Oswego County Business, #194: October - November 2024 by Oswego County Business Magazine

Weight Loss Surgery

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Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey. It’s time — and now easier than ever.

Michael Murphy, Ben Verrette, Jonathan Spilka, Austin French, Lori Teifke, Richard Driscoll, David Kavney, Michelle Corapi, John Mason, Robert Markowski, Nicholas Petrovich, Robert Vertucci, Andrew March

At NBT Bank, our goal is to help you reach yours.

Our relationship managers provide the expert guidance and custom solutions it takes to help grow your business. Our local commitment builds strong, long-lasting partnerships that maximize your potential for success.

Capital and Treasury Management Solutions

Fraud Protection & Secure Banking Solutions Local Perspective & Decision Making

Let our experienced Central New York commercial banking team create real opportunity for your business.

www.nbtbank.com/syracuse

NUCOR AUBURN IS PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS

Nucor Auburn has been awarded the HIRE Vets Medallion Award for excellence in recruitment, hiring and retention of America’s military veterans.

*Based on average earnings of full-time employees over a 3-year period, including bonuses and overtime

specialists helping manage your finances, you can focus on growing your business—and enhancing our region.

• Short- & Long-Term Loans & Lines of Credit

• Treasury Management Solutions

• Municipal Banking

• Business & Personal Banking

• Business Online & Mobile Banking

RETIREMENT, BENEFITS, & HUMAN CAPITAL

• Workplace Retirement Programs

• Actuarial & Pension Services

• Retiree Health Savings Programs

• HSAs, Flexible Spending, & COBRA

• Healthcare Consulting & Fiduciary Services

INSURANCE & RISK

• Risk Management

• Business Insurance

• Personal Insurance

• Employee Benefits

• Human Resources Services & Consulting

WEALTH & RETIREMENT*

• Investment & Insurance Services

• Trust Services

• Asset Management & Retirement Plan Consulting

• Financial Planning *INVESTMENT AND

50 RICHARD S. SHINEMAN FOUNDATION

Foundation created by SUNY professor and his wife has recently surpassed $21 million in donations

FEATURES

68 MANUFACTURING

Daldrop SBB expands in Oswego County | High-tech keeps machine shops profitable | How to get a part made — from concept to the finished product | Oswego IDA gets $2.5 million to fund industrial park expansion

79 BANKING / RETIREMENT

Retirees spend nearly $5,000 a month: study | Retirement planning for those of modest means | Shifting your investment risk | How do you build a ‘banking relationship’? | Gray divorce — record aging people are splitting

By harnessing the power of paper, we at Felix Schoeller enable our customers and partners to deliver solutions that make life better for people and the planet. We do so by providing established paper solutions, by enhancing the use of paper in new applications, and by substituting limited resources through a renewable raw material, paper.

Pulaski, New York 179 County Route 2A Pulaski, NY 13142

The First Quarter

The 2025 Business Guide we’re working on is a significant one — it marks the end of the very first quarter of the 21st. century (or the beginning of the second quarter).

It was not too long ago — actually it was about 25 years ago — that we were all concerned with the Y2K crisis, that the Euro was introduced as the common currency to the many European countries and that the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton was coming to a conclusion — not to mention the fever of the dotcom bubble, which dominated the news for several years until it “burst” in 2001-2002.

At the time, some of the largest employers in Oswego County were Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (listed in the 2000 Business Guide as having 1,300 full time employees, the county’s largest private employer), Alcan Aluminum Corp. (with 750 employees), Sealright (650), Nestle Chocolate Confections (600) and Metal Transportation Systems (423).

Also on the list were A. L. Lee Memorial Hospital (with 383 employees), Oswego Wire (378), Owens Brockway (275), and Agrilink (formerly known as Birds Eye), which had 240 employees at the time.

A few other companies listed in the 2000 Business Guide included:

• Crysteel Manufacturing (80 employees)

• Sithe Northeast Independent State (63)

• Oswego Wire (133)

• International Paper Co.

• The Fulton Newspapers (37)

Most of these companies are no longer here or have changed hands or names. Alcan is now Novelis, and Sithe Energy is Luminant Independent Power Plant, for example. Some just went out of business (A. L. Lee Memorial Hospital, Oswego Wire, for example) or decided not to do business in the region (Crysteel Manufacturing and Nestle Chocolate, among others).

One of the nice things about the Business Guide, which we’re now publishing for the 31st straight year, is that it provides a photograph of the region at a particular time — it shows what companies are doing business locally,

what they do and who are behind them.

It’s a great project and we’re proud to publish such a great resource material

The 2025 Business Guide is coming along pretty well — like in the past, it will bring detailed information of nearly 300 of the largest employers in the region — Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Jefferson counties.

Most of the names are familiar — Oswego Health, Burritt Motors, Fulton Tool, Felix Schoeller North America, Fulton Savings Bank and others. However, there is a long list of companies that are fairly new to the local scene. I estimate that about 20% to 30% of the businesses listed this year were not on the 2000 list . Some of them:

• Think Variant Inc.

• Daldrop SBB

• EJ Co, Inc.

• Elemental Management

• Mackenzie-Childs

• Irby

• Teti Bakery

• Fresh Food Group

The list goes on and on.

Putting the Business Guide together takes a lot of work. We literally touch base with hundreds of businesses in the region. We check employment figures, names of principals, details abut what they do and many other details. But it’s a rewarding project. It shows a slice of the local economy in a given time.

We welcome companies to place advertisements in the publication. It’s a bargain (literally) and we even do the design work at no charge. Having an ad is a great way to showcase their products, services and their presence in the region.

We have a large readership , estimated at 20,000. We distribute the guide widely and Operation Oswego County includes it in its packet of information it sends to prospective companies contemplating moving to the region.

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com

WRITERS

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Stefan Yablonski Aaron Gifford, Mary Beth Roach

Tom Caraccioli, Jerry Caraccioli Dawn Allcot

COLUMNISTS

Austin Wheelock, Tim Nekritz Julie McMahon, Jan Lane

ADVERTISING

Peggy Kain | p3ggyk@gmail.com

Rob Elia | roblocalnews@gmail.com

SECRETARY

Alisson Lockwood localnewsoffice@gmail.com

LAYOUT & DESIGN Angel Campos Toro

COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright

OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM

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

Subscription rate is $30 a year; $40 for two years. Single-copy price is $600. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725.

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

is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.

HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020 editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com

ADVERTISING INDEX

Foster Funeral Home................49 Fulton Oswego Motor Express .73

Fulton Savings Bank.................18 Fulton Taxi ................................15

Fulton Tool Co.

Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation 58

Equipment 77

Oswego Fulton Chamber of Commerce 90 H. Lee White Museum 23

71 Menter Ambulance ...................58 Mimi’s Drive Inn ........................19 Mirabito Financial Group ..........72 Murdoch’s Bike .........................22 NBT Bank ...................................3

Nucor Steel Auburn 4

Orchards 24 Operation Oswego County 107

Oswego County Federal Credit Union 47

Oswego County Mutual Insurance 83 Oswego County Workforce New York—Career Center 76

SAY HELLO TO HEALTHY

Say hello to a more convenient way to stay healthy in Oswego County. ConnnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services - family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, substance use disorder treatment and social work all under one medical group. Patients within our network can visit any of our seven locations at any time.

ConnextCare also offers medical, dental and mental health services at eight School Based Health Centers in five Oswego County school districts.

WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE PULASKI OFFICE

MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:00AM - 6:00PM

Central Square (315) 675-9200 Fulton (315) 598-4790 Oswego (315) 342-0880 Pulaski (315) 298-6564 Parish (315) 625-388 Phoenix (315) 695-4700 Mexico (315) 963-4133

ON THE JOB

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

‘What do you feel most proud about your organization?’

“I’m always satisfied when my business can provide a nice, clean, quiet and affordable room to our customers. Seeing a happy customer, who finds value in their stay, makes the effort worthwhile.”

Robert M. Taylor Owner, All Seasons Inn, Scriba/ Oswego

“I am most proud of my organization for the involvement in our local communities. From Oswego to Pulaski to Watertown and beyond, we have agents and staff who are dedicated to making their communities a brighter place. Beyond our community outreach efforts, we love that we get to serve our communities by bringing a relational approach rather than a transactional approach to real estate sales. When working with our team, we love that our clients consider us their forever agency. Our relationships go far beyond the typical lifecycle of a real estate transaction.”

Dana Decker Broker and owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CNY Realty, Oswego

“Without a doubt, the people at Bonadio are what I’m most proud of. The growth and success of our firm over the past 45 years is a testament to the hard work and commitment of every single employee. And despite the tremendous growth we’ve seen, we’ve remained true to our values and enhanced our culture. Every day, I see the dedication and care our people bring, not just to their client work, but to creating a positive, inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. I feel proud and lucky to be surrounded by some of the most intelligent, innovative and dedicated professionals in the accounting and business advisory industry.”

Todd Klaben Central New York regional managing partner, The Bonadio Group, Syracuse/ Utica

“I think what I am most proud of is that in 1987 I was an industry pioneer in the transition from a commission based-business to a fee-based business. I changed my business model completely because I always wanted to be on the side of my clients. It was a difficult tran-

sition because I got a lot of push back from colleagues and now the business model for many people in the industry is exactly what I built my business upon being a registered investment company with charging fees for services.”

Cynthia Scott Financial adviser, owner of OMC Financial in De Witt.

“I am most proud of being able to develop with my children in my hometown. Oswego is a fantastic small city and it’s becoming more beautiful every year! I enjoy creating new spaces and adding to its vibrancy.”

Tony Pauldine Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractor, Inc., Curtis Manor, Gosek Electric, Oswego Rental Properties, Oswego

“I feel proudest of the team we have working here: our employees and how hard they work and how dedicated they are.”

JOHN SHARKEY, IV, President Universal Metal Works, Fulton

“I plan on retiring before the end of the year. It has been a great deal of fun and pleasure to have worked with my clients doing accounting, payrolls and tax returns, some for over 40 years. Many have become my friends.”

Bill Symons Tax preparer at Canale Insurance & Accounting LLC, Oswego

“We are a third-generation business, locally owned since 1930.”

John M. Henry Owner Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Oswego

“I am most proud of my agents that work so hard in this very competitive business. They have made Century 21 Galloway Realty the No. 1 Century 21 office in New York state. They spend so many hours helping people realize their dream of home ownership.”

William Galloway Broker and owner Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego

“I have 38 years of helping my clients accomplish their financial goals, like paying for weddings and sending their children to college without incurring huge student loan debts and planning and saving to fund a successful retirement period. I’ve really enjoyed the ride working with my clients.”

Randy L. Zeigler Certified private wealth adviser, certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant and private wealth adviser, Ameriprise Financial Services, Oswego.

“I am particularly proud of the work and support we offer for economic development in Oswego County. When I took this position, I was eager for the opportunity to be a part of the team that contributes positively to our growing county. Our team is committed to further developing the county into a community-rich area with abundant opportunities. Recently, we were awarded a $2.5 million grant for our industrial park that will allow us to build the infrastructure needed to prepare shovelready sites that will attract advanced manufacturing and semiconductor supply chain businesses.”

Alexandra Fitzpatrick Marketing & communications manager at Operation Oswego County, Oswego

“I am most proud of our school’s focus on a foundation that is built on the understanding of faith in Jesus. I am proud that we are a school which believes in promoting excellent academics while also prioritizing and teaching our young students to serve their community and to grow into compassionate and productive citizens.”

Jennifer Vrooman School principal, Oswego Community Christian School, Oswego

“We are most proud of t he fact that we have been

DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Julie McMahon

TAILWATER RESTAURANT & BAR

It’s worth taking the trip to dine at luxurious Tailwater Lodge in Altmar

Tailwater Lodge is a bit of luxury in the middle of the woods of Oswego County — and the restaurant there is no exception when it comes to a lavish but countrified meal.

Situated along the Salmon River, Tailwater Lodge and its rustic ambience blends right into the atmosphere of rural Altmar. The food is no exception, with the menu highlighting rustic and classic dishes.

We enjoyed the French onion soup, steak, riggies and dessert, which all rose to the high bar Tailwater sets for its hospitality.

The restaurant can be found through the main entrance of the Tailwater Lodge and the eatery continues the Lodge’s aesthetic, with logs and stones built into the décor, large fish paintings on the walls and dim lighting. Quiet, fitting music played including James Taylor, Journey and Tom Petty.

After we were sitting for a while, our server brought us some tasty garlic sesame rolls served with butter and a jalapeno jelly, which was more sweet than spicy. It was a nice start to the meal, but took a while for the wait staff to notice us. Nonetheless, after we ordered, the

food came out quickly and the service was attentive.

We started with an order of the French onion soup. The salty, gooey cheese was perfectly broiled over the top of a traditional crock. The savory onions were thoroughly caramelized and the dish was overall delicious and warming. It disappeared quickly.

For our main entrees we ordered the filet mignons and chicken riggies.

The steak was cooked to perfection at medium rare, just pink and juicy enough, each bite buttery and tender. It was served with whipped

2 3 4

butter, asparagus and butter beans and mashed potatoes. The potatoes were the standout as they were perfectly buttery and garlicky.

The riggies were also exceptional, with a light amount of spice and chunks of chicken in each forkful of penne. They were at a moderate spice level, with just a small uptick of heat and a good medley of flavors, with the peppers really coming through as they should in riggies.

Both dishes were satisfying, generous portions.

For dessert, we ordered the hibiscus and pistachio crème brulee. The flavors of hibiscus and pistachio were very subtle, with a light floral and nutty aftertaste. But it mostly stood out as a classic crème brulee with the hard crystalized shell topping and soft, creamy inside.

Throughout the meal, our server was particularly charming, especially when handling a complaint from the table next door with grace. They had an overcooked steak and the wait staff

was quick to correct the mistake, offering a newly cooked steak and dessert on the house. Management checked in on the table.

Tailwater advises patrons to make a reservation, but the restaurant features a large, square bar in additional to numerous tables with comfortable seats, and can usually accommodate walk-ins. (Reservations are recommended and can be made online or by calling. More information below).

The menu is diverse and adventurous yet accessible. There are larger, more expensive signature entrees as well as sandwiches and small plates for a more affordable meal.

We splurged a bit, with our total bill coming to $121 including two locally brewed beers, our appetizer, meals, dessert and tax.

For the more adventurous, the menu offers venison steak and an elk burger, as well as an ahi tuna dish. There are plenty of classic dishes and mainstays available as well, including

steaks, salads and pasta.

The feast overall left us with a great impression and satisfying experience. We’d recommend this for a special occasion for the outdoorsy couple.

1: The chicken riggies at Tailwater were exceptional, with a light amount of spice and chunks of chicken in each forkful of penne.

2: Crème brulee:The flavors of hibiscus and pistachio were very subtle, with a light floral and nutty aftertaste.

3: Bar area inside Tailwater Restaurant & Bar.

4: Exterior of Tailwater Lodge in Altmar: Luxury in the middle of the woods of Oswego County.

ConnextCare Receives $85K Grant from Delta Dental

ConnextCare recently announced the receipt of a grant in the amount of $85,000 from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and affiliates.

This funding, made possible through the access to care grants program, is dedicated to securing and increasing access to quality, affordable oral health care across the 15 states and Washington, D.C. where the company operates. Through this grant, ConnextCare can continue to provide indispensable services to the most vulnerable in the communities it serves and positively influence the lives of more individuals, including students in school-based health centers, dental offices in Pulaski and Fulton as well as the patients living at the Manor at Seneca Hill.

This grant money will assist in expanding the nonprofit’s dental program and updating supplies and instruments at each of the school based dental programs.

“ConnextCare is thrilled to be a recipient of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Grant for the third year in a row. The money received from this grant has been vital in bringing essential dental services to Oswego County. We are so thankful to the Community Care Foundation to help us achieve our goals of making dental services affordable and accessible to the community we serve,” stated Tricia Peter-Clark, President and CEO for ConnextCare.

“As a purpose-driven organization, Delta Dental of California and affiliates and its Community Care Foundation share a common mission with ConnextCare to provide high-quality, accessible health care in our communities,” said Kenzie Ferguson, Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility for Delta Dental of California and affiliates.

“At Delta Dental, we know that the gateway to overall health and wellness begins in the mouth. The more we can do to provide people with access to oral health care, the healthier their lives can be. We are honored to support ConnextCare.”

Since 2011, the Community Care Foundation has contributed more than $150 million to local community partners.

UPSTATE Experience

Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports

Not only do we have all of your bike accessory needs, we also carry outdoor gear that’ll keep you prepared for any type of weather! Find socks, hiking boots, paddling accessories (PFDs, drip rings, paddle leashes, etc.), hats, snowshoes, and more!

117 W First St., Oswego 315-342-6848 info@murdockssports.com

H. Lee White Museum

Whether your interest is in the pre-colonial period, or shipwrecks, or lighthouses; we have it all! See a glimpse of what we have to offer in our online gallery.

EXHIBITS

The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego manages and exhibits a collection of thousands of artifacts, images, archival records, and original artworks telling over 400 years of regional maritime history. https://hlwmm.org

Safe Haven Museum: Walter Greenberg became a documentary filmaker and communications expert. 22 Barbara Drive, Oswego | 315-591-1050

OPEN: Thursday- Tuesday 11 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. www.safehavenmuseum.com

Ventosa Vineyards Saggio XIII

Try our version of a Bordeaux blend! Fruitforward, caramel, supple leather, hints of black cherry & strawberry with warm, silky tannins. Already won several accolades! Retail Price: $39.95 www.VentosaVineyards.com

Picture Connection: Oswego’s premiere custom picture framing shop, with over a thousand mats and frames from which to choose. Our designers, with over 90 years combined experience, will help you pick the best components to enhance your picture, memorabilia, or three-dimensional object. City of New York Birds Eye view with Battery Park in foreground. Drawn by C. Parsons price: $184.00

The Picture Connection, 169 W First St., Oswego. www.pictureconnectionoswego.com

PROFILE

By Stefan Yablonski

SCOTT A. KINGSLEY

The new NBT Bank CEO is a marathon runner, an avid mountain climber and a former firefighter and Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer. He shares his story of overcoming prostate cancer and starting a new chapter in his life

Scott A. Kingsley became president and CEO of NBT Bank on May 21. He had joined the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2021.

“I’m a North Country guy, yes — I grew up outside of Potsdam and graduated from Potsdam High School,” he said. “We didn’t do a lot of stuff in Syracuse. If we wanted to do something, my family went to Montreal or Ottawa. It was just so much closer; it was a threehour drive [to Syracuse] and it was an hour, hour and a half to Ottawa. Those are pretty cosmopolitan cities.”

Growing up he played soccer, hockey, baseball — “pretty much everything one could do outdoors. As I got older, I started doing other things besides team sports, skiing and golf — those kinds of things,” he added.

The 60-year-old went to college at Clarkson University and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance.

While in high school and college he was a member of the West Stockholm Volunteer Fire Department.

“It’s a little small rural fire department outside of Potsdam by about 10 miles with about 35 members. I’d be shocked if the numbers were any different today,” he said. “We got great training. Thankfully when you’re a volunteer firefighter in one of those small places the order of what you do is training, fundraising and then — hopefully not very often — you have to go to an actual fire. Our little department

was fortunate enough to have a couple guys who were professional firemen at Alcoa in Massena, so we learned all the right things.”

When Kingsley left Clarkson, he went to work in public accounting because people had told him “that is the spot to broaden your experience.”

“Start there, you get to see a whole bunch of different things, which was definitely the case,” he said.

He moved to Syracuse to join Coopers & Lybrand, now PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“I was on the business assurance side of the firm and gained experience on clients in several industries including industrial and manufacturing, banking, insurance and college and university — a whole bunch of exposure in my clients’ sphere. This broad industry experience provided an excellent foundation for the future,” he said.

“I also met my wife, Doreen, while at the firm. We both started work at Coopers & Lybrand on the same day. She is from North Syracuse, went to school at C-NS [Cicero-North Syracuse],” he continued. “We didn’t date for a while — a couple of years — then we decided to be more than friends. So even if my experience wasn’t great at Coopers & Lybrand, which it turns out it was … I was meeting my wife! We will be married 34 years this fall.”

He left Coopers as a senior manager to join the Carlisle Companies, Inc. as the company’s corporate controller when it was headquartered in Syracuse.

“They are a large company, not headquartered in Syracuse anymore. They’re in Scottsdale, Arizona. I literally walked across the street to join Carlisle; never changed my parking spot,” he said. “After three years in that role, I was asked to move to the Midwest in support of an acquisition Carlisle completed and became the CFO of Carlisle Engineered Products, a large operating division of the company. My family and I relocated to Hudson, Ohio, a terrific community between Cleveland and Akron. I gained a ton of operating experience including leading the organization’s efforts in overseas expansion.”

In 2004, he said he was fortunate to join Community Bank System, Inc. as its chief financial officer. “We moved our family back to Central New York. That was one of my objectives — to be a CFO of a large public company. It was a great fit; it was a move back home for my family. We enjoyed northeast Ohio. It was a great spot for the kids to grow up. But our families were still back in Upstate New York. So it was a great opportunity personally and professionally.”

After several years as the CFO, he also became the chief operating officer at Community Bank.

“I had some really good experiences with some great people,” he recalled.

Cancer

In early 2020, he had “a little health scare” in his own words.

“I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. When someone tells you you have Stage 4 cancer — you pay attention,” he said. “As an adult you can understand most of the things you are being told relative to your own health care. I’ve gotten to see how difficult that is for children. When you are a male my age you go through annual checks of PSA … my score had changed. My physician recommended I have a biopsy and that showed a fairly intense level of cancer.

“After a surgery, I retired from Community Bank to focus on my health. I went through both chemotherapy and radiation in addition to hormone therapy. I was fortunate to be treated locally and thankfully was able to accept the treatments and stay very physically active.”

Kingsley became a Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer in his spare time. He trained for and ran the Boston Marathon for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in 2021.

“About eight or nine months after that someone reached out to me and said ‘there might be an opportunity at NBT if you are interested in going back to work.’ I came and talked to John Watt and the management team at NBT; thought it was a good fit for me and the rest is history,” he said. “I had the opportunity to go back into the workforce in mid-2021 as the CFO of NBT Bancorp. John [now vice chairman of the board] is still very supportive of me. I truly missed the professional engagement and have really enjoyed the team at NBT.

“Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to become the president and CEO at NBT, which I’m very grateful for. Second chances are a wonderful thing!”

“The company is very deep. We have some great people — deep in people, deep in products and services,” he said. “The markets that we participate in, there is not much we can’t do.

“We will be the bank for those subcontractor companies for Micron; those people who want to build a warehouse or who want to do multi-family housing or the school districts that will be adding capacity in order to take on a larger population. NBT is not only in the Syracuse market but down into Hudson Valley. We have many branches in what we call the ‘Micron Chip Corridor.’ We are just in a great spot to serve the needs of the people that are already in the market today and those who will be in that market going forward.”

