a center that he hopes the community will use as a meeting place. He also is hosting a dance studio there. But Shaw’s impact extends into the community and beyond. Over the years, he has strived to help Vietnamese refugees and new Americans in the Syracuse area. On several walls in the store, there are numerous plaques acknowledging his community services efforts. More recently, following talks with the New York State Fair, he was able to produce a series of shows that highlighted his Asian culture at the Empire Theater during the run of the 2022 edition of the fair. In 2023, he was named superintendent of the Asian Village and for the first four days of the fair, the village, located at the western end of the grounds, showcased performers and vendors from all across New York state. The Asian Village will return for the first four days of the 2024 fair. This past February, the Lunar New Year was officially recognized in New York state as a public school holiday, an initiative that he was instrumental in bringing about. He is also chairman of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs’ Syracuse chapter. Shaw is not about to slow down. One of his future goals is to begin an Asian American Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce. When Shaw first came to this country he believed, “The sky’s the limit.” Decades later, he still sees no limit.

Ngoc Huynh was born in Vietnam, raised in Nebraska and learned to cook from her mother and aunts. She owns Mamma Hai restaurant at Salt City Market.

Ali Adilo, of Baghdad Restaurant. Adilo said his family came to the states in 2014 from Baghdad because his father, Firas Hashim, “wanted a better future.”

Salt City Market Celebrates a Mix of Cultures, Foods and More By Mary Beth Roach

he Salt City Market in downtown Syracuse celebrates a mix of cultures with a smorgasbord of ethnic food booths, several of which are run by immigrants, including Baghdad Restaurant, Cake Bar, Erma’s Island, Habiba’s Ethiopian Kitchen and Mamma Hai. The Allyn Foundation formed a nonprofit operating entity, the Syracuse Urban Partnership, to create the market, at 484 S. Salina St. The goal was to build generational wealth and show off culture by showing off Syracuse to itself, according to Adam Sudmann, market manager. “Food brings people together,” said Ali Adilo, of Baghdad Restaurant. Adilo said his family came to the states in 2014 from Baghdad because his father, Firas Hashim, “wanted a better future.” They settled in Syracuse because Hashim had a friend here. Baghdad has been at the market since it opened in 2021 and among its specialties is the saj, which is a thin wrap, toasted on both

sides and then filled with chicken, beef, lamb or falafel. Some vendors were not available the day of a recent visit to the Salt City Market, but Latoya Ricks of Erma’s Kitchen and Ngoc Huynh, of Mamma Hai, were featured in this magazine a few months after the market had opened. Ricks, from Jamaica, said in that earlier interview, that cooking had always been a love of hers, “to bring what I love to this area.” Huynh was born in Vietnam, raised in Nebraska and learned to cook from her mother and aunts. When we interviewed her a few years ago, she said she had been a journalist and thought she’d try this as a side job. But balancing both would prove challenging, so she became a full-time restaurateur a little more than three years ago. Duyen Hguyen of the Cake Bar is also from Vietnam. She is following in the footsteps of her mother, who had

owned a bakery and she’d help out in the business, according to her bio on the Salt City Market’s website. She came to the U.S. in 2012 and went to Onondaga Community College to get a degree in culinary management. Habiba Boru runs Habiba’s Ethiopian Kitchen. She noted in her online bio that she and her family left Ethiopia when she was 4, and spent 10 years in a Kenyan refugee camp. It was in this camp, Boru said, that she watched her mother support her family by cooking and selling meals out of a hut made of mud and sticks. “Her cooking created joy, laughter, community and opportunities. It was in that camp and through those moments I saw and felt the desire to do the same,” she wrote. The idea of sharing food across cultures “is a great way to demystify one another,” Sudmann said. “We can be neighbors with one another. Food’s a start.”

APRIL / MAY 2024 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SUCCESS STORY By Steve Yablonski