NBT enjoys a very loyal customer

“Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to become the president and CEO at NBT Bank, which I'm very grateful for.

Second chances are a wonderful thing!”

base.

“We have a lot of opportunity whether to grow organically like we think the chip corridor in Upstate is going to deliver,” he said. “We have ample opportunities to pursue.

“We focus on the needs of our employees, our customers, the communities we are operating in and of course our shareholders. Finding the right balance on how to fulfill needs of those four groups, that is what we work on diligently every day. I am completely engaged and I like to say out loud I think I am bold and enthusiastic. I think our people are genuinely engaged and have a desire to always do the right thing for their customers. As a leader, you just have to be supportive of them.”

Community-minded

He has always been focused on community service and engagement.

“I was the president of the board of directors of the Food Bank of CNY and it remains one of my favorite charities. I was on the board of the Crouse Health Foundation for 18 years. I’m currently on the audit committee of the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and the finance committee of St. Ann’s Parish in Manlius,” he said. “I have also run several distance races in support of pediatric cancer research and support, including Paige’s Butterfly Run and OnMyTeam16 [a nonprofit organization supporting children in the fight against cancer], as well as Dana Farber.”

Kingsley has raised more than

$110,000 for the organizations he supports.

“Outside of work, my wife and I have been blessed with four children, a boy and three girls, who are now between 25 and 32 years old. We are also proud grandparents of one grandson. We enjoy several outdoor sports including golf [she’s a better golfer, he admits] and skiing,” he said. “My wife and I are also aspiring Adirondack 46ers and are about a third of the way into that journey. We try to go from where we are today to knocking off all 46 the peaks over 4,000 feet. That takes some stamina. You have to plan for that. You have to have good planning for that. Those hikes tend to be eight, 10, 12 hours.

I also compete annually in the Winter Empire State Games in snowshoe racing and have earned several medals!”

In the fall of 2021, Kingsley was honored with the Golden Knight award by his alma mater. Usually presented during the alumni reunion, the award is given to alumni who’ve distinguished themselves either by service to Clarkson through Alumni Associated activities or have demonstrated outstanding career achievement, bringing distinction to themselves and to Clarkson.

And he is still running.

“I probably do 18 – 20 miles a week. If I want to do another marathon I’m a little bit more diligent on my workout routine,” he said. “I still enjoy it. But some people tell me that at the age of my knees, I might want to consider a sport with less impact. I’m not there yet.”

Lifelines

Name: Scott Kingsley, 60

Birth Place: Potsdam

Residence: Manlius

Education: Clarkson University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting; Certified Public Accountant

Affiliations: S erves on Crouse Health Foundation Board of Trustees and the Audit and Finance Committee for the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse; passionate fundraiser for organizations fighting pediatric cancer

Personal/family: Married, four children and one grandchild

Hobbies: Running, hiking and other outdoor activities

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HOW I GOT STARTED

By Stefan Yablonski

GRAHAM BARNEY

Owner of Snax Enterprises in downtown Oswego offers snacks from all over the world. Started his business at age 26 in part funded by stimulus checks he saved during COVID-19

If calamari squid flavored potato chips from China aren’t for you, perhaps the Lay’s potato chips that taste like Kobe beef are more your style. Graham Barney started Snax Enterprises last spring. The store at 167 W. First St. in Oswego offers unique snacks, candies and beverages from every corner of the world.

Q: When did you start?

A: I started in 2023. Snax Enterprises opened April 7 — I basically sold out in the first two days. I honestly didn’t expect that kind of turnout. I’d be happy with like 30 customers, but it was like 300 … a line out the door the first day. I don’t know if I’ll ever have as good a day as that. It was outstanding.

Q: And now?

A: Typical day now, I’d say about two dozen people on an average week day.

Sometimes a little busier on the weekends. It slows some times during the day, it comes in waves.

Q: Why this type of business?

A: I went to one of these stores a few years ago. They were slowly popping up after COVID, I’d say in 2021. I saw this was trending and I took a real particular interest in it. When I travel, my main motivator has always been food I like to try new things, new experiences. This kind of brings it all home to me. It gives people an outlet to try new things without having to travel too far from home.

Q: So you kind of learned as you went?

A: I did a lot of research online and through networking. I was able to stumble across wholesalers or order directly from other countries — that’s always evolving. From certain companies you

have to buy a certain amount to work with them. It takes a lot of research. You have to stay up on what’s out there, what’s new. You have to shop around; it’s kind of like a treasure hunt. I was working really hard and making great money. But I wasn’t really happy and I wanted to find something that I could really enjoy and that other people would as well. So subconsciously I guess this was always my passion.

Q: How old were you when you started?

A: I was 26 when I opened, I’m 27 now. I think I’m the youngest business owner in Oswego.

Q: Did you buy this site?

A: I currently lease this building. I invested my personal life savings of roughly $35,000 into starting the business; with no loans or debt to anyone. I saved up my personal life savings. A third of this came from the federal government; when I was laid off during COVID we were getting the stimulus checks and unemployment. I saved every thing.

Q: Was it tough to get going?

A: The toughest part was finding a suitable location for the shop and waiting on paperwork and application approval from the state and city. Also, being 26, there were issues of people not taking me seriously — assuming that my idea wouldn’t work because they’ve never heard of it before. With a decade-plus experience of the ins and outs of retail from store clerk to management and facility maintenance, I have a lot of experience with customer service and what makes a shopping experience special.

Q: What’s your business experience?

A: Ace Hardware retail and warehouse management; Bodified store clerk; Scriba water operator; and LeRoi Jewelry order manager and laser welder.

Q: Products from how many countries are available here?

A: I feature hundreds of snacks and sodas originating from between 36 and 48 different countries since opening with new arrivals every week. Products are always changing. Requests for certain items can be taken in store. I do have some vegan and gluten-free treats available. I do try to expand on that. It’s becoming more popular nowadays.

Q: What are your best sellers?

A: The freeze-dried candy (USA) is a good seller. It’s one of those things that’s different and people like to try

it. Also, Snickers from Brazil, United Kingdom Skittles and Kit Kats (a variety of flavors) from all over the world. Second best is soda and beverages — with over 50 drinks to choose from there’s an overwhelming variety. Mountain Dew varieties from around the world. This one [from New Zealand] sells for $15 a can. I didn’t think anyone would want to buy it — but people love it! It is one of the rarest flavors. I get them from Canada, Korea, all over. I got Red Bull from Thailand, a bunch of Hispanic sodas made with real cane sugar and Japanese sodas that are very popular as well. We have milkshakes from the United Kingdom. Chips are third with selections from Canada to Australia. A lot of choices for the salty snack connoisseurs. I have Pringles from Japan, some from South Korea and some from India and China currently. There is a South American chopped steak one. You can taste the char of the grill, the steak flavoring. It’s really dynamic — it’s one of my favorites right now.

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

A: That would be “be careful of who you take advice from.” People are going to talk and criticize you no matter what you do. Being genuine to your vision and idea and executing it is crucial to moving up on any plan and process. Consult with those that have affirmed interest in your success. The advice I’d give to new business owners is to take calculated risks. Nothing was ever great by being ordinary. But don’t bite off more then you can chew.

Q: Do the products have a “best if used by date” and can you send back stuff that doesn’t sell?

A: Products do have a “Best By” or “Use By” date. If they don’t sell by then, I have to take the loss. There is a highrisk factor with ordering new flavors as they may or may not be a hit.

Q: So you plan on being here for a long time?

A: No matter where you come from or who you are — everyone loves snacks. I’m taking something that works, but am bringing something new to the table, so to speak. I’m looking forward to progressing my business further, doing more events and hiring employees in the future. I wouldn’t be here without the tremendous support from my hometown community and am very grateful to have made it this far.

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NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE NEWSMAKERS

Will Barclay Named Pathfinder Bank’s Chairman of the Board

Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc., the bank

Will Barclay holding company of Pathfinder Bank recently announced that William Barclay has been named chairman of the board of directors. Barclay succeeds Chris Burritt, who retired in accordance with the company’s bylaws. Burritt joined the Board of Directors in 1986 and has served as chairman for 10 years, marking 38 years of dedicated service.

“It has been an honor and privilege to be part of this great organization for 38 years since joining what was then Oswego City Savings Bank. Since then, our bank has grown from $88 million to $1.4 billion in assets, now owned by our shareholders,” said Burritt. “I confidently pass the baton to Will Barclay, whose wealth of experience and wisdom will undoubtedly enrich this role. We trust in his leadership to guide us forward with integrity and vision,” he added.

Barclay is a partner in the Syracuse law firm of Barclay Damon, LLP, where he specializes in business law and serves as a New York State Assemblyman for the 120th District. Since joining Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc.’s board of directors in 2010, Barclay’s leadership, civic passion and commitment to the Central New York community have been considerable benefits to the vision and growth of Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc., according to a bank’s news release.

Katie Toomey to Chair Oswego Health Foundation

The Oswego Health Foundation,

the philanthropic arm of the nonprofit healthcare system, has announced changes to leadership within its board of directors.

• Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC

Chief Marketing Officer Katie Toomey has been appointed as board chairwoman. An Oswego resident, Toomey oversees Bond’s marketing team. She works with the firm’s management on strategic initiatives, including business development, marketing strategy, and implementation of marketing initiatives. Before joining Bond, Toomey was vice president of member engagement with CenterState CEO. She also served as executive director for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, which became a fully integrated affiliate of CenterState CEO in 2017. Toomey has 20 years of marketing communications and business development experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer goods. In addition to serving in this new leadership role within the Oswego Health Foundation, Toomey is an active member of the Oswego Health system board of directors.

• CRA Medical Imaging CEO

Mary Ann Drumm

Mary Ann Drumm will serve as vice chairwoman. Since 2002, Drumm has been responsible for overseeing the radiology services at the hospitals they service — including Oswego Hospital, Crouse Hospital — and radiology for several subspeciality practices in the surrounding area. The group is comprised of 27 radiologists, four midlevel

providers, and 55 employees. Other responsibilities include financial oversight of the practice, compliance and security issues, coding accuracy, and operational issues for their three outpatient offices.

Drumm is personally involved in multiple community organizations including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the CNY Chapter of Medical Assistants, the Medical Group Management Association, as well as the Radiology Business Manager Association. She holds credentials for Radiology Certified Coder, American Health Information Management Group, as well as credentials for Certified Coding Specialist, Physician Based, and Certified ICD 10 Trainer.

As a cancer survivor, Drumm is a mentor for Cancer Connects and a strong advocate for the Ronald McDonald House and Samaritan Center of Central New York. She served as chairwoman for the Oswego Foundation gala for four years and has served for the past two years as vice-chairwoman on the Oswego Health Foundation Board.

• Mark Slayton is a certified pub

Mark Slayton lic accountant licensed in New York state and a graduate of St. John Fisher College. Slayton joined the university advancement office at SUNY Oswego in July of 2000 as the director of finance for both the Oswego College Foundation, Inc. and the Oswego Alumni Association, Inc. Currently, Slayton is the assistant vice president of alumni and development finance, operations and technology. He is responsible for all the financial and operational aspects of both organizations, including, working with the foundation’s audit and finance, governance and investment committees and overseeing the college’s endowment fund. Slayton also works directly with the development officers and donors in helping to structure their

Katie Toomey

• William (Bill) W. Crist has called

the Oswego area home since his early teens. He has over 40 years of experience in education — from classroom teacher to superintendent of schools. Crist retired in July 2023 from the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Syracuse. He remains active throughout the community serving on several nonprofit and volunteer boards in the area including the United Way of Greater Oswego County, Weston T Hyde Education Foundation, ARISE advisory board, BSA-Longhouse Council, Oswego Country Club Board of Directors, and is chairman of the sanctuary advisory board for the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA).

Alumna Appointed to SUNY Oswego College Council

Carol Bradlinski-Watros has been

Carol Bradlinsky appointed to SUNY Oswego’s College Council by New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul for a seven-year term. The College Council is mandated by New York State Education Law, which provides for the establishment of a local council to supervise the operations and affairs of each state-operated institution of the State University.

Bradlinski-Watros of Mexico received her master’s in counseling services from SUNY Oswego in 1988. Her career was spent in Oswego County schools: at CITI as well as in the Hannibal and Central Square districts. She also spent several years in roles at Madison-Oneida BOCES, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES and Syracuse University.

Home & BUSINESS

Bill Crist

Now in her retirement, Bradlinski-Watros has committed her time to serving the Mexico community, where she moved 30 years ago. She serves on the board of directors for the Mexico Public Library, coordinates the outreach committee for her church and volunteers at a local thrift shop which supports the community’s food pantry. She is also the office manager for Mexico’s Kellogg Memorials.

In addition to her degree from SUNY Oswego, Bradlinski-Watros also holds a certificate in advanced studies in educational leadership from SUNY Cortland and a bachelor’s in psychology and developmental disabilities from SUNY Brockport.

“Carol brings to the college council a wealth of experience and expertise,” said SUNY Oswego College Council President James McMahon. “We look forward to having her as a member of the college council. Our main mission is to add value to this great organization.”

Grossman St. Amour CPAs Announces New Hires

Grossman St. Amour CPAs of Syracuse recently welcomed two professionals:

• Kelly N. Caza is a full-time staff

accountantinthe firm’s audit services group. She practices in the areas of audit and attest engagements, bookkeeping and financial statement preparation. Her clients include nonprofit organizations, public school districts and government and municipalities. She is a graduate of the SUNY Oswego having received a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degree in public accounting and finance. She is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, Syracuse chapter, and Beta Alpha Psi. Her leadership experience includes treasurer of Women in Business at SUNY Oswego, president of the Accounting Society at SUNY Oswego, and Worship Leader at Fulton First United Methodist Church. Caza previously completed an internship at the firm.

• Gianna V. Quonce is a full-time

staff accountant in the firm’s audit services group. Her areas of practice include audit and attest engagements, bookkeeping and financial statement preparation. Her clients include nonprofit organizations, affordable housing, public school districts and municipalities. Quonce is a graduate of Le Moyne College, Madden School of Business, with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. She is a member of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at Le Moyne College. She previously interned at the firm.

Daniel Belfield Promoted to VP General Counsel at AmeriCU

AmeriCU Credit Union announced

the promotion of Daniel Belfield to vice president general counsel. With extensive experience in both private practice and corporate settings he brings invaluable expertise to his new role.

The first attorney to serve as inhouse counsel to AmeriCU, attorney Belfield has spent the past few years building a legal department from the ground-up. This has included establishing a legal operations group to handle the credit union’s day-to-day legal activities, as well as streamlining vendor management and document control, and otherwise advising the credit union on a wide array of legal, compliance, and risk management issues.

“Attorney Belfield’s promotion to vice president general counsel is a testament to his unwavering dedication, exceptional expertise, and leadership within our organization,” said Mark Livesey, chief risk officer of AmeriCU Credit Union.

In addition to his professional

achievements, Belfield was recently appointed to the New York Credit Union Association government affairs committee, which advises the NYCUA on legislative issues at the state and federal level, as well as emerging compliance trends. He supports local causes, including the Kelberman Center, St. Francis House, vital community programs such as soup kitchens and food banks, and medical work abroad.

AmeriCU has 20 financial centers which serve more than 164,000 members in 24 New York counties and beyond.

MACNY Promotes Marissa Beck to Senior Manager, Communications

MACNY, The Manufacturers As

sociation of Central New York, recently announced the promotion of Marissa Beck to senior manager, communications and media. Reporting to the chief operations officer, Beck is responsible for the development and execution of MACNY’s communications strategy and organization-wide messaging. With a specialized focus on MACNY’s workforce development division, Beck will lead the division’s multi-channel marketing and communication efforts related to events and initiatives specific to registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. In this role, she will also manage MACNY’s overall public relations strategy and relationship with the media.

“It’s a pleasure to announce Marissa’s promotion to senior manager, communications and media,” said MACNY President and CEO Randy Wolken. “Throughout Marissa’s tenure with MACNY, she has continued to add value to the organization and our members by developing and implementing strategies that align with our present and future growth. With this new role, we look forward to strengthening our connections with members, partners, industry leaders, and the community through multi-media and multi-channel efforts led by Marissa.”

Beck received her honors Bachelor

Kelly Caza

Giana Quonce

Daniel Belfield

Marissa Beck

of Arts degree in communications from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. She also received her postgraduate diploma in corporate communications and public relations from Fanshawe College in Canada.

Kathryn Watson to Direct Workforce Innovation at SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego’s Office of Work

Kathryn

force Innovation and External Relations (OWIER), launched by SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu in fall 2023, has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact.

The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public, private and community partners to connect with institutional assets.

OWIER staff members identify and form mutually beneficial partnerships with the greater Central New York community to generate economic and social benefits for the region that align with the priorities and vision of SUNY Oswego and with the mission to contribute to the common good while advancing SUNY Oswego’s institutional-wide priorities and goals.

Watson will report directly to president’s cabinet member and Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and External Relations Kristi Eck to help advance grant applications that align with immediate institutional and workforce innovation priorities while providing timely and necessary programming to support workforce innovation and upskilling demands and connecting the greater community with SUNY Oswego employees and students as related to these areas of focus.

Before joining SUNY Oswego, Watson served as the executive director of the Children’s Museum of Oswego, located downtown in the Port City.

Watson holds a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (2014) and an master’s degree in the history of art

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from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, England (2010). She completed her undergraduate degree with dual bachelor’s degrees in history and art history from Johns Hopkins University (2009).

Davis-Standard Appoints President for DS Global Services

Davis-Standard, a global leader

in the design and manufacturing of extrusion and converting technology, is announced the appointment of Ching Gettman as president of the Davis-Standard Global Services (DS Global Services) team. With a proven track record of leadership and innovation, Ching is set to drive the growth and excellence of DS Global Services, bringing increased value to its customer base through focused service and support strategy execution.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Gettman joins Davis-Standard from Caterpillar, where she served as vice president of product development, aftermarket and strategy. There, she led significant advancements in product development and aftermarket services, reinforcing Caterpillar’s position as an industry leader. Prior to that, she spent 12 years at John Deere, holding various key roles across multiple locations, which provided her with extensive experience and a deep understanding of the aftermarket industry. She also worked as a distributor executive at Cummins Western Canada, where she was responsible for sales, service, rebuild and parts.

Gettman holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In her spare time, she enjoys ice hockey, volunteering for the US Coast Guard Academy, and supporting greyhound dog rescue organizations.

Founded in 1848 and headquartered in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Davis-Standard has a facility in Fulton.

Ching Gettman

Kathryn Pagliaroli Named Oswego Health’s COO

Kathryn “Katie” Pagliaroli has been

Kathryn Pagliaroli promoted to chief operating officer at Oswego Health. She currently serves as senior vice president and chief nursing officer. She will retain those titles in her new role.

Pagliaroli has been part of the Oswego Health team since 2001, starting as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit and advancing through various leadership positions.

Pagliaroli will now oversee the integration of clinical and operational strategies to elevate patient care and ensure alignment with Oswego Health’s mission. Her role will involve driving strategic initiatives to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen the organization’s role as a leading regional provider.

“Katie Pagliaroli’s dedication to Oswego Health needs to be recognized and this promotion demonstrates her tremendous professional growth,” said Michael C. Backus, president and CEO of Oswego Health. “As chief operating officer, as well as senior vice president and chief nursing officer, Katie will build off her deep expertise and unwavering commitment to local healthcare transformation. Through her leadership, Katie will undoubtedly enhance the quality of care we provide and expand our impact in the community.”

Pagliaroli earned her Master of Science in management from Keuka College in 2009 and her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Roberts Wesleyan College in 2001. Her contributions to the field have been widely recognized, including accolades such as the CNY Organization for Nurse Executives and Leaders Regional Leadership Award and the Rising Leader Award from the New York Organization of Nurse Leaders. Most recently, she was honored as the Healthcare Executive of the Year by the Central New York Business Journal and recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the “Hospital and Health System Chief Nursing Officers to Know.”

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Lawsuit Forces Changes in Way Real Estate Agents Are Paid

As of Aug. 17, it is no longer standard practice for home sellers to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent in addition to their real estate agent

By Aaron Gifford

Realtors in Central New York and across the nation hope new regulations that change the way buyers’ agents are paid won’t turn their industry upside down.

As of Aug. 17, it is no longer standard practice for home sellers to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent in addition to their real estate agent.

Instead, written agreements with buyers’ agents specifying how much they will be paid must be established ahead of time.

In addition, compensation rate offers to buyers’ agents cannot be disclosed on the Multiple Listing Service, which most sellers and buyers access to view available properties.

This regulation follows the $418 million settlement the National Association of Realtors paid out to a group of Missouri homeowners who argued in federal court that the long-accepted practice of paying sellers’ agents led to unnecessary and inflated fees. The court

initially awarded a $1.8 billion verdict, ruling last year that NAR and large real estate brokerage firms conspired to keep home prices artificially high in the interest of paying brokers on both sides of the transaction. The two sides later settled on a lesser amount.

The court’s opinion was that the existing commission structure is not in the interest of fair negotiations between the actual customers, according to court documents and published reports. Moreover, the plaintiffs argued that the existing arrangement is outdated considering how technology has increasingly allowed perspective buyers to browse and even tour properties online. NAR argued that the commission structure helps first-time and lower-income buyers who may not have the means to pay commission fees.

In a typical home sale, agents representing the buyer and the seller split the commission, typically between 5% and 6% in total.

In the sale of a $200,000 home for example, which is a typical asking price in Central New York, the $10,000 commission paid entirely by the person selling the house would be split two ways. In the case of a sale by owner, an agent representing the buyer would still expect to be paid that commission.

In early August, the New York State Association of Realtors took out a fullpage ad in a local Central New York Sunday newspaper to inform readers of the changes.

“This settlement reinforces our commitment to providing transparent, professional and valuable representation to our clients during one of life’s most important moments,” NYSAR’s Aug. 4 ad said. “We are here to make a difference in the lives of our clients and the communities where our more than 63,000 members live and work every day.”

Teri Beckwith, a licensed salesperson who has sold homes in Oswego

Teri Beckwith, a licensed salesperson who has sold homes in Oswego County for 30 years, said the new regulations could limit the number of offers. “Buyers are just not used to paying their agents. It doesn’t make much sense right now.”

County for 30 years, said the new regulations will create more paperwork for real estate agents. She’s also worried that the changes could slow down a very strong market right now and potentially drive down prices if agents bring fewer buyers to look at homes.

“It could limit the number of offers. Buyers are just not used to paying their agents. It doesn’t make much sense right now to close out the agents when the market is so strong,” she said. “But I’m pretty confident that it won’t change the industry too much. We just have to remember that before you take a buyer into the house, it’s important to define who is paying who.”

Faye Beckwith, a Hannibal-based real estate broker who sells homes in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties, said she did not encounter any issues after the regulations took effect in mid-August. Her client list includes possible renters, so she will make the same disclosure from the start to landlords and potential renters to establish who will pay the commission.

“Everything is negotiated,” she said. “We’ve always had full disclosure anyway. All of it really just boils down to some extra paperwork.”

The CCIM Institute, a trade organization for commercial real estate professionals, notes on its website that these new regulations should not affect the sale of business and industrial

Faye Beckwith, a Hannibal-based real estate broker, says she did not encounter any issues after new regulations took effect in mid-August. “All of it really just boils down to some extra paperwork,” she says.

properties, which are typically listed on Commercial Information Exchange systems and not the MLS. Historically, CIE listings did not include compensation information for real estate professionals, though commercial sellers have always been allowed to negotiate fees with buyers and brokers.

On the CNY Realtor website, Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors Chief Executive Officer Regina Tuttle said the Aug. 17 changes were enacted “to benefit consumers.”

“Buyers will now sign a written agreement, outlining negotiated services and compensation for those services, with their agent before touring a home,” Tuttle said. “Sellers will continue to have the choice of offering compensation to buyer brokers and can still offer buyer concessions, such as for closing costs. What isn’t changing is this: Realtors are here to help you navigate the process and are ethically obligated to work in your best interest and compensation for services is fully negotiable.”

A report from real estate industry experts, which was analyzed in the Wall Street Journal, predicted that the new regulations will eliminate billions of dollars in real estate revenues and will greatly reduce the number of men and women who make a living in the property sale profession.

NAR, however, in its June 7 edition

of Realtor magazine, reported that NAR membership only decreased by about 2% or 45,000 members, since May 2023. That’s far less than the 10% drop the NAR originally forecasted. The article also noted that high inflation, high interest rates and a home market that appeared to be cooling off over the past several months were also factors in the forecasted membership decrease.

NAR membership was as high as 1.6 million in October 2022 during the “pandemic-fueled homebuying frenzy,” the article said. By contrast, membership reached a historic low at 963,478 in February 2013 when the real estate market was still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis.

The article noted that “any impact the lawsuit and settlement may have on NAR membership likely will not become evident until mid-2025 or later.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook report estimates that the number of brokers and sales agents in the United States will increase by about 3% over the next eight years. Those who make a living selling homes in Central New York, meanwhile, have been busy.

According to the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, median home sale prices in July were up 13% from one year ago, from $220,000 to $249,450. As for the year-to-date comparisons for 2023 and 2024, the median sale price for the first seven months of this year was $217,000 and increase of 11.3% from $195,000 median sales price for January through July of last year.

There were 708 closed sales in the region for July, a 3.4% decrease from the same month last year, though the 4,025 total for 2024 so far is on par with the first seven months of 2023, according to GSAR.

“July, a traditionally busy month for home sales in Central New York, posted a solid sales total and home selling price growth continued the months-long growth trend,” GSAR member Mark Re said in the monthly report. “Strong competition for newly listed homes continues, driving sales price growth. However, we are seeing significant growth in the overall inventory of homes for sale compared to last summer, which gives homebuyers greater choices and begins to ease the upward pressure on prices. Declining mortgage rates will also benefit buyers in the coming months and may help move potential buyers and sellers off the sidelines.”

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Laser Transit founder and CEO

George Joyce in front of one of his company’s trucks. “It’s a big deal to get to where we are today from where we started,” he says.

Laser Transit Still on the Road for the Long Haul

Lacona-based logistics company celebrating 30 years in business

By Stefan Yablonski

Laser Transit keeps on truckin’ decade after decade after decade.

What makes Laser Transit so successful all these years?

“Not a single attribute, but several factors contribute,” according to founder and CEO George Joyce.

“We were actually formed on Dec. 31, 1994. But ’95 is when we first began operations,” he said. “I haven’t really thought about [celebrations]. But certainly, we should mark the milestone somehow. It’s a big deal to get to where we are today from where we started. I’ve been doing this a while, since I graduated college in the early ‘70s. I’ve been in the logistics business for more than 50 years.”

They literally started on a shoestring and managed to move quite a ways, he added.

“We’ve managed to work with just about all the major companies in Oswego County — we’ve watched a lot of people come and go, also,” he said. “I feel good that we are still up and running and really still thriving. So I’m pretty happy about that.”

“Literally, we started out with just one [vehicle]. When I say shoestring, it really was a shoestring,” he continued with a laugh. “Originally we were just doing some transportation brokerage, farming loads out to other carriers and truckers. Then we started doing stuff for International Paper with one truck at the time. That was the first truck I ever bought and then from there we ended up buying a couple of trucks. Over the years we’ve managed to get up to around 20 trucks. We had more when we were running more long-distance opera-

tions — literally across country and then everywhere east of the Mississippi. Now we are really a New England regional based company [into Ontario, Canada]. We’ve narrowed our geography. It is what suits us, gets our guys home every night, every weekend. That helps us attract drivers. When you’re trying to hire new drivers it seems there are less that want to do over the road and a lot more want to do local and short haul. We’re seeing a little more interest; but finding drivers is still a challenge.”

Laser Transit employs about 35 people.

“It’s been pretty steady. We are facing some of the same issues that everybody’s facing,” he said. “Boomers are the largest segment of truck drivers — we’ve had people retire. These jobs are good jobs and pay pretty well. We

try to recruit — we would like to grow a lot quicker. But you can only grow based on the availability of skilled workers.”

The company is also trying to participate in programs from Oswego County Workforce New York Career Center.

BOCES has jumped in and partnered with the company, too. It’s been a pretty successful program, Joyce added.

“We want to expand,” he said. “I am a firm believer that if you’re not growing …there’s no stability in businesses; you’ve got to adapt, you got to grow.

“You think you’re competing locally — which you are for some business — but more likely you are competing with the entire industry because trucks are mobile assets. There is always that push-pull of competition.

“On the other hand without collaboration you’re not in business for long, either. You can be good competitors; but you have to be even better collaborators. It’s an interesting business.”

“You have to adapt, diversify. When I first started, we were doing just dry vans. We adapted and went to flat bed,” he said. “Our distribution warehousing part has allowed us to have some diversification as well.”

Forest products, that’s part of the reason they moved to Lacona, he explained.

“Paper making has declined in New York. But one of our good customers to this day is Felix Schoeller; as well as a variety of other paper companies in the region. We did business with Container Corporation, Miller Brewing, Owens Illinois — I actually did a little

business with the Ivory Coast company that came to take over Nestle. We do a lot of business with Novelis,” he said.

Laser Transit currently is more centered in serving manufacturing and larger industry and doing a little bit of retail, smaller shipments of parcels.

A small business needs to have its ears to the ground and be agile enough to adapt to markets, but also to overall economic conditions, Joyce said.

“Positioning your business for opportunities and prioritizing your efforts are key to long-term success,” he added. “Yes, you need business acumen and the ability to hire the right people with the right skill sets — but to remain in business and become successful, the essential and overarching element to all your interactions with everyone including employees, customers and vendors, is developing trust and demonstrating respect.”

That means communicating — whether by voice, email, text or in social media — your values, not just your value proposition, he said.

“Recognize everyone has a voice and listen to their concerns. Lead by example, involve yourself with the community and let people know that your actions match your desire to perform in their best interests,” he explained. “Your premise should start with delivering products or services that meet or exceed their expectations, but your ability to frame their long-term experience depends on the culture of your organization and how consistently the outcome speaks to an expression of best intentions.”

RIGHT: Photo on the back of several Laser Transit trucks features one of CEO George Joyce’s 16 grandchildren. He acknowledges the importance of family and family time is one of the keys that has helped him not just recruit drivers, but retain all his employees.

Joyce said he is always looking at where is the growth in this market.

“You have got to adapt, you’ve got to grow — do all those things to stay in business. Adapting is one of those things that keeps people interested and challenges them as well. It’s nice to have a few challenges — that forces you to be innovative, to work a little harder,” he said. “Change is good. I think change is good for any business; it’s good for everybody’s mindset, too.”

At a Glance

Founded in 1995, Laser Transit, Ltd. packages logistics services including transportation, distribution and warehousing, third-party logistics and outsourcing services to primary industries throughout the region.

The company has its main offices and 225,000 square feet of rail-served distribution facilities in Lacona, adjacent to I-81. It operates another 100,000 square feet in Oswego. Company fleet operations with both flat bed and dry van divisions annually deliver approximately 10,000 truckload shipments throughout the Northeast as well as Ontario, Canada.

LEFT: CEO George Joyce stands in front of one of his trucks in Lacona.

Oswego Bread Finds Consumers Across the Globe

The Oswego Tea Company’s cinnamon-raisin bread has a following in the U.S. and in several countries

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

When you walk into The Oswego Tea Company, one of the first things you will notice is a map of the United States with hundreds of thumb tacks marking various places throughout the country. As you scan the room, you’ll also see an area for drinking tea.

Twenty-five years ago, Lisa Shaw had a vision.

After she and her husband, Warren, bought a building on Oswego’s east side of town, the Shaws initially opened it to house Ontario Outfitters, a clothing store that offered off-price, discount clothes before the days of TJMaxx and Marshalls. The clothing store anchored the building. But Shaw’s vision and ultimate goal was to create and own a café–eatery in which customers could

eat, visit, enjoy coffee or tea at their leisure and not feel rushed.

“When my husband and I would go out, we liked to sit and hang,” Shaw explained. “Having a meal is an event, a three-hour thing. Most restaurants want to flip tables. We always felt like we were being rushed. We also observed that places would always offer coffee after a meal but not tea. I’m a tea drinker.”

Thus, The Oswego Tea Company became the place she envisioned.

Despite offering items new to the palettes of most Oswego diners, including Belgian waffles, French toast, eggs benedict, a “Kitchen sink” — loaded home fries with a lot of cheeses and meats, eggs and sausage, covered in your choice of gravy sauce — not many people had found their way to East First

Street and The Oswego Tea Company. Finding a way to pay the bills became her motivation.

Early on Shaw knew she wanted to create raisin bread. After one whole summer of tinkering in the kitchen, her recipe for the bread finally evolved. A plan to develop a wholesale business also was baked.

As the café grew in popularity one particular item on its menu became recognized worldwide — The Oswego Tea Company’s cinnamon-raisin bread.

After attending the Syracuse Regional Market (farmers’ market), where they were able to share and sell their new cinnamon-raisin bread, people began to ask where they could get more. “They would ask where we were located,” Shaw recalled. “We grew our business

Oswego Tea Company’s baker prepares a new batch of cinnamon-raisin bread. The business bakes 300 loaves of bread a week for delivery and another 100 for restaurants and cafés in Oswego.

from that. It was strategic. We wanted to get the word out so people would come. After a while, people would come to Oswego and ask if we ever thought about going ‘there.’ So, we would go, knock on the door or make a cold call.

“We sold the bread to Dahl’s Diner, now a bakery in Scriba. They were one of the first. We also sold to Mimi’s in Fulton. These places were very kind and took a chance. They would take 20 loaves a week and it helped pay the bills.”

During the holidays, the famed bread, which accounts for 25% of TOTC’s overall business in Central New York, is particularly popular.

“The holidays are crazy,” Shaw said. “Christmastime is very big. The cinnamon raisin bread makes for great gifts. We provide special gift baskets filled with bread, tea and other goodies. People will come in during the holidays and provide their office with bread. We’ve had single orders of up to 36 loaves of bread for office gifts. We make sure to remind people to contact us several weeks ahead if they plan to

RIGHT: The Oswego Tea Company’s cinnamon-raisin bread. It came about after Lisa Shaw, the business owner, tinkered with the recipe for the entire summer until she was satisfied.

make a big order for the holidays.”

The cinnamon-raisin bread is so good it’s been exported to all 50 states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, parts of Europe including Ireland, Spain, Ukraine and Germany; Asia including Nepal and Russia; Costa Rica in Central America and Afghanistan in the Middle East.

It’s so good that if Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young had had some of The Oswego Tea Company’s cinnamon-raisin bread, he may have changed the lyrics to his iconic 1969 song “Cinnamon Girl” to:

I wanna have more cinnamon bread I could be happy the rest of my life

With that cinnamon bread

Today, The Oswego Tea Company bakes 300 loaves of bread a week for delivery and another 100 for restaurants and cafés in Oswego. They make weekly deliveries to about 10 places in Central New York, including Baldwinsville Diner, two locations of Stella’s in Syracuse, two locations of the Gardenview Diner

in Liverpool and Clay, as well as two grocery stores and other restaurants depending on the time of the year.

Lisa Shaw’s vision and motivation for the building she and her husband bought 25 years ago was always tea. These days Shaw and her daughter, Sarah, run The Oswego Tea Company and can boast about its selection of 100 teas from around the world including favorites: Honey Lemongrass, Le Marche Spice Black (Spain), Versaille Lavender Earl Grey (France) and Japanese import Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose.

But as the map in the front of the café shows, their cinnamon-raisin bread, made right here on the shores of Lake Ontario, is also renowned and enjoyed by people all over the world.

Tom and Jerry Caraccioli are freelance writers originally from Oswego, who have co-authored two books: “STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team” and “BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.”

LEFT: Map of the United States showing the location of people who have ordered The Oswego Tea Company’s cinnamon-raisin bread.

BioSpherix Has New Owner, CEO

New leader, a Rochester-area resident, wants to keep company in CNY, preferably in Parish, he says

By Stefan Yablonski

BioSpherix is a cutting-edge biotech company. It’s Parish’s largest employer and is working with

scientists around the globe to impact medical outcomes forever.

The company, located at 25 Union

St., creates systems that help researchers and companies working in cell and gene therapy get better results from their cells because they remain in an environment most closely resembling the in vivo systems.

The company was founded in 1982 by Randy Yerden Ph.D.

It was acquired a couple months ago by the Breeze Group. Syed Ahmed Mustafa was appointed as the new CEO. He joined BioSpherix as the president and CEO effective April 10, 2024.

Also this spring, Maddy Keefe, Ph.D., joined the team as a marketing manager and Sue Schech joined the team as marketing coordinator.

The company is undergoing a brand refresh, which includes new logo design, new website and new marketing strategies.

“It is our mission to unite leading industry experts and innovative companies in cleanroom and laboratory equipment, to deliver advanced, complementary products and services that ensure the highest standards of quality and safety for our customers,” according to Breeze Croup’s mission statement.

Mustafa said he is inspired by the transformative science behind BioSpherix’s core technology.

With goals to reinvigorate the company strategy, Rochester entrepreneur Mustafa pulls from his experience in starting and leading companies in healthcare, toxicology and biotechnology to propel BioSpherix into a new era of growth and innovation.

They are working to develop cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and significantly reduce the number of animals currently used in research with better alternatives.

Hidden gem

“Our goal is to let the entire world know about this hidden gem in Upstate New York so that those who are working on cures for a multitude of diseases can use BioSpherix Xvivo systems to reduce the time and cost needed to conduct research and bring novel treatments to the market,” Mustafa said.

“I am a life-long New Yorker, having grown up in Corning and then moving to Penfield in the late 1990s, where my wife and four adult children still reside,” he said.

While cities like Winston-Salem, Boston, Seattle and other regions with universities and companies working on cell and gene therapy are courting

Randy Yerden, founder of BioSpherix, and Syed Ahmed Mustafa, the new CEO of the company.

BioSpherix, “my goal is to ensure we remain in Upstate New York — preferably Parish,” he added. “However, to do that we need the right talent to staff our growth and the financial support from the region to ensure it makes financial sense to stay here.

“I also have a vision of expanding BioSpherix’s role in cell and gene therapy from making vital equipment to also helping enable more local research in cell and gene therapy. I plan to collaborate with area academic and research institutions to develop a center of excellence for cytocentric technology in the region.”

BoSpherix’s cytocentric cell incubation and processing systems have and will continue to change the way researchers and clinicians work with cells as they develop new research methods and treatments for a variety of diseases, according to Mustafa.

“My goal is to build on the foundation that Randy Yerden, our founder and inventor of the cytocentric philosophy, established and bring a better solution to those working in cell and gene research and therapy, saving time, money — and lives,” he said.

More than 30 years ago, Yerden created the first device to control oxygen levels in an incubator, pioneering the science of optimal biosphere control for in vitro experimentation and cell culture processes. This innovation created a more physiologic environment which produced healthier cells in culture.

Groundbreaking work

Over the years, BioSpherix has worked with many cell researchers and scientists to uncover the benefits of culturing and processing cells in a physiologic environment. This led to the creation of the Xvivo System platform, allowing entire protocols to be conducted in an aseptic, uninterrupted and optimized way.

The system is the first Cytocentric isolator, the only barrier isolator designed for cells. The modular design can aseptically close any cell production process, small or large, simple or complex, manual or automated.

In 2014, BioSpherix Medical was established to accommodate the demand for a vast array of cell culture lab equipment for cell research and cell and gene therapies.

Owner of Organic Earthling Considering Setting Up a Franchise

Business recently moved to a new location in Oswego

Earlier this summer, The Organic Earthling moved from downtown Oswego to the city’s eastern edge — the Lowe’s Plaza, 437 State Route 104. Owner and managing partner

Lindsay Gaffney is considering an even bigger move — taking the business nationwide.

“I’ve had several business owners in the past couple of weeks approach me

asking if we were interested in developing it into a franchise,” she said. “So we’re in the research and development phase to create the easiest ways to be able to duplicate what we do across the nation.”

An herbalist, certified in plant medicine through Cornell University, Gaffney’s currently studying for her doctorate in naturopathy through Kingdom College of Natural Health.

“I expect to complete my doctorate studies by 2027,” she said.

She studied graphic design and fine art at Mohawk Valley Community College. While studying fine art, artistic anatomy is what sparked her love and fascination with the intricately woven workings of the human body.

“Building my personal library, I engaged in a self-study of anatomy and physiology providing a foundational grasp on the working mechanisms of the human body,” she explained.

She and her husband, James, opened their business in August 2020 in Oswego. It included chemical-free bath and body products, organic groceries, herbal supplements and CBD products.

“We want to educate the community in ways to eliminate toxins to improve better health outcomes. We understand that true health isn’t about a magic pill. There are many contributing factors to overall success,” she said.

On Earth Day 2021, they opened the café portion of The Organic Earthling serving whole fruit smoothies, fresh juice, frozen yogurt, salads and more.

“We’ve crushed it with customer reviews, collecting a remarkable 100% 5 stars on Google during our past four years of service. That’s a testament to the efficacy of our products and our knack for treating each customer like a cherished member of our family,” James agreed. “Ours is a small business the community stands behind in support.”

Lindsay built a general understanding of retail sales while employed at Kay Jewelers. While others dreaded corporate training, Gaffney volunteered to attend meetings to learn techniques and methods of effective sales.

There she met her future husband and managing partner of the Organic Earthling, James.

On the first day of spring in 2017, with two children (Jacob, 14 and Jeremiah, 11), the Gaffney family moved into its newly purchased 13-acre home in Mexico. One of her first priorities was how to best utilize the yard, field and forest of the property. She eagerly engaged in self-study of homesteading

Lindsay Gaffney is one of the owners of The Organic Earthling, which sells chemicalfree bath and body products, organic groceries, herbal supplements and CBD products. She celebrates the move to a new location in Oswego.

and forging for edibles.

“Many edible plants have medicinal benefits. I began to explore those values,” she said. ”I learned the basics of making tinctures, drying herbs and other methods of preservation to utilize resources from the land.”

She has “a strong heart for teaching” and explored possibilities to become a teacher with focus in sciences. That desire intensified when she worked for Mexico Academy Central Schools as a substitute teacher. She was requested by name by the head of the science department consistently because of her dedication to teaching and effective methods conveying lessons to the students.

Life-changing event

The event that inspired them to develop The Organic Earthling was the bleed of James’ brain tumor. Sending excruciating pain and pressure across his head and neck, his brain cavity pooled with blood. An emergency MRI realized their worst fears — a medical team helped prepare them for brain surgery. Two scheduled surgeries were canceled out of health concerns.

He was bed-ridden — in very poor health.

“This set in motion my desire to study and research herbal remedies and nutritional solutions to improve his health with the ultimate goal of surgery,” she explained. “Out of desperation, feeling as though we were running out of options, we began to explore natural remedies.”

Gradually his health improved to the point where six months later, after making diet changes and incorporating medicinal herbs —when preparing for surgery — the next MRI showed that the tumor had shrunk substantially. The neurosurgeon no longer recommended brain surgery.

“The core foundational piece to our success, the anchor that helps us to weather the storms and carries us through challenges, strengthening our resolve, is faith in God. He’s guided every area of my life to make me who I am today; I trust Him to lead me further in the way I should go,” she said.

After completing her doctoral studies, Lindsay wants to open a natural wellness clinic to help guide people in natural health solutions tailored to individual health history.

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“My last long-term goal — when I set up my clinical practice, perfect it and establish it as the trusted way to integrate herbal medicine and natural health solutions into various health protocols — I plan to duplicate and train other teams of health professionals across the nation as a branded, trusted, reliable source of heath practices. There are many naturopathic doctors, but you never really know what to expect — are they going to be a quack?” she said. “That’s why I think in a culture growing in interest in natural health solutions, it’s more important than ever to establish a standard.”

In her spare time, she loves to read and study. She enjoys singing and dancing; spending time in the garden and connecting with nature, hiking and forging for wild edibles.

“I love serving the community in Oswego and am grateful for its valued support of this growing supplement company, The Organic Earthling,” she said.

By Stefan Yablonski

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Chena Tucker is Shineman Foundation’s director.

OVER $21 MILLION AWARDED TO COMMUNITY’S ORGANIZATIONS

Foundation created by SUNY professor and his wife has recently surpassed $20 million in donations

By Stefan Yablonski

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has been helping to improve the quality of life in Oswego County and Central New York since its inception 2011. It has awarded more than $21 million in grants during this period.

Oswego County Business Magazine recently sat down with Chena Tucker, director of the foundation, to delve into the foundation’s mission and its impactful work in the community.

Established by Richard and Barbara Shineman, the foundation aims to be a “catalyst for change” — a vision deeply shared by its leadership team.

“We have provided more than 750 gifts to more than 189 recipients through various types of grants, including strategic grants, mini-grants and community enrichment grants,” Tucker said.

This significant financial commitment highlights the foundation’s dedication to fostering positive change across Oswego County, she added.

nine-member board, which makes all final decisions on grant awards.

Tucker explained the foundation’s spending practices, including a mandated 5% payout rule that ensures a portion of the endowment is used annually for grants and operational expenses.

“We do not fundraise; our capital comes solely from investments,” she said. “Our initial investment of $25 million launched the foundation.”