LASNICKI LANDSCAPING & NURSERY After four decades, Landscaping & Nursery continues to grow

ore than 40 years ago, Andy Lasnicki planted the seeds of a business that has grown like a weed — Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery, 521 county Route 32, Hastings. In 1984, upon completion of his studies at SUNY Morrisville, Lasnicki started the business focusing on landscape installation and maintenance as well as lawn maintenance. “I started the company with a $100 pickup and my dad’s lawn mower,” he said. “We just kind of built it from there.” The business, continued to grow and they needed to expand their infrastructure to meet demand. “We were living in Mattydale at the time and Andy ran into a gentleman who was selling topsoil off his property in Hastings in preparation of selling the lot,”Lasnicki’s wife, Susan, explained. “We were initially interested in the property to build our home. However, we ended up purchasing a home almost adjacent to that property, allowing us the opportunity to purchase the 22-acre property solely for our landscaping operation.” “In 1989, we bought the property on county Route 32 and planted 2,000 Christmas trees with the help of my dad,” Andy said. “We only had the landscaping business at the time, so we built a pole barn to store our equipment and materials,” Susan added. The family-owned business has served the Central New York area’s landscaping needs for more than 40 years. They have experience in commercial and residential landscaping; specializing in a broad range of landscaping techniques with a team of designers and horticulturists. Lasnicki offers full-service landscaping, including hardscaping design and construction of sidewalks, driveways and patios, landscape design and construction, retaining walls constructed with manufactured wall stone as

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well as limestone boulders, design and construction of outdoor living areas including fire pits and kitchen areas, landscape lighting, lawn installations, etc. Recently, the business installed a putting green for a client who operates several apartment complexes. Lawn maintenance remains a small percentage of their total sales. “What sets our landscaping company apart from many others in the area is that we grow a large percentage of the plant materials that are incorporated into our landscaping designs resulting in economies of scale,” Andy explained. Lasnicki has up to 40 employees during peak season. The landscaping and the nursery are of course seasonal; in the winter time a crew of about 10 performs commercial snow plowing, allowing them to retain their key employees on a full-time basis.. There hasn’t been a great deal of work so far this winter, Andy quipped. “The people we have are very good. We have excellent people,” Susan said. “We have employees that have been with us 20-plus years and we are very proud of that.” “From a management perspective, we believe that our success is derived from our continuous pursuit of an often-changing vision — never allowing ourselves to become complacent,” Susan added. “We have dedicated our lives to growing this business and we want nothing more than to see it continue to prosper.

Agway experience Susan Lasnicki worked at Agway, with her last position as director of finance and control for the agriculture and retail division. She was also keeping the books and doing the accounting for the landscaping business since its onset. As Agway began shutting down its operations in 2003, the couple was faced with a major decision. APRIL / MAY 2024

“I’d either go to work for someone or we expand our business,” she recalled. At about the same time, they had an opportunity to purchase the 16-acre lot sitting between the 22 acres purchased in 1989 and the property where they live. “This opportunity, along with Andy’s passion for horticulture is what solidified our decision to expand our business and build the nursery,” Susan said. They opened the doors in 2004; exactly 20 years after starting the landscape company. “This upcoming year is exciting as we celebrate 40 years of landscaping and 20 years in the nursery business,” Andy said.

A family affair The landscaping division of the company is currently being managed by the couple’s son, Andrew, who completed his studies at Morrisville College in 2013. He began working alongside his dad when barely a teenager and has assumed more and more responsibility with the passing of each season. Under his leadership, the business is continually growing and adapting to customers’ needs. In adapting to customers’ needs, “we are constantly learning about new equipment, products and techniques,” Andrew said. The nursery is managed by Addison Moran, their son’s college roommate. The operation grows and sells annual bedding plants, hanging baskets, grow bags, patio containers, vegetable and herb plants, perennials, berry bushes, fruit trees, ornamental grasses, roses and a variety of trees as well as lawn and garden supplies, aggregates and more. How many greenhouses? “I lose count,” Andy said. “It’s at least 20,” Susan said.

Susan and her husband Andy Lasnicki have been growing their business, Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery in Hastings, for 40 year. In the peak season, they employ 40 people.

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Susan and Andy’s granddaughter Alaina and her dog Lois enjoy a spring morning in the greenhouse.

“Yeah, 20,” he agreed. The greenhouses are where much of their growing and propagation takes place. “We grow a wide variety of plants in our greenhouses — shrubs, trees, ornamental annuals and perennials and fruit trees of all kinds,” Andy said. Abby Lasnicki, Andrew’s wife and an alumnus of Morrisville College as well, plays a major role in the management of the nursery and is their annual and perennial grower. She is continually assessing customer demand, researching new varieties and retail trends.