Richard Shineman, a former professor at SUNY Oswego and his wife, Barbara, established the foundation

ships for local students attending SUNY Oswego.

Budgeting and grant-making

“We provide funding and resources to 501(c)(3) designated nonprofits, municipalities and educational institutions,” Tucker explained. “We believe in the power of collaboration and the necessity of addressing critical issues that impact our community.”

In addition to project-specific funding, the foundation also supports capacity-building grants. These grants empower local nonprofits to collaborate with subject matter experts in key areas such as fund development, board development and volunteer management.

One of the Shineman Foundation’s new strategic focuses for 2025 and beyond is to address food insecurity in Oswego County. “We’re looking at starting a sustained effort; it may take three to five years. We want to do this right,” says the foundation’s director

The leadership

Tucker oversees the foundation’s overall direction and management.

Kelly Green, the grant program and event coordinator, manages the grant-awarding process and outreach events.

The foundation is governed by a

using Richard’s family fortune to effectuate community change.

“Our initial investment of $25 million has grown to $36 million due to prudent investing and strategic grant-making,” Tucker said.

Notably, the foundation made a significant $5 million gift to SUNY Oswego to help build the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation building and established an endowed chemistry chair and scholar-

The foundation prepares an annual budget based on previous years’ expenditures, which is approved by the board.

“While we may not always use the full budget, we ensure it aligns with our strategic goals,” Tucker said. “Sometimes we won’t spend the full budget. If we don’t spend the full budget in a given year, those funds continue to stay invested for future allocations.”

The foundation experienced a surge in grant making during 2016-17 as it formalized its operations and gained recognition as a community partner.

Although COVID-19 caused a temporary slowdown, the foundation responded by supporting food pantries and health and human service nonprofits with additional funds and resources.

Addressing food insecurity

One of the foundation’s new strategic focuses is addressing food insecurity in Oswego County.

Tucker highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to this issue, noting that although many organizations provide food-related support — no central entity is leading these efforts.

“Yes, we have funded many programs [dealing with food insecurity]

Major Grant Beneficiaries

SUNY Oswego leads the list of organizations that have received some of the largest grants from the Shineman Foundation.

“Our largest gift has been $5 million for a Shineman–SUNY Oswego Endowment Fund. SUNY Oswego’s endowment fund played a crucial role in establishing the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation on campus,” Chena Tucker, the foundation director, said. “In addition, the fund supports the endowed chemistry chair position and the Shineman Scholars program, which provides scholarships for local Oswego County students to attend SUNY Oswego.”

In addition to that:

• More than $500,000 was provided to Oswego Health and a large portion was provided for the Behavioral Health Renewal grant

• $245,000 was provided to OnPoint for College

• More than $400,000 has been provided to support the Children’s Museum of Oswego

• Catholic Charities has received more than $250,000

• Child Advocacy Center has received more than $400,000

• Oswego Renaissance Association has received more than $1.5 million

• Fulton Block Builders has received $1 million

over the years. But there’s no real group that addresses it. There are a lot of groups who have backpack programs and things like that. There are a lot of groups that are working to help make sure kids have food and families can afford good food on their budgets; but they are scattered,” she explained. “The need has increased. We want to understand the scale of the issue in Oswego County — who are the stakeholders, what are the needs, where are the gaps. How do we, as a foundation, move into this focus priority and develop a coalition to address the scale of this problem?

“This year, 2024, is business as usual. In 2025, moving forward, that is where we are looking at how do we develop that budget [with an eye toward food insecurity]. We’re looking at starting a sustained effort; it may take three to five years. We want to do this right.”

The new strategic direction is for 2025 and beyond, she added.

“Children cannot thrive on an empty stomach. Beyond just calories, they need proper nutrition for healthy brain and body development. Despite the valiant efforts of many organizations, schools, food pantries, church groups and everyday residents to provide food for families — gaps remain in those being served and access to ongoing

resources continue to be a challenge,” she said. “Oswego County is a rural, agricultural-rich community and we hope to leverage this strength as we explore food security for all.”

The foundation hopes to leverage Oswego County’s agricultural strength to enhance local sustainable food security initiatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed and worsened the vulnerabilities in the food systems, leaving many families in Oswego County struggling to access nutritious food, especially after the pandemic-related safety net programs ended, according to Tucker.

“Through our partnerships and community engagements, we recognized that food insecurity demands immediate and sustained action,” she said. “By prioritizing this issue, we aim to unite resources, expertise and community efforts to ensure food security which means access for all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.

“Over the next three to five years, we have prioritized addressing food insecurity in Oswego County. We are currently in the exploratory phase of this initiative, focusing on analysis, community focus groups and data collection before supporting specific projects or

programs. We want to understand the scale of the issue, identify gaps and build partnerships to address food insecurity long-term. Additionally, in partnership with the LIFT Equity and Advancement Coalition, we have conducted several ‘community conversations’ focused

Measuring Success

Chena Tucker, director of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, said there are several ways to measure the role played by the foundation in the community.

“Our success and impact are intrinsically linked to the achievements of our local nonprofits. By supporting their missions and helping them build capacity, we contribute to their success,” she said. “Currently, we measure our impact through the financial support we provide; the number of organizations we assist and the reach they have in serving their customers and clients.”

on critical areas such as health equity, early childhood development and transportation, with an upcoming session on substance use disorder. These sessions serve as listening opportunities for community stakeholders to share current happenings in these areas and provide feedback and input.”

Looking ahead

Tucker emphasized the importance of a data-driven approach and collaboration to achieve meaningful change.

“The foundation board is deeply committed to using our funds strategically to ensure we continue making a positive and measurable impact in Oswego County,” she said. “While many critical issues deserve our attention, we believe that addressing food insecurity is a key area where we can build a strong coalition and drive meaningful change. Food insecurity is closely linked to poor health and ensuring food security is essential for the well-being and success of our community members. Recent discussions with stakeholders have underscored a pressing and growing need affecting every Oswego County demographic. We aim to ensure that all people have access to enough nutritious food at all times to lead active, healthy lives.”

There are many ways for community members to get involved right now, whether by volunteering at local food pantries, backpack programs or community gardens or donating to these essential services.

Grant opportunities

The foundation offers three grant categories: strategic grants (more than $7,500), mini-grants ($2,500-$7,500) and community enrichment grants (up to $2,500).

Local organizations interested in applying for funding can find detailed information on eligibility and application procedures at www.shinemanfoundation.org.

Preliminary Zoom meetings can be scheduled to discuss grant proposals and alignment with the foundation’s mission.

“We are committed to making a positive and measurable impact in Oswego County,” Tucker said. “Addressing food insecurity is a crucial step in our strategic direction and we are dedicated to ensuring that all community members have access to the resources they need to thrive.”

What They Aare Saying About Shineman Foundation

Interviews by Stefan Yablonski

Quite simply, Fulton Block Builders wouldn’t exist were it not for the Richard S. Shineman Foundation support.

The tag line: “Catalyst for Change” has been demonstrated by the work they support throughout the county. The foundation has been truly transformative. Fulton Block Builders is proud to be highlighted in The Shineman Legacy book by Jeff Rea as one of Barbara’s favorite grants.

Working with Shineman is always a pleasure. They are supportive and extremely helpful throughout the process.

I don’t have all the data for 2024 yet, but — thanks to the Richard S. Shineman Foundation — FBB has awarded 1,385 block challenge grants, supported 67 properties improved by landlords and had 70 homeowners use the historical colors.

Pride Grants thrived in 2023 to bring about age-friendly cultural events, beautification projects, park improvements and church enhancements.

Linda Eagan,

Founder, Fulton Block Builders Neighbors Reshaping Fulton One Block at a Time

The Shineman Foundation has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Erin’s Angels. Their support began in 2018 with our first $5,000 grant, which truly catapulted our organization and invigorated our fundraising efforts. This initial grant was instrumental in helping us get to where we are today, providing the resources and confidence needed to expand our impact.

Last year, the Shineman Foundation continued its support with a $6,000 grant to pay for a consultant to conduct a nonprofit life cycles assessment. This kind of assessment is incredibly valuable for a nonprofit, as it evaluates the organization’s current stage in its lifecycle, identifies strengths and areas for improvement and provides a roadmap for future growth and sustainability. The

insights gained from this assessment have been critical in guiding our strategic planning and ensuring we continue to evolve effectively.

We discovered the Shineman Foundation through a network of local nonprofits and community resources. Their reputation for supporting organizations in our area prompted us to reach out. We initially contacted them by visiting their website, where we found detailed information about their grant application process and funding priorities. From there, we submitted a grant proposal, outlining our mission, needs and the potential impact of their support.

Working with the Shineman Foundation has been a positive and collaborative experience. They have been incredibly supportive and communicative throughout the process. Chena Tucker is approachable and genuinely interested in the success of the organizations Shineman funds. She provided clear guidelines and feedback, making the application process straightforward. Once we received the grant, she continued to stay engaged, offering guidance and support as we implemented our projects.

Their commitment to fostering community development and nonprofit growth is evident in every interaction we’ve had with them.

Sheila Dion Founder & Director, Erin’s Angels

A Shineman Foundation grant in 2016 enabled us to create a large educational area on our website. Slides, programs and handouts that had been taken to the schools for classroom presentations by our staff educator were digitized and expanded by retired teacher Stacey Pope. The year-long $26,000 grant enabled her to poll grade school and high school teachers in Oswego County, find common themes in their core curriculum and select the lessons that were still relevant.

There were sections on the Underground Railroad and Dr. Mary Walker that were sought. On every topic, she created lesson plans for teachers using primary resource documents and questions for students based on the material. She also copied out decades of historical articles from our publications and put them on the website. She then requested town stories and articles from the town historians and created a section for them. After seven years of use, a new Oswego County Historical website is adapting and refreshing these materials with additional content.

In 2023, the Shineman Foundation gave us a $13,000 grant to start off our fundraiser to safely display Dr. Mary Walker’s Medal of Honor. The society had owned the medal and many other artifacts of Dr. Mary since her family donated them in the 1940s. The Medal of Honor, the only one ever issued to a woman, was considered too valuable to put at risk in a display. It had only been brought out for special occasions under armed guard. The $40,000 fundraising campaign covered a museum-quality, lockable case with acid-free materials, UV filtering glass, passive humidity control and an internal alarm, plus additional museum security, a camera system and some construction to the exhibit room to make it more secure.

A Pomeroy Foundation grant, the Oswego County Legislature and many private and corporate donors took us to our goal and the medal is now on permanent display at the Richardson-Bates House Museum.

We’ve also taken advantage of the free workshops that the Shineman Foundation offers to nonprofit board members on many capacity building topics. We’ve attended such varied trainings as “Understanding NFP Financials,” “Nonprofit Governance” and “Using Social Media Effectively.”

Mary Kay Stone, President, Oswego County Historical Society

CNY Nonprofits Hold Over $15 Billion in Assets

There are 13,402 private foundations in New York state, according to Cause IQ, a Seattle company that tracks nonprofit organizations nationwide. Combined, these New York private foundations employ 5,317 people, earn more than $20 billion in revenue each year, and have assets of $200 billion.

In Syracuse alone, the Cause IQ states that there are nearly 200 nonprofit organizations. They hold assets estimated at $15 billion.

A glimpse at some CNY foundations

Allyn Family Foundation Inc 11 Fennell St., Skaneateles 315-685-5059

www.allynfoundation.org

The foundation is committed to a collaborative partnership with organi-

zations and the community to build a responsible and vibrant Central New York

Giving primarily to improve the quality of life in Central New York. Emphasis placed upon health, human services, education and youth and families.

Assets have increased to more than $132 million.

With the increase in the foundation’s assets, the foundation changed its name from the Allyn Foundation to the Allyn Family Foundation.

The Upstate Foundation 5784 Widewaters Parkway, Syracuse 315-464-4416

www.upstatefoundation.org

The Upstate Foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the

health of the communities it serves through support of patient care, education, scientific research and community health and well-being.

The foundation was founded in 1976 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation to receive and administer gifts and bequests for charitable purposes with a focus on patient care, education, scientific research and community health and well-being. A public charity with the ability to make distributions to any qualified nonprofit organization, the Upstate Foundation’s primary orientation is supporting the mission of Upstate Medical University.

The Upstate Foundation offers donor-advised funds and is licensed to issue charitable gift annuities in New York and Florida.

The foundation is largely self-supporting with the assets it manages

totaling more than $260 million.

Gifford Foundation

126 N. Salina St., suite 310, Syracuse 315-474-2489

giffordfoundation.org

Through initiatives, grantmaking and community engagement, The Gifford Foundation directs its support with intentionality to meet organizations and individuals where they are and assist them in attaining their stated goals through capacity building.

Rosamond Gifford was born in 1873, the daughter of Syracuse’s district attorney. After a brief unhappy marriage she took back the Gifford name and moved to Boston to study and teach the harp. She returned to Syracuse permanently in 1913 to care for her father in his fading years. In 1929 she moved to a farm on Oneida Lake, spending her remaining years in relative seclusion and only occasionally coming to Syracuse to visit her advisers.

Since 2007, the foundation has be-

come known in the community for its initiatives, community engagement and convening skills. The board feels strongly that the staff is as important a resource as the grant funds and as such they have a highly skilled, highly engaged group that spends as much time out of the office, meeting with organizations, coalitions and neighborhood residents, as it does reviewing proposals.

The William G Pomeroy Foundation

492 E Brighton Ave, Syracuse 315-913-4060

www.wgpfoundation.org

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history and to raising awareness, supporting research and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis — and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Its mission began in 2005 when founder and trustee Bill Pomeroy was fighting acute myeloid leukemia and his survival was in doubt. Ultimately, he was matched with a donor and received a lifesaving stem cell transplant. He felt that, should he survive, he would help others in a similar situation. The idea became the genesis for the foundation’s first initiative: to diversify the bone marrow donor registry so that anyone, from any ethnic background, can find a matched donor.

Their other initiative is helping people to celebrate their community’s history. They meet this by providing grants to obtain signage in the form of roadside markers and plaques. Since 2005, the foundation has funded more than 2,400 signs across the United States, all the way to Alaska. It has grown to offer six signature marker grant programs in addition to marker programs funded through partnerships with nonprofit, municipal and academic organizations.

Fred L Emerson Foundation Inc.

5654 S. Street Road, Auburn 315-253-9621

www.emersonfoundation.com

The foundation gives to private colleges and universities, community funds and a library; grants are also designed for youth and social service agencies and cultural programs.

John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust

131 W. Seneca St., suite B #215, Manlius 315-632-2559

https://johnbensnow.org

The mission of the John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust is to make grants within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of programs with a focus on closing the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced.

For more than 70 years, it has partnered with local and regional nonprofits to invest in individuals, shape the community and drive positive change for future generations.

The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust is pro-active in seeking grant proposals from qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. Additionally, it accepts unsolicited proposals from qualifying organizations. An initial letter of inquiry must be submitted via the online grant application system.

The foundation was established in 1948 by John Ben Snow and continues to operate under the terms of its original charter. The present board includes persons of diverse occupational backgrounds and geographic areas. The foundation focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations serving Central New York (defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Oswego) across a range of program areas. The board meets once a year, usually in June, to approve new grants and review previously funded projects.

The board and program staff seeks to collaboratively create proposals within specific grant programs while responding to the changing needs of targeted populations — especially seek to close the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced.

Oswego

County Community Foundation

c/o Central New York Community Foundation, 431 E. Fayette St., Syracuse

315-422-9538

Email: OswegoGrants@cnycf.org

The Oswego County Community Foundation is a geographically specific fund administered by the Central New York Community Foundation.

This philanthropic initiative serves

as a collection of gifts from many donors who are committed to preserving and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Oswego County through a permanent charitable endowment.

Grants are awarded annually to aid vital programs in the fields of arts and culture, environment and animals, education, human services, health and civic affairs.

Oswego County Sportsmen’s Foundation

116 County Route 40, Mexico 315-963-8413

https://oswegocountysportsmensfoundation.com

It serves the sportsmen and conservationist in the pursuit of grants and funding for conservation projects and education

They are a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit “Our goal is to work with you and other like minded groups and individuals to promote, protect and serve our outdoor environment and those that use it, through education and conservation projects,” reads a statement from the organization.

VOW Foundation

1019 County Route. 29, Oswego 315-402-6119

www.vow-foundation.org/about_us

The Victor Orlando Woolson Foundation, Inc. is a public nonprofit 501(c)3 organization created to raise awareness of the dangers of synthetic drugs and bath salts, to advocate for stronger legislation against synthetics for the health and safety of young people and to assist individuals or organizations in advocating for or providing services to the mentally ill, homeless and low income youth in Oswego County.

VOW Foundation is organized to educate about synthetic drugs, addiction and mental health. They educate at health events and community education, outreach, recovery services and harm reduction.

Central New York Community Foundation

431 E. Fayette St., suite 100, Syracuse 315-422-9538

https://cnycf.org

The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity that

turns community dollars into community change. Established in 1927, it receives contributions from donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to address the region’s greatest needs. The foundation has invested nearly $300 million in community projects that benefit Central New York. It also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor of strategic initiatives that foster a thriving and equitable region and address the most critical issues of our time.

The gifts they receive come from those who want to give back to Central New York in some way — either during their lifetimes or as a legacy that carries on after they are gone. They then turn those community dollars into community change — by supporting and mobilizing nonprofit efforts around the region’s most critical needs.

“We envision Central New York as a vibrant community with equal access to opportunity for everyone. Future generations will proudly inherit a hopeful, just region where generosity and collaboration ensure prosperity, well-being and lasting impact,” reads a statement on its site. It has assets in the order of $434 million.

Saint Agatha Foundation

c/o National Philanthropic Trust

165 Township Line Road, Suite 1200 Jenkintown, Pa. 19046 888-878-7900 • 215-277-3022

www.saintagathafoundation.org

The Saint Agatha Foundation provides financial support to breast cancer patients in Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and Jefferson counties. The city of Syracuse is one of the 10 poorest places in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Watertown has a 40% poverty rate, compared to 18% in New York state overall.

Over the last decade, the foundation has provided assistance to more than 7,035 breast cancer patients by providing grants in excess of $13.5 million to local hospitals and organizations.

In August, the Saint Agatha Foundation awarded the Oswego Health Foundation with a grant of $75,860 to support the purchase of the most advanced software packages that will reduce appointment and interpretation wait times for patients needing breast imaging.

Farnham Foundation

283 W. Second St., Suite 200, Oswego 315-342-4489

www.farnhaminc.org

The mission of The Farnham Foundation is to support charitable activities of Farnham Family Services which includes prevention, treatment and recovery support for substance use disorder.

Operation Oswego County Foundation

44 W. Bridge St., Oswego 315-343-1545

www.oswegocounty.org /foundation.php

The Operation Oswego County Foundation exists to educate Oswego County citizens as well as existing and prospective businesses about the economic development services and resources available in order to expand and diversify the economy, thereby enhancing the quality of life in Oswego County. This is accomplished through the implementation of several economic development strategies and initiatives .

James V. Tesoriero Charitable Fund Scholarship

369 Lakeshore Road, Oswego 315-529-5067

https://oswego.academicworks.com/ opportunities/4316

James V. Tesoriero was the son of an immigrant muck farmer who started J & K Boiler Company, repairing the coal ships along the shores of Lake Ontario. He grew his company into the mechanical contracting firm J & K Boiler Co. Inc. that helped construct the modern footprint of SUNY Oswego.

Tesoriero was a strong believer in giving back to the community that he served.

This scholarship has been established in memory of James V. Tesoriero through the James V. Tesoriero Charitable Fund to assist SUNY Oswego students from Oswego County who have financial need.

Compiled by writer Stephan Yablonski

Members of the board of directors at Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation, taken at a basketball tournament in June. From left, are: MacKenzie Dunsmoor (secretary), Brooke Tracz (vice president), Brian Warner, Alyssa Auer Mitchell, Teresa Gentile (treasurer), Judy Queale-Dunsmoor, president, and John Dunsmoor.

Local Foundation Benefits Youth in Oswego

Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation has awarded more than 50 grants to nonprofit organizations benefiting youth in communities in and around Oswego

By Stefan Yablonski

There are scores of foundations in Central New York.

Some have been created for very poignant reasons. All strive to help others.

“The Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation was established in 2019 after the sudden passing of our son, Garrett, in July 2018,” said Judith Queale-Dunsmoor, president of the foundation.

Garrett graduated from Oswego

High School in 2014 and graduated cum laude from St. Lawrence University in May 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric, communications and business.

While there, he earned a place on the Liberty League All-Academic Team while playing two years of varsity football and four years of varsity lacrosse.

“He was bright, hardworking, humble and caring with a smile that would light up every room. He was passionate about athletics, academics

and social issues and had an incredible gift of connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds,” his mother said. “He especially loved working with kids and coaching youth sports and was very proud of his hometown. We have created the Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation to continue Garrett’s legacy of love, knowing that he would be happy and proud to provide youth in our community with more enriched lives and better opportunities.”

The foundation has been very impactful in the five years that it has been in existence. It awards $1,000 scholarships each year to two graduating Oswego High School students and a $500 scholarship to a graduating Unity lacrosse player. Since 2019, the foundation has awarded more than 50 grants to nonprofit organizations benefiting youth in communities in and around Oswego. These grants cover a wide range of services for children focusing on sports, arts and sciences, community projects and youth advocacy.

“We also host an annual 3x3 basketball tournament at the city basketball courts — which are named after Garrett — at Oswego’s Breitbeck Park. In addition to the games for boys and girls ages 10 and up, we offer free clinics taught by local high school and college coaches who generously donate their time and expertise. This year, for the first time, we offered a three-point shooting and dunk contest as well. The purpose of this tournament is to bring our community together for fun and friendly competition and we offer scholarships so that everyone who wants to play can. It has been a big success, growing with both players and spectators every year!” she said.

“We have one big fall fundraiser at our family farm called Lake Elizabeth, affectionately referred to by Garrett as ‘Lake Lizzie.’ This year’s event will be held on Oct. 19 from 1 to 7 p.m. and it is a fun day with four live bands, food, soft drinks, games, a cash bar and raffles — and everyone can take home a pumpkin. GD apparel and accessories will also be available for purchase.

The foundation is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization that relies on donations. Anyone interested in being a sponsor, volunteer or wishing to donate a raffle item for the fall fundraiser can do that on the website or by going to gdmemorialfoundation@gmail.com

All proceeds raised will support our mission of enriching the lives and investing in the future of youth in and around Oswego.

Catholic Charities Helps Families Challenged by Poverty

Nonprofit

focusing on food insecurity, homelessness

By Stefan Yablonski

With a budget of $5,541,924, Catholic Charities of Oswego County serves nearly 3,000 people annually.

Originally founded in the 1930s as an adoption agency, Catholic Charities has evolved into a human service agency providing many valuable programs and services to children, families and individuals. It has a great variety of people come through its doors annually to either receive help — or to provide that help.

The most prevalent needs in this calendar year have been housing and food insecurities.

“Catholic Charities of Oswego County assists a multitude of families and individuals throughout Oswego County who are challenged by poverty,” said Mary-Margaret Pekow, CCOC executive director. “The two areas in which we have the most impact are through our food pantry and our thrift store.”

From January 2024 through July 2024, 931 households (2,702 individuals) have been served in the food pantry, she said.

“We have added 931 new pantry members during that time frame as well,” she added.

In 2023, the food pantry served an average of 248 individuals each week.

The pantry also assembles 50-60 homeless food bags each month; that means 600-720 bags of food going to the homeless annually.

“Many of the clients in our community services department also access our food pantry,” Pekow said. “Our community services staff works diligently with the individuals we serve as well as many other community agencies to assist as many individuals as possible. Our food pantry is open to

the public and accessible once a month to individuals.”

The food pantry at Catholic Charities is operated by volunteers. It is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Catholic Charities’ Community Services department is now able to fully assist Hispanic families by offering a bilingual case manager.

“This has helped us to expand our reach and assist even more individuals than before,” she said.

There have been 394 individuals served in their community services department since January of this year, she added.

Traveling staff

The staff at Catholic Charities travels. Through the food pantry, they provide homeless food bags. If someone’s homeless, they’re put up at a hotel temporarily. Food bags are packed particularly around what they may have access to. They also have food bags that are meant for people that are living in tents or on the street somewhere.

“We utilize Wagner [Foundation] funds to assist clients in Oswego County with emergency needs such as security deposits, back rent, medical co-pays, emergency housing such as hotel stays due to homelessness or housing crisis and so much more,” said Brooke Foster, program supervisor.

The Wagner Foundation was established in Boston in 2005. Initially, grants focused on elementary and secondary school programs, universities, hospitals and human service organizations based in the Boston area.

Over time, the foundation expanded its local focus to include national and

international settings. It also broadened its mission to address social justice issues affecting marginalized populations in the United States and abroad.

“The funding helps us to alleviate homelessness in Oswego County one person or family at a time. The housing crisis in Oswego County has been at the highest I have ever personally seen. The funding allows us to assist clients so that they can look to the future,” Foster said. They are seeing an increase because of the huge homeless population in the county, Pekow said. There are wait lists for some programs right now. Some of it has to do with staffing and then on top of it, the cost of living.

They have 59 employees and 15 volunteers; but there are some vacancies. There are no fees associated with the programs. None of the programs have any kind of fees or any kind of requirements — except that they are an Oswego County resident, she explained.

Over the years, Catholic Charities has opened offices across Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton and Oswego. Now they are in six areas with offices throughout Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Onondaga, Oneida-Madison and Oswego counties.

Catholic Charities of Oswego County is at 808 Broadway, Fulton. The phone number is (315) 598-3980. The website is ccoswego.com.

When you give money to support the work of Catholic Charities of Oswego County you’re helping to feed the hungry in Oswego County — including hungry children.

You are also helping provide basic needs like clothing, hygiene items, housing, medication, heat and more.

New Line of Credit Established for Nonprofits in CNY

CNY Community Foundation teams up with NBT Bank to provide low-interest bridge loans to nonprofits in need of cash

The Central New York Community Foundation’s local impact investing program has closed on a $750,000 deal to secure a low interest line of credit for Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, Inc. (VLPCNY).

The funding will help the organization continue its legal aid services until funding from state grant contracts are fulfilled.

This will be the first project receiving funding from a new certificate of deposit (CD) funding program the Community Foundation has established in partnership with NBT Bank.

VLPCNY is a nonprofit legal aid organization that engages the legal community in volunteer service to low-income community members throughout Central New York. Its volunteer panel consists of over 500 lawyers who serve more than 3,500 clients a year with civil law needs.

The new agreement will allow the organization to continue funding legal aid and anti-poverty programming while awaiting reimbursement from state agencies such as the Department of State and the Department of Health for multiple executed contracts.

“VLPCNY, like so many nonprofit organizations, receives most of its funding from New York state to provide critical services that that State has identified as essential to life,” said Sal Curran, executive director of VLPCNY. “Unfortunately, contracting and reimbursement from the state has become increasingly challenging, regularly

leading to four to six month or longer delays for organizations like VLPCNY to get paid for work already completed. This impact investment from the Central New York Community Foundation will alleviate a tremendous financial pressure on VLPCNY during this time when interest rates on lines of credit are so high. We are so grateful to CNYCF for its leadership and vision in finding practical solutions for local nonprofits.”

A standing agreement with NBT will allow the Community Foundation to provide similar deposits for the benefit of other nonprofit organizations and unincorporated organizations working with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor that seek larger amounts of support than its nonprofit bridge loan program can provide.

The Community Foundation is responsible for intake and preliminary due diligence review. Applications that meet the Community Foundation’s internal standards could be eligible to receive a lower interest rate from NBT over the duration of a CD term.

The bridge loan and CD line of credit programs are designed to help nonprofit organizations continue essential community services while awaiting the receipt of approved grant funding. It is common for government agencies and other funders to require awardees to draw down funds on a reimbursement basis, often taking several months to process reimbursements.

A Community Foundation survey of more than 50 local nonprofit organizations found that 58% have experienced

funding delays from New York State grant contracts. This investment marks a total of more than $4.36 million now advancing housing, business development and lending through the Community Foundation’s local impact investing program. Impact investing allows the organization to use its financial resources to make investments that generate both financial returns and positive social outcomes. In 2023, the foundation’s board of directors approved a policy that allows the use of up to 5% of its main investment pool for the purpose of impact investment.

“It is not uncommon for Central New York nonprofits to wait several months to receive grant payments, forcing them to alter services or find other stop-gap measures,” said Frank Ridzi, vice president of community investment at the Community Foundation. “The vital work of local community organizations is our top priority, so by providing flexible support through this loan fund, we hope to help ensure their services continue.”

The Community Foundation’s local impact investing program is designed to tackle a wide range of community needs with an emphasis on helping Central New York residents build wealth, equipping residents with the opportunity to contribute to the economic performance of the region and providing under-resourced communities and nonprofit organizations access to capital. Learn more at cnycf.org/impactinvesting.

‘For a minimum of $25,000, you can establish your own endowment at the Community Foundation, which will provide around $1,000 to the community each year – forever.’

Jan Lane is a chartered adviser in philanthropy (CAP), and a senior philanthropic adviser at the Central New York Community Foundation. In her role, she supports charitable planning for individuals, families and companies and facilitates the Community Foundation’s legacy planning program. To learn more about options for preserving your charitable legacy, contact Jan Lane at jlane@cnycf.org or visit 5forCNY.org

By Jan Lane

5forCNY and the Power of Endowment: Investing in Good. For Good

Most of us want to build generational wealth for our loved ones. This might include naming them in a will or setting up a trust that will create lifetime support.

Guest Columnist

Q.: Who decides where the endowment distributions go each year?

What if I told you we also have an opportunity to build generational wealth for our community and the causes we care about?

The Community Foundation’s 5forCNY campaign is all about encouraging every Central New Yorker to invest in the future of the community by providing lasting support for local nonprofits. What does that look like? Endowment. Charities rely on gifts from donors to operate, and those donations can fluctuate over time. Endowments are like a financial safety net for universities, hospitals and nonprofits. Think of an endowment as a giant savings account filled with donations, which gets invested to grow over time. The money earned from these investments helps sustainably fund scholarships, cutting-edge research and crucial community programs.

Following are some frequently asked questions about endowments:

Q.: Who can establish an endowment fund?

Many charities establish endowments to help ensure that their missions stay strong during economic downturns and periods of increased community need. Many individuals, families and corporations also create endowments to provide a sustainable stream of funding for their communities and favorite causes.

Q.: How does an endowment work?

An endowment is a designated pool of dollars that are invested for long-term growth. Each year, a portion of the assets (usually 4-5%) are distributed to charitable causes, and the rest of the assets remain invested to grow in perpetuity. This growth, in turn, helps the endowment provide even more support each year to the causes for which it was established.

An endowment’s purpose is defined by donor intentions. Endowments can be restricted to support specific programs or charities or they can provide broader support for community causes like literacy, the arts or greatest needs. Each year, institutions go through a budgeting process to determine how much of an endowment’s returns will be spent. The allocation of endowment distributions is typically overseen by the governing board or trustees of an institution in accordance with the terms set forth by the donor(s) when the endowment was created.

Q.: How can I give to an endowment?

Various options are available — either through the Community Foundation or other nonprofits in the community. Anyone can give any amount to an existing endowment.

The Community Foundation, for example, is a collection of endowments that provide sustainable support for local causes. We connect donors to community issues they care about, giving them the opportunity to make a charitable investment that supports those issues now and for generations to come.

That’s the purpose of an endowment: to provide a steady stream of dollars, far into the future, to meet community needs as they evolve.

For a minimum of $25,000, you can establish your own endowment at the Community Foundation, which will provide around $1,000 to the community each year — forever.

Whether you give today or leave a legacy, whether you establish your own or help grow an existing one, endowments are gifts that keep giving— forever.

To learn more about5forCNY and how you can help endow a brighter future for Central New York, contact me at legacy@ cnycf.org or visit 5forCNY.org

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Last year’s cover

SERVING THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY

‘Many productive conversations took place with companies during and after SEMICON West about how Oswego County and Central New York could be a great opportunity and location for their future growth with the addition of Micron’s $100 billion investment.’

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.

Austin Wheelock

ooc@oswegocounty.org

Oswego County Attends SEMICON West

Event in San Francisco is the largest semiconductor and micro-electronics trade show and exhibition in the country

As part of Oswego County’s investigation into the investments needed to attract businesses in the semiconductor supply chain industry, a team consisting of the chairman of the Oswego County Legislature, James Weatherup, and the executive director of Operation Oswego County and CEO of the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency, Austin Wheelock, traveled to San Francisco July 9 – 11 to participate in SEMICON West. This was Oswego County’s first time attending this event and allowed key county government and economic development representatives to get first-hand knowledge of the size and magnitude of the semiconductor supply chain as well as understand what those businesses are looking for when making a decision to expand or relocate. Here are our observations:

Economic Trends

making pitches and presentations about the newest technologies within the industry and investments taking place across the globe.

New York state’s strong showing

While it was Oswego County’s first time at SEMICON West, New York state has been participating for more than 20 years and it was apparent with the professionalism and organization of the New York state booth and team.

What is SEMICON West?

SEMICON West is the world’s largest and longest running semiconductor and microelectronics trade show and exhibition event. Started in 1971 and held annually in San Francisco, it attracts more than 22,000 visitors from all over the globe, including the 3,000 SEMICON member organizations and more than 500 semiconductor supply chain business exhibitors. The three-day event is a who’s who of leaders of the industry as 80% of SEMICON’s visitors are C-level executives, top purchasers and manufacturers. While both main floors of the Moscone Center were filled with exhibiting businesses promoting everything from printed circuit boards to vacuum pumps, CEOs and senior vice presidents of companies like Intel, Global Foundries and Micron — along with state governors and top economic development officials — were

Oswego County representatives were part of the New York team of more than 60 attendees representing dozens of organizations including Empire State Development and the New York State Economic Development Council, along with many county and regional economic development organizations and education partners across the state.

New York’s slogan of “America’s Semiconductor Comeback Begins in New York” could be seen in marketing all over the facility as well as during the New York CEO Summit keynote speech.

The New York booth had the most prominent location entering the exhibition space and the amount of activity of companies and entrepreneurs interacting with what New York has to offer the semiconductor industry was very positive. Information about the Micron investment as well as other semiconductor wins like Global Foundries, Wolfspeed, Edwards Vacuum and others were prominently displayed around the booth. There was also an interactive New York state GOSEMI asset map that showed the location of existing industry assets, educational institutions, shovel ready development sites and other important resources that make New York an ideal location for new

semiconductor companies.

Semiconductor supply chain is vast and complex

Walking the exhibition floor, it was remarkable and informative to see how many different technologies and suppliers it takes to make a very small microchip. The semiconductor supply chain is one of the most complex and geographically distant supply chains in the global economy. With most of the semiconductor manufacturing currently taking place in Asia — specifically Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea — it will take a significant investment into US supply chain infrastructure to support expanded domestic semiconductor manufacturing at Micron, Intel, Samsung and TSMC, among others.

Companies will need to expand to make tooling for the various machinery that create everything from silicon wafers to printed circuits, to provide ongoing equipment service and maintenance, to perform testing, to assemble and package the products and to store and distribute the raw materials as well as finished goods.

These products and services also have a supply chain that extends beyond semiconductors that provide a host of new opportunities for Oswego County.

While every semiconductor supply chain business has different needs, Oswego County’s plentiful water and power resources along with access to the Port of Oswego are unique competitive advantages that puts us on the map for

companies looking to expand.

Many productive conversations took place with companies during and after SEMICON West about how Oswego County and Central New York could be a great opportunity and location for their future growth with the addition of Micron’s $100 billion investment.

Preparation and collaboration

Oswego County has a lot of work to do to get ready for the Micron investment just a few miles to the south in Onondaga County.

As identified above, there are many opportunities for Oswego County business growth and the accompanying residential growth — but those opportunities will only be fully realized with strategic investments and collaborations with key stakeholders.

We have a lot to do to prepare — we need to aggressively grow and prepare a workforce, we need to solve barriers to employment like affordable childcare and transportation, we need to prepare shovel-ready sites for a host of new industrial and commercial business opportunities, we need to grow our housing stock to accommodate not only our current housing demands, but those of a not-too-distant future growing regional population. We also need to work on strengthening and adding to our quality of life assets that will make Oswego County a place of choice to live, work and play.

These issues are difficult and take

time and considerable resources to address but we have a great team of partners and stakeholders already working together as part of the Oswego County Micron Strategy Steering Committee. This group has been meeting since shortly after Micron’s announcement and earlier this year released its annual report. The effort is being led by SUNY Oswego and includes more than 30 stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, local, regional and state representatives and experts in their field from economic development, community development, workforce development, education, transportation, childcare, housing, healthcare, among others working together to address these challenges and help develop solutions.

There is already significant progress underway with initiatives like industrial park expansion and shovel–ready site development, workforce development program expansion, education institution alignment and investments, an Oswego County housing study, and many other efforts that will help grow our economy and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

Getting back to SEMICON West, the team from Oswego County is already planning for next year’s event and will come back bigger, stronger and more prepared to showcase all that Oswego County has to offer to the semiconductor industry.

A team from New York attending the SEMICON West in San Francisco in July, including officials from Oswego County and Central New York.

Rendering of the Daldrop SBB new facility in the L. Michael Treadwell Industrial Park in Schroeppel. The building on the 17 plus acres is going to be Daldrop’s main manufacturing headquarters for all of the United States.

Daldrop’s Expansion Project in the Industrial Park About to Go ‘Full Steam’

After a few delays, German-owned company is about to start building facility in southern Oswego County

By Stefan Yablonski

After a brief lag, Daldrop SBB’s work on the future home of its manufacturing facilities is “full steam ahead.”

Daldrop SBB, LLC, is a German-owned clean room manufacturing, sales, service and engineering company.

It continues work on the 32,000+ square foot cutting-edge project in the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park in Schroeppel. It marks the largest expansion outside of Germany in the company’s 71-year history.

And it reinforces the success of its SHELMEQ cleanroom systems within the pharmaceutical industry — all while continuing to foster the international cleanroom manufacturer’s leadership presence in the United States, according to Benjamin Morrow, Syracuse Operations Manager for Daldrop.

“We are a bit behind with construction as we just released the pre-engineered metal building framing steel order,” Morrow said.

They are also wrapping up the final engineering for the site and expect to break ground in October, he added.

“From our original timeline the project grew a little bit and the scope of what’s going to be happening in this facility changed a bit as well. So we had to do some re-engineering,” he explained. “Along with that — sustainability has always been a big part of this project. We are going with a geothermal heat pump system; it is a very large ground source heat pump which is high energy efficiency and a little bit cutting-edge for this area. We feel it is the right way to go.”

That was part of reason for the delay.

“But we are back on track and we’re full steam ahead. We’re going to try to get as much as we can done this season. We don’t have an exact timeline,” he said. “Depending on the weather, we still hope to have an enclosed building by the end of the year.”

Things will pick right back up in the spring.

Daldrop SBB was awarded two grants, one through the IDA and one for a PILOT program.

“That’s all been signed off and it’s official. We’re dealing with an international entity and this is pretty much their first entry into the North American market. Daldrop is a global company. It’s only been about eight years ago when they started in the American market,” he explained.

“Germany, the parent company, needed to understand the IDA, PILOT programs and all the nuances that go along with all that. It’s not like they just write you a big fat check. They wanted to make sure we understand all the contingencies. That all got worked out.

“The train has left the station and we are full steam ahead right now. We can’t stop our growth. We’ve been hiring, but we are not manufacturing yet.”

The building on the 17-plus acres is going to be Daldrop’s main manufacturing headquarters for all of the United States.

“When we get that manufacturing facility set up, that is when we are really going to do the big hiring. Right now we are doing limited manufacturing both here in Syracuse and in Newberry Port, Massachusetts. That will all be consolidated and it will be amplified. We’ve got a lot of new equipment that is part of the capital investment, too.”

Support for the $7 million project has been provided by Empire State Development, Operation Oswego County Inc. and CenterState CEO.

Daldrop Group intends to provide additional opportunities for innovation within the Central New York region,

Benjamin

Morrow is Daldrop SBB’s Syracuse operations manager.

employing local laborers, technicians and engineers to continue honing cutting-edge cleanroom technologies, Morrow said.

At completion, the company will relocate 10 jobs from Onondaga County and create 20 new production and engineering jobs, according to Austin Wheelock, executive director of Operation Oswego County.

“I expect to start with 25-30 employees,” Morrow added. “That’s our minimum that we agreed to for the PILOT. The long-term plan is to develop the property to include strategic international partners that support our industry.”

They are going to take care of what they need to now “to keep our nose above water.”

“We’re hoping that growth continues that we’ve seen so far in the North America market,” Morrow said. “We will be able to expand; we’ve got a fair amount of room for growth.”

They got it zoned and got it cleared for an expansion off the end of the building.

“Should we need to grow quickly

and we need a little bit more capacity, we are all set to essentially to be able to blow out a back wall and expand the size,” he explained. “We haven’t started doing it yet because we don’t want to put the cart in front of the horse.”

Daldrop has committed to partnering with local organizations, such as the TDO (Train, Develop, Optimize) and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services to lead training sessions in coordination with area workforce partners and communities to with to continue fostering employment opportunities in Oswego County.

“I’ve been working with Austin and he’s got me in touch with many folks in the Oswego area,” Morrow said. “This isn’t just all manufacturing jobs. Currently we are all engineering. We fully expect to expand our engineering as well as our manufacturing-related jobs.”

Daldrop intends to provide additional opportunities for innovation within the Central New York region, employing local laborers, technicians and engineers to continue honing cutting-edge cleanroom technologies, according to Morrow.

A new Cincinnati, Inc. 350-ton press brake with a 16-foot bed and seven-axis CNC controls for forming metal has been purchased by Universal Metal Works in Fulton. The equipment creates more pieces per hour, it’s more accurate and offers more complex bending.

MANUFACTURING

High-Tech Keeps Machine Shops Profitable

Local manufacturers invest in new equipment to stay competitive

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

As with many industries, machine shops need to keep up or get left behind.

At Universal Metal Works in Fulton, company president John Sharkey, IV has added a new Cincinnati, Inc. 350-ton press brake with a 16-foot bed and seven-axis CNC controls for forming metal.

“It’s definitely made us a lot more efficient,” Sharkey said. “We can do more complex bending. It’s also more accurate.”

The new equipment helps Universal create more pieces per hour. Although efficiency can mean a reduction in the labor force, Sharkey said that the new press brake has had an opposite effect.

“If anything, it helps us get more jobs as we have more formed parts we can put together,” he said.

Cincinnati, Inc. trained Universal employees on how to use the machine when they set it up about a year ago. Universal employs 32. Sharkey estimates that the return on investment should occur in around five years.

One potential drawback to hightech equipment is its eventual obsolescence; however, Sharkey feels reassured by Cincinnati’s long-term involvement

in the industry and the general longevity of its equipment.

“The company has equipment out in the field since the 1930s that’s still out there working,” Sharkey said. “Hopefully for the foreseeable future it will be good equipment for us.”

He believes that 3D printing will have some effect on his industry, but typically, Universal makes larger parts than 3D printing can accommodate. New equipment “is what keeps it exciting and interesting,” Sharkey said. “We’ll continue to invest to stay competitive.”

At EJ Co, Inc., in southern Oswego County Tim McKernan, facility manager, said that welding with the company’s new dual robotic welder has increased efficiency from taking one hour to weld a product manually to only 12 minutes with the robots. Two robots work in tandem to weld the grating that EJ manufactures.

“It’s very precise and very good,” McKernan said.

He anticipates a quick return on investment for the dual robot, which EJ installed this year. The dual robots are dedicated solely to welding grates.

“We also have single robots for welding,” he added. “That’s probably our biggest automation investment.

None of this automation has ever eliminated jobs. We continually grow so we’re adding jobs. It is necessary to remain competitive.”

EJ employs 100 in its Schroeppel plan and operates facilities globally. It’s tedious work welding the same product over and over. Such tasks contribute to repetitive motion injuries and potential workers compensation claims. It can also challenge employers to find workers willing to perform mundane work. Automation can help address both of these issues.

“The company continues to invest in the latest equipment,” McKernan said. “Historically, we put in a milling center. We have extrusion saws where it used to be a one-head and now it’s a dual head.”

EJ is one of the largest cast iron manhole cover producers in the nation. The company also makes steel drainage grates and aluminum access hatches for utility equipment stored underground. Based in East Jordan, Michigan, it has dozens of offices and manufacturing plants throughout the country. It also has a presence in several European, Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries.

The New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (MIAP)

MIAP makes it easy for companies to identify training and education mentors, source related technical instruction, develop curriculum, and establish New York State Registered Apprenticeships.

Benefits of starting a Registered Apprenticeship program:

• Talent pipeline

• Cost savings

• Quality work

• Reputation

• High worker satisfaction

• Return on investment

GROW YOUR WORKFORCE

Scan the QR code to learn more.

nysapprenticeship.org

• Industrial, Commercial and Residential Site Development

• Wastewater Permits & Facility Designs

• Structural Design

• Geographic Information System Mapping (GIS)

• Hazardous Waste Site Remediation

• Wetland Delineation & Permitting

• Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments

• Environmental Compliance

McKernan is the manager at EJ Co, Inc. in Schroeppel. He is next to a part created by his company. “We find out from the customer what the job is and create a new product request,” he says.