COVID’s boost “A significant catalyst in our industry and our business specifically was the COVID-19 era. While we recognize that many businesses suffered during COVID-19, we will never take for granted the boost that it gave our industry. Fortunately for us, that trend 102

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has continued to strengthen and the focus on outdoor living and home gardening has flourished,” said Susan. “At the onset of COVID-19, we were in fear of being forced to shut down operations. The greenhouses were full of live plants — we worried that we couldn’t continue to employee others to care for them; predominantly watering and performing disease resistant measures,” she continued. Lasnicki is part of The New York State Nursery and Landscape Association — there were a lot of groups that were advocating for them to stay open. And the decision was made to do so. “We could also continue to do our landscaping because we were considered ‘essential.’ We basically sold out that year. It was the craziest year that we ever had on record because that is where people went just to be outside. Home gardening became quite a hit then — vegetables and herbs,” she said. “Folks couldn’t work, so they’d come to the nursery,” Andy recalled. “I APRIL / MAY 2024

remember the first time, it was a Tuesday and a lot of people were here and we were scratching our heads saying ‘what is going on here? Where are all these customers coming from?’ I’d spend the day directing traffic. I remember at the end of the day saying, ‘well that will never happen again.’ And then the next day, it happened again! So it was kind of a positive thing for our industry … if you can take any positive out of COVID.” What began as a time of great concern ended in complete mayhem — the floodgates opened and customers came in droves to safely experience the outdoors. Many were simply interested in socializing; others in planting their first vegetable gardens ever, as they were distancing themselves from the supermarkets. Many others wanted to invest in building or improving their outdoor living areas as many people were staying home in lieu of traveling or vacationing. “During a time of immeasurable fear of the unknown, we could never

have imagined a better recipe for our business” Andy said. “We recognize that others did suffer terribly during this time and as a token of appreciation for the community that did support us during this time, we have had an increased focus on giving back to the community,” he added. “In addition to the fundraisers, we now host community events such as our Small Business Saturday Craft Fair and Summer Craft Fair. These host local artists, crafters and small businesses, giving them an additional outlet to sell their products. Last fall’s Small Business Craft Fair had 100 plus vendors! We also held our first ever Trunk or Treat this past fall with the proceeds donated to North Country HUB located in Central Square, which is a facility dedicated to building up the youth and families of our community, restoring hope for our future.’” “We definitely know a lot of people whose businesses suffered,” Susan agreed. “So we were very appreciative that we were fortunately able to go through it as well as we did.” “Looking back, this is a far cry from the origination of our nursery operations. Andy’s passion for growing inspired him to put up a 17’ x 50’ greenhouse in the backyard in the early 2000s, prior to building the nursery,” Susan said. “His initial thought was to grow for our own gardening and landscape needs as well as growing bedding plants for a handful of landscape accounts.” With the greenhouse on site, neighbors began showing up at their home to purchase flowers. The greenhouse was eventually taken down and moved next door. It is now being utilized in the nursery operations. Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery has come a long way from its roots — beginning with Andy’s purchase of a $100 pickup truck and his father’s lawn mower. It is currently the largest nursery in Oswego County and operating one of the most reputable landscaping companies in the Central New York area. “Much of our success can be attributed to the hard work, dedication and sacrifices we have made over the years,” he said. “And more recently our exceptional, youthful management team that continuously strives to achieve greater measures, never settling for the norm. “It has been exciting watching all of this grow through the years. Our employees are so passionate, it invigorates my passion. We take great pride in the small business, family-owned atmosphere that we are known for.”

Landscaping has remained a solid components of Lasnicki Landscaping & Nursery. Among other services, it provides commercial and residential landscaping; specializing in a broad range of landscaping techniques with a team of designers and horticulturists.

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APRIL / MAY 2024

BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY ACCOUNTING/TAX SERVICES

EXCAVATING

OUTDOOR RECREATION

A-Plus Tax Services. Offering 3 options: drop-off, pickup & delivery (within 25 miles radius) or by appointment. Call us @ 315-754-8491 or email us at: sem81965@ gmail.com. 6419 Coolican Road, Red Creek, NY 13142. Visitus online: a-plustaxservices.com.

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

Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports. New Bikes, TREK, FUJI, SALSA, SURLY & KINK. We repair all brands of Bikes. Keen Footwear and Darn tough socks available.

GLASS REPAIR

PICTURE FRAMING

Fulton Glass. Storefronts and Glass repair. Over 50 years serving Oswego County. FultonGlass.net 315593-7913.

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.

AUTO SALES & SERVICE 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.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE Port City Car Care, 315-207-0500 www.portcitycarcare.com. Oil, lube, NYSI, alignments, tires, brakes, electrical, air conditioning, suspension, tune-ups & timing belts, complete car care. We do it all! Over 28 years’ experience, 20 Ohio St., Oswego.