How to Get a Part Made Need a part? Here’s how the process works

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Ever wonder how new parts and products are made? Local fabrication shop leaders shared an inside look at the procedure.

Many times, salespeople at job sites bring leads to EJ Co, Inc., in Schroeppel.

“We find out from the customer what the job is and create a new product request,” said Tim McKernan, facility manager.

The company’s staff of engineers take new product requests (NPRs) and design the requested part or product. After developing the price quote, a sold design may require a prototype or may not, depending on the complexity of the project and the customer’s desires.

“For the Big Dig project in Boston, the original drainage grates were supplied by a foundry that’s no longer around,” McKernan said. “They wanted replacement grates with a special locking device. We submitted a prototype, and we’ll probably build hundreds of those to replace grates that have fallen apart.”

Typically, a project can be completed without a prototype, with drawings and revisions as customers spots changes and has new ideas on what they want. EJ revises the drawing until approved. Then it’s time to build.

“Sometimes they don’t know what they want,” McKernan said. “We

Tim

pride ourselves in that we have global expertise with local knowledge, like NYDOT and city of Syracuse. The customer may not know the regulations. We take ‘napkin drawings’ and turn it into something that meets all of the specifications. We may design a grate around things like ADA, bicycle safety, load safety so trucks can drive over it.

“There are security issues a lot of agencies have because they’re worried about someone vandalizing their infra structure like a water system, electrical system or fiberoptics. They don’t want people messing with it. We would propose based on all of our knowledge different security and locking devices that can globally know things that ha ven’t quite come to the US yet.”

One example McKernan cited was in Europe during the recent Olympic Games. Concerns about potential ter rorist attacks prompted greater secu rity strategies to prevent a tragedy. Of course, nothing is foolproof. That’s why measures to slow an attack help increase the chances that someone committing a crime will get caught before they can become successful.

Recent floods in New York have prompted EJ to develop a safer manhole cover, SAFEHATCH, which provides a safety grate below the cover to prevent accidental falls.

John Sharkey IV, president of Universal Metal Works in Fulton, encourages anyone who needs a part or project to know “the more information they’re able to provide the better.”

Sometimes, a firm isn’t quite sure what fabricated part or product will solve their problem. But Sharkey said that’s not a problem.

“We have a good team here to help them know what they’re looking for,” he said. “We can design it in a way that is more efficient to build.”

That can save the client time and money.

Oftentimes, a fabrication project begins with a phone call from a potential client, followed by emailing prints and drawings back and forth to generate an estimate.

“We work from packets of detailed drawings to sketches on napkins; we work with anything,” Sharkey said.

Universal’s engineers can help develop a prototype; however, Sharkey said that typically the first model the company builds is the one the customer ends up using.

“Then we make it and are on to the next project,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (on green polo shirt) and local officials unveil the $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to improve infrastructure at industrial park in Schroeppel.

MANUFACTURING

TOswego County IDA Awarded $2.5 Million

Grant to fund infrastructure at L. Michael Treadwell Industrial Park in Schroeppel

he County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to fund roads, water and sewer infrastructure improvements in the expanded portion of the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park.

“We are thrilled to receive the news of the $2.5 million grant for the expansion of the Oswego County Industrial Park,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup. “This significant investment will pave the way for the development of shovel-ready sites, enabling us to attract new industrial businesses and stimulate economic growth in our county.”

This grant will allow the IDA to more than double the size of the existing industrial park by building public infrastructure into the 185-acre expansion site that the IDA purchased in 2021.

The public infrastructure will include the construction of over 3,700 feet of new public roadway, over 4,200 feet

of new sanitary sewer and over 3,700 feet of new public waterlines. This EDA investment will be matched with $2.5 million in IDA funds to prepare up to 10 shovel-ready sites to attract advanced manufacturing and semiconductor supply chain businesses that are estimated to create hundreds of new high paying jobs and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment.

“After years of planning, preparation and collaboration, this federal investment will be the catalyst to transform the Oswego County Industrial Park into a prime destination for new innovative industries, creating additional high paying job opportunities and further diversifying our economy,” said Oswego County IDA CEO Austin Wheelock. “Thank you to our federal representatives Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand,and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney for their bipartisan support to secure funding for this important economic initiative. We would also like to thank our local and regional partners

and stakeholders at the Oswego County Legislature, Operation Oswego County, Centerstate CEO, the Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board and the Town of Schroeppel for their support and collaboration.”

“On behalf of the Operation Oswego County Board, we are grateful for the news that EDA approved funding for this important project. We are strong partners with the IDA in bringing new jobs and investment into Oswego County,” said Operation Oswego County Board President Pete Cullinan.

The effort to secure this grant involved a joint endeavor of partners at the federal, regional, and local levels. With dwindling usable space within the existing 135-acre industrial park and increasing interest from new and expanding businesses, the timing is ideal for the expansion. With funding in place, the development is anticipated to take up to three years to complete, with the full site being served by August 2027.

Burritt Motors, Oswego

Grant

Supports SUNY Oswego Study-abroad Partnership Related to Semiconductors

SUNY Oswego, in partnership with Monroe Community College (MCC), recently received a federal grant to support study-abroad opportunities connected to the massive economic impact of Micron Technologies building in Central New York.

The grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program supports efforts to establish, expand and/or broaden American student mobility overseas. The project’s title is “Getting Ready for Micron: How a Rural-Serving Public Regional University and an Urban Community College in Upstate New York Will Prepare Students for Opportunities in the Global Semiconductor Industry.”

In support of the bipartisan 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, two consortium grants of $50,000 each were awarded to U.S. higher education institutions collaborating to build study-abroad capacity, programs, and resources to prepare U.S. students for careers in STEM, technical and/or vocational fields.

“The U.S. State Department’s IDEAS grant program seeks to challenge institutions of higher education to innovate and expand the definition of what they mean by education abroad,” said Joshua McKeown, SUNY Oswego’s associate provost for international education and programs.

“Even for a university like ours, where we have been successful at offering exceptional study-abroad opportunities for a long time, we are challenged to think differently, particularly in the Micron era we are now in,” McKeown noted. “Not every major has been represented well in our international programs, and not every destination has either. Focusing on STEM fields and developing targeted programs to East Asia, disciplines and relationships that SUNY Oswego has but not necessarily harnessed for this purpose, was challenging to conceive of and build support around. It’s really an affirmation of so much that we have built, and I am enormously gratified that this came through for us and we can put our international expertise to work in this way.”

Connextcare Holds Ceremony for New Oswego Office

Officials at ConnextCare on Aug. 7

held a groundbreaking ceremony at 120 E. First St. in Oswego where they have started construction on their new office building.

ConnextCare currently has its Oswego office located on 10 George St. on the west side of the city. The move to the downtown location will make the office much more accessible to patients who use public transportation and will be within walking distance to many public housing buildings in the city.

The relocation of the office to downtown Oswego will double the number of exam rooms and allow ConnextCare to offer dental services. Dental services are currently only offered in ConnextCare’s Pulaski and Fulton offices and school-based health centers throughout the county.

The ground floor of the building will contain 18 primary care exam rooms as well as provider office spaces. The second floor will contain seven dental exam rooms along with various workspaces and break rooms for staff. ConnextCare plans to be operational in the new space by early 2025. This project is being supported by King & King Architects and LeChase Construction.

ConnextCare officials and community leaders during the groundbreaking of the new ConnextCare facility in Oswego.

FINANCES & RETIREMENT

Study: Retirees Spend Nearly $5,000 a Month

Here’s where their income goes and how to plan accordingly

By Dawn Allcot

You might be expecting your expenses to decrease with retirement and, according to 2022 data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, that’s true.

The average American retiree spends $54,975 each year.

Compare that to adults aged 25 to 34, who spend $67,883 yearly, while those aged 35 to 44 spend $86,049 per year. Between the ages of 45 to 54, Americans spend $91,074 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the earnings for these age groups are proportionately higher, too.

The average income before taxes for U.S. retired persons was $48,780 — less than the average expenditure. In order to keep your finances balanced as a retiree — as the average retiree is spending more than their income — you’ll want

to consider what you’re spending on and how to manage that.

For retirees ages 65 and up, the bulk of their income goes to four expenses. What are they? And how can you work to reduce these costs so your retirement income lasts longer — or to free that money up for things like traveling and hobbies?

Housing

Housing, on average, makes up about 20% of a retirees’ expenses, according to the BLS data. That’s a hefty chunk, which means reducing your housing costs will be most impactful to your overall retirement spending.

If you love your home — or have deep roots in your area — it might make sense to stay where you are. If not, then

you might consider selling so you can downsize, or even move to an area with a lower cost of living. Buying or renting a smaller home in a more affordable market, or even a co-op in a senior living community, can dramatically reduce your cost of living.

Plus, you won’t have all the headaches and added expenses that come with a large house, such as emergency home repairs and maintenance.

Transportation

Transportation, including owning a car, costs $8,065 per year for retirees. Many retirees hesitate to give up the freedom that driving offers — but if you aren’t working, it might be feasible to share a car with your partner. Depending on the mass transit and walking

options where you live, you could even give living car-free a shot.

As with your home, downsizing can significantly reduce your costs like insurance, gas and maintenance.

Healthcare

Even with programs like Medicare, retirees spend $7,505 in healthcare costs per year. It’s important to acknowledge that reducing these costs can be a lot more challenging than housing or transportation.

If you are currently in good health, then making healthy lifestyle choices like eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and regular exercise may reduce your risk of serious illness or injury — but if you already have an illness or condition that requires ongoing treatment, your options are a lot more limited.

Your best bet is probably evaluating your Medicare plan to see if there’s an option that will better fit your needs and

budget. You might save money with Medicare Advantage, which bundles Medicare parts A, B and, typically, D. The open enrollment period to switch from regular Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, according to Medicare.gov. But if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can change to another MA plan between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Food

After healthcare, food is the next largest line item on a retiree’s budget. Retirees spend an average of $7,350 on food per year. Food is obviously not something you want to cheap out on — nutrition is important at any age — but there are still ways you can save a few dollars

About one-third of that $7,350 is spent on food outside of the house, so reducing the number of meals dining out can be an easy win here. When you dine out, ask about senior specials,

as sometimes these discounts aren’t advertised.

Look for easy opportunities to save on groceries as well. Many stores like have senior discounts on certain days of the week. Do some research to find out what the stores in your area offer. You can also save money on groceries by meal planning and making a list, which will help you avoid impulse purchases. Try not to shop on an empty stomach, when you’re likely to be tempted by junk foods that are bad for your health and your wallet.

Retirement can be expensive, but you can find ways to live within your means and still enjoy life. Knowing where your money goes and actively taking steps to reduce costs are the first steps to financial peace of mind.

Previously published online at www. gobankingrates.com. Republished with permission.

Retirement Planning for Those of Modest Means

You can put away a nest egg even if you don’t make a lot of money, experts say

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Most financial advisers have tips for people with impressive portfolios and a lot of money.

But for those who don’t have a lot of liquidity — people who are on a budget — it’s still possible to save for retirement.

“Most people are not on a budget, so they don’t know they have extra money,” said Cynthia Scott financial adviser and owner of OMC Financial in DeWitt. “Many people live on credit cards and when you charge things, it doesn’t seem like you’re spending money. You can’t have liquidity for investments until you sit down and design a budget to see where you can cut down and reduce so you have liquidity for an IRA, Roth IRA or a private investment account.”

By knowing how much money you have and how you spend it, it’s easier to set aside money to invest.

“Most people who have impressive portfolios have always diligently known where their money went and made sure they saved along the way,” Scott said.

But if you lack a time machine to go back to your 20s and start investing, there’s still hope, local experts say. Especially at this point, you have to evaluate your budget.

“Create a spending plan,” said Terri Krueger, chartered financial consultant and owner of Krueger Advisors, LLC

in Syracuse. “I liken it to the holidays and birthdays. They’re not a surprise; we know they’re coming but we don’t plan for them.

“If you create a list and decide how much you want to spend on each person, you can calculate it out to what to save for each month. The same is for car repairs. We know we’ll replace the tires, brakes and oil changes, yet we act as if these are surprises. We know we’ll have to spend $500 or more a year. Prorate it out for 12 months and set up an account.”

But Krueger’s planning isn’t just about brake jobs and wish lists. She also encourages clients to have a “fun account” to spend on whatever they want, such as going out to dinner or shopping for things that aren’t necessities (unless the person has no savings at all). Planning for some fun helps keep budgeting from feeling like drudgery.

Another strategy she endorses is using a credit card to track expenses and rack up points to use for gift cards. The money to cover the balance must be in the checking account.

“It’s wise to put an app on your phone where you can look and see where you are,” she said. “If the cash isn’t in the account to pay off that card, stop spending.”

Krueger recommends keeping in the bank — and not investing — at least

six moths’ upcoming expenses, including home improvements, vacations and purchases like a new car. That does not include living expenses.

She also encourages delaying collection of Social Security to obtain the maximum benefit and reduce tax obligations.

Krueger is a big believer in seeking personal advice from a qualified financial adviser, as they can address the specific needs of an individual’s situation.

It may seem too late to save for retirement. However, Randy L. Zeigler believes that it’s more about consistency than anything else.

“If one can save some money from each paycheck, even a small amount, then anyone can build long-term savings and investments,” Zeigler said. He works as a certified private wealth adviser, certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant and private wealth adviser, Ameriprise Financial Services, Oswego.

Like Krueger, Zeigler advises building up the cash on hand for emergencies above routine expenses before making any long-term investments.

“Employees should attempt to contribute systematically to their employee retirement plan, especially if it includes a matching contribution,” Zeigler said. “Why ever turn down free money?”

Shifting Your Investment Risk

Should you lower or increase your risk as you get older?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

At what point should someone segue from high risk–high reward to lower risk–lower reward in their retirement investments?

If you’re approaching retirement with a small nest egg, it may feel like it’s time to get as much as you can before you’re ready to retire. But that also places you at higher risk of losing money you will need in the next decade.

“It is perfectly OK to transition to a more moderate risk level as one approaches retirement but some percentage of equities — stocks and stock-funding instruments like mutual funds and ETFs — should be a part of any long-term, 4-plus years, investment strategy, even after one retires,” said Randy L. Zeigler, certified private wealth adviser and certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial Services in Oswego. “Unless one expects

to have a short retirement period, the need to hedge inflation is especially important during an extended retirement period, when most pension incomes do not adjust for inflation.”

The traditional pattern of buying and keeping investments for decades worked a generation ago, but Terri Krueger, chartered financial consultant and owner of Krueger Advisors, LLC in Syracuse, advises going with a small cap fund.

“It is a fantastic thing to own,” she said. “They’re doing incredibly well.”

Depending on how long you’ll need those retirement funds has a lot to do with the strategy you and your adviser form.

“Once a value goes down, it takes nearly twice the percentage of return to get it to go back up,” Krueger said. “If you can minimize the downturn,

your recovery will take far less time in the market.”

Pulling out only the money needed can help the portfolio remain strong and generate more future income.

Cynthia Scott, financial adviser and owner of OMC Financial in DeWitt, doesn’t think anyone should have a high risk–high reward investment plan.

“You can have higher risk the younger you are, but you need a combination portfolio with some that are higher risk and other investments that are high quality,” she said. “NVIDIA is a higher-risk stock; you could balance out with McDonald’s in your portfolio. Have a combination of things with a little bit of risk and things more quality in nature.”

Traditionally, more people shift to more investments in bonds and less investment in stocks as they grow older. But Scott prefers going where the market indicates to invest.

“If interest rates are high, it makes sense to invest in bonds because you get a good return on your money,” she said. “Ten years before we saw interest rates go up, interest rates on bonds were practically zero while stocks on the other hand were providing a better return. The shift came when interest rates went up and you could get value for investing in bonds. You could take money out of the stock market, and it made sense to

put it into bonds.”

Every situation is different, including the investor’s tolerance for risk. Zeigler said that people with longer time to invest have a greater need to hedge against potential inflation.

“Wide swings in stock and bond annual rates of return tend to get smoothed out with longer timeframes, so holding a mixture of conservative, moderate and aggressive investments is often the best way to construct a portfolio,” Zeigler said. “The percentage allocations to each area in the aggregate, are what determine the overall risk level of the portfolio. I have individual clients that could afford to hold investments with greater risks, but they are not personally comfortable doing that.

“It is often thought that the older a person becomes the more conservative their investment strategy should be. I have many clients in their 70s and 80s that remain comfortable with a moderate or moderately aggressive risk orientation. In fact, I have a 99-year-old client that owns many individual stocks in her balanced portfolio and feels completely comfortable maintaining a moderate risk structure with her investments. So, age is only one factor to be considered when constructing productive portfolio strategies.”

He added that the investing experience, timeframe for the need for cash, personal outlook on the economy and more influence risk assessment for investment.

Of course, you should seek advice from a qualified financial adviser familiar with your situation.

Cynthia Scott is a financial adviser and owner of OMC Financial in DeWitt.

Besties with the Bank

So how DO you build a ‘banking relationship’?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Alot of small business advice encourages small business owners to build a relationship with a bank. But since there’s no business–bank dating app, how does that happen?

It may not be as complicated as you think.

As with finding a special someone, getting out and mingling with others in real time can often generate serendipitous encounters that can help you build a banking relationship.

“Bankers are very involved in the communities in which they work and live,” said Marc Valerio, financial services partner at The Bonadio Group, with New York locations including Syracuse and Utica.

“Whether it’s a local industry trade group or nonprofits and charitable

organizations, it’s never hard to find networking opportunities to connect with local bankers. By being involved and active in their communities, small business owners and leaders are able to connect with these individuals and build longer term relationships.”

Larger banks may not be as involved or accessible around town; however, Valerio said that local, community bank personnel are often involved on the local scene and for good reason.

“Local community banks are strongly embedded in their communities and have a vested interest in the success of their customers and overall markets,” he said. “Often, there are more streamlined processes and decision-making, thus less red tape. Credit approvals do not have to go up to a

distant national office and businesses generally have a direct line of communication with the actual decision makers.”

Many romantic couples meet because of a friend of a friend. In a similar sense, building a banking relationship can start from a place of association.

“Start with a bank that you are familiar with,” said John Halleron, advanced certified senior adviser at SUNY Oswego, retired and owner of JRH Business Consulting. “Be open, honest and clear about what your needs are on both the deposit and loan sides. When you are asked for information, provide it, especially year-end tax returns.

“I never liked chasing customers for tax returns for their files. Simply have your tax preparer send a copy to your bank each year.”

Online banking has made moving money easier and more convenient than ever. There’s no need to drive over to the bank and wait in line, only to drive back to the office after the transaction. But in-person interactions can help your small business generate some trust between yourself and your banker.

“I suggest going to a couple of banks and finding a truly interested employee invested in helping you

specifically,” said Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, founder of Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse.

She connected with someone she knew at M&T Bank who could help her with her business needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This enabled her to tap into banking services she didn’t know about before and to stay abreast with changes in the banking world.

“You have to connect with someone who cares and proves it with constant interaction,” Higginbotham said.

Otherwise, your business could experience a one-way relationship with the bank.

Should you find your banking relationship sours, there’s no time like the present to get back out there and find a new bank to do business with.

Health Insurance Options for Early Retirees

Health insurance options for early retirees

By Jim Miller

There are several places early retirees can find health insurance coverage before Medicare kicks in, but the best option for you will depend on your income level, your health care needs and how long you’ll need coverage for. Here’s where to look.

• Affordable Care Act : For most early retirees who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplace, also known as Obamacare, is the best option for getting comprehensive health coverage. And you won’t be denied coverage or charged extra for preexisting health conditions.

And, if your income falls below the 400 percent poverty level after you retire — anything below $60,240 for a single or $81,760 for a couple in 2024 — you’ll also be eligible for a subsidy that will reduce your monthly premiums. The ACA also ensures that at least through 2025, households with incomes above that 400 percent poverty level will not have to pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for a benchmark policy.

To see how much subsidy you may be eligible for, use Kaiser Family Foundation subsidy calculator at KFF. org/interactive/subsidy-calculator.

To shop for ACA plans in your state, visit HealthCare.gov or call 800318-2596. Or, if you want some extra help, contact a certified agent or broker at HealthCare.gov/find-assistance.

• COBRA : Another temporary health insurance option you may be eligible for is the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Under this federal law, if you work for a company that has 20 or more employees, you can remain on your employer’s group health plan for at least 18 months – but could last up to 36 months. But be aware that COBRA isn’t cheap. You’ll pay the full monthly premium yourself, plus a 2 percent administrative fee.

To learn more, talk to your employer benefits administrator or contact the

Employee Benefits Security Administration (Askebsa.dol.gov; 866-444-3272).

If, however, the company you work for has fewer than 20 employees, you may still be able to get continued coverage through your company if your state has “mini-COBRA.” Contact your state insurance department to see if this is available where you live.

• Short-Term Health Insurance : If you can’t find an affordable ACA plan and COBRA is too expensive, another possible option is short-term health insurance. These plans, which are not available in every state, are cheaper, bare-bones health plans that provide coverage for up to 3 months with a onemonth extension available. But be aware that short-term plans don’t comply with the ACA so they can deny sick people coverage, they don’t cover preexisting conditions and they can exclude coverage essentials like prescription drugs.

To find and compare short-term health plans, try sites like eHealthInsurance.com or PivotHealth.com.

• Healthcare sharing ministries: If the previously listed options don’t work for you, another temporary solution could be healthcare sharing ministries (HCSM). These are cost-sharing health plans in which members – who typically share a religious belief – make monthly payments to cover expenses of other members, including themselves.

HCSM’s are cheaper than paying full out-of-pocket costs for traditional health insurance but be aware that HCSM’s are not health insurance. They don’t have to comply with the consumer protections of the ACA, and they can also reject or limit coverage for having pre-existing health issues and limit how much you’ll be reimbursed for your medical costs. Preventive care typically isn’t covered either.

To look for these plans, comparison shop at the three largest providers –Samaritan Ministries (SamaritanMinistries.org), Medi-Share (MyChristianCare.org), and Christian Healthcare Ministries (Chministries.org).

John Halleron, advanced certified senior adviser at SUNY Oswego, retired and owner of JRH Business Consulting.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, found of Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse.

Gray Divorce

More older couples are splitting — what does it mean for their retirement investments like 401K?

By Aaron Gifford

The kids are finally out of the house and financially independent. The mortgage is paid off and retirement is within sight.

Aging couples across the nation reflect on the sacrifices they made to get to this point and look forward to — a divorce.

A recent report from the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green University noted that the rate of divorce for Americans older than 65 tripled to about 25% between 1990 and 2021 and rose faster than all other age groups.

Divorce rates for those 45 to 65 rose at a lesser rate, while the divorce rate for those younger than 45 actually decreased over the 31 years.

Oswego County and the rest of Central New York, which has a significant population of older adults, is no exception to the gray divorce trend.

“The statistics are not surprising anymore,” said Jennifer Lovell, director of matrimonial consulting and litigation

support for Bowers CPAs and Advisors in Syracuse. “It’s increased so much, especially in the past 10 years.”

Lovell said many of the clients she had worked with had been married for decades and waited until they were empty nesters to initiate a divorce. They weigh the financial consequences of remaining with their spouse versus “just wanting to be happy in their last years.”

“It certainly helps if you’ve been good with your finances,” she said, adding that in most cases, retirement investments like 401K are split as part of the divorce agreement. “But your earning power could go away in a minute.”

With older baby boomers, many women have been out of the workforce for decades. Until the 1980s, a working father and a stay-at-home mother were a typical family structure across the county. Women who returned to the workforce later in life helped with household expenses but may not have had the chance to build a career and reach their full earning potential. Family

courts consider those events when the two sides hash out alimony agreements.

“It’s a different generation where mothers stayed home,” Lovell said. “When you go back to work in your 50s, the prospects for long-term savings aren’t that great.”

Spousal support is usually based on the length of a marriage, but courts are hesitant to make retirees pay alimony.

“Are you going to make him work past 65? That’s a really big issue here,” Lovell said.

Even for older adults, she said, divorce can result in poverty. Consider the increased risk of health and mental health problems.

Younger baby boomers are also part of the Sandwich Generation, where they are caring for their elderly parents while still financially supporting their children or even their grandchildren.

Millennials, by contrast, are more likely to get married at an older age, have children when they are more financially secure and have fewer children than their baby boomer parents. It’s not unusual for couples to have children years before they get married. Younger people often maintain separate bank accounts and are less likely to combine assets because they are cognizant that divorce is an eventual possibility, Lovell said.

“They’ve seen it with their parents or at least their friends’ parents,” she said. “I think this next generation is

going to do it a lot differently.”

Adam Gould, vice president of wealth planning for the Syracuse office of Key Private Bank, a segment of Key Bank, said couples thinking about marriage should have conversations about financial planning for the future, even if it includes unpleasant topics like divorce, death, division of assets and likely inheritances of family money or property. That same spirit of cooperation between spouses should continue in the event of a split. Doing so avoids paying hourly rates for two lawyers.

It’s also essential for partners to understand all financial implications and know where and how they can get information about their and each other’s earnings, taxes, credit, investments, debts and longer-term financial plans.

“Technology has changed the way people can see their world,” Gould said. “It’s better to be upfront from the beginning and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Gretchen Miller, a Connecticut-based senior vice president of relationships management at Key Private Bank, said the removed stigma of divorces compared to decades past — coupled with the evolution of higher earnings for career-minded women near the tail end of the baby boomer generation or younger — is a significant factor in the increase of gray divorces.

Like Gould, she works with a wealthier clientele. With an essentially mobile professional workforce, couples often split because they disagree over where to live or where to retire.

Miller said it’s becoming more common for couples to hire one mediator or one lawyer and one financial planner to hash out the divorce instead of spending

more money on two competing lawyers.

“We are quasi-marriage counselors. The objective is for both of them to decide what makes them happy,” she said. “It can be quite complicated and it can have a lot of moving parts.”

Miller advises couples to have a prenuptial agreement in place before officially tying the knot. She is quick to point out that when a divorce happens, most states don’t recognize common-law marriages where two partners are presumed to be married after being together a number of years in lieu of an actual marriage license, even if they had children together. She also said divorce can be a lot quicker and cheaper these days if couples consider all of their options, including financial planners, attorneys, mediators and even binding arbitration.

“There’s not just one way to get divorced,” she said.

U.S. Census data also indicates that older adults, whether due to divorce, the death of a spouse or never having been married, are increasingly living alone.

In 2022, there were 16 million folks older than 65 in that category, an increase of nearly 300% since 1970.

The Divorce.com website, which analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Pew Research, indicates that, across all age groups, 69% of divorces are initiated by women, the main reasons being infidelity, unmet needs, deficient work-life balance and alcohol issues. It also says same-sex couples are 50% more likely to get divorced than different-sex couples.

The American Psychological Association reports that older adults face additional challenges after a divorce,

including loneliness, especially if their children are out of the house and the split causes them to cut ties with mutual friends, in-laws, neighbors and other long-time acquaintances. In isolation, older adults are more likely to reflect on past events like careers and marriages as failures, leaving them prone to depression. There’s also the stress of making new end-of-life medical care and next-of-kin arrangements.

A National Library of Medicine research report noted that the likelihood of divorce in older adults in 2019 was twice as high after a second marriage and that divorce rates in older couples are much lower for those who have been married more than 30 or 40 years compared to those who were married for 20 years or less. It also reported that instances of gray divorce in 2019 were more common in Black couples (17.40 per 1,000 people), followed by Hispanics (11.95 per 1,000), whites (8.51 per 1,000) and then Asians (8.21 per 1,000).

A recent Key Bank whitepaper outlines nine primary considerations “when facing a divorce later in life:”

• Whether to keep or sell the marital home — Typically, the home is either sold immediately; transferred to one spouse or sold after the children finish school or turn 18.

• How to equitably divide assets — A split of retirement funds is typical in divorce settlements.

• How employee benefits factor in — If you have been married for 10 years but worked for your employer for 20 years, a pension split may be based on the 10 years of marriage.

• How to account for separate or inherited property — If the property is not comingled and remains in one spouse’s name, it might not be part of the settlement, but state laws vary.

• Claiming Social Security benefits on your ex-spouse — You are eligible to claim 50% of your ex-spouse’s record or 100% of your own, whichever is higher.

• Determining your cash flow as an individual

• Filing income taxes

• Reviewing your credit report

• Newly single — a few next steps.

“Divorce is one of the most stressful events in life, especially when it comes later in life,” the Key Bank white paper says. “Making informed financial decisions at this stage of the game is vital to your financial future. Be sure to build and maintain a network of tax and financial advisers to help you strategize your best options as you step into your next chapter.”

Gretchen Miller is a Connecticut-based senior vice president of relationships management at Key Private Bank: “There’s not just one way to get divorced.”

Adam Gould is vice president of wealth planning for the Syracuse office of Key Private Bank. “It’s better to be upfront from the beginning and don’t be afraid to ask questions.,” he says about marriage and financies.

Structure that houses Oswego Civic Arts Center might receive designation as a national park, a years-long process which at press time awaited preparations for Congressional consideration.

Hidden Gem: Oswego Civic Arts Center

Center draws on collaborations, community

It’s a gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon in late August. A small group of volunteers are in the Oswego Civic Arts Center’s Frances Marion Brown Theater painting and hanging lights for the next Oswego Players’ production.

Tim’s Notes

In the western end of the east side building, the Art Association of Oswego has two exhibitions up in its galleries and spaces ready for the next class or gathering.

While this humming center for creatives of all types is a hidden gem for some — and is among the properties that might be included in a new national park — those who know and love the spaces welcome the added attention to the fruits of their labor.

If you were to walk into what was then known as Building 31 as recently as the early 1960s, you would have seen an abandoned building, where the only occupants documented were pigeons (and their droppings). This space definitely houses a comeback story.

Constructed by the state from 1903 to 1905 as part of Fort Ontario’s operations, the building initially housed Fort Ontario’s quartermaster. But it subsequently played a role in one of the Port City’s most remarkable stories when 982 refugees came to America for the only shelter of its kind welcoming those fleeing the horrors of World War II.

The Safe Haven Museum, which was Building 22, currently houses those memories, but Building 31 was the commissary where the refugees found nourishment and connection as part of the camp where people from all walks of life, most of them Jewish, escaped the Holocaust and other atrocities in war-torn Europe.

This study also recommended including the local branch of Head Start in Building 30 and the Oswego Hot Stove League in Building 23 as part of the potential park. While the federal study did not recommend Fort Ontario itself under the umbrella of the national park designation, the potential impact is not lost on the residents of the Oswego Civic Arts Center.

“Becoming a national park will be a great thing,” said Norman Berlin III, the Oswego Players’ historian and a board member, while taking a break from lighting the next production, “While the Lights Were Out.”

“I think it will be a great opportunity to highlight the wonderful things we have in the city and the great organizations we have in this building, the Oswego Players and the Art Association of Oswego,” he said.

A story of revival

And yet a bit more than 60 years ago, nobody had an interest in the building. But then two creative organizations — the Oswego Players and the Oswego Art Guild, the forerunner of what is now the Art Association of Oswego — saw the possibilities of the space and turned their dreams into a reality.

“It took a lot of volunteers, but they cleaned it up and turned a shell of a building into what it is today,” Berlin said.

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

These are two of the four structures impacted by recommendations from the National Park Service to become designated as a national park, a years-long process which at press time awaited preparations for Congressional consideration. The recommendation in large part comes from the historic status and unique story of the refugee shelter.

On the Players’ website, oswegoplayers.org, you can find before and after pictures, including from 1962 to 1964 when volunteers built a theater from scratch. That scrappy volunteer energy powers both groups today.

“Things have been busy lately,” said Bill DeMott, the current AAO president as well as its exhibitions coordinator since 1999. “They’re booming like never before.”

Much like the Players, the AAO is open and welcoming to people whatever their level of artistic ability. Some Saturdays feature “Art With Coffee,” where anybody

can drop in and learn a new technique or how to work in a new medium, DeMott said.

“Wednesdays every week we have Open Studio from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where people can come in and work in whatever they do,” he said.

Ceramics classes happening twice a week are “doing incredibly well,” DeMott added.

Every year the AAO stages between 10 and 15 exhibitions across many different media, DeMott noted. “We’ve had a really good variety, both upstairs in the enormous Timothy McHenry Gallery and downstairs in the recently renovated Kirk Beason Gallery.”

DeMott also credited local artist Ron Throop, who served as an artist in residence for nearly a year, for infusing vibrancy into the space while opening doors to new possibilities. “One of the things Ron did was to write a grant so that we could get a PA speaker system,” said DeMott, which has led to the organization hosting more musical artists.

The Art Association’s 2024 calendar will be busy, with a mixed-media exhibition by Paul Garland running on the first floor Sept. 14 to Oct. 13, DeMott and fellow printmaker Maddie Coraro presenting “Monotypes” upstairs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 17, with those same dates hosting Tim Moxley’s photographs and other media in the downstairs gallery. After a printmaking half-marathon on Nov. 19, the year closes with a holiday

show and sale in both galleries Nov. 29 to Dec. 22.

In addition to other member shows throughout the year, the Art Association of Oswego might be best known for its spring Lakeside Statewide Juried Art Exhibition, which draws top submissions from far and wide. A full calendar is available on the AAO’s website, oswegoarts.org

Plenty of play-ing

The Oswego Players, meanwhile, keep their own busy schedule.

“We try to do about four main stage productions, not counting offsite things like dinner theater and the Don McCann Playwriting Competition, which is more of a benefit,” Berlin said.

The one-act play competition, named for previous Oswego Players historian and publicist McCann, has seen a huge resurgence in the past few years. “This year we received 90 play submissions from around the state of New York,” Berlin said during an August interview, also noting McCann was a previous historian and mentor. “We’re in the middle of the second round of selections.”

In late August, volunteers — including Berlin and his mother — worked on the finer details of a production of “While the Lights Went Out” (Sept. 6-8 and 13-15) with two more 2024 productions on the horizon: “Arsenic and Old

Lace” (Oct. 25 to 27, Nov. 1 to 3) and “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” (Dec. 6 to 8 and 13 to 15).

While both organizations celebrate the holiday spirit with their respective events, the spirit of cooperation lives in the building all year round.

“The Oswego Players and the Art Association have become really good partners and collaborators,” DeMott said. “We have a shared lobby and a shared kitchen and really support each other.”

Some Art Association events have utilized the Frances Marion Brown Theater for musical entertainment. And last year when Oswego Players partnered with Oswego Opera Theater for the children’s opera “Brundibar,” they wanted to include scenes of Oswego in the production. So they reached out to the Art Association and members Mike Flanagan and Larry Rapshaw created paintings richly detailing Oswego landmarks.

And this building, an overlooked Oswego landmark in itself, has served its denizens well.

In addition to the Kirk Beason Gallery, the AAO’s first floor features a spacious classroom and workshop that has hosted printmaking marathons with invited entertainment in the gallery, as well as a lot of digital art possibilities.

“The basement has a really great ceramics facility, while the second floor’s Timothy McHenry Gallery is

Production of “The Last Lifeboat” in 2023 at the Oswego Civic Arts Center. Courtesy of Oswego Players.

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enormous,” DeMott said. “All that room has allowed us to host special events like An Evening of Women’s Voices, with entertainment that has been very popular.”

On the Players’ side, the second floor provides room for a lighting booth and other upstairs needs, while the basement houses costumes, props and old set pieces.

Welcoming community

The 60-seat theater hosts popular shows that allow volunteer cast and crew members to not only create new realms but also forge long-lasting connections in the magical world of community theater, Berlin said. Experience is not required for any cast or crew position, but passion is prized.

“Community theater as a whole can teach community service and community involvement, and creates lifelong friendships and relationships that can last five to six decades,” Berlin said.

Berlin said he started with the Players at 9 years of age as part of a theater family. While his mother continues helping with creating the sets, his late father constructed sets and props, plus played the drums for musicals.

Norman Berlin Jr.’s legacy lives on with things he built as well as helping inspire his son’s theater work. “It’s wonderful to walk into a room and see a table that he built,” Berlin said. “This is where I met so many wonderful people who are a part of my life. The

Players really helped me become who I am today.”

Berlin also can testify to the inclusive nature of the Oswego Players and all those in the building, how the group can take somebody who started as an autistic child and turn him into a key member of a civic organization.

“This took me out of my comfort zone and showed me what I could do,” Berlin said. “I learned so much about life and about community involvement and community service.”

The organizations have rented from the city for decades, and found them “great partners,” DeMott said. The recommended federal designation would change things with the National Park Service ultimately becoming the new landlords for the Oswego Civic Arts Center. As the city previously did, the federal agency would maintain the external parts of the building while the organizations would continue running the vibrant happenings inside.

Whatever the final outcome of the park’s status on a federal level, the building’s past and present both are cherished.

“It’s just a great space,” DeMott said. “It continues to serve our needs so well.”

“To spend most of my life in this historical building has been remarkable,” Berlin said. “I’ve literally grown up here working on lights, painting sets and acting. It’s been a true pleasure and a joy.”

An empty space at the Oswego Civic Arts Center sits abandoned in 1962. It is now Timothy McHenry Gallery, which features several exhibits a year. Courtesy of Oswego Players.

Fair Haven’s Tourist Season Boost

There are beautiful beaches, fine food, great music and more … but no stop lights

By Stefan Yablonski

Fair Haven is a village located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Cayuga County, on Little Sodus Bay. According to the 2020 census, its population is 760. However, during the summer months, the population increases as scores of visitors flock to the idyllic village within the town of Sterling.

Kyle D. Meddaugh is the self-proclaimed ambassador of Fair Haven.

Why is Fair Haven so popular?

“I certainly can’t be sure — but I’ve personally been very active in trying to help ‘put Fair Haven on the map’ for a number of years, through my photography,” he replied.

Meddaugh is the president of the Fair Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. He is also owner and photographer at onePhoto Photography and the proprietor of the downtown Fair Haven shop Main Street Emporium, along with his wife, Marnie. And he is vice president of the Save Our Fourth Association board, the group that oversees the huge 4th of July celebration in the village.

“I think right about the time I started onePhoto Photography, Chris

Colloca opened up Colloca Estate Winery to the public, which began drawing a wider audience into Fair Haven,” he added. “We’ve both been focused on creating Destination Fair Haven through the chamber of commerce and our individual businesses. Trying to first get people here and second give them a lot of things to do. Can we give them more? Absolutely!”

The water draws people

“Not only do we have Lake Ontario waterfront, the village entirely surrounds Little Sodus Bay,” Meddaugh explained. “These two bodies of water provide endless opportunities for swimming, fishing and boating — all popular recreational activities. Adding to this is our miles of wetlands and streams; Sterling Creek, Red Creek and tons of opportunities for canoeing and kayaking.”

There are a myriad waterfront restaurants and bars, marinas, parks from which to watch the sunset.

“Water is definitely a big draw. And surrounding water are some absolutely picturesque spaces,” he added.

Public spaces

The entirety of the village of Fair Haven’s Lake Ontario shoreline is public park space.

On the east side of Little Sodus Bay is Fair Haven Beach State Park and on the west side is West Barrier Bar Park (a village park).

Both these parks also have frontage on Little Sodus Bay, joining Phillips Park, Standbrook Pier Park and two public boat launches around the Bay, Meddaugh said.

“I love my time camping at Fair Haven because it is beautiful. I am transported far, far away when actually I am only 20 minutes from home camping along the shore of Fair Haven pond,” said Oswego resident Linda Knowles. “Herons, swans and kingfishers, frogs, ducks and eagles visit daily. Sunsets are spectacular.

“Turtles bask on logs edging the marsh and occasionally a muskrat will swim along side my kayak as I paddle by. There are both sandy beaches and pebble. I can spend hours searching for rocks along the shore.”

Mostly, she finds peace at Fair Haven — “Thoughts slow down and time lengthens. Dreams that have been drowned out by day to day rush and noise, resurface and linger for exploration. I sit on the veranda of the cabin, my dog lying on her bed at my feet, and write. Gratitude floods in and washes away all worry,” she explained. “This is a bit of what I find at Fair Haven.”

“Additionally, there are two other spacious village parks not on the water, including one on Main Street with the village bandstand and memorial and the other with tennis courts, basketball courts, a ballfield and a public pavilion. None of these are necessarily a draw to the village (with the exception of the state park); but all add to the small town green feel to the village,” Meddaugh added.

Arts, culture + seven bars / restaurants!

Fair Haven’s music scene especially has exploded here in the past few years.

“This time of year [during the summer], on any given night, you’ll find live music somewhere in Fair Haven. On weekends, it’s likely that there will be four or five different venues hosting live music on a Friday or Saturday night and Sundays two or three at least,” Meddaugh said. “The rest of the week, there’s at least one place with live music, open mic night or something. That is definitely a big draw.

“I’ll never forget my friend John McConnell telling me a few years back that he and other Oswego area musicians can more reliably book a gig in Fair Haven than they can in Oswego or Syracuse even. It only took one venue here in Fair Haven to consistently book live music every week to force other venues to step up their game and after a few years, they all were booking live music regularly. Now, it’s something people can count on.”

Even in the off-season — which is getting shorter and shorter in Fair Haven — there’s live music every weekend at a number of locations, he added.

Plus, there’s still the Saturday Night Band Concerts by the American Legion Band in Central Park downtown and special events like the Big Band Sound of the Oswego County Summer Stage Band’s performances, Porchfest and more.

“Additionally, we have the Fair Haven Arts Center, South Shore Artisans and my store.” Meddaugh said. “Artists seem to have been drawn to

this community for years — decades even. We have quite a number of renowned artists who reside here. Many are members of the Art Association of Oswego or who exhibit there, as well. And the general population supports the art scene, whose artists are a big part of this community.”

A village with a year-round population of 760 people can’t possibly support seven bars. But this village’s population quadruples in the summer season. And folks coming in from Oswego, Syracuse, Rochester, Auburn and beyond for the great views and live music scene here make it work.

There are even three more restaurants, a bakery, a great deli and an ice cream stand in the village that don’t serve alcohol. So there are a lot of options for great food to eat, many of which are located right on the water and offer free dock services.

“Plus, we have a robust downtown shopping district that offers gifts, souvenirs, fishing and camping gear, haircuts, apparel, etc.,” Meddaugh added.

The people

“We have some amazing people here, with some wonderful stories. Perhaps what makes Fair Haven so popular is the same thing that ultimately draws these amazing people here to make their homes,” Meddaugh said. “We have history. I hear this more often than anything from people who visit our store, that the people are so generous and helpful — that they miss the people while they’re gone. The people may not actually draw visitors here, but it’s definitely the people that play a big part in visitors returning again and again!”

Fair Haven simply offers all this while still maintaining the feeling of a small town, he added. They don’t have any stop lights; they have had smartly-directed and legislated controlled growth by a population that both cherishes the past and proudly looks forward to the future.

“We’re a resort community whose 760 year-round residents support our small, local businesses year-round,” he said. “We have a dedicated group of individuals who are committed to promoting Fair Haven as a destination while retaining its charm and hometown feel.”

Meddaugh and his wife wear their Ambassadors of Fair Haven badges with pride — “as do dozens of other locals who preach the gospel of Fair Haven,” he said.

A Haven for Musicians

Tim Nekritz — a musician, organizer and promoter from Oswego — frequently raves about the Fair Haven music scene.

The Sterling Cidery is where he regained his love for music in monthly open jams and where his monthly concept of The Variety Show, featuring 10 to 15 acts, first took flight.

“It’s a small close-knit village that also really cultivates creativity and collaboration,” said Nekritz, whose day gig is as director of communications at SUNY Oswego. “The Sterling Cidery’s monthly open jams and uke (ukulele) jams really provide a lot of support for people who are honing their musical skills while allowing them to play with folks who have more experience. It becomes a pay-it-forward situation, where people gain experience and confidence and are then happy to help newer artists.”

With a lot of different venues open to new artists, Fair Haven is a place where Nekritz has been able to book the two bands he performs: The Condescenders and Whiskey Spirits.

“Bookers in Fair Haven are very approachable and open to new ideas and bands,” he said. “A lot of bars and venues other places will book the same bands week after week and not give newer acts a chance, but the places I’ve been fortunate enough to play in Fair Haven are willing to give you an opportunity and bring you back if you do well.”

Nekritz added that the Fair Haven Porch Fest, organized by Jana House and Brandon Furber of Sterling Cidery, is another example where the talent far exceeds what one would expect for a modest-sized village.

“The Oswego Porchfest is wonderful, but I’m always in awe at how many amazing acts Fair Haven can pack into a few blocks,” he said. “The challenge is always that you can’t see all the acts you want to see, but the performances are, by necessity, all within easy walking distance.”

Social Media Helps Small Companies Grow

Likes, links and forwards can get your brand in the limelight

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

If you think that social media is only for large companies, perhaps you should consider adjusting your perspective.

It’s free, easy to use and can prove an effective means of reaching your customers. How you do it is what matters.

“Small businesses can use social media to connect with their customers by being authentic and engaging,” said Heather McCoy, owner of 315 Designs, LLC in Fulton.

Unlike a slick radio spot or TV ad, social media is about being real and approachable — not “salesy.”

It’s also not important how many

people you reach on social media, but the means by which they are reached.