CANNABIS OPPORTUNITY Best Copy Now Agency. NY CannaBiz — $30K/ month boost! Ready to add $30K/month boost to your NY CannaBiz Dispensary? Discover how — in less time that it took to open your doors! 10-minute chat at bestcopynow.com for our proven SEO strategy.

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.

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

Garafolo’s Importing — ‘Famous for Our Sausages’ — Catering, custom cuts meats, cold beverages, fresh Italian bread. Come and check out our specialties. 155 E. Bridge St. Oswego. 315-343-0580 – http://www.garafolos.com.

LEGAL SERVICES

SCRAP

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. 315-2742040

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.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

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.., (315-287-1892).

Leadership Development and Executive Coaching, 126 N. Salina St. – Suite 402, Syracuse, NY 13202. 315-635-6300 support@getemergent.com. www.getemergent.com.

SAUSAGES

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.

Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services. 3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681.

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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.

MENTAL HEALTH Fulton Family Psychiatry. Offering 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 (315)-887-1059 or visit us at FultonFamilyPsychiatry.org.

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.

TRAILER SALES & SERVICE

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Brooks Trailers, Trailers, Parts & Service. Lawn care equipment, parts & service. UTVs & much more. Two locations: 7911 Rt 104, Oswego, and 240 Rt 104, Ontario. Financing available. Call 315-207-2047 for Oswego store & 585-265-1366 for Ontario store. www. brooksfactorydirecttrailers.com

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Q&A Q.: Tell us one or two things that surprised you the most in the process of writing the book? A happy surprise was finding six people locally, all well into their 90s now, who experienced that time in Oswego’s history and who could provide first-person testimony about their personal encounters and friendships with the fort refugees. They were invaluable resources for me to understand the mood of the city during that time. I was also surprised that there was so much support for and interaction with the refugees during that time. Oswego was not a perfect community. There is no perfect community. And believe me, I searched for flaws. Honestly, though, the people of Oswego, for the most part, really embraced these people. It made me very proud of my hometown. Q.: What would be the reader take away from reading it? I think every person takes something different from a book that is read. For me, the lesson I took from writing this book is that as an individual, if I think first about our shared humanity, I can make a difference in the life of another person, and that person can make a difference in my life.

Ann Callaghan Allen Pens Book About Holocaust Refugees in Oswego Q.: In a few words, please describe your new book, ‘Holocaust Refugees in Oswego’? During the height of the second World War, at the order of President Roosevelt, Fort Ontario in Oswego housed 982 refugees, rescued from the horrors of the Holocaust. Oswego answered the call of service and opened its arms to the survivors. Much has been written, and rightly so, about those Holocaust refugees. But while they were in Oswego they were able to transition from horror to opportunity with the support of many Oswego people. My book is about the ways the two groups came together for the mutual benefit of all. Q.: What made you write it? I grew up a couple of blocks from the fort but I never knew the story of this singular event in our history until a few years 106

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ago. It was never taught in schools, though I certainly think it should be, because the refugee issue and the rise in anti-semitism the country struggled with then are still issues we are grappling with today. I wondered, why did this sudden arrival of refugees work in Oswego when there is such division in communities struggling with an influx of refugees today? Were there lessons from Oswego’s experience that could be instructive today? So I became very interested in exploring the Oswego side of the story. Q.: How long did it take to write it? I received the contract from the publisher in February 2023 and delivered the manuscript at the end of September, so about eight months. Remember though, I’m retired, so I had the time to devote to it. APRIL / MAY 2024

Q.: Was it hard to find a publisher? Normally it is very difficult to find a publisher. My story is local history, but I think there are wider implications for Oswego’s story, given the current political climate surrounding the refugee issue. But with that local history theme in mind, I looked for publishers focused on local history. I filled in an online story pitch for The History Press and was very lucky to have one of their editors respond with an interest. That is how my publishing story unfolded. Q.: Are you doing any book signing during the summer? Where do people find the book? The book was launched on March 23 at Fort Ontario, a fitting setting, and the fort’s director, Paul Lear, has been wonderfully supportive. I will be at Oswego State on April 10, at the River’s End Bookstore on May 11, and at the Town of Oswego Historical Society on May 15. The publicist is working on more signings and events right now in Syracuse and Rochester. And I have been invited to speak at the 80th Anniversary celebration of the refugees’ arrival at the Fort during the first weekend in August.

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MOVING SUNY OSWEGO FORWARD u wants to double the at New President Peter Nwos ating from SUNY Oswego number of students gradu t. Can he do it? He talks lmen enrol ing declin of a time 52 P. . round backg his about his plans and

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