“Authentic engagement outweighs vanity metrics now,” McCoy said. “In today’s world, social media success is more about building real connections than just chasing likes. Small businesses should focus on creating genuine interactions by sharing relatable content and actively engaging with their customers. It’s not about having the largest following, but about fostering meaningful relationships with the people who support your brand.”

Reaching your ideal target market

relies upon selecting the social media platform where they’re active, such as Gen Z preferring YouTube above all other platforms, according to Morning Consult, an industry data gathering organization. Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat followed YouTube, indicating that videos and visuals are essential to reaching Gen Z. But platforms like LinkedIn orient more toward networking and promoting business-to-business interactions.

It may seem a great idea to use several platforms. But it’s better to stick with one or two. This strategy will help avoid social media burnout and also target your ideal customer. Paradoxically, trying to be all things to all customers represents a less effective approach than targeting a smaller population of ideal customers — and honing the social media campaign to reach them. Of course, a few less-thanideal customers may also find and like your brand. However, it’s that core of ideal customers that will stick with the company and become brand advocates.

In addition to choosing the right platform, McCoy encourages small

, business owners to “share content that resonates, like behind-the-scenes looks, helpful tips or stories that reflect your brand’s values,” she said.

What would you like to see and read? What would you want to repost and share with your friends? Always posting to sell doesn’t engage the audience.

Social media users like when businesses reply to their posted comments right away. McCoy said that this can show you listen and it can also keep the audience engaged. Polls, Q&A sessions and user-generate content also boost audience involvement and connection to your brand.

“Ultimately, providing value helps build a loyal and engaged customer base,” McCoy added.

Just like becoming friends with the popular kid at school helped some of that popularity rub off on you, becoming associated with popular companies can boost yours also.

“Collaborations and partnerships are important to expand your reach and make new connections,” said Alexandra Fitzpatrick, marketing and communications manager Operation Oswego County.

THANK YOU THE FOLLOWING FOR OF PHOTOS IN THIS

Cross-brand with purpose with a noncompetitive company whose goods or services complement yours. For example, a dairy farm with a bakery (what goes better with pastries than an ice-cold glass of milk?). Tagging the collaborative partner in the applicable posts will help both of the organizations involved.

Social media is least effective when it’s hit-or-miss. Instead, plan to post regularly.

“Have a content schedule and stick to it,” Fitzpatrick said. “The consistency and user-generated content can effectively leverage your social media and drive business goals.”

Downtown Living

Be in the heart of it all with views of the water — Oswego River and Lake Ontario — shopping, dining, outdoor recreation, including riverwalk trails. Young professionals, empty nesters, families — hundreds make their home right in Downtown Oswego.

The downtown living offers a variety of options to suit everyone's specific needs. And the living spaces themselves, from modern apartments and condos to spacious lofts in historic buildings, are beautifully distinctive.

Entertainment

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.

Some platforms allow scheduled posts to appear at certain times of the day, planned weeks in advance. Choose timing that will catch your target audience. For example, people who work in offices tend to have breaks at 10, noon and 3.

Even if you can’t schedule posts on your chosen platform, you can plan them. Ideally, one-third of your content should entertain, one-third should educate and one-third should promote your brand. Of course, among these categories, there’s overlap. A very entertaining video could share facts on your products or services, for example.

Expanding Community

Our community is always expanding, creating new activities for you and your family. Places for business to grow and thrive. Elected officals that push for clean streets, and better quality of life for its citizens and visitors.

A Year-Round Destination of Fun!

When TCJA Ends

What will the end of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 mean to small businesses?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The possible sunset of the Trump era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) may affect small businesses in ways that business owners have not yet considered. The TCJA is slated to end in 2025 unless Congress intervenes.

“We don’t know what will happen,” said Michael J. Reilly, certified public accountant and consulting partner at Dannible & McKee, LLP, headquartered in Syracuse with additional offices in Auburn, Binghamton and Schenectady and Tampa, Florida. “Biden has said that nothing would change for those under $400,000. Trump talks about keeping these measures and expanding them— and not only for the higher incomes, but the middle class too.”

Reilly said that the largest impact from an end of the TCJA on small businesses would be the end of the qualified business income deduction. The QBI deduction provides for a 20% deduction against business income effectively lowering taxable income for many small businesses such as sole proprietors and owners of pass-through entities. For example, for taxpayers in the top federal tax bracket of 37%, their effective tax rate drops to 29.6% after factoring in the QBI deduction.

“Almost all small businesses currently qualify for the QBI deduction,” Reilly said.

Certain professional businesses such as medical, accounting and legal services generally don’t qualify for the QBI deduction.

Reilly said that the corporate tax rate went from a top tax rate of 35% to 21%, a shift that won’t sunset with the TCJA “but there’s talk of the Biden administration increasing it to 28%,” he added.

In view of the potential increase in personal income tax brackets due to the TCJA sunset provisions, Reilly said that it may be prudent to “consider accelerating income into current years when you’re in a lower tax bracket,” he said. “For example, you should consider converting all or a portion of your regular IRAs or other qualified retirement plans to a Roth IRA where the conversion would be taxable now, but in the future, all distributions from the Roth IRA would be completely tax-free.”

He added that most small business owners should be interested in gift and estate planning if they are concerned about the succession of their business and the ultimate distribution of the wealth they have accumulated.

Business succession also represents an area of concern to Cindi Turoski, partner with Bonadio Group with locations including Utica and Syracuse.

If business owners are considering handing down the family business, time is running out.

“The 2017 tax law temporarily doubled the federal estate and gift exemption until Dec. 31, 2025,” Turoski said. “For 2024, each person can transfer up to $13,610,000 during their lifetime or at death tax-free for federal taxes. That means a married couple can shelter over $27 million of assets from federal estate taxes.

“Furthermore, federal estate tax law allows for portability of the estate or gift exclusion, if properly elected on the estate tax return of the first spouse to die. That means if you do not use all of your federal exemption, your spouse can use the rest of yours in addition to his or her own. Note that the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption also doubled to the same amount but isn’t portable. That exemption applies when gifting to grandchildren or to a trust that also benefits grandchildren.”

Once those higher federal exclusions end Dec. 31, 2025, those amounts will decrease by half. For this reason, Turoski advises business owners who want to give their business interest to heirs should consider beginning the process soon to complete it before the possible end of the TCJA. Turoski anticipates the volume of work for estate planners, attorneys and business appraisers will sharply increase in the coming months as other business owners plan accordingly.

“You don’t want to be shut out of the process due to their capacity by waiting too long,” she added. “Either way, gifting also removes future appreciation from compounding your estate. State estate tax laws also need to be considered.”

Michael J. Reilly, certified public accountant and consulting partner at Dannible & McKee, LLP.

Key to Your Brand: A Style Guide

Style guides help companies to communicate more consistently, experts say

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Does your company have a style guide? A style guide is a set of companywide policies about language and visuals for official company communications both internal and external. Style guides are commonplace among periodicals to maintain consistent means of expression. But they’re not only for media. Every company needs one.

It may seem fusty to care about wording in an era of social media rife with slang and slack on grammar. Many text messages lack punctuation and are peppered with emojis and GIFs. However, a company style guide can help your company’s wording appear professional and clear — and determine if and when those emojis and GIFs are appropriate.

“Having an in-house style guide

provides consistency, branding and professionalism,” said Alexandra Fitzpatrick, marketing and communications manager at Operation Oswego County. “It allows your company to present a cohesive and professional image, while strengthening its brand identity.”

Companies connect with the public is a variety of ways, including social media, TV and radio spots, print advertising, press releases and more. Working from a style guide allows those who represent the company to speak and write more accurately among all of the means of communication.

“An in-house style guide, aka ‘brand guide,’ is vital for companies because it ensures consistency across all touchpoints, from marketing materials to digital platforms,” said Heather McCoy, owner of 315 Designs, LLC

in Fulton. “It acts as a clear framework for how a brand should be properly represented — covering everything from logo placement, color selections and fonts and can even include the tone of voice used in communications.”

It may seem easier to simply wing it and hope for the best. However, this often generates communication that’s difficult for vendors and consumers to follow. A style guide can prevent miscommunication and misunderstanding. It also cultivates brand distinction.

“Consistency is key in building a recognizable and trustworthy brand and a well-crafted style guide makes sure that happens every time someone interacts with your brand,” McCoy said.

Whether you’re revamping the company website, writing a press release or responding to a social media

post, a style guide can create a more efficient process for communication among staff, “reducing the back-and-forth questions by giving clear guidelines on design and messaging,” McCoy added.

If there’s only one way to do it, then there’s no need to ask the boss. Refer to the guide and the problem has been solved.

A style guide can also help employees better represent the company brand at every level and in every department. Otherwise, it’s easy to misinterpret how company materials should read, sound and appear.

“An in-house style guide helps maintain a cohesive brand identity, making sure everyone is on the same page and that your brand stays true to its vision,” McCoy said.

Building a company style guide isn’t a one-and-done project. Think of it more as a living document. It can evolve over time as new questions arise in-house as to how you want to express ideas. As the company changes it’s important to periodically revisit the style guide and update it. Evaluate what works, what doesn’t and tweak as necessary.

Alexandra Fitzpatrick is marketing and communications manager at Operation Oswego County. “Having an in-house style guide provides consistency, branding and professionalism,” she says.

Heather McCoy owns 315 Designs, LLC in Fulton. “An in-house style guide helps maintain a cohesive brand identity, making sure everyone is on the same page,” she says.

What to Do When the Bill Comes Due

You have options when it comes to large hospital bills you can’t pay

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The average hospital stay costs $2,883 per day, in addition to expenses for lab work and specialists.

A lengthy hospital stay can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although insurance can certainly help defray the out-of-pocket expense, it doesn’t guarantee affordable care.

“Gone are the days of a $20 co-pay,” said Marissa Vartak, family nurse practitioner, board certified in family medicine and owner of On Care Family Health in Cicero. “Ninety percent of my patients have $6,000 deductibles.”

These high deductible plans often cover up to 80% of the amount left after the $6,000 deductible has been met.

A person with this type of insurance plan would pay $10,800 for a $60,000 hospital bill (a three-week stay, plus lab work and tests) after paying the $6,000 deductible, making their total out-of-pocket cost $16,800.

Many people would find this sum out of reach, especially if they have missed work because of their hospitalization or if they live on a fixed income.

Although most hospitals will set up a payment plan, unfortunately, many turn to suing patients to collect overdue bills. According to a sample of more than 500 hospitals across the US, Kaiser Family Foundation stated that in 2022, more than two-thirds of the hospitals take legal action against patients who don’t pay up. This may include lawsuits, wage garnishment and liens on property.

Kaiser also said that approximately

100 million people across the country — or about 41% adults — carry some amount of debt because of healthcare, despite the existence of “universal” healthcare, also known as Obamacare.

People who work two part-time jobs fall through the cracks. They make too much money to qualify for subsidized insurance plans and their employers are not required to provide insurance. People who employ themselves or who earn money as contractual or freelance workers represent another category of the uninsured. Some traveling healthcare workers and those working for employment agencies also may lack sufficient insurance.

Some people who experience an acute and expensive health crisis rely upon fundraisers thrown by family members or crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe. Although these efforts can certainly help, it’s also beneficial to talk with the hospital for help. Each of the area’s hospitals can work with patients on repayment plans and ways to reduce the amount owed if a financial need exists.

“Patients are notified that Upstate

has a financial assistance program that can be used should they need assistance in paying their medical bill,” said Kathleen Froio, a spokesperson for Upstate Medical University. “Upstate staff will offer to assist the patient in completing the application for assistance. Upstate Medical University also screens uninsured patients for Medicaid coverage and assists with them with obtaining coverage through the New York State Marketplace, if eligible.”

Since 2019 Upstate has provided more than $39 million in financial assistance to 22,274 qualified patients who have requested such assistance.

It’s also helpful to look at any charitable organizations in the area that can provide financial aid. Each county’s department of human services can provide references to organizations that help with bills. Legal Services of CNY (www.lscny.org) can also offer pro bono help to address legal issues for those facing medical lawsuits.

Above all, anyone facing large hospital bills should not simply ignore the problem. These bills carry interest when they go unpaid, so it’s important to at least call the billing office to let the hospital know that you’re struggling and need more time to make arrangements for paying the bill. Making affordable good faith payments each month can help reduce the risk of legal action. It’s vital to seek legal counsel if the healthcare organization cannot help reduce the amount to realistically manageable payments.

Dennis Oullette is the head of the family that owns and operates Ontario Orchard in Oswego.

ONTARIO ORCHARDS

One of the largest and most complete farm markets in Central New York celebrates 60 years in operations

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

n 1964, if you went to Ontario Orchards to buy fresh fruit and produce, a bushel of apples (approximately 42 pounds or 100 apples) cost about $3. Corn was going for about a dollar a dozen. And strawberries were a dollar a quart.

For more than seven decades Dennis Ouellette has been an agriculturist.

This fall, the Ouellette family, led by Dennis and his wife, June, along with daughters, Kathy and Laurie, and grandchildren, celebrate the 60th anniversary of owning and operating Ontario Orchards.

From the very beginning they made a point of selling their own fruit, vegetables and Christmas trees, as well as help the local economy by selling goods grown by local farmers.

Today, Ontario Orchards has become one of the most diverse, complete, family-owned farm markets in Central New York and New York state.

Early start

It all started for Ouellette as a 6-year-old in 1952 when his parents, Dennis and Estelle, bought a farm in Sterling.

Though the farm had a chicken and pig operation, it was mostly a fruit farm spanning acres and acres taking in the cool moist breezes from nearby Lake Ontario. He has been there

Twelve years later, Ouellette and his wife had bigger plans. “My wife, June, and I graduated from Hannibal High School in 1964 and proceeded to purchase property right here at Ontario Orchards, which was a two-story horse barn,” Ouellette explained. “This area was all filled in from swamp.” A year later they converted the old horse barn building into the present-day Ontario Orchards store.

“Back then we sold apples in the fall and strawberries and corn,” Ouellette recalled. “My wife and I would get up in the morning, before we even came to work and go pick strawberries and corn, bring it here and sell it on the side from a little stand. We also picked apples from the farm, brought them down here and sold them. That’s how it initially started. It was just a fruit and vegetables farm market — very seasonal. We closed for three months during the winter season.”

In 1967 they purchased the family farm from Ouellette’s parents. It was during that time vegetable production became a serious part of the business. With that, expansion through the years became inevitable.

“Everything you see over the years that has been expanded was brought on by customer-based increases, not just about money, but customer-based increases,” Ouellette said.

Expansion also included developing and creating new ideas, new supplies and products, as well as continuing to work with local farmers selling their products, along with their own.

“I have to attribute a lot of the new product lines to my daughters, Kathy and Laurie,” Ouellette said. “Because of their new blood and energy, they came up with new ideas, new displays, cer-

tainly new products and teaching dad about pricing in the New World. Now we’re open seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, which is the only day we do close. In order for us to do that, we had to implement a complete line of products that people were looking for at least once a week. Whether it was milk, eggs, apples, cheese — we had to make it worthwhile to be open seven days a week, throughout the winter time in particular.”

Local produce, products

Ontario Orchards also expanded internationally by purchasing products from farms in Quebec and Ontario, including high-end quality greenhouse greens, lettuces, strawberries and asparagus. But it is growing, buying and selling local and state-wide that is their calling card.

“Because of the COVID situation, it made people more aware of where products are coming from,” Ouellette

explained. “Knowing products are local or if you know they are New York state-raised and produced, it is high-end quality because of our professionalism in farming. We are certified farmers.”

Despite growing a lot on their own farm, Ouellette knew they couldn’t raise everything. Ontario Orchards works with many local growers including Reeves Farms and Emmi’s Farm in Baldwinsville, Simpelaar Fruit Farms in Mexico and the Jacobson Farms in Fulton, to get the freshest and best products.

“We have growers who are very much a part of our business,” Ouellette said. “The percentage of local is 90% during the summer. And of that percentage, up to 70% is right off our own farm. The rest primarily is Central New York.

“By working with local growers, we can help move their crops at fair values. And I think that is an important part. We don’t have a middle man with the products we sell from our farm. We

are direct farm to the public. Therefore, we can put a true value on them. We don’t have to spike the price because of a middle person.”

That original Ontario Orchards philosophy still holds true now as it did when they first opened.

And true to form, their fruits, produce and products reflect that fact with home-grown and New York stategrown and produced items, including Canale’s Traditional Tomato Sauce (Oswego), Canale’s House Italian Dressing (Oswego), Rudy’s Texas Hot Spice Bag (Oswego Town), 1000 Islands Hot as Hell Mustard (Clayton), Dinosaur BBQ Original Sensuous Slathering Sauce (Syracuse), New York State Maple Syrup (Lynd-Acres Farm, Croghan), New Hope Mills Pancake Mixes (Auburn), Cuddeback Honey Farm (Wolcott), Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters (Victor), Ontario Orchards labeled mustards, salsas, jams, butter, maple syrup, as well as Christmas trees, apples and cider.

The Ouellette family, front to back: Dennis, Laurie, June and Kathy. Photo courtesy of Ontario Orchards.

One of a kind

Sixty years later, Ontario Orchards is one of the very few farms in North America that commercially raises fruits, vegetables and Christmas trees at the retail level with 90% in-house sales. And as it was in 1964, it is still a bargain with a quart of strawberries at $6; a dozen ears of corn at $7 and a bushel of apples cost $25-$50.

“If my parents could walk in here today, they would just be awestruck seeing the completeness of the total operation compared to what it was in 1952,” Ouellette said. “Not only would they be awestruck, but we have customers who have been coming here for 50 years. I have staff that has been working here for more than 30 years, since they were in high school and are still here. That says a lot to the friendliness, the completeness, the quality and the genuine appreciation of our customers.”

And, it says everything about the Ouellettes and Ontario Orchards.

Fall Jamboree Marks 24 Years

This year marks the 24th year of Ontario Orchards Fall Jamboree — a two-day weekend event, organized by the Oullette family, in which the public is invited to come to the farm to celebrate the harvest and change of seasons with food, fun and entertainment. Walk through the corn maze. Pick your own apples and pumpkins. Make and take scarecrows, as well as wagon rides, pony rides and meet the animals up close. The Fall Jamboree always takes place during the third week in September and this year it took place Sept. 21-22.

Activities also include U-pick, hay rides, arts and crafts and music. Ontario Orchards also has a full Udd-pick season for apples, about a six-week period where people can come to the farm on weekends and pick fruit.

Ontario Orchards is presenting its 24th Annual Fall Jamboree in September. Pictured are Kathy Ouellette-Pfeifer, Laurie Oleyourryk and Dennis Ouellette during last year’s preparation.

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Marketplace programs raise the economic intelligence of the country through unorthodox stories, casual conversations and unexpected angles on the news.

Hear updates during “Morning Edition” each weekday at 6:51 and 8:51 a.m. Listen with the WRVO app, available for iPhone and Android devices.

BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTING/TAX SERVICES

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

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. 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.

CUSTOM METAL FABRICATORS

Frigo Design — Specializing in custom parts, stainless steel countertops, showers, shower bases, backsplashes, shelving, powder coating & more. Residential & commercial. Highly skilled. 5860 McKinley Rd., Brewerton. 315-698-7650 or info@frigodesign.com.

DEMOLITION

Fisher Companies. Commercial and residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 50 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315652-3773 or visit www.johnfisherconstruction.com.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

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

EXCAVATING

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

GLASS REPAIR

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

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS

Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar, figured woods, and exotics. Also, hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies. 266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

LEGAL SERVICES

Reed Law PLLC — Dedicated to helping families with their individualized Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Probate and Real Estate. Clear Legal Solutions, Impartial Compassionate Assistance & A Strong Helping Hand when you need it most. 218 Syracuse Ave., Oswego. 315-274-2040

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).

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.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

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

PICTURE FRAMING

Picture Connection offers custom matting & framing for photos, posters, prints, oils and more. Shadow boxes, object framing, art print source. 169 W. 1st St., Oswego. 315-343-2908.

POOL COVER REPAIR

Trust the experts! Let us repair your in-ground pool cover. Free estimates. Everybody says “Call this guy”. Cortini Shoe Zipper canvas repair to tarps, boat covers, and awnings. 215 Cayuga St., Fulton, NY 315-5938914.

SAUSAGES

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.

SCRAP

Flood Drive Properties. WANTED: All Household Appliances. Washers, Dryers, Stoves, Cars and Trucks. Top dollar paid. 315-592-4251 180 Flood Drive Fulton NY 13069.

TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE

RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

TRAILER SALES & SERVICE

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.

Want to be listed in our Best Business Directory? Fill out this form and send it, with payment, to: Oswego County Business Magazine, P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126 $169 for 1 year!

By Stefan Yablonski

Port Director Looks to Start the Next Chapter in his Life

William Scriber, Port of Oswego Authority’s executive director and CEO, has announced that he will retire on Dec. 31. The 67-yearold served as manager of port logistics from 2010-17 and served as executive director since 2018.

Q: Why did you decide now was the time to retire?

A: When times were bad, I couldn’t leave. When times were really good, I didn’t want to leave. Now that I’ve reached the age where I really want to start another chapter in my life — it’s time to say I want to move on. I want to spend time with my family. I have a lot of ‘honey-do’ lists to do. For me, it feels like the right time to pass the torch to someone else.

Q: What do you plan to do?

A: There are a lot of opportunities out there. I really want to explore them. But I want to just take the first three months off and just relax.

Q: Perhaps do some traveling?

A: I want to go fishing, which I haven’t done in six years. Then I will look for other stuff in the next chapter. I have had several offers for consulting work.

Q: The port has earned much recognition during your tenure. What are you most proud of?

A: Since I have been director, we have put over $35.76 million in upgrades and construction. The big kahuna was the $15 million grain export center, the only one in New York state on Lake Ontario. Our piers weren’t up to commercial standards. Now the west pier has been put back in operation; that was over a $4 million project. Also, we acquired funding to add eight slips to the Oswego Marina and secure an additional $2.1 million to construct the Goble deep-water marina on the port’s west pier. It’s a picturesque marina that connects right to downtown Oswego.

Applied for and received funds for rail improvement and expansion projects that will ultimately create the largest, private rail yard in Oswego County when projects are completed next year. Part of that includes replacing the port’s diesel rail car mover with an environmentally friendly electric rail car mover. Port rail traffic has quadrupled over the past three years.

Q: Any favorite memories?

A: We have continuously stayed in the black at a large level that was not ever reached by previous directors. I ran the port as a business. We are over a half billion dollars in economic impact in our region. Compared to, say the port of Toledo, they are 718 million annual impact — we are $513 million and Toledo is bigger than we are. I think I brought Oswego to where we are punching above our weight.

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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.

Oswego County Business, #194: October - November 2024

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